Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-06-20
COMMENCEMENT
WEEK ACTIVITIES IN
FULL P R0GRESS
SALUTATORY AND VALEDIC-
TORY PART OF TONIGHT'S
PROGRAM GIVEN

Commencement week activities have
claimed the center of the stage this
week for the twenty-five boys and
girls who will be graduated from the
high school this Wednesday night. The
class play, "The Fortune Hunter"
was staged Tuesday night in the
opera house to a crowd that filled the
room to the very doors, and still
scores of people were denied admit
tance. The management estimates
that at least seventy-five dollars will
be netted from the evenings enter
tainment.
The play was staged in first class
order by the class members. While
the star performance centered around
the parts of Nathaniel Duncan, taken
by Ernest Rummler, and Betty Gra-
ham, taken by Leone Hoyt, the whole
cast was well planned and parts were
given in the most praisworthy man
ner. The stage settings were good
and the whole performance bore evil
dence of efficient training under Mrs.
Earl Wilson. Between two of the
acts. the Misses Dorothy Brown and
Louise Wilson entertained with some
dressed in black with white stockings,
their movements.
The annual commencement exer-
cises will be given in the opera house
this Wednesday evening. At that
time. Stanley Glass will give the salu-
tatory and Ruth Edwards the vale
dictory for the class. Both of these
addresses are given below as they will
be presented tonight The principal
address by Ex-Governor w. N Fer
ris of Big Rapids will be treated next
week. The Banner expected to print
a large picture of the graduating
class this week in connection with the
commencement week activities, but
owing to poor mail service the cut
did not arrive. 1t will be printed
next week, in connection with Mr..
Ferris address. Here are the ad-
dresses. given by Mr.. Glass and Miss
Edwards:
Salutatory
Parents, Teachers ana Friends:
1t is a pleasure for me, tonight, in
behalf Of the class of 1917, to extend
to you a most cordial welcome This
is the last and most significant event
in our'high school days. Tonight we
reach that goal which has been
bright star urging US onward during
our years OF SCHOOL lie.
This commencement brings us both
regrets and pleasure; regrets that our
high school days with their pleasant
associations are over, and pleasure
because, victorious over obstacles, we
have earned place among the alumni
of Belding High school.
Our school days have served as a
laboratory in which we have received
our preliminary test. We can proud
ly say. tonight, that in this we have
been tried and found true. Now in a
few short hours we enter the stern
world of facts, the final and most
rigorous test. Whether or not we
shall survive this great trial will de-
pend upon how well we have learned
our lessons during these days of pre-
paration. The lessons assigned us
from our text books have been valu-
able factors of success which our
patient instructors have kept con-
stantly before us. Perhaps the most
important of these are concentration,
efficiency, and obedience.
How many times have our instruct
ors, not only by word, but also by
example, endeavored to teach us con-
centration. In school we must learn
to ignore the little things happening
around US and apply ourselves to the
work at hand. Then, later, when we
take our individual places in life, we
shall be able to hold ourselves to our
duties in spite of the many distrac-
tions we cannot avoid.
The second great lesson, which will
be Of use to us in this era which has
Speed" as its motto, is efficiency. 1t
is the logical result of absolute con-
captra tion Therefore when we have
learned this, we should excel in what
Continued on Page Eight