by David Flint
About 20 veterans and their guests from Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton and Stephentown attended the annual Veterans Recognition Day on November 6 at the Berlin High School and Middle School. Following breakfast in the cafeteria, the veterans entered the auditorium to the thunderous applause of the entire student body. “I was overwhelmed,” said one.
Principal Dr. Cathy Allain welcomed the veterans and Senior Madison Rascoe, who has already enlisted in the ROTC, led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Following a stirring rendition of the National Anthem played by the Berlin High School Band, Maggie Gordon read a prize-winning essay written by Madison Rascoe entitled “The Voice of Democracy,” about the importance of veterans to the nation and to its future. Madison, she said, was too modest to read it herself, but Gordon thought it important and appropriate to the occasion. The Berlin High School Choir then sang the beautiful hymn, “Let Freedom Ring.”
The Guest Speaker was former Interim BCS Superintendent, and recent candidate for State Senate, Dr. Brian Howard. Howard acknowledged that he did not do too well in the election but affirmed that it was thanks to our veterans that we get to have elections.
The theme of the day was character – what is it? Howard had some words of advice for the students on being and becoming persons of character. He concluded by advising that they “remember that being popular does not make a person right and being unpopular does not make a person wrong.” As examples of people who had been viewed as unpopular or even villains, untrustworthy, insane, evil or just wrong, he pointed to Susan B. Anthony, Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Winston Churchill. “But they prevailed,” he said, “They all had character and made great things happen and changed the world for the better. You can do the same.”
Allain pointed out that a student group called the Super Troopers were largely responsible for planning and coordinating the Veterans Recognition Day. This group grew out of the first assembly for Veterans some years ago. The students in the group have been encouraged by Mr. Gould in the Social Science Department to look at ways to demonstrate civic pride and help the school become a better school, improving what could be improved, and at the same time recognizing what the school is doing well.
The Super Troopers had produced a video for this occasion. It showed students wrestling with the concept of character. What does it mean? What makes for character? The students in the video had a number of great answers. Then they reached out to some of the veterans in the community, asking them what character means to them. “Honesty, credibility, acting in a positive manner and helpful to others, a good honest person, the four cardinal virtues and the Boy Scout Law,” were some of the answers. Bill Craib offered that maybe it means, “When one does what he said he would do; when one stands with those who are deserving but who cannot stand alone; an active believer in the Golden Rule.”
The veterans each received a gift of a framed copy of a rendering of Patriotism created by Patrick Reger to honor his grandfather.
At the conclusion the veterans, asked to stand and face the student body, were treated to another round of thunderous applause.
