Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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SALUTATORY— OUR PROBLEMS We, the members of the class of 1920, wish most heartily to welcome you all to our commencement exercises. The fact that you are here this evening shows that you are our friends, and as our friends, you will be interested in the problems, the solving of which will determine the suc- cess or failure of our lives. Our chief anxiety is the choosing of a vocation. Fifty years ago such a choice was seldom necessary for most of the girls became housewives and most of the boys took up the life-work of their fath- ers. Today, there is hardly a girl who does not earn her own living at least for a few years and the boy who takes his fath- er’s place is now the exception rather than the rule. Literally scores of possi- bilities invite us — each with its own at- tractions and with its difficulties to be overcome. Some offer small salaries at first but promise rapid advancement ; others tempt us with a large salary, but repel us because they can offer little chance for promotion. Sometimes bril- liant financial prospects demand the sev- ering of home-ties and the forfeiting ol social pleasures and recreation. Again a position, the actual work of which seems in itself less attractive, permits a fuller life outside its bounds, a broader realiza- tion of ideals of usefulness and service. Each must choose for himself thp one for which his peculiar tastes and abilities are best adapted — the one in which he can make the most of his life. The problem is not an easy one and its importance in our lives demands that we bring to its solving the highest effort of which we are cap- able. When an architect is employed to erect some splendid building he uses all his science and his utmost skill — he spends hours and hours— working out the plans for the structure. Chosing a vocation is making the plan for the structure of our Jives, and our success as builders depends largely on the wisdom of our plan. Our first problem, then, is how we can make our lives most advantageous to our- selves. Our second — perhaps even great- er than the first — is how we can best serve our country. She insures us personal safe- ty, and freedom ; she affords numberless opportunities and privileges for our well being and happiness ; for twelve years she has provided us with free schooling that we might be better able to meet our prob- lems. We owe her much and we must pay our debt. When the United States entered the world war, her young men an- swered the call for volunteers with “We owe it to our country. We will pay our debt.” We graduates cannot pay our debt by fighting for our country, but we can pay it by becoming true and loyal citizens, by each giving his utmost effort to the solving of the problems of our gov- ernment. Bolshevism is not the final so- lution for poverty and ignorance nor is war the sanest way to answer interna- tional questions. Strikes will never end the disputes between capital and labor nor will continuously higher prices alone secure us from decreasing production of necessities. A definite foreign policy must ' be determined and immigration regula- ted. The coming generation must solve problems of government such as no na- tion in history has ever met successfully or our civilization must pass away even as have those of Egypt and Persia, of Greece and Rome. We, as future citizens, must solve these problems. Whether we shall succeed is a question to be answered by ourselves, alone, and, for the class, l say, “We can, we will.” Dear classmates, make my answer a 3

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His punishments, though perhaps seeming too severe, at the time, never rankled in the offender’s mind for lie has always made the wrong-doer see the foolishness and the wickedness of the misdeed and the justice of the punishment. Beside being so fair and honest with his pupils in the matter of discipline he has always wanted to help them in every possible way. He has always been anx- ious that his scholars should get through their work successfully, not simply be- cause he wished the school to make a good showing, but because of his good-will and friendship for every boy and girl in the school. He has never gotten angry at a pupil because his quarter’s work had not been passed or because he hart fallen down in his examinations. His way has been to find out the reason for the failure and then to try to get the pupil to set it right. He has inquired how the lessons were going and has always been ready to help a pupil through a difficult passage in Latin or a knotty problem in Algebra. Most men who have been teachers for twenty or thirty years get stale in their work. They take only a perfunctory in- terest in school activities and sometimes they begin to hate the sight of a school and every boy and girl in it. Mr. Mars- ton has never under any circumstances acted in this way. He has always had a lively interest in the school at every point, in keeping up the standard of ath- letics, in the Glee Club, and in all school affairs. He has never taken part to such an extent that he was thought domineer- ing. lie has kept, rather, in the back- ground, always ready with some wise sug- gestion. Even after twenty-five years of boys and girls lie has never tired of the scholars under him in spite of an occa- sional pupil who has tried to lie to him and deceive him. Besides his good qualities as principal of the High School, as a personal friend he is extremely well liked. His quiet hu- mor, his amusing way of putting things, his helpful suggestions, his personal charm, all make him an extremely pleas- ant person with whom to be acquainted. We in the High School especially know his wit and humor. Perhaps he is fondest of making jokes on himself and the whole school has laughed many times at his ref- erence to his hair, “which” he says, “is conspicuous by its absence. ’ ’ Altogether the scholars of the High School are losing a true friend, a fair and just principal, and a pleasant companion ; and we are all extremely sorry that we shall not see him in the school again next year. H. D. JR. 2

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true one. May each one of us seek his shall be able to look back on this memor- best approach to Success, and having able parting with joy in our hearts and found it, keep steadily on its path, never pride at having achieved our great end — branching off, nor turning back, until he success. has gained its farthest point. Then we ALICE M. DAVIS, 1920. VALEDICTORY— “NULLA VES No footsteps backward! What better motto could be ours? What could better illustrate our own ideals or those of the country in which we live? Indeed, from the time, three hundred years ago, when our ancestors landed in Plymouth with a firm resolve to found a country which they and their descendants might be proud to call their own, this spirit of progress has been instilled in the hearts of our people. It existed even in those early years of hardship and suffering and remained undaunted through the cruel In- dian massacres .which nearly annihilated the staunch little colonies. Glancing over the pages of history we can note the steady march of progress. From a few scattering settlements in the wilderness we have risen to what we are to-day, a great and powerful nation. Meanwhile the progressive ideal hidden in the recesses of men’s minds began to materialize in the shape of modern inven- tions. Many labor saving machines were in- vented, among them the cotton gin which revolutionized the cotton industry in the south. The steam boat and steam railway came into existence, then theories and facts about electricity were developed one by one and throughout all the intervening years the great men of every period have continued to study, plan and produce many electrical devices. The telegraph, cable and, later, the telephone system have resulted and brought all parts of the world into communication with each other. The progress made in education has TIGIA RETRORSUM” been no less marked. While the desire for religious freedom was the one great motive which led the colonists from the old world to the new, yet they were a peo- ple to whom education ranked second only to religion. Crude little cabins built by the pioneers from roughly hewn logs represented their first attempts, but in less than a century three of the largest colleges of to-day were founded. How- ever, for many years a grammar school education was considered munificent. Only a few were able to afford the advan- tages offered by high school courses and even fewer could bear the expense of a college training. We, the children of to- day, are alloAved the privileges of gram- mar and high school education at the ex- pense of the town and the commonwealth. With the opportunities that are ours, how easy it should be for us to build the house of progress — “To match our spirits to our day And make a joy of duty!” Honored Principal: We, your youngest children, greet you. You, too, are gradu- ating this year from the Manning High School and we feel that we are most for- tunate to have the honor of admitting you to the Class of 1920. We are glad that one of our classmates after a quarter of a century of faithful service here, can al- ready testifiy that he has successfully reached the goal toward which we are struggling. As we grow older and our visions broaden we shall think even more of the noble example which you have al- ways set us and we shall know that our 4