Eau Claire High School - Beaver Tales Yearbook (Eau Claire, MI)

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r K R COMM E N CE M E N T—W HAT? t Friends, my classmates have conferred upon me the great honor speaking the words that shall bid you welcome here tonight, t is with light hearted feelings that we, as a class, stand tonight at he meeting between a happy past and an unknown future. We, s high school seniors, have reached not the end but the beginning of the more serious phase of life. We have been led through paths to this bend in the road and now we are eager to make the turn into the arena of the world’s progress; and to consider something of what our part in its great battles are or ought to be as citizens of the greatest republic and the grandest nation in all the world. Isn’t it glorious that life is one infinite succession of commencements and promotions? It is a grand thing to say that “Beyond the Alps lieth Italy.” But you can never really say that until you know it by struggling up over the Alps of difficulties and seeing the Italy of promise and victory beyond them. It is fine to say, “We are rowing and not drifting:” but you cannot realize the true meaning of these words until you have pulled on the oar. Classmates, we have come to the cross roads leading to different ways of life. Which road shall we choose? This decision is one of the most important deci- sions in life. Shall we just take up a common business life; shall the boys go back to the farm; shall we choose the college life and thus receive more education; or shall we choose to immediately enter upon one of the many other business occupations too numerous to mention? But before we decide let us for a moment briefly review some of the lives of our former graduates. Are they all satisfied with the road they have chosen? Some have gone home to remain until something may call them away; some have taken up a business course and have entered the business world; other have gone back to the farm; and others are going on with their education. Which of these patterns for life seems to be the best and happiest to us? Happiness lies in progressing—in developing a greater character; it is the joy of overcoming; it is the delight of an expanding consciousness; it is the cry of the eagle mounting upward; it is found in our work not outside of our work. If we cannot find happiness, we have the wrong work. Let us strive to find the work that fits our talent and stop watching the clock and planning vacations. If you do not like your chosen work of course you will be carrying a terrible burden and will sooner or later collapse. Many people fret away their lives and accomplish nothing because they are not able to reach a definite decision about their life work and then stick to it. Many who have a case clearly in mind can never be certain what their opinion is, because they seem to be evenly divided and as a result do not count on either side of the issues which confront everyone. Decision, Determination, Stability and Fixedness of purpose are closely related. The person who lacks any of these can scarcely hope to make a success in life. How often do we see men or women about to decide to do a thing; soon they begin it; then wish they had not started and still cannot make up their minds to turn back. Compare such a person with one who reaches a solid con- clusion that he is going to make his venture a success. What are the relative chances of the two for attaining the object they have set our to achieve? On an average the roads of life are difficult ones to travel. Moreover the one who succeeds is the one who starts out with a grim determination to win in spite of all obstructions that may arise in his path. An example of this is shown in Napoleon’s life. When he was thirty years old he was given command of the French army. He desired to attack Austria from the north; but to do so it was necessary to take the army over the Alps Mountains. An engineer was sent to examine the St. Bernard Pass. When he returned he reported that it was nearly Tw'ntv

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E, THE class of 1922, of the Eau Claire High School, F.au Claire, Michigan, being about to pass out of this sphere of education— in full possession of a crammed mind and well trained memory— hereby proclaim this our last will and testament, making void all former wills or promises by us heretofore made or carelessly spoken. hirst, unto the school we leave our noisiest yells that have been composed and made use of, on condition that they shall be kept in constant usage. Second, unto our beloved faculty we leave all the amazing knowledge and startling information that we have furnished them with from time to time on our various examination papers. We leave the keys of a “Certain room” with “Shorty,” the Janitor, with the understanding that he shall not lend them to Mr. Dunn. We leave the right to become pianist to Ardis Baker on condition that she let I.ouis Brule and Burton Richards play a duet once in a while. To Mr. Balfour we leave all the new facts furnished by the Physics Class to be used in an “Advanced Course in Physics.” Melvin Seel leaves part of his skill as cartoonist to Donald McCoy. Donald is not to use the Freshmen as models. We leave Miss Ludden all important dates made (and kept) by the Seniors as a reminder that we were “always doing and never pretending.” To John Hogue and Donald Clark we leave the right to act as traffic cops to keep “some” from exceeding the speed limit in coming to school or going to classes. To Miss Skinner we leave all our music and “Art.” Gerald Williams leaves his fondness for study to whoever needs it. Apply early and avoid the rush. We leave the Sophomore girls in care of Jacob Lutz. Lois Hoadley leaves her basket ball suit to Lissabel Holle or Ida Momany. To Miss Voigt we leave a rest for the nervous breakdown she has received from looking over orations. To Lucy Kirk we leave a steady beau. We leave all paper wails found on the floor of the assembly room to the Freshmen, as we hate to keep anything that does not belong to us. To Rolland Moody we leave a Baker. All pennies left over in the treasury are to be spent in purchasing high chairs for Frank Brule and Keith Young. Witnesses: Signed: Class of '22 ETHEL MITCHELL Ninrtfrn

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impossible to pass through it. Quick as a flash Napoleon’s decision was made, and he said, “Then we will go.” They succeeded in passing over the mountains, rushed out into the plains of Northern Italy; won the battle of Marengo; and Napoleon was made Emperor of France. Had he lacked decision and only entered upon this project half- heartedly he would probably have failed, and the history of the world would have been different. Another illustration of the power of decision is Woodrow Wilson. He decided that the United States should enter the war; and, as a result today the American soldiers are honored, and the American flag is respected by our Allies and dreaded by our enemies. Decision is particularly important for us young people for without it we are almost sure to be foredoomed to failure. We should study carefully every condi- tion that confronts us, but having reached a decision go forward with firmness anil steadfastness and in the end success will be the final reward. Therefore let us make our decisions correctly as well as promptly. But besides our decision there must also be a character. We, therefore, must strive to build a character, that is an individuality which is the product of our nature, our habits, and our environments. This differs from a reputation in that it is what we are, while our reputation is what people think we are. Sometimes they are the same thing but more often they are vastly different. The building of character then must be the most important part of human life. Every act in life whether good or bad helps shape that. So it behooves everyone of us to establish good habits for the body, and good thoughts for the mind, that the most precious acquisition of our human being may be built upon a solid rock—or, in other words upon a good character. Therefore let us be decided in our opinions and courses of action and having chosen our road from a conviction that it is right suffer nothing to divert us from Train the mind! There is a clear evidence that the mind was made to teach us to act as the feet were made to walk. Truly education takes time, but it pays when we consider the time of life when the work of education ought to be done. The most costly education with the minimum of results to the individual, is the one which is picked up here and there as life presents opportunities, and as we improve them. Let us view for a moment the commercial world, and notice the relations of the educated and the uneducated men and their ultimate leadership. The United States Bureau of Education issued sometime ago a bulletin bearing the title, “The Money Value of Education.” The many graphic charts and illustra- tions of that discussion shows that with no schooling 31 persons out of 5,000,000 obtained distinction; with elementary schooling 808 out of 33,000,000 achieved a like level; with a high school education 1,245 emerged out of a group of 2,(XX),(XX); and with a college education 5,768 arrived at this point.out of a group of 1,000, (XX). . , , , Today we, as a civilized nation and as individuals, stand at the apex of pro- gress—built solidly upon the achievements of the past and looking foreward hope- fully on the problems of the future. New names have gone down in history and have taken their places in the progress of the world. Much remains to be done. 11 is our privilege then to obey and make the fundamental law, it is our duty to marshall all possible facts of education to improve this law; and above all, it is our privilege to invoke inspiration from on High to lead and point out the way. May we meet every issue that confronts us squarely, solve our every problem correctly and respond to every opportunity justly. May we, as individuals, thus press forward and take our places in the cycles of universal progress. Almost as soon as we place our feet upon the threshold of the busy world Ttvfnty-oru