John Burroughs School - Governor Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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s.. lVlr. Edward W. Cissel There are not many people like lVlr. Edward W. Cis- sel. In the two years that he has been Headmaster at John Burroughs, he has been much more than just the administrative head of the school: he has been one of the people who will forever influence our lives. He has brought an air of informality to this school which provides for learning in the true sense of the word, both in and out of the classroom. lVlr. Cissel is a respected and trusted friend who always listens to the ideas, views, and problems of all students, wheth- er they are seniors or seventh - graders. The simple observation that the door from his office that opens into the main hall is always kept open, illustrates his own concept that as an individual at Burroughs, a student must never be forced into the conformity of a large school. His door always has been, and always will be-.open But Mr. Cissel is also an individual. He is the foot- ball team's number one fan. He's the first one to try the Home Ec cookies, and the last one to stop ap- plauding at a Glee Club performance. He greets us as seventh - graders and sends us into the future as mature men and women when we are seniors. On his golf cart and in his pink shirts he bridges the gener- ation gap , and upon our graduation he welcomes us into the adult world. He will always be a model, the soft hand of guidance which has helped us grow. We, the Class of 1969, can hardly express the gratitude in our hearts for the time, patience, and understanding r 5 that lVlr. Cissel has selflessly given us. letter to the class of 1969 Why should I write a letter in October to have it read in Nlay? This is tradition, but I thought your generation was challenging tra- ditions. Perhaps you have decided that this one is worthwhile. I tend to think so, even though prophesying is not one of my strong points. I do predict that you and your contemporar- ies will eliminate many traditions and customs - good riddance for some, and a shame for others. Your problem will be to weigh expe- diency against values. Some customs have lasting values which are not always evident on the surface. Compare a church wedding and the attendant gathering afterwards with a jus- tice-of-the-peace type of wedding. The former remains as a pleasant memory which be- comes an integral part of your marital rela- tionship, while the latter fades away in memo- ry with no lasting significance. Challenge you should, but do so not as a loyal member of one generation vying with another. Do so objectively, with an open mind, recognizing that people of different ages and backgrounds may also have good ideas. A change is only good if the new is better than the old. Years ago it was the vogue not to be different. Today, the opposite is true: To be different is in. At neither time -then or now - can we say that vogue is necessarily good. The traditions of the day may be the wrong or right way. You must decide. Be inde- pendent in your thoughts -think things through with the help of all resources avail- able to you. Learn to investigate before acting. Traditions should be altered if you have taken all these precautions against expediency be- fore reachingaconclusion. Nly opening question is still relevant, Should the headmaster write this letter in October for consumption in May? Tradition?

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administration SEATED: Mr. Cissel. STANDING: Mr. Hirth, Mr, McConnell, Mrs. Schmidt, Mr, Vibert, Miss Damon,Mr.AIversor1 11