Moorestown Senior High School - Nutshell Yearbook (Moorestown, NJ)

Page 15 text:

Making America Strong HOU, too, sail on, O Ship of State! Sail on, O Union, strong and great! Yes, of Course we remember who said that-Longfellow, wasn't it? But what did he mean? How can we make our Union strong and great? The answer to this problem lies in the strengthening of the three fundamental institu- tions of our society-the family, the school, and the church. Let us study each more closely. Our family life today is not what it should be. Many factors have had a com' bined etfect of breaking up the family life that we formerly held so dear. Movies, automobiles, the warfall have disrupted the family by taking either parents or children out of the home for a considerable length of time. We must learn to com- bat these threatening factors so that the family will be capable of fulfilling its purpose-providing a happy, wholesome life for its members. Perhaps the best method of improving family life is through parental assertion. The parents of American children should impress upon their youthful minds the importance of family life to the common welfare. When we have built up family ties and rela- tionships in this way, we shall have taken a large step towards making a stronger America. Closely related to the family is the school. Children must receive instiuction in excess of regular school work. They must be taught how to develop their per- sonalities and talents in order to make themselves more useful to the society in which they live. Democratic living ought to be stressed so that future members of our democracy will profit by the mistakes of those before them. It has been said that the modern school is deviating from its real purpose. This is undoubt- edly true. Those who control the schools should realize that the school exists for the purpose of giving boys and girls a good start in life by helping them to form good habits and to acquire fundamental knowledge and skills. The modern theory of sugar-coated education must be abandoned. Many of the shortcomings of modern youths can be traced back to their schooling and in most cases a lack of discipline is the primary fault. A drastic revision of our educational methods is necessary for an alert, intelligent people. The third, and perhaps the most important, institution in a democracy is the church. In recent years there has been a general disregard for religion, evident in many ways. Sunday is no longer a day of prayer and worship, but rather one of good times and merry -making. 'lhis abandonment of religion calls to mind the fall of the Roman Empire hundreds of years ago. Early Romans had estab- lished a firm religious foundation, which, as time passed on, was thrown into a state of decay. 'lhe Romans decided that they would have a good time while they could, much as we of the modern world are doing. The immediate result was the destruction of family life, followed by the complete collapse of the entire Roman Empire, heretofore termed unconquerable. Hence, if we wish to avert disaster, we must return to our religion, for the fundamental truths are the key- note of successful living in a democracy. Thus we see that if each of the three basic institutions-family, school, church-is strengthened, Old Glory will continue to wave over a strong and united land of the free and home of the brave. IACK BERGIN, '-15. ll

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1 uhhh 'W M-WS 'f'f ' .ll 3 if , . .l V. i : w fa- -,f l:::f5M. Q V. f-A --..- + f - la.-T . 25 .'T+':mii,1 , 2--Bmw,-. wg - 75 - ' ,J M' T th Y th f A ' FROM GENER.lXL MACARTHUR, IN AUSTRALIA You, our children, are our most priceless pos- session. In your strong hands, in your eager minds, in your valiant souls lies our destiny. Each generation of you carries the torch forward a lit- tle farther on the long and hitter road of progress toward the distant horizon of ultimate fruition. That you should, in this hour of our trial and trav- ail, choose to help, leaves me with something like a catch in the throat, a mist in the eye. It was Isaiah who said in the Sacred Book, A little child shall lead them , and in this, your holy effort, you will find, like Sir Galahad, the strength of ten, for like him, you are pure of heart. With the tinkling laugh in my ears of a little boy who also does his part, I and mine send you from far away a prayer that God's blessing may rest upon you always. DOUGLAS MACARTH UR. I0

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