St Agnes High School - Agnita Yearbook (West Chester, PA)

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THE AGNITA a certain amount of her time will be given to society. Society needs her help in a desperate way. It is clamoring for women who lead good, upright lives to direct the children of the community to a richer and betr ter way of living and to lift the world out of the moral decay into which it has fallen. The mother must cleanse the world so that her children and her children’s children will live in a more decent place. In cleansing the world, the good mother will provide the best type of magazine and book for her children, and will see that news- stands are cleared of the filth that is so often sold under the name of literature. Who would make a better censor of motion pictures than the true Christian mother? Who is better prepared to detect and denounce moral decay and crime glorification than the mother who knows all too well how readily the young mind is impressed—how quickly it can learn to imitate the bad as well as the good? On the other hand, who is more anxious to see the motion pictures become an education for good? Besides being well-prepared and anxious censors, mothers must be determined voters in their demand for uplifting pictures for their children. Since our nation is composed of men and women of every race and creed, the woman should exert her influence to rid the country of its racial and religious prejudices. The mother’s attitude will become the child s attitude. If she shows a false superiority, the child will do the same. This does not mean that the child should mingle indiscriminately with all classes of people, but it emphasizes the fact that the child should learn the right kind of tolerance from the parent. A mother who loves both God and Country will instruct her child in how to choose his life-partner wisely, for he will choose with the intention of abiding with that mate until death. She will teach her child to regard divorce as one of the greatest menaces to democracy, civilization, and Christianity. In a democracy, second only to the mother is the teacher. From the first day of school until graduation, the child listens to the advice and reprimands of the teacher. Whether he willingly accepts or rejects her counsels, he is being influenced by them. Therefore, her principles should be the best, and her ideals should be the highest. Her example has a most persuasive power over youth—it should be a power pointing the way to good citizenship. When man is overtaken by illness, the nurse is the dominant figure in extending aid, sympathy, and advice. Her duties and op- portunities vary according to the type of patient; but if she combines Christian charity with her nursing profession, she finds ample oppor- tunity to benefit her patient spiritually and morally as well as physically. By taking advantage of such occasions, she, while nursing her patient back to health, renders an invaluable service to democracy. Democracy is strengthened when justice is defended. The woman lawyer has the power to defend justice in the courtroom, and the woman reporter can defend it in the homes where her newspaper is circulated. These tasks are momentous today when justice and righteousness are so 14

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THE AGNITA The Constitution states that Congress shall have no power to restrict the free exercise of religion. Hence, if Congress should pass a law restricting this right, we would not be bound to obey it, because it would not be a law, but a usurpation. In like manner, if that tribunal which is the government of the Church should pass any law impeding our civil rights, it would not be recognized as a law, but as a usurpa- Democracy is more than a political campaign, more than a theory of government. It is a philosophy of life. Its inspiration comes from a noble concept of the individual. Its success is dependent upon high moral qualities. But these are not created by the State. They come from God. Thus there can be no solid and permanent democracy unless the people believe in God. Belief in God implies belief in God’s laws which require that we obey the leaders of our govern- ment who have been elected by the people. If we select leaders and then refuse to obey their lawful commands, we are fools. Democracy implies that each man is a thought of God. The ideal democracy seeks to gratify man’s innate desire for a maximum of order; but it seeks to obtain this through a minimum of coercion. Our Ameri- can democracy could not exist without Catholic principles. Every- where we turn we find the doctrines of Christ in practical use. De- mocracy is an act of faith in God, and our American democracy is an act of faith in Christ and His teachings. Catholic principles do not essentially impede democracy—rather, they essentially create and maintain it. WOMEN AND DEMOCRACY By PATRICIA A. HART The United States realized the necessity of permitting women to lend a helping hand in the forming of a strong democracy when, in 1919, the right of suffrage was granted to them. To have a complete democracy, the government must have the special vital influence which women alone are able to exert. The woman’s place is not only in the home,- it is also in political and social life. Since women now have the power that often decides the trend of affairs, they should be as well educated as men. Woman exerts her greatest influence over her husband and her children. The ideals of the mother become the ideals of her son and daughter. The youth readily follows the advice and counsels of his mother whom he firmly believes to be the greatest philosopher he will ever meet—the greatest whom he will be able to understand. This is the lofty position held by every mother until she proves herself undeserving of it. A woman must live up to the unparalleled con- fidence her children have placed in her. That same mother who guides her children toward the right goal helps to guide society. The mother should strive to plan her life so that 13

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THE AGNITA quickly discarded. Every career woman influences those with whom she comes in contact; thus democracy needs and depends upon its good women. We can best realize the necessity of the influence of women of strong character when we compare the United States with what is left of defeated Germany. Germany was preparing for war while the United States was enjoying peace. The German children were taken from their homes and the influence of their mothers,- they were taught military tactics. The children of the United States who were of the same age were still being treated as children. However, when the war came to an end, Germany was defeated for the German soldiers lacked the high ideals that are given to man by the conscientious woman. The German youth fought for Hitler, and in their hour of direst need they discovered that he was not to be relied upon. Having no ideals, they had no incentive to continue. The American soldiers wanted to win the war, and they did win it simply because they had their democracy, their mothers, sisters, and sweethearts whom they thought worthy of the fight. Thus we realize that women in a democracy must stand for high ideals,- they must stand for justice, peace, and high morals. The good woman is always man's safe guide to happiness and success. Hers is a tremendous task, but by prayer and constant effort she can reach her goal. She can exert an irresistible influence in bringing peace and prosperity to the nation. THE CLASS OF 1946 Now that you have begun to scan our book, Take my suggestion—Please don’t overlook The lines referring to each lad and lass, For they made the history of a famous class. With friendship, duty, and all sports combined, A keener class 'twill be hard to find. Many have reached ambitions great goal — A truth attested by the honor roll. Within these pages are both rhymes and themes That tell of fondest hopes and fancy's dreams,- And pictures too of boys and girls who know— Before you reap, you must take time to sow.’ MARY FRANCES GRUBB 15