Paxton High School - Reflector Yearbook (Paxton, IL)

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’THE PAXTON HIGH SCHOOL REFLECTOR |Volume VII. JANUARY. 1911 Number 4 An Interesting Letter From Mr. V. E. Dudman, Principal of P. H. S. 1909-10. Evanston, 111. To the Paxton High School: My Dear Friends: At the request of those in charge of the Sophomore number of the Reflector, I am send- ing you this hurried contribution What the Sophomores would have me contribute is not quite clear to me, so I have decided merely to write a let- ter as I would to a friend, for I enjoy thinking of the students of the High School as having that relationship to me. One who is truly a friend to an- other has more than a passing inter- est in his welfare and success, and has more than a passing regret at hearing of his misfortune or failure. If this is one of the constituents of friendship I am convinced that I am truly a friend of the students of the High School at Paxton, for I shall al- ways be interested in learning of suc- cess on their part. I rather think that I can be more closely in sympathy than ever before, with the experiences of you high school people, since I am now back again into student life; and, consid- ering myself as a student speaking to students, I shall be glad to talk to you. Since I have been here in school this year, I have often thought that I would give much if I might be able to aid any of my friends to prepare for some of the things they are to meet in their later student life, and thus avoid many of the hardships that will accrue if they are not effectively equipped with respect to the basic principles. I have no desire to tire by an ex- hortation of any great length, but I am wondering how many of the present students of the High School have faced themselves squarely this year, and have put to themselves the question, “How much am I devlopin? from my high schol work this year? Am I making good with myself? Am I commanding the confidence of friends by achieving efficient results? When one sees the general lack of competent preparation on the part of so many graduates of our best high schools and colleges, he feels like lending some influence that will aid those who still have the opportunity, to get clear on the fundamentals. The high school, or the undergraduate col- lege student, has before him weil- planned courses of study, a well se- lected corps of instructors, and, in fact, everything conducive to effective work, and yet a very small per cent succeed in retaining the salient poims and conceptions. It seems to me that one great rea- son for this inadequacy is the lack of a definite purpose, to stimulate tow- ard real work. Such an inventory as would be occasioned by asking one’s self the above questions might possi- bly lead to a healthy dissatisfaction. There are probably many of you who have sufficient regard for the obliga- tion one owes to himself to take full advantage of opportunities, but with the great mass of us, it is true that we cannot have too many forces impel- ling us to great effort And it is a splendid influence for a fellow to know that friends are loking to him for re- sults, and to know that he is the pos- sessor of such sterling quality, that he is too true to the principles of