Peru State College - Peruvian Yearbook (Peru, NE)

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Greetings to the Class of 1920 Your Class-Sponsor, Professor Jean, has extended to me your gracious congratulations and your request for a brief message out of my half-century’s experience since graduating at the Peru Norma . Accept my warmest thanks and an expression of my deep regret that in bodily as well as in spiritual presence I may not share in your festal hour. I salute you almost with a feeling of envy, even of awe; for in my vision 1 am able to perceive, at least in shadowy outline, the rich experiences, the great achievements which surely await you together with the host of other teachers who today throughout the land are commencing the next half-century’s task. Great indeed has been the progress in American life and especially in American education since in 1870 my classmate and I read our themes and received our diplomas under the spreading branches of the trees which then grew near where the library build- ing now stands. In that same year I began to teach; and ever since, save for a pause of six years (1872-1878) while equipping myself by further study, teaching has been my profession. To me the teacher’s life has been full and satisfying. It is a life rich in spiritual if not always in temporal gains. At its best, is not the teacher’s function the basic social service? It is a many-sided service. During the plastic years of youth, it is the teacher’s hand, sometimes even more potently than the hand of the parent, which gives the first ’’set or mould to personality. From the kindergarten to the university it is within the teacher’s power to aid chiefly in preparing the child either for good or for bad citizenship. The public school, like the public normal and the public univer- sity, should be the seminar of democracy. Thus far society has failed to evaluate justly the teacher’s service. Rela- tively in every grade or rank the teacher has been underpaid. At this moment thousands of men and women are quitting the profession for better paid employments. The crisis is paradoxical; for never, seemingly, has there been disclosed in America such a demand for education as now. Due in part to the Great War, at last we are coming to have a clearer understanding of the real value of the trained mind. So I say to you, do not abandon the teaching profession. I feel sure that a prosperous future awaits it. Enfranchised woman- hood will not much longer suffer itself to be exploited for meager pay. Women have had nearly a monopoly of public school teaching; and they have done their work efficiently and zealously. When their possession of the ballot shall have blotted out the sex-line politically and therefore economically, may we not expect men and women more evenly than now to share in the profession which, directly or indirectly, should have as its goal the preparation of human beings for the duties of good citizenship? Onward, then, with high courage to share the great destiny which awaits the true American teacher! Yours fraternally, GEORGE ELLIOTT HOWARD.

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DR. HOWARD

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Man Weighing the steadfastness and state Of some mean things which here below reside. Where birds, like watchful clocks, the noiseless date And intercourse of times divide, Where bees at night get home and hive, and flowers. Early as well as late. Rise with the sun, and set in the same bowers; 1 would, said 1, my God would give The staidness of these things to man! for these To His divine appointments ever cleave. And no new business breaks their peace; The birds nor sow nor reap, yet sup and dine. The flowers without clothes live. Yet Solomon was never dressed so fine. Man hath still either toys, or care; He hath no root, nor to one place is tied, But ever restless and irregular About this earth doth run and ride; He knows he hath a home, but scarce knows where; He says it is so far, That he hath quite forgot how to go there. He knocks at all doors, strays and roams. Nay, hath not so much wit as some stones have. Which in the darkest nights point to their homes By some hid sense their Maker gave; Man is the shuttle, to whose winding quest And passage through these looms God ordered motion, but ordained no rest. — HENRY VAUGHAN. j£» jies . 1