Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-05-24
IMMENSE AUDIENCE AND
VERY FINE COMMENCEMENT


standing throughout the entire time
of the exercises.
The 1923 class colors-orange
and black, were displayed in stream
ers and other decorations through
out the auditorium. The front of
the stage was artistically decorated
with ferns and potted plants. The
curtain going up revealed the Al
seniors, in caps and gowns, seated
in semi-circle upon the stage, the su-
perintendent, speaker of the even
ing, and others who were to have
part in the exercises, seated with
them.
Back of the graduates were seat
ed the orchestra that furnished mu-
sic for the evening, and the mem
bers of which were from the high
school. They were under the direc-
tion of Miss Kathryn Geier who has
been the music instructor in the
schools the last few months. The
selections played by them were of
the choicest music, and were render
ed in a way to reflect credit upon
them and upon Miss Geier. We
doubt very much if. there can be
found in another school in the state,
]AA Pie~NNo VI Siio clLC, oil dSSlCSdCioh
of young people who can play good
music as well as the young people
here can. They and their director
are to be congratulated upon their
performance.
Suspended above the stage in the
class colors was the class motto "To
be rather than to SEEM"
After the Introductory music by
vol frso ION MS
made by Rev. r. o. McRae of the
Methodist Episcopal church. This
was followed by another orchestra
selection, then came the salutatOry
by Hugh James Donahue of the
graduating class, then another n1u-
sical number, and the valedictOry by
Miss Margaret l.. Brooks, another
member of the class. The orations
were both excellent-rich in ideas
and well delivered. Mr. Donahue's
ing to the large audience and ex-
preston of appreciation for their
presence, and felicitation for them
and the class, upon the occasion
which had brought them together,
dealt with the League of Nations"
which he had chosen for his theme
His discussion of it indicated re-
search and careful preparation, and
the presentation of it was made with
such assurance as to call for admir-
alton from those who heard him.
The main thought of Miss Brooks
address was "help others" 1t ran
through her discourse like a golden
thread and wove the whole into a
fabric which had all the elements of
rHwp ND rkr L. Nv.@ rIx uy<l1
how the law of helping others per-
tains to all things of life-creative,
social, moral, religious,-in mater
ial things and human life and activ-
tiles, and in national life. In the
latter it might seem to some that
her ideas were somewhat opposed
to those of the speaker who had pre-
ceded her, looking at the particular
thing discussed by him, and the de-
ductions he drew that a league Of
nations is not desired end to be
obtained. Miss Brooks ended her
address by a farewell to the gradu-
ating class, which made fitting and
beautiful closing and was most i'm
pressive.
The orchestra then favored with
another selection, and Principal H.
d. Bishop made the announcement
to the audience that DR.. E. B. Bry-
an, president of Ohio University,
who had been scheduled as the
speaker of the evening, was unable
ITO be present owing to death in the
faculty of the university. Mr.. Bish-
op said however that they had been
fortunate in securing as speaker
in DR.. Bryan's place, Supt. o. B.
Skinner of Marietta, and proceeded
to introduce him.
Mr.. Skinner, who was. already
known to a number here, having
been here before in the capacity of
an institute worker, proved a very
happy substitute.
He prefaced and ended his lecture
with the axiom that she who serves
an adult serves unit, and he who
serves child serves a multiplica-
tiOn table," 1t was Of a child par
ticularly he wished to speak, and
the thoughts built in were full Of
p good and wholesome ideas-just
such as parents and children, and
others need to hear.
The first thought brought out
was that child has the right to be
"well born" To this end he urged
clean living on the part OF adults,
and high standard that applies to
both parents, in order that the child
may enter life unhandicapped by a
weak body. He thinks a menace
that is confronting the generations
of the present day is the prOpagat-
ing in larger numbers of the under
strata and decrease in numbers Of
the class that furnish the best and
finest elements of society. To prove
the truth of the statements he made
he challenged his hearers to let
their minds dwell on families of the
normal" or desirable type of the
last generation, and then compare
the size of the same with the size of
the families of the generation sue
ceeding them.
The second great thought brought
out by Mr.. Skinner in his address
was that the child has a right to be
disciplined. The good of the child
demands it. The wise parent and
the wise teacher will give discipline,
and the child will respect the parent
or the teacher who gives it and will
thank them in maturer years for the
firm hand which curbed them, and
the wise head that directed them.
With discipline, however, the
speaker would have common sense
and kindness used-for discipline
is after all but a realization of the
rights of others" The boy or girl,
x,ho ootc fbo+ idoa into hic or hor