Williams Memorial Institute High School - Legenda Yearbook (New London, CT)

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THE PEOPLE

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WE HO OR .... Miss MADELEINE FREEMAN 1894-1941 The Class of 1941 congratulates Miss MADELEINE FREEMAN on the occasion of her retirement from the teaching profession for the distinction with which she has fuliilled her duties and honors her for the noble influence she has exerted on the life of The VVilliams Memorial Institute through the spirit of liberality she has instilled into the minds and hearts of its students.

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MESSAGE TO THE SENIGR CLASS YOU will be graduated from high school this June in company with a mil- lion and a half other young people all over the country. You have received twelve years of free public school educa- tion, paid for by the citizens of this and other communities. Free elementary and secondary education have become the ac- cepted thing for nearly every boy and girl because the community feels that this is the best way to train its youth for future citizenship. In no other way can the expenditure of more than two bil- lions of dollars annually for education throughout the country be justified. You come to the day of graduation at a critical point in the history of the world. To neglect your obligation to make a return on the money invested in your education would be unworthy of you at any period in our history, at this juncture, such neglect might be vitally serious. How then, can you make the best use of this training which you have received, so that your contribution to the welfare of the community will be constructive? One answer was given by one of your own age four years ago. It was Read and think and talk. To this I should like to add Act.', You need to do much reading, trying to obtain all possible information on all fiol sides of current questions. You must do much thinking about matters of im- portance, attempting to form your own opinion regarding the issues involved, rather than accepting without question the views of others. You ought to carry on much discussion of these matters with others, and in the spirit of tolerance, realizing that people have the right to differ honestly with you. Finally, you must not be content with passive citizen- ship. You must actively support all movements that have for their aim the good of your fellow men. And when you become of age chronologically, as you will within a few years, you must also become Hof age civically. You must become active members of the civic community. W. M. I. has tried to give you this point of view, both through classroom discussions in many subjects, and also through the democratic form of school government which is in operation here. Your achievements during the next gen- eration will show how well the school has succeeded. Our best wishes go with you as you leave our doors. Please re- gard yourselves always as members of our school family, absent at times, but always privileged to return home. Sincerely yours, JEROME BURTT.