Battin High School - Red and White Yearbook (Elizabeth, NJ)

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24 .46d9Q In no period in the lives of any of us connected with Battin have world events moved as rapidly as they have in the past three years. Governments, states, and conditions of the general well being of many peoples, which a short time ago we believed permanent save for slow evolutionary changes that we had come to accept as natural, have been uprooted or changed almost within the waking hours of a single day. These swift, startling and radical changes away from the accepted American and democratic way of life have really jolted us and compelled us to pause and ask ourselves: how may we do our part to keep and strengthen the democratic ideals of our America? We should recognize that each of us has an important part to play in making our country strong and well prepared. We must plan to put more

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. HELEN V. DECKER He is a free man whom the truth makes free, And all are slaves beside. -Cowper rididfanf principa

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of work accomplishment into our community life than we take out so that there may be a surplus from each of us. A great educator said recently our watchwords have been, work as little as possible, play as often as you can, get more than you give, and find security at all costs even at the cost of freedom. In short, we have placed the pursuit of happiness first, and life and liberty second. To leave a surplus rather than a deficit in our community life, we must all work for unity. We must eliminate all feelings of discrimination on account of race, creed, color, or condition of life. We must not measure our state of culture in terms of monetary suc- cess. We must not let the automobile, the movies, and the radio monopolize our interest at the expense of physical exercise, thinking, or reading. We must dignify work and sacrifice. We must see to it that our family life does not deteriorate. Our homes, built upon obedience and honor, must be the center from which our loyalty radiates. We must not neglect our church. It is said that about sixty per cent of our people do not attend any church. We cannot build a strong America unless we place loyalty to God first in our patriotism. In this, we must follow the example of our country's great founders and preservers. Our Democracy, members of the senior class, cannot be preserved alone by praising it. The task is one that requires active, thoughtful, and loyal participation by all. We have commended these ways to you through your years in Battin and we have a feeling of confidence that each one of you will acquit herself worthily and nobly throughout her life. With our good- bye, we say may God bless each with a deep and abiding love of country and grant to each an abundant and happy life. YVILLIAM M. DUNCAN, Principal.