Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-06-22
CLASS OF 113 AT
BATES COLLEGE

One hundred and thirteen gradu-
ates of Bates College received their
credentials and went out into the
world, Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds of friends and relatives.
gathered on the crescent-array OF
seats before the steps leading to
Hathorn Hall, saw and heard the
final exercises.
At 2:30 o'clock this afternoon the
| farewell trust began. Arrayed in
! their caps and gowns the seniors as
sembled solemnly in a long black
line across the cement platform.
, Some of their number were chosen
to read the conventional parts, and
few hours later the ceremony
closed with the customary smoking
of the pipe of peace. The Lewiston
Brigade Band played, and it was all
very interesting and effective.
The class president. Stanley w.
Spratt of Woonsocket, r. l., was
Master of Ceremonies. After a few
remarks he introduced Millard D.
Webster of this city, the class chap
lain who offered prayer
The Grafton
Following the prayer Carl Bel
more of Wakefield, Mass, respond
ed with the Glass Day Grafton. He
took for his subject AN Apprecia-
ton of Education There are two
conceptions of education associated
with Commencement Week." he be-
gan. THE more popular one be-
lieves that the whole system has
been developing individuals year by
year SO that when graduation comes,
prepara ton for life is completed
Until now We have only existed.
Day after tomorrow we start living.
The other holds that mans educa-
ton is never complete-man must
always be scholar seeker after
knowledge. The first notion means
that the aim of education is to learn
how to secure n living. The second
notion means that the aim of educa-
ton is to learn how to live.
There are, also, two points of
view concerning college graduates.
One class tells us that we are the
future leaders of society. A
contrary view is taken by the pro-
fessional man and the shrewd busi
ness man. Thomas Edison brands
college graduates as miserable fail
ure. He based his allegation on his
famous test of disconnected ques-
tions. We know that one class
judges us with false inflation-the
other with wrong depreciation"
In the opinion of Mr.. Belmore.
no one of these various conceptions
is literally true. Every individual
| is endowed with the faculties for ac-
! quiring knowledge. No man has a
monopoly on brains" These were d
couple of striking sentences in the
body of his GRAFTON.
! Closing his grafton, Mr.. Belmore
! turned to his classmates and said:
1.-The four years we have spent in
Bates college. that place second ir
| our hearts only to home, would
mean nothing to us if we have not
! learned first of all to recognize the
weaknesses and the frailties of hu-
name nature. Our education would
be worthless if we have not learned
! to stand firm and true to the best we
! have been taught. The mere in
auiry into scientific facts would be
burdensome and pitfful if we die
! not learn, also to be helpful to those
who ned us, enjoying life, as is our
! privilege, and writing simply and
| honorably, day by day, our record as
men and women"
| The Class Day Poem
| The class day poem, which was
| composed and read by Miss Ruth
Colburn of Canaan. N. H. is grace
fully written.
I'VE pause as we climb the hillsides
And turn to Look back Ger the path
! We've travelled together. and count
! The stones we have left by the way.
SO many are rough and unfinished,
| So few we'll formed and true, that
We seek to destroy them all and build
anew.
But Time. the great taskmaster, who
| Judges
The work of each day. guards them all
And tells us No record is ever erased
Once made. or good or i'll. it remains
; 50 Time, ever the healer, draws
A curtain DER our mistakes-neVer
i! changing.
Only hiding, yelling our failures from
sight.
t"FaiIures? Must we call them failures
Shall we so ruthlessly measure ouI
! work?
Can we not find one perfect stone
To redeem the blemish of others less
| fair?
No. none perfect when viewed one by
one,
But all together ever growing greater
| And constantly set with more skill