Mount Penn Lower Alsace Joint High School - Penn Alma Yearbook (Reading, PA)

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 Commencement Program FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 25th Mt. Penn Auditorium Music—American Legion March .................. Brockman Invocation......................Rev. Raymond Heckman Salutatory—The Problems of the American Farmer.... ............................. Margaret C. Bush Music—Trio in E Flat.........................Mendelssohn Oration—The Value of an Education......Ethan A. Doty Chorus—The Shepherds’ Dance ...............-..German Oration—The Conservation of Our Natural Resources. ............................. Miriam E. Schaeffer Music—Riding Messenger .......................... Landby Oration—Our Immigration Problems........Mary E. Stichler Chorus ................................. The Carnovale Commencement Address—Courage..Principal John H. Frizzell Reading High School for Boys Presentation of Diplomas.........Dr. George F. DeLong President Board of Education Benediction.................. Rev. Frederick A. Sterner Music ........................... ..............- Sousa Music by Dorwin’s Orchestra Page Seventeen

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word. The real spiritual values found in the Old Testament and the Truth, the God and Father of all men, as revealed through the historical Jesus of Nazareth, the historian and scientist cannot affect, but their findings strengthen our faith and make us more certain of all things. With this quarrel that exists between certain scientists and certain theologicans we can have no patience. Both should work hand in hand. Both are seeking truth. Both are finding God, even though their point of departure may have been diametrically opposite. The radical scientist must cease ridiculing established religion or he will drive thousands of pious souls to the point where they will be afraid of facts. The conservative theologian must cease to deride science or he will drive thousands of educated people from the doors of the Christian church. The scientist and the theologian should compliment each other, coming together at the feet of Jesus Christ. In Him the scientist finds moralized and in living form the law, the order and the unity which he studies all about him; in Jesus the theologian finds in the flesh Him of Whom the prophets were inspired and to Whom the souls of men have intuitively looked in faith and hope. Now, when we consider the result of education, we feel that we can sum it up best in the one word—life. The school prepares for life. Life here is a preparation for the greater life. By life, however, we do not mean a mere existence. It is a great deal more than that. Possibly, no one has ever surpassed St. John in defining life. “And this is life eternal,” he says, “that they might know thee the only true God, and Jcssu Christ whom thou hast sent.” To know Gad and Jesus Christ is, therefore, according to this definition, life; and this is what all who have wisdom seek and for which they strive. Different people are, of course, governed by different motives and ideals. Some of you have gone to school, thinking that your studies would some day in the future enable you to command a princely salary; some of you may be hoping that your education will help you to become great lawyers; some, great physicians; some, great statesmen. Yes, various dreams and air castles spur you on; but rest assured that whatever satisfaction wealth, or power, or position can give to you will only be temporary. It is well to be ambitious and strive to rise in this world, but we need more than that. We need life, knowledge of God, unity and oneness with Him, and that we find in Jesus Christ. He is the life, and through Him we attain that life without which all material success and achievement becomes empty and vain. And so we hold up before you Jesus, the Christ. We do not ask you to follow Him blindly just because we have told you to do so. Rather do we challenge you to make a great experiment. Use the method which the scientist has taught you. Try Jesus Christ. Put Him to test. Give His gospel a fair trial. Experiment with His teachings. Try Him and see for yourself what will be the result. We throw out this challenge because we are confident of the result. We know you will find Him the Way, leading you to the Father; the Truth, revealing Him to you; and the Lite, developing Him within you. Of course, you may try other ways if you will, but rest assured that “no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” There is not a single branch of study, not a single science, not one system of philosophy that does not have a limit. Jesus Christ alone goes beyond everything and takes you to the Father to show Him to you and to make you to grow more and more in His image. And that must be the final outcome of all education and the ultimate result of all study and experience. I’nfre Sixteen

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Salutatory Margaret C. Bush Problems of the American Farmer Tonight marks one of the most important times in our lives. After our departure from this institution we no longer have the guidance of its instructors, and, therefore, whatever our future shall be depends on each one of us. We hope that we may fully realize the value of our high school education which we are at this time completing. We wish to express our thanks to our parents, our friends, our teachers, and all who have helped to make these years successful. Your presence this evening makes this occasion more notable insomuch as we are made to feel that all have taken an interest in us. In behalf of this, the graduating class of 1923, I extend to all of you a sincere and cordial welcome at our exercises this evening. The products of the land form the basis of all life on earth. The farmer is the person on whom rests the responsibility of its producing power. Excellence and amount of land are of no value without the application of labor. Agriculture is the industry the success of which is most dependent on natural environment, which includes climate, weather conditions and means of transportation. As an art, it is excedingly complex and requires an extensive course of study. It has progressed from hoe to held culture, and under the last form the present trend is from extensive to intensive culture. This is profitable to society, but not to the farmer. Two hundred years ago nearly everybody in America was engaged in farming. Very few people were dependent upon others for their food supplies. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, agriculture was the only dominant employment. But with the advance of civilization, resulting in the division of labor and the development of large cities as places of residence, the importance of the farmer has increased, until today his occupation is the founder of American industries and trade, and also one of the principal sources of our wealth. America’s lead over other nations of the world in agricultural products is the result of diversified temperate climate and various kinds of soil to which many kinds of plants are adapted. In the World War the part played by the farmer was as great as that of the factories producing explosives. Without food nobody is able to perform bis tasks, and so, had our soldiers not been fed, they would not have been able to fight; and, as a result, we would, in all probability, not be the prosperous nation that we are today. Besides increasing the production, the farmers were obliged to work with less labor than formerly. The problems of the farmer are varied and important. First let us consider transportation. The farmer may have large crops which are salable in the city, but he may not have any means of transporting them. Perhaps, too, means which he does have are so poor that, either by the time they reach the consumer, the goods have spoiled or else the time lost in transporting it is more valuable than the product itself. Bad roads are also a cause of much trouble. Township and county roads arc neglected, in spring are impassable on account of mud and in winter on account of snow. Education is usually poor, and attempts to utilize the rural school as a recreational community center have frequently failed because of the poor support of tin people. The rural dwellers have no easy access to museums, moving pictures, public concerts or other amusements. Few farmers have enough money to purchase land, and consequently 38% of the farm land in this country is rented. In cases where property is mortgaged, the successive failure of large crops may compel the mortgage to be increased, until finally the owner loses all his property and becomes a tenant. Some land is also exceedingly dry, marshy or barren. Farm equipment is expensive and must be renewed about every eight years, which is the estimated length of usefulness of most farm machinery. Labor is hard to secure as a result of the removal to the city of large numbers of people who go to more perfected industries, to which they are attracted by Page Eighteen