West Paris High School - Nautilus Yearbook (West Paris, ME)

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,The crossroad of ngrowing upn usuallyis represented by grad- uation from high school. After graduating the youth may further his education by going to college or he may go directly to work. But wherever he goes, whatever he does, he csrrles with him only the degreecM'cit1zensh1p developed preylous to his 21st birthday. After studying the words of such great men as Washington, Franklin, and Lincoln, the intellectual giants of their day, I have come to the conclusion that the answer to the Question pre- viously mentioned lies in preparing the youth for, and treating him as a true citizen of the United States. I am convinced that it is this everyday participation and training for citizenship that will develop the lenders we must hrve tomorrow! For the fate of our Nationas a democracy end the world as a civilization rests on keeping an unceaslng stream of leaders filling every walk of life' Joseph Perham '51 . I 2 A FOUNDf-XTION FOR THE FUTU,R,E. The life of man,as the building of a skyscraper, is laid out day by day and story upon story withthe careful precision used on all complex forms. The determining factor in whether or not the skyscraper will be a durable structureis the building foundation: the formative yearscn-youth of mankind is the foundation for fut- ure existence. Whether he will rise to majestic heights or tumble in ruin to the earth is unforseen, but it may be better predeter- mined if he lays a solid foundation on a basis of education. Several days ago a little child was heard to exclaim, Nwhen I grow up, I'm going to be a fire ch1ef,U and it is entirely possible that he may do so if he plans for the future through the medium of formal education. In a world of specialization, the multitude of professions and businesses are demanding better educated people. There is no place for the youth who cults as soon as he is old enough, or the one who stops at grammar school, and more and more we find the boy with the high school diploma being edged out by the man who is a college graduate. A8 long as our present systemis employed in trade, commerce, agriculture, etc., a large percentage of our population will of necessity remain menial laborers. This connotes a type of person generally lacking in education and is, in a great degree, true. A remedy for this situation is clearly reouired, as the ordinary working man certainly needs the restful diversification more easily obtained by the better educated man. Our invincible youth finds the boundaries of opportunity ln- discernible, with a scope of unlimited professionsg let them keep in mind that all this is attainable only if they choose a better education as a solid foundation to the future. . 1 Joyce Morey '50

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X K lp' - 1-'q -- ' e1r' q Xl ,e. r H' -nfs 9 xl - IOUTM his LJ 1 --..sl ,Jr funn.,-xl -Mg'-,-gf-,xxu fo-'fs xrr .IJi.F.LJ lj..fXf.fQJ,?1 xjf IQJWIQJJQJQCJXIX! 3 In these times of moral, sepverational, and national chaos there arises e freouently asked Gh9StlJH based on wanton pessi- mism, Wwhat is the world coming t.PY I am perhaps biased, but nevertheless I say, ULook to your children, who represent a new, growing nation, for your answer. Yes, the youth is the citizen of tadey as well as their fathers and their prandfethers. The age of 21 years is merely an average, chosen by some one of our past law makers, as the ape a person is most ready to undertake the responsibilities of family and state. I claim that e man is either made or broken before he is 21 years of age. For example, look to your sports world and note the apes of greet athletes. The physical strensth, keen senses and natural leadership make the youthful player more proficient then those who are older. Then look to your prisons: It is there you see the harsh capabilities of youth. Some of the most hardened and dangerous criminals are under 21 years of ape! Therefore, citizenship must begin at 0 much earlier date. les, true democratic citizenship goesall.the way back to the cradle whenthe child first breathes the fresh, free slr that will someday be his to protect. No one is born prepared to live in a democracy such as ours, He must first be modeled by the master hand of experience, from wild, thoughtless childhood, to re- sponsible citizenship. Tt is at this point, birth, that you, who are given the title of citizens, must step in and see that this Nsrowlns cltlzenn is brousht up the right way. In the home, which may be the deciding factor in his life, present to the youth a form of home or local government. If the home and family has its own laws, freedoms, and duties, which contribute to the commongood.of its members, the chances are that a ch1ld'will have leerned early the moral and social obligations of e good citizen. From the church he learns to love God end his fellow man. Through the youth's constructive school years he finds many things which tie directly into the blueprint of the true citizen. There he finds a cross section of life as it is. By separating the good from the bad, rnd keeoins an open mind to all problems, he leerns eerly that elonp with the sweet comes the bitter, and for each privilege there must be a responsibility. Athletics build for mental and physical prowess and develop an incentive toward team work and fair play. Speech training and public sperklng teach the youth self-expression and constructive argu- mentlveness along with developinp power end depth of the voice. A good speaker is repfrded by meny es the some of leadership.

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