Reese High School - Rocket Yearbook (Reese, MI)

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»v» wv w v r is- N vV N 5 VALEDICTORY by Marie Findlay Parents, friends, members of the school board, teachers, and classmates. •- There Is a feeling of both happiness and sadness as I speak on this memorable occasion.....happiness, because we have completed our high school years with success; but sadness, because this Is probably the last time we classmates and teachers shall assemble together as a group. We have held many class meetings during the past year, and at one of them we selected our class motto. I am very happy to speak on this splendid motto, In Ood We Trust , and our class Is to be commended for selecting It above all others. True trust In Ood requires knowledge of and faith In the Divine work performed by the Holy Trinity as revealed to us In the Bible. Trust or belief In Ood Is the contributing factor to serenity of mind. The great Dr. Samuel Johnson, although wracked with pain for many years, was a religious man and his hundred prayers are the most beautiful and devout that have ever been printed. They can never be read without creating serenity of mind. And who can read the Twenty-third Psalm or the Sermon on the Mount without a spiritual uplift? With this peace of mind we shall go on to success. In the field of education trust In Ood Is Indeed a blessing. An education which repudiates Ood and the moral law as the standard of human conduct Is contrary to reason and a violation of human nature. Such character education tends to stultify the conscience, to weaken the moral sense, to pervert the reason, and. In general, bring about delinquency. For Its own self-preservation the state must achieve civil righteousness through Its schools. Though religion must not be taught In them, still It Is permissible that references to God be made In their textbooks, that the moral law be accepted as the standard of human behavior, and that teachers be allowed to speak of the human body as God's handiwork when teaching physiology and the like. Our own country has become the greatest nation under the leadership of men who put their trust In God. The writers of our Constitution fell to their knees and Implored God for help In drafting this great document, Lincoln called upon Divine Providence to solve the great problems of his time, Congress opens Its sessions with prayer. Scripture Is quoted In the courts, the Bible Is used to swear In officers, and our laws are based on the Just laws of the Bible. In writing history the Judgment of the writer Is often distorted by patriotism. Thus an Englishman tells of the War of 1812 In an entirely different light than a writer from the United States. But he who reads history with an open mind can hardly fall to recognize an active spiritual force moving through human events, shaping them to the eventual good of man. An old scholar of history once said, I have subjected the facts of history to the utmost scrutiny and have come to the conclusion that those battles came out with humanity the winner In every case. I am convinced that God Is at work In the affairs of men. Where there Is this trust In God, prayer follows as naturally as day follows night. The leaders of England and our own country have set aside days of prayer In times of crisis. And prayer Is the weapon that will, if used In time of peace, win the next war before It begins. So, as graduates of Reese High School, may we

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 never forget this outstanding motto, In Ood We Trust , and may we go out Into the world and build our future upon It. In closing, I would like to express, on behalf of the graduating class of 1949, sincere appreciation to all those who made It possible for us to reach this point In our education. Especially to our teachers do we give sincere thanks for their hearty and continued Interest In our welfare. It Is the hope of our class that prosperity and happiness attend them In the future. SALUTATORY by Ellen Krleger Parents, teachers, classmates, ladles, and gentlemen: with much pleasure that I welcome you this evening. It Is Parents, I want to welcome you......you who have stood the trying test of our troublesomeness during our childhood and teen-age years; you who have given us many privileges I am sure you never were given. Teachers, we shall always remember how you have endeavored to mold our thoughts and guide our feet ever upward, even though at some times we couldn't see your point of view. There Is an old saying that I would like to quote: There Is everything to be gained by good company. This we know is true; because If we didn't have you (parents, teachers, and fellow classmates, who are good company), we possibly wouldn't be here tonight graduating from high school. We feel there Is no one who will deny that our Judgment is Infallible when we say your company Is good. From all this good company there Is everything to be gained. We can not help but appear to better advantage, to be Inspired to do our very best, to look back In after years to this night with remembering happiness. Tonight, especially, you are good company. Expectant you look, ready to be pleased with the least we can do, eager to exclaim over It and make much of us. Assuredly we are gainers by your presence. We do not need to tell you you are welcome, (good company Is welcome everywhere and always); but I do want to assure you on behalf of the class of 1949, that It makes us very happy to see all of you here. •aMviwtSt,- »'jytr-v tw