Windsor Locks High School - Herald Yearbook (Windsor Locks, CT)

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 25 One of the most important aids to success, however, is education. According to the dictionary education is defined as, The training of the mental and moral powers, either by a system of study and discipline, or by the experiences of life.” To make this meaning more clearly understood, let us consider four sub-divisions in our definition of education. The first is instruction which is schooling and receiving information and knowledge. Then the second is the training by which we exercise what we have gained through instruction. Culture and breeding are also elements cf the group under education. Culture, the third quality, is a state cf advanced mental and moral development, accom¬ panied by such fineness of feeling and taste. And then, of course, the fourth or breed¬ ing is a result of training, or the lack of it, in behavior and good manners. Without all four, one cannot make a success cf his life, since all four are so closely interwoven. Let me illustrate just how they fit into our lives. According to state law we all have to attend school and receive some training until we reach the age of sixteen. Whether we continue with school or not, we have learned many things about the world in which we live, about ether people and other lands, and most important of all about ourselves. Then after we finish cur training in school, we usually try to find jobs, which best suit our ability and education. Thus we exercise, or put into practice, the theories we learned in school. Furthermore, people with the proper culture and breed¬ ing can grasp and solve difficult problems much easier than others. To be sure they need not have the most education as far as actual schooling is concerned, though usually education aids an individual to reach the goal of success in life sconer and more easily than the long, uphill struggle for success which is pursued by the man with little schooling. In fact, many business concerns as well as the professions will not consider an applicant unless he has a college degree or at least a high school diploma. Thus, young men and women cf today, in order to become successful in your future careers, let me urge you to get as much education as possible, for as that wise American, Benjamin Franklin, once said, An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Dorothy Wi n .i i so SUCCESS IN CIVIL GOVERNMENT In 1492, when three small ships on their way to the East Indies came upon a new continent, they had no conception of the great land they had discovered. Later in 1620, this same land served as a refuge for the Puritans who were es raping religious and civil persecution. When a group of people want to live together peacefully and profitably, they must have laws, interpretations of these laws, and enforcement of them. The early colonists CNI Page

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24 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD happy life. One of the most important means of getting friends and keeping them is using tact or consideration of others ' feelings. People who heedlessly hurt others or make them feel uncomfortable are not likely to have many real friends. Another sure way to attract friends is to show courtesy. No one can resist the influence of good manners, for they are merely the outw ' ard expressions of natural courtesy and generosity. Courage, sincerity, loyalty, honesty, faith, love, and a self-sacrificing, co-operative spirit are traits of character desirable and essential in any good personality. If you possess these, your influence with friends and associates is strong, for personality is all our characteristics combined. It distinguishes us from others and attracts them to us. There are other outward signs of personality and they determine what type of person you are and how clever you are in getting along with others and eventually fulfilling the tasks you were placed on earth to accomplish. The ability to pay atten¬ tion to what is going on about you no matter how bored you may be with the topic of conversation makes living easier. People who can control their temper have an advan¬ tage over those who cannot. Dependability rates high with friends, parents and especi¬ ally employers. The old saying Honesty is the best policy still holds true. Honesty is a virtue and one of the best character references a person can offer. Loyalty, co-op¬ eration and respect go together in making you the type of person others want as a friend. Before you can even hope to be respected and liked by others, it is necessary to know yourself, your habits, faults, wants, and above all, abilities. In coming in contact with others we are likely to give false impressions either through exaggeration, or through implication. Eventually, however, true character comes to light. Those who may have been influenced by affected airs and other deceptions will suddenly lose interest in such ’actors ' .” In summing up, I would say that people in general have the same basic cjualities but their environment makes them different. In my opinion this is the best arrange¬ ment in the long run, for I am a firm believer in the maxim, Variety is the spice of life. If we use our God-given cjualities to the best of our ability, we must succeed. The basic rule leading to ultimate happiness was put more aptly in words by Shakespeare when he wrote the following: To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, Thou cun not then he jalse to any man. Victoria O ' Lkary ' 50 EDUCATION How do we gain success? There are several factors which we must have, and of course, a goal which we must reach before we can say we have this elusive cjuality which we call success. CNI Page

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2fi THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD realized this and set up various forms of democratic documents to guide them in their living—the first of which was probably the Mayflower Compact. It is the duty of every single American—rich or poor, colored or white, Christian or Jew—to serve this country to the best of his ability. Probably you have all heard the old Chinese saying which states that if a country is to be a credit, each individual is responsible for its success. How can an individual be a credit to his country, you ask. Children are too immature, the aged are helpless, the afflicted cannot act. Children are required to attend school for a certain number of years, not just be¬ cause it will help them earn a living, but because it gives them a sense of responsibility, cooperation and initiative. These elements are essential, for they promote a more intelligent understanding of our government and a keen desire to find out the causes and effects of our governmental system. Thus, when young people grow up, they are better able to take up their responsibilities as citizens of a democracy. Years ago when people were old and helpless, some ancient civilizations allowed the aged to be exposed to cold, starvation or destruction by wild animals until death overcame them, but in America today the aged are treated with respect and assistance. Whether twenty-one or ninty-one, a person still has many rights. He can vote, serve on juries, and be active in community affairs. Nowadays, aged people are given many privileges. One of the most important is probably a monthly pension, on which to live, if they have no other means of support. Furthermore, the blind, the deaf, or the crippled in America are not denied any rights given to others. In fact, there are special schools for the blind, the deaf, and the crippled so that they can be self-supporting and not dependent upon society. People with physical defects also participate wholeheartedly in public affairs, for perfect physical health is not essential, but a perfect moral attitude is. Average citizens realize the important job before them of serving our country. Let ' s not have it said we are loafers on the job, but rather have the true democratic spirit we inherited from our forefathers shine forth and ring as the clear tones of a bell throughout the wocld. Let us step to the head of the ranks as a leader and teach people of other countries the true meaning of democracy. Noreen Fields ' so VALEDICTORY BUSINESS SUCC ESS Win hearts and you have people ' s purses at command. This is an old and a true saying and the fourth key to success. In business one cannot succeed without the CO CNI Page