Auburn Adventist Academy - Rainier Vista Yearbook (Auburn, WA)

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Valedictory ■ BEAR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES: You | have made our hearts glad, this evening, 1 with your presence and by your kind at¬ tention to our youthful entertainment. Parents, we thank you now for the interest you have shown in us, and for all the help and inspiration that you have been to us. But we shall thank you again in a fuller, larger measure when, in the light of exper¬ ience, the dawn of our life-time has melted away into noon-tide warmth and the years have taught us how to realize what a great debt we owe to you. Then we may know some of the sacrifices that you, our parents, have made. Then we shall be able to appreciate, in the deepest sense, the blessings that association with you, our friends, has brought into our lives. And , tonight, as we are nearing the close of our academic course, we should like to express the grati¬ tude which we feel for the patient, loving work done in our behalf by each of you, our teachers. Through your wise counsel and helpful influence we have learned many lessons never found in books. You have helped us to lay the foundation and fashion the framework of our characters, in every way encouraging us to do this carefully and well so that there may be no flaw or weakness when the work is finished. More than all else, you have revealed to us the comparative value of things, giving us the secret of discernment between the transient and eternal. For all this we humbly pay you tribute and also the school under whose direction have been fostered such a spirit and such principles. As we go forth from its doors, we shall carrv with us memories only of that which is good and true and of the bright and happy times spent here. And in return, we ask that you remember us,—not by any accomplishments or virtues which we may possess, for they are few;—neither by our mistakes; they, we know, are many. But we would that you should think of us as a group who are earnestly endeavoring to aid in the working out of one great plan, who have chosen one high ideal, one clear and perfect pattern which we would strive to copy day by day. Such a One has been the theme of admiration through many ages, yet never can be fully appreciated,—this Man of Sorrows, Jesus Christ of Calvary. It is our aim to do nothing without His divine guidance and to learn more about Him day by day. Truly this is our commencement! You see us now standing upon life’s threshold, anxiously peering down the long hall of the mystic future, conjecturing what may be therein for each of us. Time alone can tell! As never before we realize that our destiny waits our making. Fortune does not smile only on the one who holds a four-leaf clover. She has few favorites. (Continued on page 61.) page twenty-seven

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Class Song, In the shadow of a mountain Where cooling breezes blow; An azure sky and a fountain Where deeds of wisdom flow. Chorus : Oh, Western Washingto n A cade my , Round thee our heart strings twine. May zve like thee and the mountain Stand true till the end of time. The mountain leads us upward The fountain shows the way. Rainier is the name of the mountain, The fountain W. IV. A. We’ve heard the urge of the mountain As it bids us upzeard go, We’ve quenched our thirst at the fountain Where deeds of wisdom flozv. —Carroll Canning, ’26. page twenty-six

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Salutatory EAR PARENTS, Members of the Board, Teachers, Fellow Students, and Friends: In behalf of the class of 1926, it is my privilege to extend a cordial welcome to you this evening. We feel happy and honored by your presence here, for it indicates to us your interest in our progress and welfare. As we appear before you tonight, our hearts are filled with conflicting emotions. Perhap s the most prominent of these is joy—joy because we feel that we have reached another mile-post in our education. In our childhood we doubtless looked forward to this as the supreme attainment to be reached, but now we see that in reality it is only a commencement. Although we may have completed the foundation of our educa¬ tional structure, we are determined to attain greater heights,—to keep on climbing, as our motto says. Our education began at home with our parents as our first teachers. Therefore we feel a special sense of indebtedness toward them tonight for the splendid opportunities they have placed within our reach. Whatever victories we have gained spiritually, and whatever progress we have made intellectually, for these, to you, dear parents, we owe a large debt of gratitude. We want you to know that your unselfish¬ ness and sacrifice are appreciated. We can think of only one way in which to repay you for this kindness, and that is to dedicate our lives to the Master’s service, which we know is your ideal and your constant prayer for us. Members of the Board, we wish to express our appreciation to you who have rendered such excellent service for our school, and for your wise choice in selecting such faithful, consecrated teachers on our faculty. We feel deeply indebted to you, dear teachers, for your encouragement. In all of our difficulties and perplexities you were ever ready to lend us a helping hand. Truly we have learned that the great¬ est influence in school life is that exerted by the right kind of teachers. Your Christian association and in¬ spiration have helped us much, and in the future its memory will continue to be a light and a guide to us. Fellow students, we have been glad for the priv¬ ilege of associating with Christian friends, with whom we may share our secrets and ambitions and ideals. It exerts a molding influence on every life to form friendships with other young people whose highest purpose in life is to carry this Third Angel’s Message to all the world in this generation. And we wish to thank you for the encouragement that you have been to us. And in the years to come, may it be said of the class of 1926 that we have been true to the principles that we have learned at Western Wash¬ ington Academy, and to the cause which it represents. —Ethel Walker , ’26. page twenty-eight