Girard College - Corinthian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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He taught the worth of Manners, Self-reliance and Character; of Education, Family Life, and Public Duty. Oiir (ttarintljiau January

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la t e tfaiclcuztitLcfr (Plate, a( flaaua’Uf,, f 946; When a class leaves Girard I am beset with mixed emotions. I am proud and happy to see a group of young men successfully complete our course of study and round out with us those very significant adolescent years from fourteen to eighteen. But I truly am concerned at seeing you young men leave us now. You step out with such self-con¬ fidence, little knowing what terrific problems lie ahead. You think you have learned a lot, but actually you know so little. You feel ready to meet any new emergency, but really so many decisions have been made for you here. You think you can easily direct your social, moral and physical well-being, but, after all, these phases of your life up to now have been pretty well channeled for you. Although we have great faith in your ability to achieve, and know that the young men who have gone out before you have done so, yet we don ' t just set you adrift. We help you launch your ship. We assist you across the shore breakers, watch how you learn to handle tiller and sail until we are sure you are steering straight across calm or stormy seas to the haven of your desire. Just now the seas ahead are indeed stormy. Never before, I am sure, has our world been so convulsively shaken as it is right now. We always know little enough about the world we live in, but we know much less about the world immediately ahead. What a challenge the future presents to you I You and thousands and tens of thousands of other young men being graduated from our high schools today will have to see this challenge through. You will live, indeed, to see One World. You will live to see the speed of transportation, the development of new power and energy, the re¬ gard for human welfare, international relationships advance to a degree never dreamed of a generation ago. 0, boys, don ' t stop studying, don ' t stop thinking, don ' t stop having visions, don ' t be content until you are a master in the area of your life ' s work. It will be easy to throw up your hands and quit. Find within yourselves the sustaining arms that will hold those hands until the victory is won. It will be easy to grow cynical and skeptical. It will be easy to grow selfish and self-centered, but remember what Paul said, No man liveth to himself alone. Our love for you, our desire for your happiness, our faith in your determination to succeed in your chosen work, our confidence in your integrity, and our belief in your desire to serve well in your homes and in your communities abide always! Follow gladly where you must in order to learn, assume leadership where you are conscious of power, give of yourselves where that giving will bring well-being to others. God bless you and keep you. D. MONTFORT MELCHIOR 1946 QInruttJjtan

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7 Occi e tefrzct n . . . Dear Stephen Girard: Today we leave Girard College, our school and our home for the past ten years. With reluctance we pass from the Chapel for our last time as students. It has at last come our time to render to you our thanks for the many benefits we have received at your hands. We know, Mr. Girard that the words in our hearts can never be expressed adequately, words telling you how much we appreciate all that you have made possi¬ ble for us. We are fortunate that we can leave the protecting arm of this wonderful in¬ stitution and go forth into a world not locked in combat, but once more peaceful. However we will still be confronted with many vexing problems, but we have been trained to face these with grim determination to overcome all obstacles. You have made a superior education possible for us and have inculcated among us the ambition to hold our own at all times. We will not fail you! We thank you, Mr. Girard, for giving us this chance to acquire so much good out of life in your school, especially for showing us that indispensable possession in this life known as friendship. Here at Girard are boys of many racial extractions, but there is no special creed or racial prejudice felt among us. We are all Americans in a truly broad democratic institution, striving to make of ourselves better citizens and better Girardians. Had we not entered Girard ten long years ago, we could not now realize the fact that it would mean the forfeiting of many of the finer things in life. We would not have had the opportunity to develop ourselves physically to the point we enjoy today. Nor would we have had the chance to strengthen our appreciation of music, art, and literature, which all help to inspire a well balanced man. Upon departure from Girard, the Class of January 1946 realizes that there are no words suitable to express our deepest and most gracious thanks for all you have done for us. You have given us an outstanding education; you have impressed upon us the necessity for clean and honest traits and habits; you have given us the opportu¬ nity to make of ourselves something few schools really achieve. You have made us men! Sincerely and faithfully yours, THE CLASS OF JANUARY, 1946 fflorintijian