Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1912 — ALUMNI BANQUETERS WELCOMED CLASS OF 1912. [ARTICLE]

ALUMNI BANQUETERS WELCOMED CLASS OF 1912.

Feasting, Toasting and Dancing Concluded Busy Week in Which Graduates Participated. The alumni banquet Friday evening was the concluding event of the busy sehool closing week and marked the last step in making the seniors into full-fledged members of the alumni association. It was one of the happiest of the annual events at which those who have completed the school course in former years receive . the newly blown graduates into full fellowship and treat them to a good supper, some lively toasts and a splendid socialevening. ' r The Job of feasting the banqueters this year ujps taken by the Methodist ladies, with their husbands and the pastor, Rev. Harper, as aids and they performed it to the great satisfaction of all and furnished the following excellent banquet: Consomme Olives Wafers ;r Cream Chicken Saratoga Potatoes Asparagus . Rolls Preserves Butter ~ pickles ~r ir Coffee;' Salad Cheese Wafers Ice Cream Strawberries Cake Intermingled with the feasting the toast program was carried out and the banquet lasted from 7 o’clock until after 10. Delos Thompson, as president of the class, made a pleasing address welcoming the 1912 class into the association. He introduced Louis H. Hamilton as toastmaster and the latter proved especially fitted for that place, introducing the several speakers in a very amusing manner and keeping each speaker on nettles pending their time for speaking. The repartee was very sharp and Mr. Hamilton acquitted himself with great credit. The following toasts were responded to: "Today”.* Nelle Sawin, ’l2. “Just Folks” ....7y; : ....Mrs. Kenton Parkinson, ’O4 “The Weed” Woodhull' I. Spitler, *O6 “Our Wisdom” Ethel C. Perkins, ’9B “Our Follies”.. -W. H. Parkinson, ’96 “Bubbles” ....... Helen Lamson, ’OS All were well received and The Republican is fortunate in being able to publish the toasts offered by Miss Ethql Perkins and Miss Helen Lamson. Responding to “Our Wisdom” Miss Perkins said: It is a difficult matter to talk upon anything that is self-evident without becoming commonplace. Perhaps, however, our wisdom, the wisdom of theAlumni of the Rensselaer high school, is coining to be taken too much for granted. Perhaps our friends who have been so unfortunate as to rbceive their high school training in soma other school, perhaps even we, ourselves,' may at times doubt whether our experience has exemplified that wisdom which we feel to be one of our distinctive characteristics. If this be true, it Is not unfitting that we should devote a few minutes this evening to bolstering up our confidence in ourselves and to impressing our guests of the evening, the Senior class of 1912, with the reality and uniqueness of the worth of that body of which they now become members. Should anyone here present feel doubt as to the existence of the said wisdom all he need do is to glance again over the program of the evening. Who but a wise alumni committee would think of selecting such a toastmaster as is ours this evening? Who but a genius could have selected so talented a group of people to respond to the toasts? I feel no hesitation in saying that probably such toasts as are given, here tonight will never be given again- Ton will please notice that this tendency of ours to do what no one else would think of doing is a mark of our uniqueness. What is the mrture of this possession of which we are so proud? Pope says it is knowing, seeing and feeling. If we might venture to improve on Pope we would add a further essential, willing. However, a little psychological error need not disturb us. “What is it to be wise? Tis to know how little can be known.” Wisdom is not synonomous with knowledge. It is knowledge pins a Recognition of the limitations of human understanding. It is the bower to see truly, to grasp relations. Perhaps^ hadJPope Hved^in aeroplane and modern theology, be would have had more faith in ultimate ~

Doubtless he did his best with that “Essay on Man.” “ ’Tis to see AH other weakness.” Here we entirely agree and feel that we can lay just claim to an unnsual degree of wisdom. It would take too long to give the wealth of illustration of this form of our wisdom which is at our command. Such illustration is unnecessary, moreover, for each of you supplies your own example. Perhaps even now some of you are inwardly commenting on the weakness of this toast. If yon are, congratulate yourselves. You are wise. Of the last essential of wisdom the less we say, the better. To feel our own weakness makes us uncomfortable. To fail to feel it makes our friends uncomfortable. Such a situation brings us face to face with the principal law of life—the law of selfpreservation. Should some of us adequately feel our own weaknesses the least we could do would be to give up our task of preserving. But preserving is a sweet task as well as a juicy one and none of us wish to resign it. Such a tragic situation makes us hesitate to drink deep at the fountain of learning even though we have been admonished to do so and even though we have been warned that a little losing is a dangerous thing. In consideration, therefore, of your natural tendencies, and of the speaker who is to follow me, I close with this comforting remark, which shows that Pope himself saw the folly of his too strenuous attempt at wisdom: ' : "If ignorance is bliss, "Tis folly to be wise.” Miss Lam son’s toast subject was “Bubbles” and was as follows: Mr. Toastmaster, class of 1912, friends and fellow-alumni: Please do not fail to appreciate bow considerate of you the committee has proved itself by giving me as a subject for my toast “Bubbles.” They gave it because they knerw it couldn’t lasting. What are bubbles, does know, Whence do they come, and where do they go? Perhaps they are dreams of a bright summer’s day, With pleasures rose-colored, that soon pass a^ay; Leaving behind vague memories sweet, Of delights unnumbered and joys complete. Perhaps they are hopes that rise and - Soar i - - ; ; Upward and upward, more and more. Hopes sometimes are lost just as bubbles may break; Hopes may be regained as we new bubbles make. Perhaps, and, to all, the reason is plain The bubbles we blow are our “Castles in Spain,” That we build In good faith so stately and; tall, . Always forgetting how soon they will fall. Perhaps they’re the treasures of .. .wealth that are gained By those whose sole happiness is v therein contained. Btat be it remembered, whole fortunes may sink Like any bright bubbles, as quick as a wink. What e’er they are, where e’er they go Who does not like to bubbles blow? Can there be one who fails to find In that refreshment for the mind? By way of a Utile relief from the sage advice they have been receiving and the serious things they have been hearing, I ask the class of 1912 to go back with me for a moment to those halcyon days of yonr early childhood, when school was a consideration of the future, and yonr only books were of fairies or Mother Goose and her family. Old King Cole Was a merry old soul, And a merry old soul was he; v He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl. And a cake of Ivory. He forgot all his troubles in blowing soap bubbles And n very good blower was he; If* the one he blew first just happened to burst, Hq would laugh quite merrily. - Big round soap babble flew in the Mr, Big round soap bubble had a great scare; : V; /7 V ... All the king’s horses and all the king's Couldn’t put that bobble together little Bdy Blue come blow us a bubble. The cow's In the meadow, the sheep in the stubble MM# ... 7 - Where la the Utile boy who settles •V. is© '■ -> : S*-5

On the back doorstep blowing soap bubbles. little Jack Horner sat iura~ corner with suds and a pipe of clay. He blew a big bubble with almost no trouble; It made him happy and gay, But he stuck in his thumb And then there was none, And then he cried out in dismay. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, . . / : • ,v She had so many children she didn’t know what to do. Did she whip them and spank them and send them touted? No, no, my good friends, she tried this instead: For pipes and for soap a small price did she pay, ' ' And kept them blowing bubbles tbe livelong day. Cofiling back to you in your dignity of new made members of the alumni association, I offer you this wish: Here’s to the class of 1912, May all your troubles be like bubbles, soon to disappear; May they leave no trace on mind or face, Or rob you of good cheer. May your hearts be light, your lives as bright As the bubbles clear, May all pleasures and duties be filled ;..T with such beauties ; Through each oncoming year.