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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1925)
j 3 MAY » The ChemawaAmerican Printed at Chemawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education Vol. XXVI Wednesday, April 8, 1925 RESOURCEFUL PEOPLE WANTED Never before was there such a demand for the ex ceptional, the resourceful, man or woman, those who can grasp the needs of a situation and solve them with their resourcefulness, their energy; and there never was a time, it would seem, when they were so hard to find. The resourceful persons are always on the alert, are always polite and attentive and obliging, and re gard their work as an opportunity to prove their metal —the kind of stuff they are made of—and who are always preparing themselves for better things. The exceptional, the resourceful person, never leaves things half done, but carries everything to a complete finish and is on the watch for every improve ment. An exceptional student encourages the dull or backward boy or girl, or those who do not seem able to get hold of the school work in general. He is al ways ready to give a lift whenever needed and has a word of cheer for the discouraged. Young people who are sticklers for hours, who are afraid of working after the whistle blows, or the bugle sounds, who want to leave their work on the minute or a little before, who are always late, never get very far and are not missed when they are gone. But those boys and girls who hang onto their tasksand stick and dig when other students are in a hurry to get away show promise and are sure of steady progress. Such ones do not measure the hours by the clock, or their obligation to the government or state that pays the bills; they do not feel when they begin earlier or stay later that it is an injustice. A readiness, a willingness, to do anything at any time, a disposition to oblige, to accommodate, these are qualities that win everybody’s admiration There is nothing which will put you in a more fav orable light with the academic and industrial teachers at Chemawa, or elsewhere, than for you to anticipate their wants and make them feel that you are trying to help them carry the load—to make their work a little easier. Think for them—plan for them, if you can. They will apprecate it and will gradually learn to de pend upon you. In this way you may make yourself indispensible and possibly develop yourself into a leader. It is astonishing how few young men and women No. 25 who are ambitious to get on in the world are capable of independent thought and action. Very few of them, comparatively, are leaders; the great majority are followers. This is one of the things which keep young men and women back. If there is anything in the world which people in authority want around it is those people capable of suggesting something, who do not stand paralyzed in an emergency, but who can act independently. We never learn much by simply hanging around —doing just what we are told to do and nothing more. It is the progressive youngster who keeps bis thinking cap on, who makes suggestions, plans, and is deter mined to advance. It is the leaders, not followers, that are wanted; young people who can start right and right away. If there is anything that keeps a young person in bad with an employe it is a manifes tation of indifference to the work in hand, a selfish ness that measures every demand by personal interest. Employesand employers are never blind to what is going on around them, and though they may often seem unobservant they are always watching the stu dents and young people entrusted to their care. Such employes and employers always knows who shirks, who watches the clock, who clip off a half-hour here and there; who comes late. In other words, those in charge of a department of any nature keeps thoroughly informed in regard to the work and general conduct of each person under them. As Supt. Hall stated in his talk last Sunday even ing: “As you are in school, the same you will be after you are thrown upon your own responsibility. A lazy, good-for-nothing, irresponsible boy or girl at school, usually becomes a lazy, good-for-nothing, ir responsible man or woman. It is sad, but very true. Illustrations come to my notice occasionally. Just to day I received a letter from a judge of court regarding two girls who attended Chemawa for two or three years and who gave us a great deal of trouble. We were pa tient and did everything we could to make good wo men of them, but they persisted in giving trouble until I could no longer take the responsibilty and sent them home to their parents. Now these two girls are in care (Continued on page 4)
