Downingtown High School - Our Year Cuckoo Yearbook (Downingtown, PA)

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18 THE CUCKOO Honorably and Courageously Mildred A. Pecket, ’22 ONORABLY and Courageously is an inspiring motto to all those who hear and will heed it. Every young American boy and girl has an ambition hidden deep down in their heart to accomplish something. The more that is learned of great men such as Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Edison, the more insistent becomes this desire. When we study the histories of these men we would like to do something great, so that we could be spoken of as typical Americans. Roosevelt was considered a typical American. Was he? You and I are Americans. Do we possess the qualities he had? He was honorable and courageous. Roosevelt was not a typical American. His qualities put him above the average. He can not be used as an illustration to others as a type of the Americans. When we see the great things such men as these have accomplished we feel discouraged. We may not have wealth, health, position, education and knowledge which these men possessed. However, environment or physical heredity do not make us either great or small. It is our individual self. Those things can be obtained. Washington, it is true possessed wealth, health and position, but are these the things we learn of in history? No, it is because of his honor and courage we learn of him today. He possessed courage or would he have attempted to organize a government under the conditions he did? He was treading an untrodden path. He attempted something no one else was willing to do. And he had the courage to carry out his plans which proved to be successful. Lincoln is another whose noble deeds we love to study. He was the soul of honor. Was his environment good? Yet these small things did not keep Lincoln down. Abraham Lincolns’ motto was: “All Things Are Possible”.

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T H E CUC K O O 19 He realized through failures and victories they were possible only through courage. He knew that all who possessed courage and honor could not to greatness. If we possess these qualities we have greatness in our souls, even though the world should never hear of us. Roosevelt believed in justice. He would stand for justice even though every one were against him. Everyone paid homage to his memory, not because he had l een President of the United States, but because of his honor and fearless courage. Roosevelt lacked the one great requisite that everyone must have to accomplish some things. From boyhood he was in bad health. He had the courage to keep on until he was an example of physical strength. His aim was “To Serve”. Did he not do one of the greatest things a truly great man can do, to help the weaker class of people. Edison possessed courage or could we be using the inventions we do every day. We use them and become so accustomed to them, that we never think of the months of tireless efforts on his part, to complete them. He believed that he could make an incandescent light. He tried and failed, he tried again and again. Each time was a failure. He tried two thousand times. They were all failures. He persisted and the two thousandth and first time he won. His was the persistent courage that wrould not let him rest, because he had faith, he could do it. The end w'as the victory. These are only a few of the men the world has accepted as great. To be great we must not only have accomplished something for which we may or may not be directly responsible. Circumstances have enabled some people to be great. We must have honor, humility, truth, courage and loyalty. These are the foundations for all greatness. To possess education, health, or any of these qualities and put them to a bad use is a detriment or a hinderance to mankind. Many of the criminals in our prisons of today are educated ar.d talented men. This condition is due to lack of honor and courage. If they had the courage to put their talents to a good use and not abuse them, they could be of invaluable use to society. If we possess talents and put them to a good use, it is one step nearer the goal of victory. If we hold dear these mottoes we will at sunset look back with no regrets. “With honor with Courage” For truth and right Honorable and Courageously We live our life.