Little Inklings 2022

AVERY ATKINS ❜ 26 A RANSOM STUDENT It is to these that the world is indebted for all the progress that has been made in the past, and to them it must look for all hope of progress in the future. The people who belong to this class are very busy – too busy to think very much of themselves – but they are really the happiest people in the world. Now, if you want to belong to one of the first two classes, this school is not the place for you. We have no time to waste in training boys to be selfish or lazy. You would not be in the spirit of the school if you came here, and you probably would not remain in it long. If all you care to think of is the fun you are going to have – the hunting, fishing, and cruising – and if you have no thought to give to the serious matters of life, to your work,to honor and truth, and purity, and helpfulness – you would only be a hindrance to us here, and you would yourself be disappointed, for while we believe in fun, and in all the pleasures of the outdoor life we try to give our boys, we believe more in the higher things, and we intend to give them the first place. But if you find that it is your wish to belong to the third class – to live not for yourself alone, but to serve your God, your country, and your fellow man, with all your heart and mind and strength – why then, my boy, this will be a good place for you and we will welcome you here with all our hearts. And if this is the life you wish to train yourself for, you will not find it difficult to commit yourself to the promises that I ask you to make to yourself and to me, for they are part of the training. If you wish to become an efficient, helpful, trustworthy man you must begin by being efficient, helpful, trustworthy boy, and to do this you must accustom yourself to obey, to work, and to resist self-indulgence. 66