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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
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