The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1959-07-09

J~~ 'SAA "AA PANP@A| hAA~AAi
for their life's work. You've
heard the saying about a square
peg in a round hole" and it Is
unfortunately true that toe
many human beings find them.
selves in this predicament wher
it is too late to do anything
about it, or when it means Civ.
ing up seniority or financial
security in order to shift oc.
cupations.
AS a result, it is undoubtedly
true that fine talents are wasted
because young men and young
women aren't doing that fol
which they are best fitted or ir
which they are most interested
At the risk of oversimplifyine
the problem lets say that the
primary function of vocational
guidance is to prevent any
square pegs from getting ir
round holes.
When grammar school young,
Sters are asked, What do YOU
want to be when you grow up?''
The most popular answers are
always locomotive engineers
policemen, nurses, movie stars,
doctors, forest rangers, firemen,
and maybe bus drivers. but
these answers are dream an
swers. In just a few short years
some of these same youngsters
may be thinking seriously about
engineering, education, journal
ism, banking, law, medicine, or
business administration.
In every high school of Amer
lea there are young men and
young women who are per-
picked about their future, their
educational and vocational plans.
We owe it to our youth and
to our country TO do everything
we can to see that the native
talents of American youth are
steered in the direction which
will best serve mankind as well
as the individual.
Let's take a look, for example.
at Bill. He could be in any high
school in America. What's on
Bills mind? For one thing, he
is wondering whether he will
ever amount to anything. Like
everyone else he wants to be
somebody nothing extra spe-
clal but a regular guy with a
regular job living a respectable
lite. Bill wants his share of the
future. He wants a chance to de-
Velop some special skills anG tn
get those things which we in
America take for granted.
1t all sounds quite simple to
those of us who have already
made a place for ourselves in
the world of work. To Bill, how
ever, it is not quite so simple.
Bill is wondering about lot
OF things. Should he go to COL
lege? He'll need help. Perhaps
his family would have to give
up all its savings. And what
about his brother and sister?
They will need help, too. Or
after high school, should he take
some special training? Should
ne follow his Dads trade or
SulKe out on his own?
Dad could help him get start
ed' sure, but maybe Bill isn't
sure he wants to do what Dad
has done al Ibis life.
There's nothing wrong with
Dads job, but Bill wants to do
something with electronics - at
least he thinks he does.
What about chances for find |
Ing a job in that field?
And how about the armed |
services? He might be able to
get some special training if he
How much choice would |
ne have?
And so it goes. Lots of uues-
hons. Where are the answers? |
professional guidance is the an
sWer.
Ii Bill were the only one with |
such questions, there would be |
10 need for vocational guidance.
But the case of Bill can be null
lplied many times, and in ad-
1ihon there are all the Marys
and other young women who
also have special problems in
career planning.
Bill and Mary need special
1elp in planning for and gaining
4 foothold in a career.
Actually, there are many rea-
sons why Bill and Mary find to-
lays decisions rather difficult
: perhaps even more confusing
han the choices which faced
heir parents only twenty years
ago. A few more examples of
he challenges and obstacles
which confront the Bills and the
MaryS might help all of us un-
ierstand more clearly the in
creasing need for vocational