Ilion High School - Class of 1975

Source pdf file is here Utica NY Observer 1975 a - 2406.pdf on fultonhistory.com

This is another in a series on valedictory speeches presented by-area high school seniors at commencement.

Richard Bohr, valedictorian at Ilion High School, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ned E. Bohr, 57 South Fourth Ave. Ilion. He will attend Rochester Institute of Technology in September and major in the field of mechanical engineering.

Youth Speaks - Grads, Don't Forget-Home

By RICHARD BOHR

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

It was the age of wisdom, it, was the-age of foolishness.

We had ever thing before us, we had nothing before us.

We were all going direct to Heaven.

We were all going direct the other way."

It was all that, and so much more that Dickens forgot to include. It was friendships, associations, laughter, tears, hard work and relaxation. It was ups and it was downs. But don't forget all the middles, the in-between times. The everyday way that things just kind of happened. In short, that is about the best way that I can describe the experience of Ilion High School. And I'm sure that none of us, if we will be honest with ourselves, would trade a moment of it away for all the King's gold.

Henry VanDyke made a general comment that should ring true for all of us, if we'd only realize it.

"Individuality is the salt of common life. You may have to live in a crowd, but you do not have to live like it, nor subsist on its food. You may have your own orchard. You may drink at a hidden spring."

But what is this glorified being called an individual? He's a man who does what he must do, whether he must do it alone or in a crowd is not important. What is important is that he does it. An individual is a something, because he lets the crowd follow him or walk away from him. He doesn't have to worry about choosing his friends, they choose him.

But what is this glorified being called an individual? He's a man who does what he must do, whether he must do it alone or in a crowd is not important. What is important is that he does it. An individual is a something, because he lets the crowd follow him or walk away from him. He doesn't have to worry about choosing his friends, they choose him.

Dare to be yourself, for each of us is a child of the universe, no less than, no less than the trees and the stars. We have a right be here.

We have all set personal goals for ourselves. Today we reach just one of those goals. It's been a long, uphill climb---but, because it took a little doing to reach it, it is all the more satisfying. Sophocles said that "Success is the reward of toil."