The Chemawa American, April 15, 1925, Image 1

The ChemawaFAhierican
Printed at Chemawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education
Vol. XXVI
Wednesday, April 15, 1925
CONSCIENCE IN WORK
Not long ago we heard a man who had finished a
piece of work say: “There, I am willing to stand for
that piece of work; it is done as well as I can do it;
done to a complete finish. I will stand for that. I
am willing to be judged by it.”
Our greatest desire is for the students at Chemawa
to be so trained in every branch of work taught here
that each of them, wherever detailed, may be enabled
to put such quality into their work that any one who
comes across anything they have done will see character
in it, individuality in it, a trade mark of superiority in
it, let it be farming, gardening, dairying, any of the
mechanical trades, cleaning yards, home-making, home
economics, or what not.
Your reputation is at stake in everything you do,
and your reputation is your capital. Not one of our
students can afford to do a poor job, or let anything
that is inferior go out of his hands. Every bit of your
work, no matter how unimportant or trivial it may
seem, should be done to a “complete finish;” you
should regard every task that goes through your hands
as a part of your very self; it should be the very best
you can do—the best that you are able to produce.
There is nothing like accuracy, like being grounded
in thoroughness, like always striving for excellence.
No other characteristic makes such a strong impression
as the habit of being painstaking, careful and accurate.
We all know that if a young person puts conscience
into his work from principle, not from the standpoint
of something else, but because there is something in
him which refuses to accept anything from himself
but the best, that such a person is honest and made
of good material.
We have known many instances where advancement
hinged upon the little overplus of interest, of pains­
taking, honest endeavor being put forth by students—
on their doing a little better than was expected of
them. How many of you realize that we keep an eye
on the student who has the stamp of excellence upon
him, who takes pains with his work, who does it to a
finish? We know that kind of a student has a future.
And, sad to state, we also know of those who are not
dependable, those who shirk, those who botch up
their jobs.
No. 26
The secret of success here at Chemawa is to do the
common little things uncommonly well. It is also the
secret of success anywhere. The majority of our
young people do not seem to see that the steps which
lead to a fine reputation, to complete success, are con­
structed little by little by the faithful performance of
the common, humble every-day duties, the dry routine,
in doing the ordinary things well. It is the young
man or woman who sees an uncommon chance in a
common job, an humble detail, who really grasps the
opportunities hidden in these simple services.
It is doing things a little better than those about you,
being a trifle neater, a little more accurate, more
observant; it is ingenuity in finding new ways of do­
ing old things; it is in being a little more polite,
more obliging, more tactful, more cheerful, than those
about you that attracts the attention of people. The
main value of your career lies in allowing nothing to
enter your life that will lower your ideals—lower your
standard of quality.
Young men, young women, if there is that in your
natures which demands the best and will accept noth­
ing less; if you persist and insist on keeping up your
standard in everything you do you will achieve dis­
tinction in some line. You must never be satisfied
with the cheap, the botched, the slovenly. It is the
constant effort to be first-class in everything you at­
tempt that conquers.
We have been much impressed with a motto once
made prominent in a large department store, it read:
“Where only the best is good enough.” Adopt it as
your very own; hang it up in your bedroom and weave
it into the texture of everything you do.
JUNIOR NOTES
Raymond Jones, a prominent Junior, asked us a
few questions on the important topics of the day last
Wednesday.
Robert Fielder, drum major of the band, is surely
“doing his stuff” now, since he was the only one cap­
able for the position on account of being so tall.
Albert Orr was recently promoted from corporal to
1st Sergeant of B Company. Another Junior on the
job.
We have another Junior who has many positions of
high rank. Recently his first name was altered to
“Sunbeam.” He’s only Royal Holst.