Show ECONOMIC ECO Ol BUILDERS DORIS SUNDSTROM Early or primitive mans man's economic life Ufe was very simple but as he became more civilized his economic life Ufe became more more compleX culminating in the intricately complex economic conditions to which we modern moden people m must st adjust Because of f this continuing trend toward economic economic econ- econ complexity we who live Uve In the present resent and who will live Uve in the future must prepare to make the necessary ad- ad adjustments adjustments to this complexness Economics Economics Econ- Econ or economic living can be defined simply imply as a way of making a living or securIng material things to sustain life Ufe There are two Important questions that hat each member of this class should attempt to answer as he faces the problem problem lem em of helping to build a strong future Economic America These questions are 1 1 What I.-What What contribution can I make to the he solutions of the existing economic problems 2 2 In In which of the various fields of economic activity ought I to prepare to spend pend my lire Hie Before I attempt to give answers to tD these questions and before I attempt to unravel the complex skeen of economic living Iving let me give a brief definition of ofa a word that I will use repeatedly during the remainder of ot this speech That word wordIs Is wealth Wealth in an economic sense senses Is s the accumulation of ot goods and ser- ser services services vices ices which can be used to produce still stUl stillmore stillmore more goods and services In this economic economic econ- econ mic sense wealth is not necessarily money because money merely represents economic wealth If we are to be effective economic builders of future America we must prepare prepare pre- pre pare are ourselves to be managers of the affairs affairs af- af money-getting money and spending money-spending fairs of our government and industry Any economic system is the organization tion lon of all alt economic activities which results In production of goods and services services ser- ser vices which satisfy human wants and needs eeds An economic system also maintains maintains main main- social control over the exchange and nd use of these goods and services So virtually all human achievements come about bout because of this drive and urge of Individuals to become a cog in this huge complex economic machine Only those human beings who are capable of contributing contributing con- con In some small individual way to o the production of a society's transferable transferable trans- trans goods and services can be classified classified classi- classi fied ed as economic assets Those who do donot donot doot not ot contribute to this total economic pool l are economic parasites Good examples examples ex- ex amples of economic parasites are gambl- gambl gamblers ers en rs and racketeers who prey upon the gullible and unprotected An economic parasite Is similar to a drone bee in a hive ilvo of honey bees He is tolerated for a a. short hort time by those who are Bre assuming the ic burdens of the society but eventually ally y he is eliminated Therefore we who Bro arc ro sitting on this stage tonight must use se well all the Information training and nd Ideals that has haa been Imparted to us in the T Past ast twelve years in order to be certain that we become economic assets and not economic p parasites Any advanced economic society which hopes to be cohesive stable stable and efficient efficient ent must possess customs laws or other socially approved usages for tor regulating the use of f its means of production Even the very dynamic economic laws of supply and demand must have sufficient controls to make them work eff effectively but lut we we emust must reaU realize e that human society and andall all lt Its institutions are in a a. constant st state t-e t of of t evolution and no Do particular condition condition condition con con- of society may eyer ever be regarded as final Bec Because us these changes are are re taking place before before our ur v very ry eyes yes should emphasize emphasize emphasize em em- and make us us s aware of the need for far us to become as graduates the Economic Builders of the future by adJusting adjusting adjusting ad- ad smoothly to these changes The good old days were never asgood as asgood asgood good as they have been pictured Im I'm not ads ady ad orating cating that we can or should forget the past but the past should never ne be w worshipped d. d It should be studied and remembered to prevent us from making the same old mistakes Depressions and hard times occur because be because because be- be cause people are are reluctant to make the necessary economic changes and adjust adust- ments The same economic forces that worked well for grandpa will not work in the tho same way in our ur age So let me repeat that if we are to be successful successful successful suc suc- economic builders of the future we must use what we have learned during during during dur dur- ing our school days so that we can make the proper adjustments to the inevitable changes of ot our economic existence To be effective Economic Builders does not mean that we must be Fords Rockefellers Rocke Roche- fellers or J. J P P. P Morgans or that we must be recognized throughout the United States and the world as financial giants glants Wo We can be very effective by gaining recognition and respect in our own community To do this we should take I the experiences gained from our high school career plus the knowledge gained from other sources that have been set before us and put them to use for other peoples people's advantages as well as our own It should be well remembered that progress progress progress pro pro- gress and growth are the result of co- co action A good motto for everyone everyone every every- one would be be For future progress let letus letus us 15 us cooperate for cooperation fosters I progress I May I therefore close with this quotation quotation quota quota- tion by Joseph Irvin Arnold I quote f High Ideals which are forgotten are like tools which remain idle in the tool- tool I chest hest or money which lies hidden and unused mused Fine ideals have bave a big part to tolay play lay in life so use them freely SOmetimes Sometimes Some- Some times imes it may be hard to uphold them but mt they are far more than worth the effort Unquote Fine Ideals reap an abundant harvest and 2nd nd make it easier for other people a and d I other communities to remember and uphold life let us to 1 cooperate the fullest fulli full full- I i i est extent of our citizenship i Now we the members of the Class of 1954 the future builders of politics Te ie- ie ligion relation human-relation and economy are about to depart into a challenging world As the final spokesman of this class allow me rue to take this opportunity I to thank the members of the School Board our parents our principal and teachers for their guidance and care during our sojourn In high school We shall ch cherish their teachings and sh shall ll strive to build a n. better world one which will show the Fatherhood of r God and the brotherhood of man I thank you |