The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-06-04
81 Students Leave
Local HIGH School
CONTINUED from Page One)
ValedictOry

the top sign which marks its en-
try upon the main highway of life
Looking back over the twelve year:
which have been spent primarily
for the purpose of acquiring know
ledge, each graduate recalls Incl
dents which stand jutting up like
sign posts along the road of mem,
DRY. Each smiles reminiscent,
smile at the parties, picnics, jokes
and other happenings which have
made the road bright and lessened
the shock of its bumps. But the
sign posts which loom largest are
the ones upon which are inscribed
still the many values we have dis.
covered and grasped. We have
learned about Columbus, about the
American Revolution, about prob
lens in mathematics; but they are
not the most important. We can
forget the historical and the math-
ematical facts, but we can never
disregard the training in the quail
tiles which have tended to improve
our characters. Do not misunder-
stand me. knowledge is the basis
of true greatness, and all of us
have accepted it as such. 1t is the
greater knowledge which will stay
with us to form a background for
our traits of character.
Looking back over the shady
road of memory, we first see the
signboard labelled Contacts with
other people" And we think of the
many friendships we have formed
and we think also of our contacts
with better-informed individuals
than We are which have been made
possible through the medium OF
the class room. This signpost
points to others which are lettered
with the names of the qualities
which the contacts have helped to
develop. We see many, many OF
tkem-initiative, persistence. homes
ty, self-reliance, and innumerable
others. Their value is permanent
and lasting. Nothing can take
them from us, we are resolved that
nothing shall dim the clearness
with which they stand out.
When we consider the extent OF
our knowledge from the viewpoint
of the time and effort we have
spent in acquiring it, it seems that
we have learned a great deal. What
we have learned, we have discover
ed with the help of these character
traits. When we consider the extent
of our knowledge from the view
point of what is yet to be learned,
we realize its vast insignificance
But how and if we shall advance to
a fuller knowledge depends upon
the characted traits and the
strength with which they have be-
come rooted.
We have not acquired all the de-
sirable traits that we may have
wished. But at this point we find
an excellent opportunity to enum-
crate the ones we may call a part
OF us, and to decide upon the ones
we wish to obtain, and to resolve to
obtain them, for with the exper-
fences which life holds in store for
US we shall need the greatest
strength of character possible.
With the accomplishments of
these twelve years we stand ready
to join the throng on the highway
OF life. We are hesitant; we realize
how much there is to be learned,
how much work must be done. Yet
we have ambitions and dreams,
some of which we probably shall
not attain. But, as Stevenson points
out in Ell DORADO, our dreams
and ideals are what make life
worth living. We have, however,
infallable contributions for helping
us to success, if we will but look
back and read the sign posts. They
will help us in the problems which,
as we are so often told, ''the young
er generation will have to face and
to solve" They will help us to
solve them wisely, they will be the
basis upon which we build for
success.
With our ambitions firmly grasp
ed, with the knowledge and quail
tiles which we have obtained thus
far, and with the firmest of resolv-
es, each of us is putting forth a
foot. We are about to take the in
itial steps which will start us to-
ward success. AS we journey along,
we shall find each day that new
sign posts are helping us along to
our objective-Success.
George A. Selke, president of the
State Teachers College at st. Cloud,
delivered the address of the even
ing and gave his hearers an intel
lectual treat. Easy of poise and
with pleasing voice, he presented
his thoughts in such interesting
manner that the audience regrett-
ed when he concluded his address.
He was introduced to the audience
by w. A. Kohl, who announced his
topic, as Youth and It's Horizon
Mr.. Selke has been active in
work among the youth and his ex-
perience enabled him to give good
advice to the class members. He
congratulated the class and stated
that it was wonderful to live in a
country in which they were enab-
led to take advantage of the OPP
pcrtunities of education whicn
they had completed, and which
grants splendid opportunities for
them in the future. He continued
that the highways of life had been
prepared for the young folk-that
all things had been prepared be-
fore them-and that they would
learn from the experiences of 9TH
ers while travelling these highways,
alone. He stressed the need of self
reliance and courage to use the in
formation they possess, and to heed
the knowledge set forth by the ex-
periences of others before them.
He told them to do the things they
know, and quoted a poem, as fol-