Holbrook High School - Echo Yearbook (Holbrook, MA)

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THE ECHO 5 Salutatory Essay. It is my pleasure this evening on behalf of the Class of 1915 to extend a hearty welcome to you all; parents, teachers, friends, ciCzens and undergraduates. The end of another school year has be n reached and another class is about to graduate from the Sumner High School. Looking back over the years we have been together, we as a class cannot but feel that we have had some educational advantages not enjoyed by previ- ous classes. I make reference to the establish- ment of the commercial course and other im- provements whic h the townspeople have un- selfishly and willingly provided. Accordingly on behalf of the class I wish to thank the school committee and the citizens of Holbrook for the great interest which they have taken not only in our v elfare but the welfare of the entire school. America and International Peace. Tonight, when more than half the civilized world is engaged in mortal strife, when man has turned to the occupation of killing his fel- lowman, I ask you to consider with me deeply and earnestly how we, as citizens of tfie United States can best serve the world in the establish- ment of a peace and harmony that shall be ever- lasting. But wl y, you may ask, does this moral responsibility for bringing about a new world order based on ’nternational good will fall upon us Americans? It is this question which I shall attempt to answer. The dependence of one nation upon another has come to be more fully appreciated by the United States than by the other nations. Many agenc ' es have been at work to bring about this feeling. It was the early belief of this nation that it should be isolated from the rest of the world. The immigration of millions of foreign- ers to our shores, representing nearly all nations, has, however, had the effect of changing this idea. We now realize that we are affected by the morals and traditions of these people of other nationalities and that they are gradually but surely connecting us with the other countries. The United States is not only connected with other nations by strong racial ties, but by business relations which have awakened com- mon interests. Every nation is dependent upon some other nation for certain commodities. Business conditions in one country affect great- ly tho.se af another. Many an industry in the United States during the present war has felt the curtailment in the supply of a certain article which is necessary to the manufacture of some staple product. Furthermore some of the largest banking and business houses in this country have branch establishments in many of the large foreign cities like London and Paris. Education likewise furnishes a bond of union and friendliness between this country and Eu- rope. For years American students have flocked in great numbers to the universities of the old world and the inter-exchange of professors bet- ween our large universities and those of Berlin and Paris has become a very common thing. The modern methods of communication and travel have also brought the different parts of the world into closer relationship. Such in- ventions as the telegraph, cable and steamship have made neighbors of the people of the world even though geographically separated. It is this feeling of true neighborliness that must be cul- tivated before the best results in cooperation can be obtained. Having shown that the United States is part- icularly well fitted, because of her close connec- tion with the other nations, to take a leading part in the peace movement, let us consider an- other reason why she should be the chief pro- moter in a proposal of peace. Where could a government other than our own democracy be found which could furm ' sh so good an example for the bases of aiinion of all nations of the world ? Acquisition of new territory by the United States was once looked uj ' on as a danger to the preservation of the unUn, but railroad lines, the telegraph and telephone have brought all the states close together so have the nations of the world been brought close together by these same agencies. The various states of our union, although they have conflicting interests, always abide by the voice of the ballot. The welfare of a particular section is sacrificed if necessary to the welfare

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4 THE ECHO O NE of the advantages of a summer vaca- tion lies in the fact that it gives us time to rcNdew in our minds the work of the past nine months and to look forw ' ard to the ap- proaching school year. Fresh and rested we can better realize where we have failed and esti- mate the work we vish to accomplish. To those of us who have neglected our studies during the year, vacation brings an opportun- ity for reviewing and mastering the slighted work so that we can start the new term with a clear record. The decision as to what college or school to attend after high school is a problem which presents itself to some of us and there is no bet- ter time for studying catalogues and getting information concernii g such matters than dur- ing July and August. During this time the office forces of the various schools are not so busy as in the spring and fall and answers to inquir- ies are prompt and full. Students from the different institutions are also at home and are glad to give information and advice which is often fully as valuable as the printed material sent out from the schools. “Lest we forget” When as.signing the long list of books for outside reading during the year the teachers told us that this list would be suffi- ciently long and broad in scope to furnish a basis for our outside reading during the summer. Many of us have taken advantage of the extra points of eredit allowed for reading books and have not only raisedour marks but found enjoy- ment in so doing. Daily reading is an excellent hab it for us to form for. aside from the pleasure which it brings, reading presents truths and ideals to us, it portrays facts and ideas whieh we do not meet in our daily lives, it increases our power of thinking, it helps us appreciate beauty and it adds to our ability to express our own thoughts. We now have ten weeks of vacation and a good library before us, shall we not take advantage of them ? F our members of the senior class have de- finitely decided to continue their education after reeeiving their high school diplomas. Miss Iva Higgins is to enter Boston University, Miss Helen West and Miss Lucy Chapman are to attend Bridgewater Normal while Miss Eliza- beth McLaughlin will take a post graduate course in eommercial subjects at Sumner High. From the junior class Ivor Muzzey has taken preliminary examinations to enter Tufts and Earle Allen for Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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6 THE ECHO of the whole. The nations also will be obliged to sacrifice often in order to promote the wel- fare of the whole world. Not only does our union of the states furnish an example for the union of the nations but our political philosophy which is based on the equ- ality of opportunity, justice and individual rights may be followed by all countries. Here the individual does not exist for the state, but the state for. the individual. It was the failure to observ’e this principle, so dear to Americans, that brought on the war in Europe. Do you think for a moment that if the people of Europe had been consulted by their respect- ive rulers concerning the war that the frightful carnage which is now going on in Europe would have been possible? The people of Great Britain have practically agreed that this war is the re- sult of a false national doctrine brought about by certain professors, writers and their schools. Hence, if this be true, is it not time that the nations of the earth adopted a new political code based on democratic ideals and principles by which the individual is free to work out his own destiny untrammeled by autocratic power and despotism ? In her dealings with other nations and peoples America is in a favorable position ethically to be an example to the world. During the past half century she has been actuated by the ideal of disinterested service and devotion to humanit- arian purposes in her relations with the oppress- ed peoples of the world. The liberation of the Cubans from the Spanish yoke and the assist- ance and moral support given to various repub- lics in South America are illustrations of what the United States wishes to do for the Mexican people. If the United States intervenes in that un- fortunate republic, it will be only because of the failure of her own leaders to alleviate the suffer- ings of her people by the establishment of a demoeratie form of government. The interest of the United States will be purely that of a neigh- bor. America has also rendered a great service to the nations of the Eastern world. Missionaries have been sent out and large sums of money have been spent yearly to educate the east- ern people. It is because of her unselfishness in this work that the United States has won the hearts of the people of the East. They look up- on her as a friend in whom they can put their trust. Wherein, one may ask. lies the difference be- tw’-cen our country and the nations of Europe. During the long period of national development among the European states each country had its own selfish interests to protect. Each was struggling for existence and supremacy. Ac- cordingly the idea of helpfulness to others was always dormant. On the other hand our coun- try was settled by people in search of political and religious liberty and the very framework of our government was based on the cardinal princi- pleof the brotherhood of man. With this as a birthright is it any wonder that the people of many nations are already looking to the United States as their deliverer? Should we then as a people be doing our duty if we failed to grasp any opportunity to bring the light of democra- cy and the spirit of humanity to the rest of the world ? Lucy G. Chapman. Essay. Commercial Education. Someone has said that commercial education is that form of instruction which both directly and indirectly prepares the future business man for his calling. It is not known definitely who started the first school in which such instruction could be obtained. Mr. R. N. Bartlett, one of the first founders of a commercial school, came to recognize the need of a bu.siness training in the following way; when he was a young man, ready to go into business, he wished to become a bookkeeper. Business houses did not care to take him as an apprentice and he knew of no school where he could get the necessary training. This led him to open a commercial school in