The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-06-13
BACCA[AUREATE
AND DEDICATION
HIGH sHooL COMMENCEMENT
AUsPIcIoustY OPENED.
ADDRESS BY REV. GRIGSBY
Service Held in Auditorium Of New
School Building.-city Churches
Join in Programme Memoir
able Occasion.

able Occasion.
| Baccalaureate services for the
class of 1918 of the Oskaloosa High
school were held in the Auditorium
of the new school building Sunday ev.
ening and the occasion was, in meas
ure, a dedicatory service for the big
audience chamber. While the building
is not yet complete or formally accept
ed the. contractors consented that it
might be used for the graduating pro
gram for class 1918.
The room has the greatest seating
capacity of any auditorium in the city
and it was practically filed Sunday
evening. The churches of the city
| Joined in the services making it a
union affair and in addition to the in
terest in the schools by the people in
general this tended to increase the
crowd A large representation Of old
soldiers attened in a body, gathering
upon the lawn of Comrade S. J.Dut-
ton near the school building and
marched TO their seats. Their appear
ance in the big room lead by Old
Glory was the signal for an outburst
of applause. Soon after the old sol
diers had taken their places the High
School Orchestra began the Process
sional March" and the Glass of 1918
entered and took their places, re-
served in the main body of the room
They were followed by ministers and
board members who took their places
on the stage.
Dedicates Auditorium.
Rev. Alexander McFerran, pastor of
the First Presbyterian church and
president of the school board was
chairman of the evening. He took
occasion to tell the people of the in
tents and purposes of the school board
in making possible such a place. 1t
was a gathering place for the COM
munity. for the people of the city. 1t
belonged to the people and was above
all else for public use.
Rev. Wayne Lee Waters, of the Con
gregational church offered the Bene
diction followed by the singing OF
America" by the congregation to or
chestra accompaniment directed by Miss
Sarah Williams.
Rev. C. H. Devoe, president of the
Ministerial association and pastor OF
the Christian church, read the Script
re lesson of the evening.
One of the most appropriate mum
bers of the evening was the dedi
catOry prayer, offered by the Rev. Ar
thur NJ. Lewis, rector of st. James
church and in which the uses and the
purposes of the building were giyer
formal conservation.
Special music during the evening
was furnished by the High Schoo
Girls Chorus, under the direction Of
Miss Williams and some excellent
numbers were rendered. The High
School Orchestra in numbers and &C
compartment also contributed to the
program.
Timely Selection.
1t was rather fitting that Rev. l.. NJ
Grigsby pastor of Central NJ. E. church
of Oskaloosa should have been Sc
lected to deliver the Baccalaureatt
message to the graduation class. Al
most three-fourths of the members o.
the class are in one or another wa!
members or connected with the Meth
odist church or Sunday school or thu
parents of the members are enrolled
with the church.
Rev. Grigsby gave a powerful ad
dress that could not fail to impress
not only the members of the class bu
also those of the audience present.
The theme of the discourse wal
TESTS of Promotion" The argument!
were forceful. LOGICAL and conclusive
The speaker was vehement at times
and pushed home his points will
powerful blows, as 1t were. In worf
the speaker told the class member
that the price of success out in thu
world of affairs was paid for in ''ser
vice, suffering and submissian." TIL
speaker emphasized these three point
in a detailed argument, enriched b,
example and citation. Each state
ment made was brought within tn
understanding OF all by ample AM
apt illustration.
Wins Applause.
Allusion to the call of the times
the necessity for men and women Il
the present conditions of affairs wa
made and when the speaker arraigr
ed the authors of the worlds distres
of today, in terms BETTING the enol
nifty of their crimes he reached
climax that brought forth a spontan
eous applause that was sustained sey
eral moments.
II was a splendid address, first Z
last, one BETTING the occasion TIL
commencement OF splendid class 0
young people and the dedication o
such magnificent auditorium.
While the program of Sunday even
ling dedicated the new auditorium, tn,
service was only preliminary to tn