The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-06-30
TWENTY THREE GRADUATE.
FROM HIGH SCHOOL
lContinued from last week.

CONTINUED from last week.
ucation: We, as a class, must praise
you for your efforts to provide for
us a first class school that we might
have advantages that others have not
had. In everything we attempted we
felt that you were behind US. We
thank YOU and hope that you may
never have reason to regret your
faithful efforts in our behalf. Men,
bers of the faculty: you have always
proved to be our best friends and
advisors in our many difficulties. You
have always shown friendly interest
| in all of our activities. You have not
only taught US lessons from text
books, but you have presented to US
ideals of manhood and womanhood.
We want you to know that we appre-
ciate your self sacrificing toll. We
hope when we are out in life's school
to be able to carry out the principles
which you held before US.
] We extend our hand to the men,
bers Of the other classes with best
wishes for your success. We feel
sure that we have left the leadership
in competent hands. Our hope is
that those who follow US may
achieve greater success than we have
Classmates: we have been together
for several long years. We were all
striving for the same goal the
gaining of knowledge and the ability
to use it to some good purpose. We
cherish the friendship which we have
formed. Some will be lasting, others
will grow. dim, but will never be for
gotten. We all had our pecularities
and our trivial faults. But these are
easily overlooked among close friends
When We were freshmen the idea oc-
Cured to us that if we might some
day become seniors, there could be
little left to know. Now we look
back and see how little we were able
to grasp as we sped along. We begin
to realize the true meaning of our
motto, Eve finish to begin" We
feel how unprepared we are to face
the battle of life.
The new problems confronting this
great country as result of the war
are not yet solved. We conflict be-
tween capital and labor, the increas-
ed cost of living, the disturbing po-
litical issues of the day, the matter
of adequate food production, and
many other problems call for young
men and women whose minds are
trained to think in bigger terms than
self. Herein lies our great oppor-
tunity. Now it is plain to us that
we should continue our education.
There were many things which we
only touched upon here that we have
the desire TO know more about. Col
lege then looms up as the only solu>
(fn1laOac and other. INSTITUTIONS
of higher learning are open to any,
one with energy and some talents.
There doors swing wide for brains,
courage and character to enter. In
these times people with financial
backing have neither patent on nor
monopoly of educational opportuni-
ties. The youth of today who aspires
in this direction is not a pioneer tho
he may often need to be his own path
finder as TO special ways and means.
There are numerous institutions Of
higher education among which we
may choose. 1t is not necessary TO
leave our own state or perhaps our
own vicinity Hosts of young people
both men and women are now win
ming their way through the colleges.
But far greater than the host now
in colleges are the number of young
people on the land who aspire to
rise through like training to the
ranks of the educated but for some
reason fail to do so. However, DIR.
Eliot has said "The experience of
many students shows that if man
has health, energy, cheerfulness and
good preparation for college work
he need not hesitate to enter" There
are various methods by which young
people have raised necessary funds
for educating themselves. 1t has
been proved that a persons health if
properly cared for need not be in.
jured by the stress of college life.
We can look back over long list Of
notable men and women who have
by hard work and determination
achieved success. Not merely success
in a worldly way but rather the sue
cess which comes from service. Many
people after gaining a fine education
have devoted their lives to benefit
mankind. Unfortunately on the
other hand there are many whose
sole aim in life seems to be the gain
ing of wealth and power for their
own selfish ends. 1t would be unfor-
tunate indeed if our dreams of the
future do not picture the world bet
ter for our having lived. Then may
our goals be well chosen and worthy
of our wholehearted efforts and we
shall have no cause to fear the flu
ture. Our feelings on this occasion
of our leave-taking perhaps may be
expressed appropriately in a bit of
poetry by Johnson:
Farewell, farewell, kind friends
and true,
Our hearts, our hopes are all with
you.
The tender thoughts, and cen
the trees,
Our parting brings,
But daily strengthen our resolve
That through the fast approach
ing years,
Our aim shall be toward higher
things.
The path before is not untrod,
To us alone the journey new
But we are firm, our courage