BACCALAUREATE SERMON - 27 May l909

SENSENEY, VOELKER, CONREY, CHASE, BAKER, ROWELL

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 11/30/2001 at 15:35:05

Decatur County Journal
May 27, l909

The baccalaureate address delivered to the
class of '09 of the Leon High
School at the M.E. Church last Sunday evening
by Rev. Chas. Arthur
Coakwell, Pastor of the Christian Church, was
a rare treat. A large
crowd filled every available space in the
commodious church and everyone
enjoyed the sermon greatly. The class wore
caps and gowns and occupied
seats reserved for them in the center
section. The section set apart
for the class was enclosed with strands of
pink ribbons. The front part
of the east section of seats was reserved for
the near relatives of the
members of the class. This section was also
draped in pink ribbons.
The church was beautifully decorated.
Special music for the occasion
had been arranged. MISS GEORGIA HURST
rendered a piano selection and
the choir then sang an anthem. During the
evening, H.E. SENSENEY and
A.C. VOELKER sang a duet. MRS. F.L. CONREY
rendered a solo, and a
quartette composed of MISS JOSEPHINE CHASE,
MRS. MAYME BAKER, DR. J.W.
ROWELL and H.E. SENSENEY, sang. Following is
the sermon in full as
delivered by Rev. Coakwell:

MAJESTIC AIMS AND THEIR
ACHIEVEMENTS.

Text: Phil. 3:l3-l6

"Everyday is a fresh beginning; Every morn in
the world made new." sang
the poet.

This is a beautiful creed of hope. It makes
room for a fresh start in
life, when yesterday's failures have well
nigh overwhelmed us.

Longfellow, as well as indeed do most of the
poets somewhere, gives
expression to the same truth in his "Ladder
of St. Augustine."

"St. Augustine well hast thou said,

That of our vices we may frame

A ladder, if we will but tread

Beneath our feet, each deed of shame,

Nor deem the irrevocable past

As wholly wasted, wholly vain.

If rising on its wrecks, at last

To something nobler we attain."

In the realm of character, possibility is
obligation. What a person may
and can do he ought to do. Lowell makes life
an obligation when he
says:

"Life is as a sheet of paper white

Whereon each one of us may write

His word or two and then come night."

I realize that before me tonight are future
men and women. You are
embarking upon life's rugged way. There are
many struggles before you.
How to help you meet them is my problem.

Behind you are the ages of progress. Around
you are millions of your
fellows, every one of whom have some
individual purpose and privilege.
Before you are years teeming with golden
opportunities and rife with
conflicts. You are called upon to choose
that quality of life that will
beautify and adorn you before your fellows.
To achieve this it is
absolutely necessary for you to have a
definite aim, as such it will be
your inspiration beckoning you each day to do
your very best.

A beautiful soul makes a beautiful body, and
a twisted body is no more
repulsive than a twisted soul. High idealism
is natural, goodness,
uprightness and truth are inherent.

Therefore, in my theme tonight I not only ask
you to follow the easy, no
the difficult and complex. The natural and
innate, not the foreign.

Majestic aims are absolutely necessary to a
complete, purposeful life.
The life that would surmount and extinguish
all difficulties. The life
that would be grandly and nobly true.

That life that would leave the world richer,
fuller, more desirable
because of its having lived therein. That
life that has mankind at
heart and God's uprightness in hope.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
November 27, 200l
*I think this is a wonderful message for all
of us..