RESOLVES FOR NEW YEAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1929, Page 24 (Supplement)

RESOLVES FOR NEW YEAR.

BE HELPFUL AND OF SERVICE. GIVE AND NOT TAKE. To endeavour to be t good citizen—what better resolve could each of you hundreds of Tiukites make for 1930, for the new decade and for all your lives, than that? Now, what is a good citizen? Is he or she a man or woman who always keeps within the law, who never drinks or smokes or swears, who always attends church regularly on Sundays? Certainly such an individual is to be admired, but, children, are those qualities all that are to be desired in a good citizen? No; a good citizen is more than that.

In a speech recently a great man said that people must realise that each one of them had to work very, very hard during life, and that no one must fool away one’s young days spending a lot of money and a lot of time with no good result. That sounds dreadfully serious, but I think it also sounds very sensible. Now, I believe that that man also meant that there was a time to be serious, and a time to be lighthearted and relaxed. And I am sure he meant that the time to be serious was by far the more important.

A good citizen realises this. He also realises that in this hard work of life there are many duties. He knows that he has to cultivate individual responsibility, a terrible phrase that really only means that he must learn to rely upon himself. A good citizen tries his very best to help others, and. Tiukites all, the real pleasure in life it is to help or be of service to others. One big duty that a good citizen knows is this—the duty of giving rather than of taking. Do not try to get every single thing you can for yourself; share with the other fellow; give freely, though sensibly. And, I don’t mean just icecreams, or lollies, or apples, when I say give; I also mean you to give your services, ypur help with your hands and with your brains on every occasion that you can.

All good Tiukites know that they should be ever respectful and well mannered. They should also know that this should not “grow off” them as they get older, but that they should always show respect- and fine manners. Such is the good citizen. He realises that though he is no longer a little boy who is very kind to his mother and who lifts his cap to his teacher, he still has occasion all the time for his manners and his respects.

Children, I think I have talked to you long enough. I will remind you of an old text which I want yon to think about: “Do unto others as thou would’st have done unto thyself.” Make, a resolve from now on to be a good and useful citizen. WENDY.