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Standing, left to right: Hugh Cameron, Adele Rockwell, Harold Bohlayer, Theodora Bothwell, Julia Price.
High School Commencement (Troy-1906) [Article sent in by Don Stanton]
The thirty-sixth Commencement of the Troy High School was held Friday
evening, June 1st, in the First Presbyterian church. After the organ
voluntary by the church organist, Miss Amelia Lamkin, the board of directors
entered by the left aisle and the faculty by the right aisle and took their
places in the front seats reserved for them. The Junior Class then entered
by the right aisle and proceeded to their block of seats, over which had been
draped the Junior colors, blue and white. Then came the Senior class, the
girls down the right aisle and the boys, with Prof. Denison at their head, down
the left, and took their places on the platform. Over their heads were
draped their colors, orange and white, with “06” in yellow and white over the
centre. The sides, front and back of the platform were filled in with
greens, large branches of white blossoms, and potted plants.
After the graduates were seated, the invocation was offered by Rev.
Edward P. Morse, pastor of the church, which was followed by a soprano solo,
“Butterfly Waltz,” by Miss Jean Pearson. Prof. Denison then introduced the
speaker of the evening, Dr. I. J. Lansing, of the Greenridge Church, Scranton,
whose subject was, “The Culture of the Spiritual Life.” Dr. Lansing
declared that the majority of us live almost entirely in the grosser material
world. That our life is like a three story building. To the first
story, the physical, we pay great attention, to the second story, the
intellectual, we give some care, but the top story, the spiritual, is generally
wholly neglected, He cited examples to show that our material existence
claims nearly all our attention. The intellectual life does come next in
attention, in such institutions as the one before which he was speaking and in
universities and colleges, but that that is not enough. That we have a
distinctly spiritual life and that it needs careful and distinctive culture.
He also affirmed that the hope of the maintenance of this republic lies in such
spiritual culture. That to cultivate a man’s physical and mental faculties
to a high degree of perfection, and then not train his spiritual faculties so
that the other two may be applied to right and noble uses, makes him only a
menace to his country. Many anarchists and leaders in great national
crimes, said he, have been men of unusual mental training, but utterly lacking
in any spiritual development. Dr. Lansing then insisted that for the
safety and well fare of our country as well as for the individuals, this
spiritual culture should be an important part of every institution of learning,
whether day school, college, or university. The spiritual life he
differentiated from the religious life, in so far as the latter is composed of
outward forms, but by the spiritual life he meant the inward, the real life of a
man or woman. Then he raised the question of how we are to receive this
spiritual culture. Simply by placing ourselves in a position to receive
it. And as true spiritual culture comes only from the Divine Influence, by
putting ourselves in harmony with this Divine Influence, that it may direct our
innermost thoughts and outward actions.
After Dr. Lansing’s address, a chorus “Summer Fancies,” by the High
School girls completed the first part of the program.
The Salutatory, “Successus est Praemium Laboris,” was then given by Phebe
Theodora Bothwell. After welcoming her hearers to the Commencement
exercises, Miss Bothwell told with emphasis and clearness, of the foundation of
success, which is work, hard persevering work. Her essay was full of good
thoughts, and was well written and well read.
The Mantle Presentation was then made by George Frank Case, who presented
the red and white mantle of the High School to the Class of ’07. In his
bright and well delivered speech he sympathized with them because of the “mass
of raw, green material” with which they had to work, but expressed the hope that
the brilliant example of the Class of ’06 might illumine the path of the Class
of ’07 and enable them in some measure to fill the places of the ones who had
gone before. Mr. Case then placed the mantle on the shoulders of Eva
Cornell, who represented the Class of ’07 and made the response, thanking the
Seniors for their gift and good wishes, and promising that her class would fill
with honor the exalted Senior position.
The chorus, “Merry June,” was then sung by the High School girls.
Next came the Awarding of Prizes: The Hon. B. B. Mitchell Spelling Medal
was presented by Rev. A. E. Hall, chairman of the Spelling Committee, to Neil
Cameron of Sylvania, who missed only seven words out of the 110. The two
who stood next to him were Theodora Bothwell, missing eleven, and Joseph Barker,
who missed thirteen.
The Prize Speaking awards were then made by Mr. James Willour in place of
Rev. R. E. Roe, who was out of town, and were given to Frances Hughes and Sam
Parsons, with honorable mention of Agnese Hooley and Henry VanDyne.
The Valedictory, “The Awakening of China,” was given by Hugh Albert
Cameron, who last year received both the spelling medal and speaking contest
prize. The oration was an intelligent and comprehensive view of the
situation in China, both in the past and present, and spoke much for the
studiousness and mental grasp of the young valedictorian.
Principal Denison, after a short address to the class, which was filled
with good common sense and sound advice for their future, whatever it might be,
presented to them their well earned………………..(Continued on page four.) Which I
cannot find!