West Philadelphia High School - Record Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 33 text:

4 THE RECORD if VA IL Ili ID II 'UPU IDV Here and here did America do for me, What can I do for America? 'I HAVE adopted my title from a line of Browning's poem Home Thoughts from the Sea. It was during a trip to Spain that the sight of Saint Vincent, Trafalgar, Cadiz, and Gibraltar inspired the great English poet to utter the words: l'Here and here did England do for me, What can I do for England? There was a great feeling of patriotism that welled up within him. It thrilled him. When I visit :Valley Forge, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, the Grave of the Unknown Soldier, and Yorktown, I, too, experience a similar thrilling emotion. A feeling of patriotism and love of country surges through me, and I am moved to say, 'kHere and here did America do for me, what can I do for America? We seldom remember that across the dark centuries of tyranny men used to dream of having some part in government, hoped some time to have some voice in public affairs. Our America has been the answer to those prayers, for ever since colonial days, it has afforded men precisely these opportunities. Here, in our country, hrst grew representative government under an agreedfupon constitution, Here, government has operated through oihcers elected by the citizens themselves. We have thought little of these things because we have always had them. These rights, however, did not come easily. Though given to us, they were bought and paid for by our forefathers in human blood, what we have without effort, some one else gave life to earn. That is one of the thrilling things about citizenship'-it is a heritage passed on from father to son. Each father builds of himself a citizen of whatever value he chooses, and then as he passes on, his son, who has been building himself into a citizen, comes on to take the father's place. What is the nature of this citizenship? What is it that binds a citizen to his country? Why have the Swiss shed their blood for their mountains, the Dutch for their clikes, the French peasants for their Helds, the Americans for their freedom? Again I ask, what is it? It is a force, a force that is unseen, something spiritual, it is a relationship. Relationships are the strongest things in the world. They hold like cables of steel. Newton saw an apple fall, but he did not see the force that pulled it. In the Argonne, Americans walked boldly into death, but they could not see the force that attracted them. Gravitation and patriotism are two relationships. They are invisible, yet one holds the swinging plants in their places, the other prompts men to duty, or holds them true as steel to their sacred honor. All relationships have two sides-they reach to one and extend from one. My country gives me protection, but it exacts loyal allegiance. But citizenship is vastly more than trading allegiance for protection. Upon it are built the warm elements of patriotism, love of country, loyalty to her, readiness to die for her, or better still, to live one's best for her. It means more than breaking no laws, it means positively adding value to one's country. We should return ourselves, but builded into the best citizens we can make of ourselves. Thirty

Page 32 text:

42- FEBRUARY, I93I P SAIL IU IMXIFD IDV W1 ARE happy to see you here this evening-our parents and our friends. It is a gala occasion for us-our graduation night, we have made all things beautiful for your reception, and put on, as the children say, our company manners. Indeed it is of manners that I wish to speak briefly tonight. One of our American authors, Emerson, in his essay on Manners, asserts: A beautiful form is better than a beautiful face, a beautiful behaviour is better than a beautiful form: it gives a higher pleasure than statues or pictures, it is the finest of the fine arts. An art is an inner power that may be cultivated with skill. So we see that a beautiful behaviour is a power, which lies deep in the heart, and is not an outward veneer as some would think. Since manners come from the heart, they are not acquired but rather cultivated, and the more skillfully and diligently we cultivate them, the more beautiful will be the bloom that will burst forth from the seed in our hearts. In other words, the more acceptable members of society we will be. Therefore, true courtesy is beauty of the heart and is an outward flowing of an inward grace. Little thoughtful actions count for much. In school it is the boy who holds the door open for a girl, or the student who springs up to retrieve what the teacher has dropped, out of school, it's the young person who rises in the trolley to give an elder his seat, or willingly waits upon Mother-it is this young person to whom we are instantly attracted. Bad manners are often due to lack of deference, This is especially true in the attitude of young people toward their elders. Our American boys and girls often treat the older generation as they would their classmates, forgetting the respect that is due those of greater experience. This lack of deference for elders, and even discourtesy to our contemporaries, we frequently put down to the rush in which we live. We say We've no time to be polite! As though it did not take quite as much time to be rude! And again lack of thought is often the reason for our ill manners, We do not mean to be rude, we say, We just didn't think! As though that were a comf plete excuse, but Evil is wrought by want of thought, As well as want of heavtfl Charming manners may he cultivated if we have the desire, Manners can be acquired not from at book, but by observing and imitating others we may find out how wellfmannered people behave. Yet, in the end, our own feelings are our best guide, for just observing the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, will make us truly wellfmannered. Many of you here tonight will remember the sad picture which Tennyson paints in his Idylls. Queen Guinevere has fled, in sorrow and humiliation, from the court and sought refuge in the nunnery. It is a stormy night, and she is talking to the little maid, a novice in the place. Then asks the maiden, Which had the noblest manners while you moved among them, Launcelot, or our Lord, the King? To which the Queen replies, Both were the most nobly mannered men of them all, 14 PF Pk FF if PF FF For manners are no+ idle, buf fhe fruit Of loyal nafure, and of noble mind. Yea, questions the li'H'le maid in wide-eyed wonder, Be manners such fair 'Frui+? Twen+y-nine

Page 34 text:

il FEBRUARY, I93I P The community-the town, the village, or the city in which one lives--has many problems to solve. Take the streets of the community for example. We can do much to keep them clean, attractive, and pleasing, as well as safe for pedestrians and for automobiles to pass through. The lives of the people of a city are in greater danger than are those of people residing in the country, and that is the reason why the city has to be so organized in its government that it can make its individual laws, or ordif nances as they are called, for its own special protection. Again consider our public schools. It is important that advancement be shown in the education of the future generation, for they must be prepared to solve life's problems which will become more intricate as life rolls on. Their improvement is in our hands. A citizen's duty is to be useful and to help others. In short, the require' ments of a good citizen may be summed up under two headings, those of his personal life and those of his public life. In his personal life, a citizen should keep adding daily to his knowledge, in his business, he should give honest value plus friendly courtesy, he should never be too tired to give his best to his homeg in his church, if he belongs to one, he should identify himself actively, and he should spend his time at leisure usefully and worthily. In his public life a citizen should set an example of obedience to the law, he should correctly record and pay his part of the taxes, he should vote openfeyed and honestly, he should be associated actively with worthy groups that publicly and justly seek the common good of every American. This is a simple, active program of good citizenship, within the reach of each of us here tonight. If we will loyally practice these duties, we have the spirit of true Americanism. Mr. Roberts: in the short time that you have been at the head of West Phila' delphia High School, after succeeding our friend and leader, Mr. Heyl, you have won our admiration. The manner in which you mingled with us has been a source of constant delight to us. You have extended to us more of a guiding hand than of an ordering hand, but at the same time you have that quality of firmness that is necessary to every fine leader. We are sure that Western cannot help but prosper under your guidance. To the Faculty: for you we feel our deepest gratitude. To you we owe a debt that can never be repaid. Each of us, as we go further along life's journey, will always keep a warm spot in his heart for each and all of you. My classmates: I wonder if you remember those wise and searching words which you read in Carlylels Essay on Burns? I-Ie says in deiining true patriotism- We hope there is a patriotism founded on something better than prejudice, that our country may be dear to us without injury to our philosophyg that in loving and justly prizing all other lands, we may prize justly, and yet love before all others, our own stern motherlandlu This attitude is possible for every one of us. As graduates of West Philadelphia High School, let us live up to this high standard of citizenship, that we may bring honor and respect to our school, and that we may help to keep this a peaceful and prosperous country and a nation to be respected, Thirty-one