Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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on industry, sound learning, and ' high morals. It is sad to see the scorn of this generation for that generation of 1631 which was cho- sen by God to be the rock on which American life is built. The concep- tion of progress has changed. The classical education fostered, devel- oped, and sustained English and American Puritanism. Their educa- tion sent them out to battle for ideals, social principles, and a new theory of life. Is it too late to knit into a glorious whole the heritage of the past with the accomplish- ments of the present? As we go forth into our modern world, let us take with us the facts which we have gathered here these last four years, given us with patience and generosity by those who have in- structed us and adding to them a desire to use them, not as ends, but as means, to attain to objectives as high as the Puritan objectives and by so doing we will live worthy of those sturdy men. whose descend- ants we are, fulfilling and not be- traying their traditions. Judged by his own standard the Puritan was imperfect. Judged by ours he was imperfect, but he came closer to his than any other group has come to its standards. In his- tory it is unfair to judge other peo- ple and times by our ideas. In con- demning the Puritans as a whole we should be more intolerant than they and much less intelligently so. Peo- ple may say, “Thank God the Puri- tans are dead,” but they know lit- tle about the true Puritans. Let us hope that the Puritan spirit is still alive. If we can ask ourselves, “Shall we do as we ought to do and not as we want to do?” and feel a strong affirmative response stirring within us, we are Puritans. The Puritan spirit is still alive, and it will be a disastrous day for Amer- ica and for the rest of the world when it ceases to be. GERMANY’S CONTRIBUTION TO CIVILIZATION Fabian S. Ciolek With the reinstatement of the study of the German language in the schools and colleges of our land and the softening of the bitter feel- ings against Germany resulting from her part as played in the World War, the time has perhaps now come when it may be well to forget our hatred and to review the great and lasting contributions of Ger- many to civilization. Who has not heard of the famous scientist Ein- stein, or of the world-renowned “Zeppelin,” or of the famous musi- cians, Beethoven and Mozart ? Thus Germany has shown her influence in the social, cultural, and political fields. The social influence of the Ger- man element consists in the cultiva- tion of those arts which divert from the narrow path of selfish interest and material gain and which ele- vate, enoble. and increase the joy of living. Of all the influences of Germany, the influence of music has been lasting and supreme. She had founded an empire of music before she created a political em- nire. The civilized world of today is more deeply indebted to Germany than to any other nation for its rich heritage of classical music. The first orchestral director in Boston was the German pioneer, Graupner, often called “the father of Ameri- can orchestral music.” Some of the well-known figures from the assem- blage of musical geniuses which have never been equaled are Bach, 24

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ship was utterly devoid of all the ceremonies and beautiful objects associated with traditional Chris- tianity. The Puritan always placed the spiritual before the material. He wanted nothing between himself and his God. Christ was born in a barn. Was it unfitting for his fol- lowers to worship in like circum- stances? God said, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” The Puritan placed neither God nor man, ceremony nor ritual, before his faith. The Puritan mind was not artistic ; it was strong, virtuous. “Virtue is a kind of beauty,” said a Puritan; but it was not artistic. Working with a gun in one hand and an axe in the other, one hardly has time to paint beautiful pictures or to write great poems. In the useful occupations there was much appre ciation shown. New England has a splendid tradition of crafts- manship. The excellence of Puritan cabinet-work is still recognized, and in the prose of the period one may find flashes of beautiful and effec- tive English. They built houses of the purest architectural standards in America. The Puritan placed fnith above beauty, and dutv above pleasure, but that does not mean that he despised either. Much, in- deed. on the contrary! One of the most valuable works of the Puritans was their govern- ment. It combined the best of the democratic and aristocratic systems. The voting list was small, church membership and a character test being reouired, and the official standard of integrity was very high. The town-meeting for local affairs and a representative body for state affairs were brought to high effi- ciency. Wealth and birth had little influence. A man was judged for what he was and not for what he had. On a small scale New England had that enviable body, an aristoc- racy of brains and character. The greatest thing which the Pur- itans did was to establish a system of education. This education was primarily to train men for the min- istry. As the Bible was the great book of the Puritans, the clergy must be able to read it in the origi- nal languages of Hebrew, Greek, and -Latin. Add to these mathe matics, ethics, and logic, and there is a classical education. The Puri- tans had formed a set of principles and attempted to continue them by education. Primary education of all boys was required and higher was encouraged. The standard of education in those days was higher than now. John Winthrop, Jr., who founded Ipswich, was in constant correspondence with over eighty world leaders in all fields of thought and action. Ezekiel Cheever, who taught here in Ipswich, was the greatest teacher of that time. Wil- liam Brewster and Richard Mather were accounted scholars in England. Cotton Mather, in addition to speak- ing several languages and being considered a great scholar, wrote more than most men have time or thought enough to read. The classical education taught men what to be; the modern teaches men what to do. The old gave ideas; the new facts. In twenty years from now the college gradu- ating classes of 1931 will have achieved success in material things and will have retired to comfort and enjoyment of Crane plumbing, Ford automobiles, and steam-heated houses. Twenty years from their graduation the classes of 1631 in England had conquered a wilder- ness, and set up a city of God, not on laws, prosperity, nor favour, but 2 :

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Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schu- bert, Mendelssohn, Wagner, and many others. I wonder if there is any other country that can equal Germany in producing the most wonderful music that has ever been heard. Scientifically, Germany gave to the world Leibnitz, who invented calculus; Schieiden and Schwann, who established the cell theory in plants and animals; Pander and Von Baer, who worked out the his- tory of mammalian embryo: and the most recent of the scientists, who has recently visited this country, is Ein tein, about whom we all know. There are also many chemists, phy- sicists, and philosophers of the first rank who are Germans. Germany’s rich literary contribu- tion is almost a hidden treasure to some. The popular epic of medie- val times, the “Nibelungenlied,” which portrays Teutonic life, is still, however, a favorite classic among us today. More recently the name of Goethe, one of Germany’s most distinguished poets, and also that of Schiller have thrilled the world. Among her educators may be mentioned Von Holst, professor of American history in the University of Chicago, who has left an endur- ing monument in his “Constitutional History of the United States.” A very recent development in education should not fail to receive mention, that of the interchange of professors, a practise greatly en- couraged by Emperor William of Germany. This has led to the ex- change of teachers and students as well and is being todav advocated as a means of promoting interna- tional peace. Passing from the highest grade of education to the lowest, but by no means the least in importance, we come to the kindergarten, a German institution, founded by a lover of the young, Friedrick Froe- bel. The first kindergarten at- tempted in this country was in Wis- consin by a German woman in 1855. Now there is a kindergarten in al- most every town and state. Gymnastics were introduced in Germany in the first quarter of the eighteenth century by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn. He wished to see men independent and vigorous in body and in mind. Beck, one of his followers, having been exiled from his country, arrived in Ameri- ca and was appointed a teacher in Northampton, Massachusetts, and under his direction there was erect- ed at once the Round Hill Gymna- sium at Harvard. Now every col- lege requires that a student take physical exercise for at least one semester. Thus the beginning of gymnastic work in America was by a German. Thus the German traits have united the various formative ele- ments of the people more securely and more harmoniously. As one writer states, “In common with Eng- lish stock of England and America, ism, the origin of education, music and art; he shares with the Scot a keen sense of duty: he touches the Irish with his emotional nature, his joy of living, and his sense of hu- mor; and thus linking the great na- tional elements together, the Ger- man provides genuineness, virility, and aspiration.” ART IN OLD IPSWICH Ruth W. Beals Many of those persons who vis- ited the new Burnham Art Galleries last summer were surprised to learn 25