1917 Yearbook
Source URL
Title
1917 Yearbook
Description
St. Philip fjeri Society
JAMES GOODALL
LEO F. LEONARD EUGENE MAC LAIN
\
HAROLD J. OTT REV. H, G. TAKKENBERG
HE ST. PHILIP NERI Society has spent the past year treading steadfastly along the old traditional pathway marked out
for it by the framers of its constitution. Its sole ambition
and sustaining purpose in the present as in the past, is the
development in its members of the ability to express their
thoughts, whether written or spoken, in plain, vigorous English. There never was a time, perhaps, when there was such an overwhelming amount of writing and speaking in the world as at the present
day. Every town of any size at all has its newspapers; great cities have
daily, sometimes hourly editions supplied from the metropolitan press;
while the magazines, periodicals and gazettes are legion, and the number of
books published makes them almost impossible to catalog.
In view of this condition of things it is eminently desirable that the
young men in a Catholic College, besides being instructed in secular and
religious knowledge, should be trained to habits of correct and orderly
thinking and thoroughly imbued with a sincere love of truth and an unfeigned regard for accuracy: they must acquire character as well as knowledge.
At the same time, however, if they are to be of any service to society,
if their knowledge and love of truth is to counteract in any degree, the
ill-balanced thought and educated stupidity so widely prevalent at the -
present day, they must not neglect the only means to this end: the command of a rich vocabulary and graceful elegance of diction. This is the
weapon of error today, and truth to combat it need not disdain to fight with
up-to-date weapons.
So to equip the student is the purpose of the various literary organizations of the college. Our society lias been doing merely elementary work;
exercises in enunciation and distinct-utterance occupied the first half of
the year, while rudimental work in parliamentary law, debates on popular
questions and the reading of original short essays provided entertainment
and instruction during the last few months. Though our year's work may
not have realized to the full the ambitions of the members yet we feel they
have been prepared to enter intelligently into the affairs of the higher
society they will join next year, and we hope they have been started and
directed at least a few steps along the road to steady thinking and coherent
expression.
JAMES GOODALL
LEO F. LEONARD EUGENE MAC LAIN
\
HAROLD J. OTT REV. H, G. TAKKENBERG
HE ST. PHILIP NERI Society has spent the past year treading steadfastly along the old traditional pathway marked out
for it by the framers of its constitution. Its sole ambition
and sustaining purpose in the present as in the past, is the
development in its members of the ability to express their
thoughts, whether written or spoken, in plain, vigorous English. There never was a time, perhaps, when there was such an overwhelming amount of writing and speaking in the world as at the present
day. Every town of any size at all has its newspapers; great cities have
daily, sometimes hourly editions supplied from the metropolitan press;
while the magazines, periodicals and gazettes are legion, and the number of
books published makes them almost impossible to catalog.
In view of this condition of things it is eminently desirable that the
young men in a Catholic College, besides being instructed in secular and
religious knowledge, should be trained to habits of correct and orderly
thinking and thoroughly imbued with a sincere love of truth and an unfeigned regard for accuracy: they must acquire character as well as knowledge.
At the same time, however, if they are to be of any service to society,
if their knowledge and love of truth is to counteract in any degree, the
ill-balanced thought and educated stupidity so widely prevalent at the -
present day, they must not neglect the only means to this end: the command of a rich vocabulary and graceful elegance of diction. This is the
weapon of error today, and truth to combat it need not disdain to fight with
up-to-date weapons.
So to equip the student is the purpose of the various literary organizations of the college. Our society lias been doing merely elementary work;
exercises in enunciation and distinct-utterance occupied the first half of
the year, while rudimental work in parliamentary law, debates on popular
questions and the reading of original short essays provided entertainment
and instruction during the last few months. Though our year's work may
not have realized to the full the ambitions of the members yet we feel they
have been prepared to enter intelligently into the affairs of the higher
society they will join next year, and we hope they have been started and
directed at least a few steps along the road to steady thinking and coherent
expression.
Date
1917
Identifier
http://cdm16810.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16810coll2/id/2146