The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-06-19
COMMENCEMENT
ONLY BEGINNING,
PASTOR s THEME
Rev. George S. Mills Addresses
High School Graduates
PLEA FOR THOROUGHNEss
Advises Students to Make Days
Count and Leave Years to
Care for Themselves
PLEA FOR THOROUGHNEss

Rev. George s. Mills, pastor OF tht
/ Second Congregational church, open
ed the commencement exercises oil
Bennington High school, delivering
the baccalaureate sermon last evening
at High School hall on the theme
"The End That Counts" His text
came from Eccles. 7:S-" Better is the
end OF a thing than the beginning
thereof"
When the main body OF the audi
torium was nearly filled with the
families and friends of the graduates
and undergraduates, the senior class
gathered and formed in line in the
lobby and marched slowly to their
places at the front OF the hall. After
the singing OF an opening hymn and
selection by the members Of the
Congregational choir. Rev. Vincent
Ravi-Booth, pastor Of the First Con
gregational church, Old Bennington,
offered prayer.
Mr.. Mills said In part. The book,
THE Americanization OF Edward
Box" Is one of the best and truly most
uplifting histories Of a mans life.
1t is really his autobiography. Today
critics esteem 1t almost a classic and
fit to be placed along with Franklin's
autobiography. The opening chapter
is wonderful piece OF work of itself,
both for its original method OF intro
duction and its literary value. One
of the most memorable lines OF that
chapter, because they had been in
stilled into the writer's mind by his
grandmother were: Make You the
world bit more beautiful and better
because you have been in IT," That
would be good motto for any OF us.
In the closing chapters OF his book,
the writer puts his hand very power.
fully upon the national faults OF the
American people. One of the prlnci-
pal shortcomings that he dwells upon
is the lack of thorOughness among
Americans in general. The slogan
of the average 10y or girl or man
or woman seems to be that's good
enough or that will do" People
make a glorious start Then hop over
the middle and hurry to the end. That
may bring pleasure and satisfaction
for time. but never can the true goal
be reached in such a manner. II IS
the long, steady grind. perchance a
lifetime long. between the wonderful
start and the final end. The end NAV
not be in fame or renown, but there
is always the knowledge that one
has of doing his best and running
the entire course with highest deter.
mination.
Il am interested in physical re.
search myself, when others do II But
| need neihter Arthur Conan DOYLE
Oliver Lodge or Camille Flammarion
to convince me that there Is
a life after this death as we
know it. Shis is simply a stage
OF our existence as Christ, himself
said. The end of the school life is
not the end, II is but the beginning
of our life, II is but one of the pri.
mary steps in our education and ex.
perience."
In closing Mr. Mills lamented the
many days of school life, and In fact
OF all the life that are lost, allowed TO
drift away and leave no lessons
Count the days, not the years. he
said. "Endeavor to add a stroke of
intellectual improvement each day and
the sum total of years will take care
or itself Beware of the hypocritical
days" as Emerson says, "The days
tn!at come masked like the actors of
old and are lost in the pursuit OF bod.
lly pleasure and count nothing but
failure at the end Of this life"