Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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Graduation Essays THE BASIS OF CITIZENSHII The first man, or primitive man, was practically an animal. He lived in utter wretchedness, roaming the wilds, and when his appetite prompted him, he would feast upon rodents, roots, and occasionally a fish. He knew no laws, for there were none. He used no de- vices for there were none. He lived in ignorance of the great cause for which man was created. But now we are a marvelously developed race — a race that has studied and is studying the philosophic as well as the practical side of life. After con- siderable development man began to perceive something of the purpose of life. He realized that he was intended for something greater than his own narrow scope had previously allowed him to visualize. He realizes now that it is his duty to work for the great cause of civilization or to help to make the world a better place in which to live. You see we are engaged in a mag- nificent quest. The savage man did not know what he was here in the world for. He did not know how to cooperate with his fellows in order to carry out any useful enterprise, — least of all to join hands with men on the other side of the world. Consequently he did nof understand the meaning of the word “happiness,” knowing only the animal pleasure of a well satisfied appetite or of engaging in war-like enterprises. With a complex civilization, however, has come greater capacity for enjoy- ment as man has gradually made the earth serve his purpose. But with the possibilities of greater happiness has come also a greater responsibility and it is that with which we are concerned. As the nature and character of any government depends primarily on the character of its citizens we may assume that upon us, as a nation, rests the responsibility of rearing citizens ca- pable of carrying on the work which was so nobly begun by our forefathers. There are three institutions gener- ally regarded as concerned in the train- ing of citizens: the Church, the School, and the Home. Without minimizing in any degree the importance of the first two in this great work, we have ample evidence that they are powerless with- out the cooperation of the home. The Church and the Church Schools never see the prospective citizens of this great republic unless the parents see fit to send them to Church, and it seems sometimes as if the majority were showing less and less inclination to do so. Lest we seem too pessimistic in cur attitude, however, we might men- tion the experiment working out suc- cessfully in Rhode Island in which pupils at specified times are sent reg- ularly to the Church Schools for re- figious instruction. The school has a little advantage over the Church. Attendance is compul- sory. Still the school can only carry on the good work of the home or make a feeble attempt, at best, to counteract poor home training, or to supply a lit- tle where there is none. The training in the home then, we see to be the most important training w hich a child receives, and is funda- mental in developing citizenship. There are many characteristics upon which emphasis might be placed in the home, but we have time to consider only tliB 26

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two which seem to us most important: obedience and honor, both of which will have a direct bearing upon the child’s later life. The child cannot be taught too soon to obey. If he cannot obey the commands of his parents, it is inevitable that he will fail to obey the laws of his country later on. Why do we have so many youthful criminals today ? According to most authorities on the subject, it is because they have not been taught to respect law in the home and it is, therefore, not strange that they fail to obey and respect a higher law. “The recent crime wave and all its disastrous effects” says John Howard, “are the result of a disorderly home govern- ment.” I wonder if every parent in this town knows where his child is every night, and sees to it that he is at home at a seasonable hour. Chil- dren not yet of high school age, cer- tainly not of an age to be beyond pa- rental control, have been known to be out late at night, and to have gone be- yond the bounds of committing merely mischievous acts. Next in importance to obedience in the home training for citizenship is, perhaps, honor. A country could no exist without honorable citizens. It isn’t even necessary to dwell upon the importance of honor as a necessary quality of a good citizen, for everybody realizes the value of being a person whose word and act can be trusted. The School and Church, if it has the chance, can supplement training in honor, but they can only supplement, and their work is much simplified if the child has been taught from infancy the true meaning of honor. A man trained to obey and to respect law, and who possesses a high sense of personal honor can never go far wrong in life and ought to be a credit to his coun- try. Passing on to the third institution which furnishes very valuable training in citizenship, we find that the School provides a more extensive training than we can conceive. The school is like a nation. It has its own government and its leaders. The leaders of the school will become the leaders of the com- munity, state, and perhaps the repub- lic. At school they learn that they must control themselves. It would be a tumultuous school-room if everyone did as he pleased. The teachers must maintain order or it would be impos- sible to accomplish anything. It is the same in the world. If the country is peaceful and law abiding, there will be much prosperity; but when the people become riotous and discontented, they are destroying the serenity of the na- tion and consequently its prosperity. Not only is the pupil taught these principles of good citizenship, but he is taught and comes to understand the different branches of his government which are varied and complex. He is taught to believe that the representa- tives of the people are working for the good of the country and not for any political end. The entire school popu- lation of today will be the citizens of tomorrow and it will be their duty to uphold the principles for which our fathers have lived and fought and so nobly died. And now we may say that the child who has been taught the true meaning of obedience and honor in the home, and of self control and cooperation in the school, and who has been instructed 27