Hemlock High School - Huskie Yearbook (Hemlock, MI)

Page 10 text:

VALEDICTORY Friends, fellow students, teachers, and class of ’17, when I was asked to deliver the valedictory I thot of the verb “valeo,” in Latin, which means “farewell,” and “dictus” means “to speak,” therefore I reasoned it out that I must stand before you tonight in order to say farewell. Now the word farewell has a much deeper meaning than people usually think it has, when they say it. It not only means for us to say good-bye to our classmates, to our fellow stu- dents, and our teachers, but also to the many habits we have formed in past years. We are now standing at the entrance of a new world. For years we have been fitting ourselves to enter upon this new exist- ence. The lessons which our High School has taught to us are but solutions of problems which our future will present. We have studied life in all its various forms, yet our knowledge is but passive. We are about to enter into a great hurrying world and study life in action. The swift currents of affairs will sweep us onward into new scenes and new associations. We will now act quite independent of one another, and it is this independent action that gives force its worth. This is but a glimpse of the great universe before us. It is really life in action. It is man striving to assert his needs. Every individual who has lived or died has given some new impulses to humanity, and it is by these impulses that we are drawn into active life. As we bid farewell to the old familiar scenes which are en- closed by our narrow horizon and enter upon a broadened field of action, we are attended by a multitude of lofty spirits, these are memories of our school days. Pictures are vividly brought before us that have grown dear to us thro associations. They show us the long and hard struggles of our short journey. Often our way seemed darkened and our steps faltered, but we were cheered and upheld and directed upward and onward by those who have so kindly taken the responsibilities upon themselves of guiding and instructing us. At last our journey draws to a close, the summits of our early endeavors are reached but are still afar off, calling us into new and large fields of action. But before we leave the old life, with all its dear scenes and associations, we pause a few moments to express our thanks and to say farewell.

Page 9 text:

GENEVA CLAREY — “Jennie” “How pretty her blushing was And how she blushed again.” Secretary of ’17 class. Glee Club. “Dear Boy Graduates.” Classical Club. HELEN McBRATNIE — “Curly” “As prone to mischief As able to perform it.” “Dear Boy Graduates.” Deutscher Verein. Mirror Editor. Elite Story Editor. Glee Club. Treasurer of Classical Club. EDNA RAUCHOLZ — “Jim” “Life is a jest, and all things show it; 1 thot so once, and now I know it.” “Dear Boy Graduates.” Classical Club. Joke Editor of Elite. BENJAMIN McBRATNIE — “Ben” “Such high-bred manners, Such good-natured wit.” Baseball. “Dear Boy Graduates.” Glee Club. Editor-in-Chief of Elite. President of Deutscher Verein. Classical Club.

Page 11 text:

For all the opportunities offered to us and the assistance given to us, I, in behalf of the class of ’17, wish to extend our sincere thanks to each and every one of you. Especially to the school board, who have shown themselves worthy of the great trust placed in them. Friends, relatives, and parents, we wish to thank you for the interest you have shown in our welfare and we will try to re- ward to some small degree the sacrifices you have made for us. We also desire to express our thanks to our teachers, but we feel that no words can repay the debts of gratitude we owe to them. They have devoted themselves to the careful training of each of the students in order that they may again instruct those who are placed in their care. Let us try to prove ourselves worthy of their efforts by our devotion to our future work and by our zeal in the cause of an education. Classmates, this evening has not been appointed as a mere social gathering, but for our final depai'ture. Altho we have looked forward to this time with great pleasure, yet our hearts are now filled with sorrow by the parting from our old school which seemed like a home to us for the past four years. This night may not only separate us from each other, but may also mean the end of many friendships formed in the past years. All the pleasure, toils, joys and sorrows which we have experienced together in our short jour- ney are even now but memories. We have now reached the point when we must step out into the new and much wider world that lies before us. And to those who have not completed their high school course we will say, do your task well and you will surely reach the standard for which you are aiming. Hoping that nothing will ever stain the honors that we have gained in our high school course, I again say farewell. ERNA WARDIN.