Agawam High School - Sachem Yearbook (Agawam, MA)

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CHRONIC L E S . . 1 9 3 7 THE ORATION You all know the story of the Battle of Bunker Hill. A handful of Americans with very little powder held their ground against three thousand picked British soldiers and beat them back repeatedly. The Americans finally were forced to retreat because they had run out of powder, but before they withdrew, they gave the British a taste of lighting that lingered for a long time. These men were fighting for their independence and were willing to sacrifice everything dear to them in order to attain their rights. This battle has gone down in history as one of the bravest stands ever made by a group of men against great odds. When we read of courageous acts like this, we have a desire to enact similar noble deeds, but then we turn away and excuse ourselves by saying that we haven't the op-, portunity. Now courage doesn't always mean the performing of heroic exploits. Many famous men of peace were extremely courageous although they never performed such deeds as did the men at Bunker Hill. Let us consider three men who exhibited great courage of this kind Horace Mann, Louis Pasteur, and Thomas Kdison; an educator, a scientist, and an inventor. One hundred years ago, the Massachusetts State Board of Education was founded. When this board was conceived, a man of strong character and leadership was needed to assume authority, so the committee selected a person named Horace Mann. This individual, who had been born in a poor family, had risen to a place of public prominence by means of hard work and great determination. He was president of the Massachusetts Senate and had a promising political career before him when he was asked to assume control of the Board of Education. Although his friends begged him to refuse this thank- less job, Horace Mann gave them no heed. The fact that the opportunity for a free public school education was sorely needed by the youth of Massachusetts largely influenced his decision. He resigned as president of the Senate and, in spite of the obstacles in his path, he successfully established a free public school system. It took a great deal of courage to sacrifice his easy political career and accept a position where an abundance of hard work and worry were in sight, but Horace Mann made the sacrifice. His deter- mination, will power, and courage arc qualities to be admired and coveted by everyone. Louis Pasteur, the great Fench chemist and scientist, was confronted with great difficulties in carrying out his experiments. He contended that disease was caused by invisible organisms which he called germs. This idea, fantastic at that time, was scoffed at and ridiculed by his colleagues. Month after month in his laboratory. Pasteur carried on with his experiments among deadly poisons in an endeavor to find the means of pre- venting hydrophobia. At length, his efforts met with success, but still he was not satisfied with his work. He experimented with milk and succeeded in perfecting a process by which the germs carried in milk could be destroyed. This pasteurization process has since proven to be of the greatest service to mankind and his theories about germs and mic- robes have furnished the basis for many of the later developments in the fight against disease. His courage in carrying on with his dangerous experiments in the face of extreme ridicule is deserving of the highest praise because by so doing he made some of the greatest contributions to the service of humanity. Thomas Alva Edison was a genius and yet he had very little schooling. At only twelve years of age, he was selling candy and fruit on a train running between Detroit and Port Huron. He set up a laboratory in the baggage car and, as a result, lost his job when some of his chemicals caused a fire. From this beginning he worked his way industriously until he became one of the greatest inventors of all time. He would work for days at a stretch with only three or four hours of sleep each night in order to perfect an invention. Repeatedly he failed but he started over again vigorously. Even when he realized that his death was drawing hear, he worked courageously to complete his work page twenty-three

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CLASS OFFICERS PRO MERITO STUDENT COUNCIL MIRROR STAFF

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CHRONICLES..1937 and, as a result, hastened his death. Kdison’s greatest contribution, the electric light, has become indispensable to man. Each of these men was successful because he had the courage and determination to triumph. However, we must remember that courage and determination by themselves do not bring success. We must use these qualities with intelligence to accomplish any- thing. These three men were aware that they were taking the more difficult course, but they were willing to make sacrifices in order to contribute to the welfare of their fellow man. Now many of us will say that these men were lucky, that if they hadn’t had good fortune they never would have been successful. It is true that luck is a very important factor in many lives. Some people who have succeeded have been aided by fortunate occurrences, while others who have failed have been the victims of tragic or unfortunate circumstances. When a man possesses the qualities necessary for success, even hard luck and adversity will not hold him in check for very long. His difficulties may be increased, but, if he has the right spirit, he can and will overcome his reverses. These commencement exercises in which we arc participating are rightfully named because they mark the beginning of a new era for the members of the Class of 1937. We are going out to face new and baffling problems in a rapidly changing world. For some it has been a long hard struggle to come this far, but we realize that our difficulties are now just beginning. W e all have had the same amount of training, have mastered the same lessons, and have met the same requirements for graduation, but all of us will not make the best use of our training and ability. Those who fail will be the ones who have not the will, the determination, or the courage to improve themselves. They will fail to seize every opportunity offered and will sit back waiting for good luck to help them out of their difficulties, while the determined persons will go ahead and make their opportunities. We must remember that while we arc waiting for our ship to come in. it may have come and gone already. It is not going to lower a derrick and hoist us aboard; we will have to row out to it and climb aboard before it sails away. We have passed through a period of depression and hard times, but thousands of people already have refused to be whipped by hard luck and, by careful planning, deter- mination, and courage, have managed to attain success. Let us follow in their footsteps with their motto as our own. It is not “I would if I could, but I can’t, ’ but rather, “It can be done, and I can do it.” Paul Adams. THE FUTURE In known, the waiting Future lies, A path untried, a song unsung. Beyond abides that Mystery, I ife everlasting — Eternity. I thought I felt her silken wings, That unseen joyousness she brings; I thought I glimpsed the soul of I ife, I thought I knew Reality. But lo! It fled. 1 know not whence, It brushed softly and silently past; Yet in the fleetness of this hour, I, too, saw a vision of Truth: Fife is a challenge, noble and pure, A challenge for unbounded growth! Margaret Brady. page twenty-four