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

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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

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AU REVOIR IORE than one hundred sons and daughters, endowed by bountiful provi- dence and trained by a thoughtful foster mother, have gone forth from this high school into the world to labor for their own and humanity‘s well being. Likewise we, the class of ’23, too, have completed our voyage through high school life and launch forth on the sea of real life to join the masses and to serve humanity. This voyage of real life may be through many deep and unknown channels with many windings and turnings. As we meditate upon this fact, it seems a long course to follow, for as we row through the rough and calm waters, we may often be tempted to let our canoes drift whithersoever they may. What a comparison!—A high school graduate entering upon the sea of real life to the launching of a ship upon the ocean. The ship in order to cope with the mighty waves of the roaring ocean is always and must be, built of the best and strongest material. Similarly, we graduates, ought to have molded our characters so strongly and firmly that we, too, may be able to cast aside all temptations to founder and brave an unknown sea of a future life. “For humanity with all it’s fears of future years is hanging breathlessly on our fate.” But, in order to gain this pure, noble, and spotless character which the world of today so much needs, we must choose a noble ideal, which we must strive to attain. No doubt these years which we have spent within these walls have fostered and placed higher ideals before our minds. The ideal, which is ours to strive for, is above our reach, but the efforts which we put forth in striving to attain this model of perfection shall not only make us a better person, but also promote the joy and welfare of our fellow men. As we look ove r the varieties of character, we discover that some are the result of physical conditions. The man who is morbid and melancholy, always looks at the gloomy side of life, and thus fails to have the right spirit with which to attain his ideal. On the other hand, the man who looks at the bright side, brightens even the dark side, and casts a beam of sunshine over other’s paths. Even if a disaster occurs, he is glad that it is no worse. For is it not true that the more hammering a piece of iron receives the more useful it becomes? Likewise the more difficulties that we encounter as we go forth into the world’s broad field of battle, shall make us the more nobler men and women. Therefore. Classmates, let us not pause but climb ever onward and upward though the rocks be rugged at our feet; and when we have reached the summit, we shall be able to look down and see how the very jaggedness of the rocks have been of assistance to us. We shall only by such means grow slowly into the rose of perfect character. I.iet us seek to have our minds filled with kindness, which shall be flowing while life is ebbing, instead of constantly advising and scolding our friends. This leads me to the only true ideal found in literature. The knights, the flowers of men, took an oath in which they swore to reverence Christ, redress human wrongs, speak nor listen to no slander, honor their word, live a pure life and love one lady. May I ask you to pause for a moment and gaze upon this ideal, in the form of Sir Galihad which hangs there upon the wall? What a beautiful character Tennyson portrayed for us, when he said, “My strength is as the strength of ten. because my lieart is pure.” Is there any reason why any individual, not only of this class but of all the classes past and those to come, cannot have such a monument, expressed about his or her character? This could be accomplished, if we would only strive for a higher plane in life. So, let us choose for our ideal, the man or woman we wish to become, and try to express such a character as this in our every day life. Without sUch an ideal we can never be the noble citizen which our country demands. Perhaps I can make you Pajre Thirty-one