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

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COOPERATION, THE KEY TO SUCCESS . Tonight you arc witnessing one of our rewards—graduation from high school. To achieve this goal we have worked diligently from the first day we were taken by the hand to kindergarten. Whatever our next goal—college, business school, job, or service in the armed forces—we all have the same aim in life—success. We may not seem fully aware of the true meaning of the word success. To the older generation, today s graduate may appear a money-minded youngster who thinks lifes best will fall into his lap. Yet many college placement officers describe our generation as levelheaded. We realize, as did the numerous students who passed through these portals before us, that it is the conscientious, cooperative student who receives a diploma with honors. 1 o him the gates of the wide world are epen, and to him the gates of knowledge will never be closed. Winston Churchill once stated that The best is none too good for me.” This statement carries the conviction of a man with a purpose. X e too realize that we must aim for the best in everything we attempt, for not failure, but low aim is crime. Thus we know that one of the most necessary prerequisites for success is cooperation. If we have this attribute and the knowledge which entitles us to a definite place, then others will see that we attain that place. We must accept the fact that we arc running for an office every day of our lives; to do so we must be capable of cooperating with all types of people. Cooperation is simply operating jointly with others. No one can live successfully without learning to work satisfactorily with those around him in school and business life, in social life, and in the home. Many people believe that it is necessary to live in constant apology for oneself or to identify completely with each group one meets. Many keep others in line through fear, dominating them and making them afraid to raise opposition. This is not cooperation. To influence people without pretense or fear, one must learn the basic human trends of thought and apply them to himself and particularly to others. To be cooperative and to gain cooperation, one must remember the deep human desire to be noticed and accepted as a fellow human being. Fellow students, families, co-workers, employees, bosses—all desire and deserve notice; particularly deserving are children and teenagers. Cooperation is simple and easy, but it is a tested secret of . success. Moyra McGladrigan ' 57 CNI Page

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PERSEVERANCE—AN ESSENTIAL QUALITY FOR SUCCESS In looking back over the years through which we worked to attain the goal reached today, we discover that perseverance was a basic weapon in our battle. Through perseverance the United States has become the major country it is today, and through perseverance we, the class of 1957, hope to attain individual success. Perseverance is defined as steady persistence in a course of action” and suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties. Plutarch picturesquely suggested that water continually dripping will wear hard rocks hollow.” How have we learned to persevere? How can we continue to apply ourselves unceasingly to our tasks? There are many motives for perseverance. One needs only to discover which motive or combination of motives will serve to keep him doing his best work, and he has solved this problem of persevering. Perhaps the urge most natural to all of us is the desire to do something just a little bit better than anyone else. This competitive spirit, even though not consciously recognized, may well be at least partially responsible for motivating the individual to put his very best efforts into his work. We consciously appeal to it whenever we say, I know I can do a better job than that. Or perhaps our parents or other individuals have fostered in us a desire to do our best, no matter what the task. Once motivated, we have continued this pattern and have reaped benefits and rewards, thus making it easier to keep on in like manner for the rest of our lives. Some of us may have ambitions for financial gain and added power which can be attained only through our being among the best in the field. These are powerful motives, especially for those who are self-supervised. They are working for us when¬ ever we consider the tangible rewards we hope to win through sustained effort. Without such incentive, the entire economic system of our country would collapse. Desire for praise can also be a strong motive for exceptional accomplishment. Surely it is one with which every housewife must be familiar. It may well be the only motive that influences those whose work schedule is difficult, but who receive no direct monetary reward for their exertions. All of us must at some time or other be spurred on to greater heights by the thought that someone will be pleased with our efforts. Then, too, there are those who have a pure creative urge—a desire to produce from nothing, something that is grand in appearance and full of splendor—or a com¬ pelling urge to create purely for the sake of creating. The act of creating in itself gives pleasure. This is surely true of many artists among us. But whatever our motives have been and may be, we are aware that perseverance is essential to success. We have learned that we must drive ourselves to the limit. The thought of attaining our ultimate goal sustains us. After completing one task and reaping the rewards for which we have worked, we can start afresh toward a new goal. Francis Perotti ’57

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SUCCESS—NOT INHERITED, BUT ACHIEVED In this modern world of ours, we are all anxious to find happiness and success. But success is not a simple thing to obtain. It cannct be inherited or passed down to us by someone cT e. Our Constitution gives us the right to the pursuit of happiness. Tlhis does not mean that all of us will be handed success cn a silver platter, as some people who believe the world owes them a living may think. It means that we are free tc :trive toward our own individual goals by taking advantage of any opportunities that may occur. It is difficult to say jus: what success is. Each individual has his own criterion. It may mean security emotional, spiritual, or material security. Perhaps it is being respected or well-liked. Perhaps it is knowledge of a job well done. Whatever our idea of success may be, we cannot obtain it in a day or even a year. The time will never ccme when we can say, Today I am a success, ' for very few people ever become successes overnight. Success is something we must strive for diligently and achieve gradually. It seems today that too much attention is given to material security. The person who places this firs: on his li t of things to be achieved has a very confused sense of values. The inheritance cf money or a big house will certainly not make him a success. What is more, he cannot really appreciate this sort of security unless he has strived for and achieved it on his own. The really successful person is the one who works harder to make something of himself rather than for himself. Success in friendship, toe, must definitely be achieved. What person without friends could possibly be considered successful? People will not like and respect a person simply because they think well of his father. Every individual must prove to others, and to himself as well, that he is worthy cf re ' pect through his own deeds. This year we m embers of the Class of 1957 have seen for ourselves that we must work for the things we want Every year the Senior Class of Windsor Locks High School has made a trip to Washington, D. C. As scon as we became Freshmen, we seemed to take it for granted that in four years we, tco, would go there. But when we b came Sepicrr, we rca ized that we cculd not go just because it was custom—because the rlas es before us had gone. There previous classes had rrz certain standards, and we found that we wi re expected to live up to them. Only through working together cculd we accomplish this purpose; only through real effort cn the part of everyone in the class cculd we make this trip a reality. As we go on to college or to jobs, we will find this principle to be a true one. We will get out of life only what we put into it. In closing 1 wish to thank all those who have helped to give us our start in life— these who l ave 1 elpcd us to recognize that we must give to receive. It is up to us. Now I bid farewell to my classmates and wish them the very best of everything in the years to come. Mary Corrow 57