The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-06-09
IL Receive Medals
and 81 Graduate
Continued from Page Two)

! =
and just how prominently ,nese
graduates have figured IN those IN
dertakings.
When this class entered the High
School in the year nineteen thirteen,
there was no organized association
for boys athletics, there was no or
gained association for girls ath-
letics, there was no school publica-
ton except the Ammonia, which, as its
name signInes, appeared but once in
each school yeeS7, there was no school
orchestra, there was no music class,
there was no dramatic class, there
were no class day exercises, and
there was no home economics depart
ment. Now, just see, we have all of
these. And W. have even gone so
far as to introduce into the school
student government and the honor
system. l must say, without hesita-
ton, that the members of this class
were the chief opponents of both of
those systems, which, when fully de-
veloped, will produce more capable
and more trustworthy young men and
young women.
I do not mean to say, however, that
the introduction of all those activities
has rested solely upon this gradual
ing class. No, indeed! The classes
graduating since nineteen thirteen
are the ones who deserve credit fol-
the most of them. But it is due to
this class that the various undertake,
ings have progressed so wonderfully
so marvelously! And all the prog.
/ ress seems to have occurred during
this past year. Suchs assertion,
know, appears false, when you thinE
| of the disastrous fire which left u,
homeless (for the school is oul
home.) But TINS fire, we firmly be
lieve, was merely test of our ability
| to do what we will, in spite of al
/ existing difficulties.
/ Striving on through this road Of
difficulties and inconvenience, we
| have at last reached the crowning
! goal of all these activities, and be
cause this success required such pa
| tient, arduous, never ceasing work OF
our part, we have learned to appre
! Ciate the value of each individual
| assistance, the cooperation of tn
entire student body, and we hav
learned to appreciate the value of ad
! justing ourselves to unIavorable con
ditions and of conquering these con
ditions.
Now, just as we have found tina
for any successful undertaking il
the school, al pupils must work to
gether under the leadership of one o
more directing heads, so we realiz
-
citizens to work together in order t
accomplish any successful and pro
/ gressive undertaking in the commun
ity. You citizens have known tina
for some time, I am sure, and yor
have, no doubt, witnessed failure
when the majority of the communit
workers failed to cooperate with you
We are not ignorant of that whicl
is necessary for the upbuilding of
community. We have strived throug
all our years of school life, and main
ly through high school, to learn jus
how to become worthy and progress
sive citizens of this city of Pensacola
Now on this commencement NIT,
ask you, dear classmates, as we a
start out in life, to use that know
edge and common sense which YOU a
have acquired and make the taxpay
ers who have made your educatio
possible be proud of you. Start on
with ambition, zest, zeal, vigor. II
terest, and with determinate will t
be producers and not parasites, to
self-supporting and not dependent, t
be active, progressive citizens and NJ
drawbacks in your community. Rails
standards in your community to 81
cure progress and do, yes, do cooper
ate with all agencies for progress.
beg myself TO do likewise. The pre-:
ent course I ask you graduates t
take is to serve your country at tn
citical time. OF course serving one
country does not necessarily mean
take up arms for that country.
so, at present we would be of no SCI
vice to our country whatever Blu
serving our country also consists