Valedictory Address

“Valedictory Address” (28 May 1982):1-4. (UA Case 68, Box 1)

Your Honour, Mr. Premier, Madam Chancellor, Mr. President, Your Worship, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates –

In the not too distant past, the student with the highest scholastic standing was normally selected as Valedictorian. Let me assure you, the same procedure was not followed in the present instance. There are many members of the graduating class with a higher standing than my own and I’m sure my white hair was the deciding factor. This is an elected post but not-withstanding what I have said. I consider it an honour and a privilege to have been selected to represent the graduating class at these commencement exercises.

This is a very auspicious day in my life and I hope you will bear with me if my pride occasionally shows through. Four years ago, my grand-daughter Barbara, and I were freshmen at UNBSJ and today we are graduating together. It is not often that a grandfather has the opportunity of graduating from university with one of his grandchildren. A friend of mine, at least I hope he is a friend of mine, recently sent me a clipping from a newspaper outlining the ways in which you can tell you are a returning student or a mature student. The one I particularly liked was this: “When your favorite shoes are older than most of your classmates”. Thank you Dr. Condon.

When we were all freshmen together, looking ahead four years seemed to be an interminable time but in retrospect it wasn’t all that long. I’m sure our lives have all been enriched by spending these years together at UNBSJ.

UNBSJ could not be considered an Ivy League Institution but the fact we are not such a school gives us a very definite advantage. I am told that in the larger universities it is not uncommon to have classes of 200-400 students. The professor comes in, delivers his lecture, then leaves and that is the last the students see of him until the next lecture. This situation does not prevail at UNBSJ as the faculty are willing – yes even anxious, to sit down with any student, on a one to one basis, and discuss a problem with the students. I personally, as well as others, have requested interviews and in my four years attendance at this university have yet to be turned down. It can be safely said that we are favoured with an excellent faculty and I would like to express the heartfelt appreciation of the entire graduating class to our faculty.

Appreciation and thanks is also due to the parents of many of our class who supplied understanding, moral support as well as financial assistance often involving sacrifices on their part. Those of us who are parents certainly are not complaining but are happy to see our offspring starting off in the right direction.

We have a fair number of senior citizens attending UNBSJ but there is always room for more. Our university has a free tuition plan for those over 60 years of age. I speak from experience when I say this is an excellent way of keeping your mind and spirit young. If a retired person does not wish to carry a full year’s course of studies, perhaps they could start with one or two subjects. If you should decide to enroll at UNBSJ, don’t expect the younger students to bow or scrape in deference to your age – you will be treated as any other student which is the way it should be. Incidentally, this last commercial was unsolicited.

As you start out in the business world, or pursue further studies, I have three short messages for you. Strive to develop good habits – this means good working as well as personal habits. Good habits are just as easy to develop as are bad habits which are sometimes difficult to lose and this is very akin to the Australian aborigine who was given a new boomerang for Xmas and spent the rest of his life trying to throw the old one away. You must develop a sense of competitiveness. Being competitive does not necessarily mean striving to be the best but it does mean striving to be your best. No one can ask for more. We have just come through a period generally known as the “Me Decade” and you, the graduates, can help usher in the “We” decades of the 1980’s and ‘90’s by being more cooperative and charitable in our dealings with others. We are not suggesting that you have to be exactly the same as everyone else – by all means establish your own individual identity toward this end. I’m certainly not going to insult your intelligence by asking you to set goals and aims for yourselves – no doubt you have already taken care of this. What I am suggesting is that you establish priorities so that these goals and aims may be achieve in the shortest possible time frame. A wise old man once said – the key to happiness is having dreams – the key to success is making these dreams come true.

Before starting University, I along with many others of my generation, was very concerned with the frightening thought of what would happen to this world when the younger generation took over. I could have saved myself a lot of needless worry because after being intimately involved with these people for four years, I now know my fears were groundless. We have a fine group of young people graduating today and I know the situation will be well in hand and they will make this world a better place in which to live. My main regret is that we are leaving them such a mess to clean up but I am confident they will be equal to the task. Speaking in the same vein I can do no better than to quote from Capt. John McRae’s immortal poem, “In Flanders Fields”, when he said, “To you from failing hands we throw the torch – be yours to hold it high”.

I would like to close with an old Newfoundland expression which says – may the wind be at your back all the way.

Thank You and God Bless.