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Graduation
VALEDICTORY Tonight we are here to honor the 33 participants in this two-fold event of graduation and commencement. By most people, it is called graduation. This is easily explained by our spending 13 years of our short lives working toward this goal. Whenever I think of graduation, I begin thinking back and reminiscing about the four happy years I have spent at D.C.H.S. For those who have been at Dallas Center for 13 years, the list of memories is longer and the regrets of leaving, greater. But the most important part of this occasion is commencement. Today our life expectancy is about 68 years. Therefore, we have about fifty years yet to live. This is what we have been working and learning for, a full, independent, long life. Our primary and secondary educations have given us a basis on which to build a full and useful life. The things we hope to achieve are varied, but the background we have received is nearly uniform. We have the basis pretty well set and ready for building now. The type of building we want is not yet completely decided. There are four main fields from which to choose; 1. A job or occupation (whether in town or country) Each of us will select one in which to pour his full energy. Deciding upon the field and choosing the specific division is a grave responsibility. Some of us have made a definite decision, while others are still pondering the question. To us at this time, this seems the biggest and most important part of our lives. But if you think about it for a few moments, you will realize that the hours which we spend exclusively on the job are small compared with the hours we should spend at being an American citizen. I think that of all phases of living which are talked about, being a worthwhile citizen is often thought of as something which comes naturally. But this isn't true. We need to learn how to be a good citizen as much as we learn how to add or subtract. Learning to be a good citizen is not an easy process which can be explained according to principles or laws. It is simple logic which is easy to understand but hard to explain. Our first learning of citizenship comes in the home where a small child becomes past of a family. But here, most of the adjusting is done by the parents. The first adjusting of the child comes in school. It may take a fist fight to show a beginner that he has to get along with others. This is the part of citizenship which deals with our relationship with others. This sets the basis for our real part of citizenship-helping and improving our country. We are citizens of the greatest country on this earth, yet we expect to receive all its privileges without any effort on our part. We don't expect our employer to pay us when we don't work. So why should we expect our country to protect us without any work from us? We must work hard to preserve our rights as a citizen in these United States. I don't mean work hard one day a year, but work at it each day. First of all, we should pay taxes willingly. All people pay taxes. The most common reason is, of course, that you may be fined or jailed if you don't. But when you come down to the basic principles, taxes do a lot for you. They, first of all, preserve our democracy by providing salaries for our democratically chosen, representatives. If no salaries were offered, no one would run for offices but those who hope to gain complete control. Other benefits are free public education, roads and highways, uniform public utilities, parks and recreational areas, national and civil defense, public relief and special privileges such as patents and copyrights. Without taxes none of these would be possible. The second duty is to keep well informed. This is perhaps the most important one of all. This is accomplished by reading newspapers, magazines, and books and by listening to others critically and open mindedly. You should listen to political speeches and discuss them along with your ideas with other well-informed people. In this way you can bring many points into view and better come to a conclusion. From being well-informed you move into a third and fourth duty. These are voting and backing up public officials. Neither can be intelligently fulfilled if you are not well-informed. Voting is very important because it selects the officials who will represent us as the heads of our government. We should vote for a person because he best will serve in a capacity, rather than voting for him because of appearance or party affiliations. After the elections, we should support the new officer, regardless of whether we voted for him or not. If you have ideas for him, express them to him by means of letters so he'll know better how to act. Do not just complain about every decision, unless it is backed by intelligent thinking. Being an American citizen is a full time job for adolescents and adults, alike. We young people don't vote or pay taxes, but we are preparing ourselves for these duties through our history, government, and economics courses. Our extra-curricular activities, such as class meetings and student councils, have given us a chance to practice representative government. While preparing us for happy living and gainful occupations, you have also strengthened our democracy by teaching us how to be citizens of our country and world. Yes, tonight we move "out of this harbor into the sea of life." A life that we don't expect to be easy, but one that we can improve through our democratic form of government and by the help of God. For these great heritages we thank you-parents, teachers, and friends.
SALUTATORY Upon learning that I was to speak tonight I looked up the word salutatory to find the exact meaning. I had heard the word used for the last four years, but didn't really know what it meant. I found the meaning to be a "welcome and thanks". From that meaning I found I had my talk cut out for me. First I would like to extend a welcome to all of you. Then I want to thank you on behalf of the senior class of 1955. First, I want to thank the people of the community. You have stood behind us and helped us all through school, always willing to give advise and help when needed. Things like introducing a person to a college, giving a compliment, or giving a word of encouragement give a young person a lift and the will to go ahead. In taking an active interest in the young people of the community and in helping us get started along the right track, you have been a credit to our way of life. Thanks are due to the teachers who showed a great deal of patience and skill in passing knowledge on to us. At times perhaps we thought the teachers a bit harsh but we usually found they had a good reason for their beliefs. Through the years teachers have instilled high morals into us that will not soon be taken away. We have prepared both mentally and. physically. For an example of academic learning, after four years of arguing in history and government classes, we learned how to argue about three weeks ago in speech class. Physical advancement came with athletics. I have always said that football was my favorite subject. Learning to get along with people was an important part of school life that was bought to us by our teachers. Last and perhaps the most important comes our thanks to our parents. "Thanks a lot, folks. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts." You have shown patience and understanding that is beyond comprehension. When we had problems we came to you. When we wanted special privileges it was you whom we asked. Again, your quiet words of encouragement and assurance gave us the courage to go on in the face of growing competition. But at times I believe we forgot what you really mean to us. We forgot that it was you whom we relied on for about everything we needed. Thanks for teaching us the right way in life and for preparing us for our lives to come. Now -- after tonight we will change our way of living and rely more and more upon ourselves. Some of us will attend college while others will enter their chosen vocation. I like the word "commencement". To me it signifies the beginning of a rich full life. Surely, we will have troubles but with the foundation which was laid in our first twelve years. I'm sure we can overcome these obstacles. Again may I extend a welcome and say "thanks". And assure you that Dallas Center will never need be ashamed of its products. (Valedictory and Salutatory reprinted from the Mustang Review.)
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