William Chrisman High School - Gleam Yearbook (Independence, MO)

Page 19 text:

THE GLEAM 15 We, the Board of Education, wish to incite the outgoing Seniors to such enter- prize and attainment as is set forth in the following example of achieve- ment: Young Robert Barrett, upon leaving college, had entered into the business world with such knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm, that in a few years he was able to point with pride to a certain flourishing enterprise, which represented his own splen- did success in the commercial field. Great was his popularity-and yet there seemed to be a false note in the speeches of congratulation. Finally his chum voiced the un- spoken question existing in hearts and minds of all his friendsg why had he located his industry in a place other than his home town. The answer was swift and scornful. I gave the citizens of this town a chance at it, he said, with a steely glint in his keen eyes. I knew its possibilities and hoped that we might all benefit from it, it only needed a little time to get started and more capital than I had to start it. I gave them the chance-and of them all, old Thomas Whitney was the only one who failed to demand ten dollars clear profit as soon as he laid one on the table. Quickly he threw off his tense earnestness. Today Tom Whitney is sharing the dividends, while the others are only wish- ing they were. Certain lines, that you, too, may know, have remained in my memory because of their aptness, and he quotedslowly: 'Oh, if we draw a circle premature, Heedless of far gain, Greedy for quick returns of profit, sure Bad is the bargainf H Many of the financial troubles of the world today are due to the greed for quick returns. People are no longer content to await the slow, sure processes that argue for safety in business or investment, they are too eager to snatch at get-rich-quick schemes that invariably turn out get-poor-quicker plots. They -look vainly enough to see big profits before the ink is dry on their signatures to the little check of investment. They insist upon drawing the circle of finality swiftly and closely about their deals, heedless of the gain that might be theirs were they content to wait for it. Rome was not built in a day. So in our modern world, nothing worth- while is gained, nothing valuable is won without a great amount of toil plus perse- verance. Men get to thinking, quite wrongly and foolishly, that they must see at once the good accomplished. Little do they realize that to every ounce of energy expended toward the goal, there must always be an equal amount of patience applied. These lessons and experiences are priceless to the development of the individual. AEsop, in his Fables , left to future generations a classic example of the far gain . I-low much better it is to follow the pace set by the slow tortoise ofsteady progress, than to gallop side by side with the hare of speculation. As we well remem- ber, Slow and Steady wins the race. And that victory will be well worth winning. THE BOARD or EDUCATION. ! I If! ll

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14 THE GLEAM Brown Erickson Van Smith Dickinson OH: Dill6C V BOARD OF EDUCATION FRANK R. BROWN ....,....... I ,,,..... .................., ,.............. .....,.,...... P R E s IDENT MRS. WM. ERICKSON ..,,............... .,.......,...... V ICE'PRESIDENT HERBERT C. VAN SMITH, .........,............ ,,......... . . . ,.,...... ...... T REASURER ALBERT OTT A. K. Dxtuza Mas. W. B. DICKINSON An Appreciation The beginning of all virtue is gratitude and we want you, as our Board of Educa- tion, to know we have gratitude for the opportunities you have made possible for the children of Independence. These twelve years of education have been spent in one of the best school systems of the state because of your planning and work. The forty-two units of work you have offered gives us a course of study that meets the needs of our capabilities and capacities. This gives us a larger opportunity to meet our needs than have the boys and girls, as a whole, throughout the state. Our trophy case is full of cups and emblems of victory over our competitors. We ascribe much honor to our Board of Education for securing superior coaching and training in these activities. You have furnished us excellent leadership through our faculty. We recognize that the two great functions of public education are scholarship and dependableness. Your faculty, both by example and incitement to duty, have maintained a high standard of scholarship as attested by the alumni of our school. We know you have been in long sessions, planning for new buildings, selecting teachers and arranging for equipment. We do appreciate all this and await our chance to exemplify it in service in this or some other community. You have made William Chrisman one of our state's leading schools.

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HE GLEAM 16 T MR. STREET ln every line of activity there is always one who must forge ahead of the others and make it possible for them to achieve success. As Superintendent of the Public System in Independence, Mr. Street has aptly executed this role of leadership. Possi- bly there have been times when a prudent decision seemed diPncult but sooner or later we have learned to depend on Mr. Street to lead us out of the maze of gloomy defeat into the light of victory. 1 x X , , L x