Smyrna times., 1952-03-13
CITIZEN
OF THE YEAR
Mrs. Margaret O'Neill Gets
Citizenship Award At Meet
ing On Monday Evening
DIR. MILLER SPEAKER

Mrs. Margaret ONeill was the
recipient of the fifth award given
by the Smyrna Lions Club to the
citizen who has given unselfish SER
vice to the community during the
preceding year. She was honored
at a dinner meeting of the club
held Monday night at the Wayside
Inn, and was presented the framed
citation, a pair of silver candle
holders, and flowers. Mrs. O'Neill
has been a member of the faculty
of the John Bassett Moore High
School for the past thirteen years,
teaching English and social stud
les, and is now acting principal.
The dinner was attended by ap-
proximately sixty persons, with
representatives of all local organ
izations as guests of the Lions
Club. The citation was given in
recognition of her work especially
with the youth of the community,
and also for her outstanding SER
vice as the first woman member of
Town Council. Chief among her
many activities were her prepara-
tion of students of the high school
to take over the town government
for one day, in which they studied
all phases of municipal projects;
the training of members of youth
panels, who considered community
problems; work with Girls State;
Legislative work for the PTA; as
well as the education of women to
take part in government through
her work In women's clubs. She is
a member of the Twentieth Cen
tury Club, the Auxiliary to the
David C. Harrison Post No. IA,
American Legion, and the Smyrna
Clayton Business and Professional
Women's Club, and graduate of
Smyrna High School and the Uni
versity of Delaware.
DIR. G. II. Miller, DR., Speaker
DIR. George R. Miller, Jr., state
supervisor of public instruction,
was the speaker, introduced by
Francis B. Gebhart. He said that
citizenship was difficult to measure.
having many facets in a complex
society. Touching on putting too
much dependence on the national
government for support, he refer
red to those who came to discover
America, and facing unknown ter
rors and dangers, remained "stead-
fast to a purpose" He said that
men die of hardening of the arter-
les, and nations die of weakening
or the SPINE" At present we are
facing a relentless enemy, he con-
tinued, and our leadership is chal-
lenged, but he feels that "democ-
racy will survive, due to the will of
a free people to meet the forces of
despotism." The public school is
the basis for all liberties, he stated,
and the American system of public
schools unique one. He stressed
the Importance of teaching loyal
tie, attitudes, and disciplines. Ed
ucation that dwells on knowledge
alone is wrong, but knowledge must
be tied in with action, with patriot
ism third essential, according to
the speaker. 1t is important that
we focus our attention on good cit
izenship because of the straits in
which we find ourselves, DR.. Miller
said, and the schools have a good
program, but a better job can be
done. There is too much emphasis.
he continued, on governmental
structure, and he emphasized that
attention should be focused on the
sequence of events that
brought our country into being. We
must also appreciate the difference
es among people and regard the
dignity of the personality. 1--WE
CONTINUED on Page Four)