Valedictory Address

“The Valedictory” University Monthly 25, 7-8 (May-June 1906): 195-199. (UA Case 68, Box 1)

Your Honor, Mr. President and members of the Senate, Mr. Chancellor and Gentlemen of the Faculty, Mr. President and members of the Associated Alumni, Fellow Students, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Another college year has passed beyond recall, with its failures and successes, with ambitions that have been realized, with ideals that have not been reached, and we the class of 1906 stand with our foot upon the threshold of the open door about to step out into "the wide, wide world." Before we pass beyond the classic halls of our Alma Mater, let us pause and look back. Much may be learned from experience and in the retrospect we should profit by failures and be stronger through our successes.

We recall with vividness our freshman year. It seems but yesterday that we ascended the hill for the first time as students. There are many experiences incident to a freshman's life which are intelligible only to the initiated. There are scenes which flash upon us which give us pleasure and again there are other scenes over which we must draw the veil. As a freshman class we numbered thirty-five and the struggle to maintain an independent existence was keen, and success hovered very near us. Only those who have experienced it know the thankfulness that fills a freshman's heart when he finds that after all college life means more than hazing. With the passing of the year the doubts and fears which hung over us were gradually dispelled and it is surprising what even one year will do in the changing of the disposition of a class. Fearful, watchful and anxious at the beginning—self-reliant and independent—beginning to taste the freedom of college life at the close of the year.

We entered upon our sophomore life stronger in numbers—having had six added, thus making forty-one. There also came to us the fancied responsibility of watching over the new men and the promoting of "college spirit." How far we have been successful in the latter remains to be seen. The losses peculiar to the sophomore class were fully realized by us and we were able to muster only thirty-one on entering our junior year.

With the beginning of the year we could look back and see the "foolishness of our wisdom" as shown in the year before and also to catch a fuller and deeper meaning of college life and the purpose for which we had entered college. No longer did we try to dictate or control. That had passed from us; in its place there had come a desire to judge, which was often satisfied. As juniors we had a quiet, uneventful year adding to our fund of knowledge and preparing for the wider range of development in our last year.

It is not easy to describe the thoughts and feelings of a senior. The shadows of the future lie very near. The thought that he must soon say farewell to his associates causes him sometimes almost unconsciously, to weigh well his attitude toward college life and his influence on the under classmen. These impressions have deepened, as more and more we were brought face to face with the fact that we were losing or using the opportunities which were placed in our keeping of developing true, honest thought and action, not only in ourselves, but also in our fellow students.

The future can only say to what degree the class of 1906 has influenced the student life of the U. N. B.

Today, the college graduates the largest class in its history—twenty-seven men and three ladies—but of the thirty who have received from the hands of the chancellor the expression of reward for work accomplished, only twenty have been with the class through its four years' course.

The past year has not been unfruitful in respect to the college societies. The Debating Society has continued in its accustomed work, adding much to the ability of the student body in public speaking, by giving a quality of grace and confidence in debating which can only be attained by constant practice. Early in the year a mock trial was substituted for the regular debate, which proved interesting and thus successful, being held in the library and open to the public. During the month of March the society held one of its most pleasant sessions of Mock Parliament. One important feature was the perfect harmony of the government and opposition. This should add much to the attractiveness of Mock Parliament in future. On March 26th the team representing our society at the U. N. B., met the Acadia University team in debate on the question of Annexation with the United States and although by the decision of the judges victory rested with the Acadia team, yet we felt that our boys had done themselves and the question justice.

We would also take this opportunity to urge that great care should be taken in the amending of the constitution for the governing of intercollegiate debating, that no occasion be given in future for misinterpretation of the bye-laws.

The University Monthly has continued to maintain its standard of excellence as in former years. The editors are held responsible for the appearance of the Monthly, which compares favorably with other college magazines, yet each individual student should feel that he has a part in the making of this journal and should contribute one article each term or at least one in the year.

We regret that we are unable to report more victories for the football team. The team had unfortunate experiences, hut we trust that next year will bring better results. The outlook is promising. The basket ball and hockey teams have been successful as in former years, proving that the college is not lacking in material nor quality to win honor in both these branches of sport.

The Glee Club, Engineering Society and Ladies' Society have had, with the other college societies, a full share of success.

The student Young Men's Christian Association is becoming more and more an important factor in the life of the college world. In nondenominational and state universities such as our own, this is true in a peculiar sense, for in such institutions it represents the only distinctly student religious force. The association in our college has numbered, during the past year, sixty-five men, of whom twenty-five were active members. This year, Bible and Mission Study classes have been conducted as usual, the latter with evidence of a deeper interest on the part of a greater number of students, than in previous years. The Fifth International convention of the Student Volunteer Movement was held this year. An extra effort was made, which resulted in four delegates being sent to the convention at Nashville, Tennessee.

The theatrical talent of the U. N. B. was enlisted and, by the hearty co-operation of the members of the faculty and the students and public, a large sum was raised, enabling the Y. W. C. A. to send an additional delegate to their summer conference and our own society to send five or six additional. The benefits to the association and through it to the moral and religious life of the University, from having a large and representative delegation at Northfield, as at the Nashville conference, cannot be over-estimated.

The association of men of strong moral character and high ideals cannot but have a helpful influence on college life. Such has been the testimony of many who have spent their four years here. The association stands for the highest in every activity in college and needs, even more fully than it has received, the fullest and heartiest support of the students, and the interest, sympathy and advice of an increasing number of the professors.

The sports held on May 24th proved successful in every way. Three records were lowered and a member of the class of 1906 has the honor of taking the belt from the college, having won it for three successive years. This is the first time in twenty-four years that the belt has become the property of an individual student. We offer our congratulations to the winner, Mr. Fred C. Squires. The intercollegiate meet takes place on June 1st at Moncton and our team gives promise of making a good showing for themselves and us.

It is with regret that we learn that Dr. Scott is to sever his connection with this college. Since his coming to the U. N. B. he has ever held her interest as his own. He will be greatly missed in the electrical engineering and physics department, over which he had
charge. The students all felt that they had a friend in Dr. Scott and his word either in reproof or commendation had great weight. He has won our respect, esteem and confidence and, in his new work of helping to mould the future of one of the new provinces in the West, we wish him the greatest success.

Year after year, good professors are leaving us. Just when they begin to understand the conditions and are thus better able to help the college, tempting offers come from other sources and they go. The course offered at the U. N. B. is as good as any offered in Eastern Canada, but we need such men as go from us to keep up to the standard of past years. This requires more funds, which, seemingly, can-not be obtained. With an increased enrollment there would thus be a greater demand for a further grant from the government. Would it not be possible to have, as in similar institutions, an official representative to visit the high schools, grammar schools and teachers' institutes and there present the claims of the U. N. B.?

We are glad to see that our Alma Mater does not forget her sons as they go out from her, but that she is pleased to honor them according to their merit. Today she has summoned to her for this purpose distinguished sons, who having passed under her influence went out to win the plaudits of the world.

To you Mr. Chancellor and gentlemen of the faculty, we desire to express our appreciation of the just and impartial treatment we have always received at your hands. If our lives are successful we owe it in a large measure to the training we have received here. You have been our friends, advisors, and guides for four years. We thank you for your patience with us and faithful efforts in leading us to think for ourselves. In bidding you farewell we carry with us pleasant memories and wish you the fullest success in your future work. To the citizens of Fredericton we extend our hearty thanks for the many tokens of kindness and thoughtfulness which have come from you to us. The days we have spent in your beautiful city will ever be remembered with pleasure, largely because of your efforts to make our stay pleasant as well as profitable.

To the undergraduates, our fellow students, little need be said. You will understand us. We have worked together; we have sung together; we have yelled over victories; we have accepted defeat. The going means more to us than to you. We will miss the "yell" and the songs. The old piano will talk no more to us as it has in the past—for us its voice will be silent—but the "college spirit" will be with us, as with you, urging us to be loyal to our Alma Mater. Through all our course we have prided ourselves that the U. N. B. has always acted fairly even to its own disadvantage. This standard is left in your keeping. May there still be no blot on her. fair record when you have laid it down. How will this be accomplished? Only by each individual student being honest, upright and sincere. The nation is as the individual citizen life is. No more, no less. The college life and spirit will be what you make it—just what your life is.

We have come, as a class, to the parting of the ways. Our varied inclination and sense of duty will lead us in different paths. In our striving to succeed, and we all desire to succeed, let us remember that true success is the forming of a noble character and that

“Tis only noble to be good.”

Anything that will prevent the building of a strong and noble character will also check us in our efforts after true success. Our thoughts will return again and again to the days we have spent here, to what we have accomplished. That will still keep us linked to our Alma Mater and the student life and we will be planning for her and for them. What after all is better than thinking of others 1 In helping them we are but helping ourselves—being true to ourselves—our inner self.

"To thine own self be true and it must follow as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."

One word will close our college life. It is farewell. To one and all, Farewell, Farewell.