Eau Claire High School - Beaver Tales Yearbook (Eau Claire, MI)

Page 30 text:

SUCCESS THROUGH VISION „ASSMATES and Friends: Have you ever been to a place in life where you were forced to admit the inadequacy of mere words to express the deepest sentiments of your soul? Was it not then that your hearts filled with emotion, your tongues faltered, and you for the first time, perhaps, realized the true meaning of Tennyson s words, when he said, ‘7 would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me. It is with such a feeling of awe, that I now, in behalf of the class of 192.1, attempt to extend to you the words of welcome. We, as a class, take this opportunity to tell you that we are glad that you came to see us take our first step from the threshold of school life into life’s school. Now we are to begin a new life far different in content and environment than the one we have just left behind. For the first time, we, the class of ’2d, will separate to tread alone on our own individual pathways. Our fathers, mothers and teachers will no longer in the same way kindly advise and have an influencial check upon our attempts. We will have to make our decisions alone. We are ready to bud forth into a manhood or womanhood that we can make better or worse. But, since we are taking our first step into this new life, let us pause to think beyond the path of present day things. For today really makes the man of tomorrow. It is now time for us to form a vision of the man or woman that we wish to become in the future. For if we have a vision of something that i worth while, we will strive toward an end that will bring us a reward. This may be the iast time that we will meet as a class. All of us have our dreams of the future. All our years slant upward. Before us life stretches out as a vast untried adventure. Success is yet to come. Dreams of the future will encourage us to take up our journey hopefully. But, the most desired object of our future life is success. In order to obtain success, each one of us must become a man or woman that will fit his work without saying those things that make enemies instead of bringing friends. It is now for the first time, that we want to know and acquire the ideal characteristics that make a man. To be a man we must be able to think and act quic kly, while those around us are losing their self-control and blaming us for it. In short, we should learn to think twice before we speak. Also, we must trust ourselves. How far would we get in this world if we should lose confidence in our very selves? We must put trust in ourselves, so that others may be confident to put their faith in us. Along with trust, we must have honesty. Oh, that we may never do those small dishonest things that always later lead to the doing of large things in a dishonored way! Each one of us have our dreams, as I have said before. We have these dreams, so that we can endure the discouraging present day things. But, it is also our duty to make these dreams worth while. Do not dream of something that is of immaterial worth. We have no reason to believe that in our mind there can never grow some image, that may result in a beautiful tower, a useful book, a great newspaper, or some service to man. We should not deny ourselves this chance to grow and create. The most fertile orchard will grow nothing but weeds, unless the seeds of fruitful things are planted and cultivated there. This is the planting time in our life. This is the Vane Twenty-oitfht

Page 29 text:

Pajre Twenty-seven

Page 31 text:

lime when we should create and develop visions, that will be of service to the world at large. Columbus had his dream of a new world. Consequently his success will live tor ever, because it was not desired for his own gratification. His dream was worth while. Hut on the other hand, Napoleon who dreamed of a world empire and obtained it, had to meet his Waterloo, because he did not work for the service of humanity, but only for the gratification of his own selfish ambition. Moreover, we must be able to meet our failures without giving up. We should strive to make our failures the stepping stones to success, for it is necessary that we experience both. If all life were success and no failure, we could not. and would not, appreciate the feeling of knowing, that we had done something really worth while. If we fail once, twice, or even three times, let us not think that we are hopeless, but on the contrary, let us try again, and remember that it can he done. Always after failure comes success. However, when we meet with success, we should he able to take it without boasting or developing egotism, for all pride some- times, is sure to have a fall. Another requisite for success is to be able to mingle with the rich and poor alike. In the organization of society every one finds some above him in station, and some below. The elect soul knows how to conduct himself toward his superiors, so as to preserve his own self-respect; and toward his inferiors, so as not to break down their’s. Lastly, besides having enough pride and not too much, we must work. For success depends on the kind of work we do. Each day we should begin to enter upon our duties with a new vigor; and with the knowledge that there is a lot to be done, but we do not have to do it all today. The higher the task, and the more dufficult. delicate, and important the matter, the more necessarry it is to attack it in the spirit of a day’s work at a time. Above all this, let us keep our friends. It is a great deal easier to make friends than to keep them. If we have acquired a friend, it is important not to lose him. One sure method of losing friends is to strive to improve them. Do all your uplifting with your enemies, and take for friends those who suit you just as they are. But now, within less than two hours we reach the place, where we have to go forth as individuals. It is the end of our high school life. An epoch in our lives closes. As we reach it, let us, with a prayer for this vision on our lips, see that it is the first end, rather than the last- -the Commencement of our real life. Therefore let us throw away sorrow and be glad and grateful for the larger opportunities of activity, which now open their doors to us for the first time. Again I—and yet, not I, but the class of 1923 speaking through me— repeat the words of welcome to you; and we, too, likewise ask that you be willing to welcome us into your life, a life which we now enter for the first time, and that you help us gain that vision, which in the end, will lead us towrard the desired object of our lives, success. I). W., ’23 Page Twenty-nine