Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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THE TATTLER VALEDICTORY By ALDEN KAVN We, who stand tonight at the mooting between n happv past and nn unknown future, have reached not the end hut the Commencement of our lives. Graduation from high school U » milestone in the career of anyone. To nil of us, it mean the conclusion of twelve or more years of carefully supervised activities and a transition into a now freedom with iU challenge and its bewildering problems. For some of us there will be added preparation in higher institutions of learning, other will enter the school of experience and hard knocks. However, no matter where our paths may lead us, wo know that there will bo a pluco for us and work to do. Today our country needs young pepp’e with in itintive and honesty more than it has ever needed them before. By modest effort® and earnest endeavor, we hope to prepare ourselves to fill, to the best of our ability, the niche which will fall to our lot. To th Members of the Board of Control «■ well as to our Parents and Friends: I wish to extend the thanks of the clat for the privileges we have enjoyed here. We naturally feel that we are better trained and more carefully looked after than many who attend schools in other places and under other conditions, nnd so we feel very grateful to thoso who have made it possible for us to come to this particular school. To our desr Superintendent end Te»chers: We have spent many years of our lives under your training. We realize that you have tried hard to he’p us pass this milestone in our lives, and since we have reached it. wo wish to express our sincere thanks for your guidance. How well you have succeeded, of course, only the future cun determine, but we trust that the years to come may demonstrate to your satisfaction as well as to our own tlrnt, out of the stulT from which we are made, you were a.- successful as even your ambition could desire, in turning u out—men and women. To My Schoolmate : We wish to say fnrewell to you with whom we have been so closely associated and have had so many experiences that cannot ho forgotten. We urge you to do everything possible to make each day worthwhile so that when your turn comes to step out into the world, you may have that feeling of gratification which crowns a work well done. To My Cl mAte : To you the last words must be addressed. In our work here together, we have become very dear friends, nnd it is hard to say good-bye to the ones for whom we have learned to care. We have shared our pleasures, our triumphs, and our few disappointment' for so long thnt when we are separated, we shall miss the old companionship more than we. realise. Whcrc-cver we may be. let us remember the days spent at this school nnd, as we leave, say Au revolt’' but not goodbye. 19 3 4 Page nineteen

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THE TATTLER SALUTATORY By ADELINE MALM Member of the Board of Control. Superintendent. Teacher . C! mate , Friend , one and all: Wo wonder if you can realize just how proud wo, the class of 34, are to appear before you tonight ns graduates of this Hchool to welcome you to our commencement exercises. Wo arc glad to see you hero, and, in behalf of the class, I want to bid you welcome and to thank you for your interest in us and in our school. We are the sixty-fourth class to he graduated from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. Only three of the nine members of the class have spent all their school days here, the remaining six having joined the cluss at different times during the past nine years. Ours has been u class of strong friendships, and when we leave here, we shall carry with us many happy memories of the days spent together remembering— The tilings we did, the things they did; the things we hoped and thought; The things we oughtn’t to have said; the things we ought; The smiles we smiled; the sighs we sighed, the little schemes we schemed. The laughs we laughed, the tears we cried; the little dreams we dreamed.” At a recent elms meeting we decided upon blue and silver as our class colors. We chose these colors because blue stands for loyalty and silver represents the worthwhile things in life . The lily of the valley is our class flower. Our motto is, “Hour not too high, to full; but stoop to rise.” 1 feel that our motto expresses the thought of every member of the class. We are eager for success, but we know that we cun bo successful and happy only by first doing well the humble tasks that lie all around us in everyday life. We do not expect to undertake tasks that are beyond our ability to do well. It is hard to believe Unit after tonight we shul! no longer he students of this dear school where wo have spent so much of our lives. During the years that wo have been here, we have seen classes come and go. We have thrilled nt tho thought of the time when we, as graduates, would stund here before you. Now that this great moment” has arrived, wo just can’t express our feelings in words. We arc glad, of course, that we have at last reached our goal, but there is also u feeling of regret. Tomorrow will be, for us, the beginning of a new day, and we wonder if the world will be as interested in, and as kind to us, as our friends here have been. 1 want to thank you once more for coming, and to extend to you, in the name of the class, our most sincere welcome. 1934 Page eighteen

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THE TATTLER KNIGHTHOOD By ALDEN RAVN Knight nood cnmc into existence in the Middle ages when military feudalism originated in Gcr-mnny and later spread into France, England, and other countries. Whenever knighthood was spoken of, one understood that it meant courtesy, protection to the helpless especially women and children. It stood for courage, honesty, and nobility. True knighthood seem to belong to the past for so many of our men of today seem to be sadly larking in those quulititios with which the knights of older times were endowed. The training of a knight was as follows: When a boy of high birth reached the age of seven, he was sent away from homo to be trained in the castle of some noble or lord. There he spent a number of years in attendance upon the lord and lady of the custle nnd was taught how to bear himself in a mannerly way. During this period of time he was called a page. When he became older, he attended his lord, learning to ride, hunt and use the arms of a knight—the sword, shield and lance. In some castles be might have been taught the uso of the ciuarterstnif, cudgel, long bow, crossbow, knife, nnd dagger and the art of wrestling. Then he was called an esquire. A few esquires were special attendants upon the lord and Indy, holding such positions as body squires, cup bearers, carvers nnd, sometimes, the olhcc of chamber-lain. Others were trained in nrms and served as body-guards. After he was skilled in the use of nrms. he became a sejuiro. Hi duty was to uccompany his lord to the tournament or battle, to help him put on his armor, to provide him with a fresh lance or horse in the combat, and, in case of need, give him nid. Sometimes the squires were divided into three classes, first, squires of the body, who waited upon the Earl; second, squires of the household, who had regular hours assigned for excercisos in the pratice of arms, and third and last, a class called bachelors, young men ranging from eighteen to twenty years of age. This class supervised the younger lads by keeping them in order and saw that arms and equipment were kept in good shape. They called the roll for chapel in the morning and sent those not upon duty out for their daily exccrcise of urms. Orders to squires were generally transmitted htough the bachelors and the head of this bouy was expected to nmkc weekly report of happenings in their quarters to the chief captain of that body. After several years of such Service, having ranched the age of twenty-olie, nnd having proved his skill und courage, he was ready to become a knight. Often the ceremony of conferring knighthood was not performed until the squire had won his spurs by some heroic deed. The highest ambition of the squire was to be knighted on the field of battle us a reward for bravery. If this was done the ceremony was simple. Some famous knight would strike the kneeling youth on the shoulder and say, I dub thee knight.' The ordinary ceremony took place with much more pomp. The first step in this was n bath which signified purification. Then the squint put on garments of red, white, nnd black. Red stood for the blood he munt shed in defense of the church; white, for purity of mind; black, in memory of death, which comes to all. Then come the vigil of arms in the church, where he watched and prayed all night, either standing or kneeling before the altar on which lay his sword. At dawn the priest come. The squire confessed his sins, heard mass, and took part in the holy sacrament. Then perhaps, he listened with the other candidates for knighthood, to a sermon on the duties of a knight. Later in the morning he appeared before his lord or some well-known knight, his spurs were fastened on his hoots, and the sword girded about him. Then he knelt before his lord, and the latter gave him the accolade; that is, he struck the squire a blow upon the neck with his fist, or with the fiat of his sword and said. “In the name of God and Snint Michael and Sadat George, I dub thee knight. Be brave nnd loyal. After the ceremony, the knight gave an exhibition of his skill in riding and in the use of weapons, nnd the day ended with feasting and merry-making. The knight was expected to be loyal to his church and lord, to he just and pure in his life, and to be kind to all in need of protection, especially helpless women. During the time of knighthood, tournaments were held yearly near some large city. At these tournaments champions met challengers. The chnmpions were those who wore noted as the best fighters. The challenger were those who wanted to take the championship from the chnmpions so that they themselves might receive the honor of being one of the best fighters. If n challenger struck the shield of a champion with his lance, it showed he wanted Page twenty