Boys High School - Epitome Yearbook (Reading, PA)

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5' MEI COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM Wednesday, June 16th, 1q26, at q lvl. RAJAI-I THEATRE Order of Exercises Boys' High School Orchestra, S. Powell Middleton, Director OVERTURE- American Fantasie .......,,..,............ ......,....... H erbert MARCH- Soldiers' Chorusu from Faust ,,,,.,.........w.w............ Gounnd PRAYER ............,.,....,...................,,....,.,...... T1112 REV. CARI. H. GRAMM, D. D. CHORUS, Welcome, Pretty Primrose ..................., ......,........... P insuti Class of 1926 June SALUTATORY- The Redman-The Ward of Our Nation MARIAN J. MOYER Class of 1926 June, High School for Girls SELECTION- Cradle Song ....,,.............................,...................,...... Neszfera SALUTATORY- The Golden Room ,.............. THOMAS BARNETT Class of 1926 june, High School for Boys SELECTION-Ballet Music from Rosamunde ............... Schubert ADDRESS-- Yard Sticks . ........................................ DR. JOHN T. FAR1s Editor Presbyterian Board of Christian Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania SELECTION- Farandole from L'Arlesienne ..................... Bizet VALEDICTORY- Our Heritage from Ancient Rome ...... MAY CooK Class of 1926 june, High School for Girls SELECTION-Gavotte from Mignon ...................,...,............... Thomas VALEDICTORY-'The Battlefield of Business ........................ ..R. NIILTON POETTER 'H'H' iciQQQQ5ESIQQEUij'LiiiE ili'iQHisEHJS1 for Boys PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS ,....................,..,...., GEORGE BEGGS President Board of School Directors PRESENTATION OF MILFORD N. RITTER PRIZES CHORUS.- Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming ............ FOSl'e'r Class of 1926 June DOXOLOGY BENIZDICTION ,,,,,,.,...,,.,.......,.,,,.,.... THE REV. CARL H. GRAMM, D. D. MARCH- Sound Off i.... ..........................,...............................,.................. S Uma

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50 THE EPITOMPL Next we observe that reconciliation is another factor or element in the spiritual processes which confront us as spiritual beings. Wliat do we mean by reconciliation? Its three-fold meaning is expressed in the recognition of God in the affairs of the world, the recognition of God in the relations between us and our fellows, and the recognition of God in the coming kingdom. God is here. God is not an absentee God. It has always been difficult to recognize God as con- tinually present with us. We may think of Him when in Church services or when under some religious influence, but we too frequently lose sight of Him in the common duties of life. In other instances He is an absentee God all the time- somewhere far, far away. The history of Christianity has not helped us to a better understanding of an ever present God, whether we look at it from the Roman Catholic or Protestant point of view. Mr. Bryce has shown us that the pagan Roman Empire was transformed into the Holy, Roman Empire when Ceasar became Pope, with prefects and sub- prefects as archbishops and bishops and a long line of dependencies. The system remained essentially the same-absolute imperialism. The Pope was the vicar and representative of God. That is an error, for God does not need representa- tion. God is here. He has always been here, and He always will be here. Protestantism, in the sixteenth century, went back to the Bible, and made the Bible a kind of constitution of God, leaving Him still enthroned somewhere far away in the universe. Protestants rested their case on an infallible Bible as Roman Catholics had rested theirs on an infallible Church. The issue was clearly de- fined, but God was still an absentee. And then came Biblical criticism, which weakened the infallibility of the Bible, as Protestantism had weakened the infallibility of the Church. To many it looked as though the very foundations of the faith had been attacked-the Bible from the Protestant point of view and the Church from the Roman Catholic point of view-but the founda- tions of the faith were as unmovable as ever. These foundations are more im- pregnable than either the Bible or the Church. The Bible is an essential witness, as is also the faith of the Church. The fact was that the notion of an absentee God was being attacked from two angles in order to bring mankind to the reality of God in us. The prophet's function has ever been to call us to this spiritual realization. Finally, we add penitence as a spiritual force to the realization of the spiritual energy within us. VVhat shall we say of penitence? First it must be defined as a moral necessity and sincerity, and, second, it must be recognized as an integral part of faith. Two hindrances to penitence meet all of us. The hrst is hypocrisy. That is the most common sin in human experience. One of its expressions is to regard our privileges as merits and not as responsibilities. To illustrate: Sup- pose you are well born, or well educated, or a holder of wealth. If you think that as a merit and therefore think yourself better than others from whom you isolate yourself, instead of regarding it as a responsibility and therefore as an obligation to the less fortunate, yours is a case of sheer hypocrisy. It was this that jesus denounced more severely than any other sin.The second hindrance to penitence is accepting a mild form of Christianity, which is the common condition of this age. Christianity of these times, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, does not stand for what jesus stood for in His time. It is a kind of colorless thing, character- ized more by its denominational label than by the heroism of Jesus. It has much to say about theology, but traditional Christian theology has lost its prestige. Christianity's position on great ethical questions is not sure. Cn these problems some Christians are on one side and some on the other, or there may be a general, apathy toward the whole controversy. And, therefore, the real prophet hesitates not to warn us against these hindrances to penitence, and bids us to banish them from our lives, and in deep penitence to become reconciled to God who is ever in us. For It is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

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52 THE EPITOME VALEDHCTORY Wlfhe attllefiielldl of Business? R. MILTON POETTER Business! What is it? Business, as I see and feel it, today, is life. It is that force which constantly keeps us moving. VVill you pause with me a few mo- ments this morning to look upon this word business in a newer light? For our purpose it is necessary to incorporate in the term a larger idea to fit the times. Too long, I think, has business been judged merely from the economic stand- point, in terms of profit and loss, wages and dividends, employer and employee. In this ever changing world of ours we now look upon business as life. All our life's work is business. A mother, in rearing her child, is performing an im- portant mission. It is her business. and she does it as her husband labors in what- ever field he may be employed. This new conception of business is the product of a process of growth. Years ago the word was applied merely to various trades which men had to perform. Now the term has been extended to include any life work or activity. 'Through the ages men have ever been in quest of Hgures of speech, concrete conceptions, to express the abstract idea of life. Various similes and metaphors have been employed to advantage. Often we find life compared to a sea, upon which everyone is cast, bound for some port. Today we are setting sail. We are just leaving the shore. Whither are we bound? VVhat of the voyage, of the destination? Again, Life is but a dream. Here, with the idealist, we seek realities. Then, too, Life is like a road. VVe have our ups and downs, our good roads and poor roads. Often we will reach the cross-roads, crises in our lives. NVhich way are we going to take and who is to lead us? Let us ever choose the right road at all times. Life may be a sea, a dream, a road. It may also be a battlefield, a battlefield of business. Is not this, our battlefield of business, indeed, a striking and unusual one. Battles have come and gone. There was the battle of Yorktown in the Revolu- tionary VV'ar, the battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War, and in our late world C011- flict, the struggle of Relleau Woods. Yet these conflicts lasted but for a few days at most. Our battle is a continual one. It will endure while life lasts. We must not give up, because it is to be an everlasting struggle. It is to be our life's work, a realization which should induce us to struggle on, to succeed. Now, from a philosophical standpoint, is our conception true, or is it like some of the mere theory that certain over-zealous and hyper-optimistic schools of philosophy teach? Some persons maintain that our life is a mere playground. These are extremists. XVe should not expect life to be merely one enjoyable event after another. Neither your life nor mine is to be entirely a bed of roses. VVe shall be forced to meet stern realities upon our battlefield of business. We must not be deceived, we must maintain this sensible philosophy and always hope for the best, and work and fight for it. In facing facts as they exist, we have our battlefield made a reality. In our struggle we shall be thrown amidst whom we do not know, but there is going to be a clash of opinions. Each of us must remain faithful to the ideal that our school helped to set for us. Only in this way can character or personality be formed. The mention of battlefield brings to our mind the concept of a soldier, per- haps a soldier of the recent war. First, from amidst thousands, he is chosen for service. Then he is sent to some camp for a brief interval of training in military