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

Page 28 text:

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

Page 27 text:

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

Page 29 text:

THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 27 art of making friends. But the citizen of tomorrow will be tested also on his realiz¬ ation of responsibilities and his contribution to society. Education plays an important part in attaining these essential requirements. Needless to say, a person entering business must be proficient in the subjects which have a direct relation to his work, but today a business executive will net consider an applicant unless he is capable of assuming responsibility and has the appearance, manners, and voice of a cultured individual. Respect for superiors, honesty, and dependability rank high on the list of requirements for applicants. Accuracy in figures and the knowledge of office procedures are demanded by all executives. A person who is not capable of taking over duties and performing them correctly and quickly will not long remain employed. In some instances an employee is required to take over the office management in the absence of the employer, and only an efficient, well-trained and atten¬ tive person is capable of assuming such a degree of responsibility. It is your high school education which prepares you for circumstances such as these. It is easy to see how a person inattentive in school would be unreliable in busi¬ ness, and unable to perform his duties unless someone was constantly watching over him. Eor this reason, those aspiring for business positions must be able, also, to exhibit a high degree of common sense or good judgment. There is no one to direct you to the right paths in business and you must be able to judge for yourself the correct pro¬ cedure on the basis of sound common sense. Your personal appearance is an outstanding mark either for or against you in the business world. It is an essential element during an interview also, for a business profits by a neat working staff—it may lose by a slovenly working staff. Furthermore, let us remember that honesty, friendliness, dependability, education and good judgment are the requirements for success, not only in the business world, but also in the settling of the affairs of nations. If the difficulties of nations and of the world as a whole could be run on the same high plane as a well-appointed office, then, perhaps we could soon wipe out seme of the ills that are troubling us today and settle down to an age, not of strikes, atom bombs and war, but of progress, wisdom, and of peace. And now, classmates, as we launch on the sea of life, I hope that we shall all anchor in the harbor of success and happiness, and may Gcd bless you all. Gi-kai niNt Piact.i so ON CNI Page