Mount Cory High School - Shamrock Yearbook (Mount Cory, OH)

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Valedictory Dear Friends, Teachers and Classmates: We who stand tonight at the meeting between a happy past and an unknown future have reached not the end, but the Commencement of our lives for tonight we take off, only fate knows where we shall land. What our lives are to be depends in a large measure upon the foundation we have been building for them in our High School years. For tonight, at the ending of our course, I am fired with the zeal of a Class Patriotism that I would like to be able to transmit to you with all its wonderful thrilling force. We have finished the course that has been given us, and are now ready for a step forward along the pathway of life. So far we have come together, hand in hand, and we have been looking forward to this time as a glad one, forgetting that it was going to mean a time of parting. Now we are suddenly forced to remember this feature, and in spite of our triumph, it makes us sad. Dear friends, we who are passing out of high school life into more active citizenship today, feel that we have a place in the national life. We feel that each one of us has a work to do in demonstrating that spirit of patriotism that is within us. If we love our country, then, with the best form of love, we will set for her a standard of all that is highest and purest and noblest, and then use all powers and direct all our efforts to help her to make .real the ideal that we hold for her. We are overflowing with class patriotism tonight, and we step forth into the world with a full sense of our own importance. We know, of course, that we are not bound to make the earth go right, but we are sure that each one of us will en- deavor to do with cheerful heart the work that God appoints, whatever that work may be. We expect great things of ourselves, and we trust that you, too, may expect great things of us-and may not be disappointed. Dear teachers, you who have had the training of us for the past four years, we know how fully you have realized that the strongest asset of the American nation, and indeed of every other nation is its citizenship. You have without a doubt put forth every effort within your power to make of us better men and women for our country. How well you have succeeded, of course, only the future can determine. Often and often, in the days to come, when we are thrown more and more upon our own guidance and intuition, our minds will travel back to you and we will see how many times you have helped us around this or that difficulty. But we thank you at this time for all that you have so cheerfully done and tried to do for each one of us, and trust that the years to come may demonstrate to your satisfaction, as well as to our own, that you were really as successful as even your ambition could desire, in turning us out . . . men and women. Classmates, what a big thought it is that from this time on we have the shaping of our destinies in our own hands. We stand tonight at the very gateway of life's activities, prepared by all these years of careful, painstaking instruction, and watch- ful, ever-vigilant guidance, for the struggle with that real, vital existence that awaits us on the outer side. So, as we step forth through the gateway tonight, Classmates, let us walk out into the world bravely, with not only a full realization of all that will be expected of us, but with a full realization of our own ability to meet every requirement. But I am sure that we shall not forget each other, and that we will always think of these days as very happy ones, that made us, as Classmates, a little nearer and dearer to one another than mere friends. Let us, as we part, pledge ourselves to remember all the true and lofty aims that have been born in us in our work together here, and make our lives such as shall bring pride to our school, and cause our dear instructors, every one of them, to be justly proud to remember that they had the task of teaching us how at least to begin to live. U We do not know what lies ahead of us along the pathway of life for Tonight We Take Off, Where Shall We Land? For now our boat glides out between The rocks that guard the shore, Bearing the Class of '36 To be a class no moreg But looking forward with a smile Of courage, strong and high To meet in that glad afterwhile, No more to say Goodbye ! -Maurine King Nine teen

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Eighteen Salutatory The garden of the world is a paradise of miracles and wonders that only those who have their inner sight wide open to the infinite mysteries of life may ever recognize. Someone has written, A poppy seed, and a grain of sand -how lifeless and unlovely, yet from these came the green stalk and the beautiful flowers which were hidden in that tiny shell. The shell is just the protective covering for the delicate life which is inside the seed. We are somewhat similar to a small seed, we need protection until we are capable of taking care of ourselves. In the past few years we have had the protection of the school and we wish to thank those that have helped us in any way. Especially the school board which has done so much for us. Tonight we are pushing forth to enter into a different life. A life which is unknown to all of us. We have all been nurtured in the same spot and have grown up under similar conditions. We have all had the same soil from which to get our food. We have had the same streams to supply moisture for our larger growth, the same warm rains have fallen upon us and the same cool breezes have blown upon us to fan the spark of life into a glowing fiame. And now has come the springtime of life's eternal change. We have learned many things in life, very few of which we ourselves have proven. Now we are starting to think more for ourselves, to try to put some of the theories which we have learned into use. Most of these may be used in our everyday life. This is the hour of transplanting, the time when we will be placed in new soil, we will be transplanted to our own habitat. It is there alone that each will produce his perfect fruit. We have learned many lessons of life in God's universal garden, lessons that only a practical experience can prove. We hope that our knowledge will be sufficient to make good in this new life. My classmates have conferred on me the honor of welcoming you to be here today, I am indeed very grateful for this pleasure. We hope that this hour for which we will entertain you will be one which will long be remembered. However, I cannot but feel that the words of welcome should come from you. Is it not we who are entering into a school of higher progress? Is it not we who are seeking admission to your association and your social life? So much of our success there too will depend upon the way you receive us, and the spirit in which you respond to our enthusiasm. Is it not we, then, who should ask for the glad hand of welcome? Indeed you have shown great interest in us and we are very thankful for this. We may entertain you for one short hour at this point along the road but we must step forth and demand our share of what has been yours for so long. We truly thank you for coming and trust that you may long remember this hour, yet we feel that we must ask your forbearance and kind sympathy, and crave from you the warm handshake and cordial smile that will assure us of your joy at bidding us welcome. -Robert McVey

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Twenty Oration TONIGHT WE TAKE OFF. WHERE SHALL WE LAND? Members of the Board of Education, fellow classmates, school teachers and friends: Tonight we take off. Where shall we land? This is a question that con- fronts each one of us tonight. This is a question that requires serious thought. It requires careful consideration from every angle in order to be sure that we shall not make mistakes. We have taken a twelve-year course in aviation. Tonight we have reached our first goal and each one of us is a pilot. During our twelve years we have had co-pilots. These co-pilots are our teachers who have gone with us on our flights into different fields. When weather was stormy and flying was difficult, our co-pilots were ready and willing to lend a helping hand and guide us to clearer weather. Tonight we are going to take oft' on our first solo Hight. Each one of us will fly his own plane. Our co-pilots will not be with us on this greatest of flights across the Sea of Life. No doubt we shall have to battle many storms, storms that will be much worse than we have encountered in the past years 5 but with undying courage and trust in God we shall be able to fly safely through these obstacles. May all of us, you who are now flying through life, and we who are just starting, consider God as our co-pilot. There are only two landing fields upon which we may land our planes. One is the field of Failure and the other the field of Success. There is only one course to each of these fields. It is up to us which one we are going to travel. The one that is the more difficult to travel leads to Successg but if we reach its destination we shall be rewarded. The other is the easier. If we are careless and indifferent we shall land in the field of Failure. For twelve years we have been building our planes. We have tried to mend the flaws and make them stronger. And tonight as we give our planes a last in- spection we believe that they are ready for the flight. We believe they are ready to start on the course that leads to Success. We shall all take oil' at the same time, as they do in races, but this is not a race. It is not a contest to see who shall reach the goal first. It is a flight that will take careful planning and we may, at times, have to slow down. But it will be best to go slow and be a little late, than to go too swiftly and drop into the field of Failure. Tonight we have come to the parting of the waysg and each one will go his own way. Some may go on for more schooling, other may notg but whatever we choose to do, or whatever vocation we may follow 5 if it is upright and respectable, if we have undying courage, and if we put our trust in God, our co-pilot, we shall land our planes in the field of Success. -Willis King