Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-11
LAUREL HIGH SCHOOL
CORNERSTONE LAID
BY MASONIC ORDER
Continued From Pare i

~~cu toT SD many yeaTS ulStuikuiSu-
Ing features OF the town OF Laurel and
the school districts which 1t embraces.
Without tho aid OF MIR. du Pont 1t
would not have been financially practi-
cable for Laurel to have built school
II this magnitude. But. with Mr.. du
punt and this town working as part
nern for the promotion Of education. 1t
not only became a possibility, but.
within a few months. will have become
AN actually. l congratulate the peo-
Pile OF Laurel most heartily upon the
fact that they are to have such a
school: l congratulate the boys and
tho girls OF this community that they
are To have such exceptional oppor-
tunity for education in such mag
nificcnt and inspiring environment.
and | congratulate the people Of sus-
sex county and of the neighboring
counties OF Maryland that Laurel is
to have within its borders an educa-
tional monument which should serve
as in inspiration TO all other com
munitics To give to their children the
greatest possible educational facilities
and tn make the gaining of an edu-
cation healthful recreation rather
than a life burden. Further than that
1 congratulate the Delaware School
Auxiliary. of which DIR. Joseph III.
pdell is the executive head. upon the
discrimination and liberality il has re-
vessied. as the agent for Mr.. du Pont.
in making Laurel such magnificent
gtft which enables 1t to have a school
building In keeping with the nnpor-
tance and the educational aspirations
OF ths community.
''Thesc are days In which every
pelawarcan owes it TO the present
generation and also TO posterity to be-
come militant and unwavering
champion OF the cause OF liberal edu-
cation insofar as Il applies not only to
the common school but also TO the col
i-wes within our commonwealth. We
may talk OF good roads. of tax revision.
of compensation. of safety first, of
chfid labor. and of the many other
vital problems which now share public
attention. but. with the single eNcep-
tidn of religion, there is no subject
which rs so important to the we'll
bcius OF our community as is that of
public education. which carries with
Il SO many other things which spring
from and flourish under the benign in
fluence Of trained minds.
n desire to say in this connection
that the Masonic craft in Delaware
stands today. as 1t never has stood so
axresxivcly before, firtnly and unalter-
ably in favor of the children of Della
ware enjoying the best educational adj
vantagcs that it is possible for them TO
have through public and private
agencies, or through such agencies
working Jointly. to obtain a great edu-
cational object such as is represented
here in Laurel today.
1T Is all we'll enough for persons
OF sentimental mind to talk OF the
little log school house and of the
other things which featured our edu-
cational system in years gone by: but
tt~s~e things are the things of the past
and not things of the present. These
are the days of the big college, of the
big a,hool, Of the consolidated school.
of tho school as a civic center, and of
the school which serves not only as
an educational but also as an i'm
spiratfonai agent for the benefit OF the
,~,une IL is such school that YOU
are to have here, and that for many
years rs destined TO lavish its bless
inrs upon the community which has
been so entcrprising as to bring II into
being.
Wilmington, rural New Castle.
Kent and Sussex counties owe il TO
themselves and TO the future interests
of our commonwealth to engage in
the closest and most effective team
work To advance the cause of popular
education. 1t is only by such team
work. performed the length and
brcadth of our state, that we can OBJ
tain tho~e educational ends which are
desired and which We must have if
we are to be thoroughly up-to-date in
matters os education. The spirit which
I see manifested here today constrains
ure To believe that this section Of Sus-
sex county is fully alive 10 that fact
and that it is disposed TO pull its fun
pound toward the solution OF what has
been at all times one OF our most inn
portxnt problems and. in instances,
one 0 our aggravated problems.
'On several previous occasions
have called public attention 10 the
great importance Of ardent Masonic
support os lligentiy-constructed
educational programs. I also have
made repeated appeals TO members OF
the Masonic craft within this juris-
sbction 10 stand shoulder TO shoulder
In behalf OF twentieth century educa-
tfonal reform. In no instance that !
have been able 10 discover have such
appeals fallen upon barren ground
The effect of the Masonic response TO
them is to be seen, / believe, in every
community In our commonwealth in
the matter of public sentiment and
educational achievement.
~Just as ] have appealed to Masons
In the past to get behind the great
educational movement and shove il
forward. 20 ! now appeal to you as Ma
Sons and as non Masons TO do every
thing IN your power to advance the
cause Of education. not merely here in
Laura, but from Claymont on the
north TO Delnar on the south and from
the Delaware river and bay on the east
TO the Maryland state line on the west;
yea and do not permit even state
boundaries to be the limit of that edu-
catlonal interest. but let Ii extend over
into the neighboring counties of Mary
land wherever and whenever IL can be
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