Bradner High School - Mirror Yearbook (Bradner, OH)

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1141 0 ' -'igtahnfl' ' ' - 1541 VALENDICTORY Members of the Board of Education, members of the faculty, fellow classmates, and friends: We are gathered here tonight for what seems to us a very great occasion, the end of a dream come true, of graduating and of making our place in the world. But is it the end? Really it is only the beginning of the life we are about to enter, only the lower rung in the ladder of success. For twelve long years we have looked forward to this night, the time when our hopes and.fears, our ideals' and ambitions, would be realized. I said twelve lon years, but literally I don't mean it that way. At times, wgen obstacles would pile up before us, it seemed like a hard Job to overcome them, and a long time to wait, but we have succeeded, and, lookingtxmk on the years and the memories they bring, it seems all too short a time since we began our first grade in school. But enough of this reminiscing. We should look forward to our coming jobs and undertakings that are our duty in the life that lies stretched ahead of us, like a silvery river, from beginning to end, and shining under the sun with a brilliancy that shows great things to come. I think life can best be represented by a great river, Like the small tributaries of a large river we start our life in obscurity, many of us among humble surroundings, and with many rocks and obstructions in our path. But like the small stream we work our way to bigger things, -making our path in the world, pushing from our course the obstacles that contin- ually confront us in our efforts to go onward, and wearing our path deeper into the earth, leaving signs of our work and progress to the world. As do the little streams, we grew larger as we go along, and also do the obstacles become greater, some of them looming like giants about to turn all our efforts to naught. Like the stream, however, we always press forward, and, by means of constant striving to over- come these obstructions, We force our way through and ever onward. .

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V .,,,,.. , Q41 ' 0 QQYahnP1' 0 O Q H4 SALUTATORY '41 i 1 To the President and members of the board of education, to the Superintendent and the teachers of Bradner Highg to the parents and friends of this' graduating classg it is my great privilege, as Salutatorian to extend to you this even- ing our most sincere welcome. ' I find it a pleasing task to speak to you, because I know you appreciate and fully understand my position as well as that of my classmates. Many of you have had the opportu- nity to graduate in similar circumstances, and you know how excited one feels on such occasions, In truth, I am victim of this feeling that seems to re- sult from the great experience of graduating and I find it difficult to express in adequate language what I really feel at this time. i ' ' However, there is one point that we all realize tonight That is that we who are now finishing our high school life have closed forever the dainty, shining portals of childhood and must open the grilled iron gates of adulthood with its many responsibilities. But this does not particularly make us sad. Vp are confident that we can meet life's every obli gation. May we all have courage to follow our excellent motto, WTake the world as you find it, but leave it better.n If we do that we shall each make a success of life. Now in closing,on behalf of myself and my classmates, I want to say how sincerely we appreciate your interest and faith in us, and again express a warm welcome to all of you. Thank you! -- Doris Smith

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541' ' V' Yahnllf' ' ' 194 VALENDICTORY Continued Soon, in most of our lives, there comes a union, such as happens to the small streams. They join to form a .mighty river, a union that greatly increases the power and ability of each, a union that makes it possible for them both to con- tinue to work toward their goal, accomplishing things not possible by either one alone. Many rocks and bars threaten this union, both trying to separate them so as to weaken them and to hinder their forward progress toward their goal. But the river rushes on, epausing only long enough to overcome these impediments in its way, doing such massive deeds as carving its way through a mountain of solid stone, and falling hundreds of feet over dams, thus making it pos- sible, by its turning of huge dynamos, for the world to have the better things of life because of its efforts. Then the pace picks up. If the river does not stick to its course, serious things and dangerous ones to other people may result. As some wild river on the rampage overflows its banks and destroys countless lives and property, so may we cause endless sorrow and misery to come to unknown numbers of people, if we go blindly forward, or are sidetracked, and lise sight of our goal that lies ahead, if only for an in- s ant. Before the end of the river's journey it has a lot of fast water and many rapids to go through, These are only overcome by the idea that nothing can stop it from its goal. By now, however, most of its work is done, and it flows slowly along, content to rest after its long years of cease- less struggles and its consequent achievements. All along the way it has picked up and carried materials that bother it such as our worries bother us. As it nears the ond of its journey it drops these impediments, with the thought only in mind of taking its time in the last lap of its race to its goa ,