Graduation

[paul case]

My Wife and I attended her nephew's High School graduation this evening. I guess there was about 35 graduating seniors and half a million people crammed into that little gym at the high school. I first was relieved to see no let down screen for a video. I thought that that would keep it from being too long. The  sound was so that I couldnt hear a word of the sal. or val. speeches and then it happened. They started with the scholarships. I tried to keep track and best of my ability I figured $200,000 worth of scholarships. Of course some of that money was broken up by year for 5 years of college and such. There was only 12 of the students recieved any of these scholarships, but giving those out took more than half the time of the 2 hour graduation. Whatever happened to simple. Just because it took longer doesn't exactly mean that it was a better ceremony. I bet there was between 75 and 100 people that left because it was so long and it was getting warm in that gym.

Maybe I am too grippy, but I felt sorry for the other 23 seniors that didnt receive any scholarships. Did I mention every seat in the whole place was full, so I stood against a wall for the whole 2 hours of it?

Next Friday is my hometown's HS graduation. My 15yo son's girl friend  will graduate. She informed us they will have that many scholarships and will have a video. She expects it to last 3 hours. I think I will pack a sack lunch.

PC

[sandsawmill14]

2 of my nephews graduated last night and the place was packed there was roughly 110 grads and it lasted about 2 hrs as well it was a good night but i was glad to get headed home myself ;)

[coxy]

the scholarships are good  but  jmop its like they rub it in to the no so smart kids

[sandsawmill14]

i agree coxy   : their are some kids that would try really hard if they were given a chance that will never get to go :-\  they have separate award nights/dinners at our local high school that are by invitation only so its as bad as some places  but they do give a few awards during the graduation

[tree-farmer]

Yes, they can be boring, tedious events. Even at that, better for the kids getting attention for a  job accomplished rather than on the 6 o clock news for boosting a car or worse.
Young folks today face issues that did not even exist when us older types came down the pipe. Encourage them at every oppertunity, even if it a boring as watching paint dry.  :D

[thecfarm]

I was not the smartest kid and now I'm not the smallest adult.  :D
I looked up to the smart ones in school. I felt they earned those scholarships. I was and am not college material. I knew than as I know now,I just can not do it. And I am one that hate that "can't" word too.
I am going to be getting ready to go to the granddaughter college gradution this morning and than in a few weeks the grandson high school gradution. He won't be getting any scholships.

[sandsawmill14]

and you have to think about alot of those kids (especially boys ) are smart enough to make the grades but not smart enough to realize how important it is :  such as me i went to snaking logs late in the summer i graduated with a ford jubilee and pair of horses and aint never looked back ;D some of us just aint cut out for college  :-\ but as long as there is ditches we are gonna need ditch diggers  :D :D :D and the trades is something that has all but vanished from the public schools around here anyway :

[sandsawmill14]

by the way congrats to all the grads and families

[thecfarm]

And as long as it's honest work,it doesn't matter.  ;D 

[petefrom bearswamp]

I feel your pain.
When our grandkids lived in Hillburn NY we attended 3 graduations there in a large school,
8th grade grad was 360 some odd kids and took almost 3 hrs, high school even worse.
Diploma awarding alone took almost 45 minutes.
very disheartening

[coxy]

I was not a school person I wanted to quit but my dad wouldn't let me so I did something and got kicked out    he was not happy

[sandsawmill14]

thats sorta the way i was coxy :D i got suspended for 5 days one time but dad seen to it that it never happened again :D :D :D   im lucky with my girls my oldest graduated last year and got alot of scholarship money and my youngest daughter is very smart but she lets school stress her to much :( she came in one day all upset becase she got a bad grade on a test and i ask her what she made and she said 94 : :D  she has a 4.0 and says its not gonna get any lower i dont know where she got it from but it was from me :D :D :D

[Bruno of NH]

We got awards for shop and building trades.
Only because the building trades teacher Insited .
The other teaches couldn't stand it.
I'm still close friends with my building trades teacher he is dying of cancer :(
When I got a name for myself as a good builder in town the teachers that didn't like me in school wanted me to work for them .
No way!!
I'm to good for them now

[paul case]

I don't remember that anyone in my graduating class received any scholarships at the graduation ceremonies, but several of us got our college paid for in some fashion or another. Yep I am a 2yr college grad with an associates degree in ag bus. management. I have never been employed by someone else in that field. Manage my own if that counts.
My 22yo son, that is my head sawyer, also has a 2yr degree and after his 6 month internship, while in school, he graduated and was offered 2 different jobs that paid well and had benefits. He turned them down and went back to sawing for me. He said he worked in the big factory enough to know that wasn't for him.

My 15yo son has a little trouble applying himself. He could do anything he wants, but we have trouble getting him to do anything. I hope he finds his ''it'' soon cause this is driving me nuts. (easy for me since it is such a short trip). He says he is going to go to the local tech school to learn diesel mechanics, which I am fine with. The trouble is I cannot get him to help with anything sometimes even working on a motor or tractor or such. Why God ever put middle aged and teenaged together I will never understand.

I think about these graduating today and wonder if there will be any of the same opportunities that were around when I was there. Both of my sons seem to like taking care of cattle and the land and that a real rarity if both of them stick around. Only time will tell.

Thanks for your responses to my brainless ramblings. It is good to know I am not the only one having trouble with this stuff.
PC

[WV Sawmiller]

   Our little HS has an awards night separate from graduation so that helps. The last politician we had speak at graduation was several years ago when we had Sen. Robert Byrd. We may never have another thanks to the memory. It was threatening to rain like Moses ready to part the Red Sea. He talked until he was blue in the face and us fidgiting in the bleachers as an outdoor graduation. Finished before the rain but we all got soaked on the way to the parking lot. Now the top several kids do the speeches and life is better.

    Unfortunately too often in our area the scholarships are sort of a popularity contest instead of for deserving kids. We have seen a number of kids who were big fish in our little pond but were home in less than a year as they could not adapt to life away from Mommy and Daddy. Maybe we were bad parents because both our kids were ready to live independently and anxious to get out on their own. We always said our goal was to raise them to be independent and it worked with both of them.

   Anyway, our best to the graduates. Your real lessons are about to begin.

[coxy]

thats sorta the way i was coxy :D i got suspended for 5 days one time but dad seen to it that it never happened again :D :D :D   im lucky with my girls my oldest graduated last year and got alot of scholarship money and my youngest daughter is very smart but she lets school stress her to much :( she came in one day all upset becase she got a bad grade on a test and i ask her what she made and she said 94 : :D  she has a 4.0 and says its not gonna get any lower i dont know where she got it from but it was from me :D :D :D

I know what you mean my 20 year old daughter is going to collage be a RN (and those brains never ever came from me) the nicest part is her job is picking up the bill as long as she get a c average my 10 year old daughter is always in the shop trying to help me work on things I keep telling her I don't need help loosing tools thats the one thing I'm good at  :D :D but she likes getting greasy so who knows what she will want to do

[gspren]

   Coxy, one of the better chainsaw/small engine mechanics in our area is a woman, nothing wrong with that.

[Sixacresand]

Paul Case,  Looks like you all did a good job raising your sons.  Equally important, you can provide jobs for them. 

Graduations:  Worse than the long winded speakers, for me, is the heat.  However, May 71, when I graduated college, it was freezing.

Sandsawmil14:   My Granddaddy used to ask, "If everybody goes to college, who is going to the do the work?"   

[Magicman]

We have a Granddaughter, Marty's Daughter, graduating from college today!!   

[grouch]

Didn't attend either of my two offspring's college graduations. (Each advised me it would be just wasted time). Can't remember if I attended either high school graduation. DanG sure didn't attend any 8th grade "graduation".  They've turned out ok in spite of pompous, contrived ceremonies.

[rjwoelk]

Come June 12 , my  25 year old daughter, who has been in the navy reserve since 16 will graduate from the RCMP in Regina Sk. 6 months of intense training. As of today they still have all 32 troops.  This has only happened 1 or 2 times before.
I will need to make sure I don't have a button up shirt on at thre grad.

[sandsawmill14]

Paul Case,  Looks like you all did a good job raising your sons.  Equally important, you can provide jobs for them. 

Graduations:  Worse than the long winded speakers, for me, is the heat.  However, May 71, when I graduated college, it was freezing.

Sandsawmil14:   My Granddaddy used to ask, "If everybody goes to college, who is going to the do the work?"

sounds like your granddad was a smart man   what they dont teach kids in school now is that manual labor has to be done and on a personal level we have to do it ourselves or pay someone to do it  and as Americans we have to do it  ourselves or have immigrants do it :-\ and we all know how that worked out : i prefer the we do it ourselves  ;D now how do we get the education system to teach this ??? :D :D :D

[Magicman]

We have a Granddaughter, Marty's Daughter, graduating from college today!!   

 
Since she had spent 4+ years earning that diploma, you had better believe that we spent 8 hours round trip traveling and then ~3 hours of sitting, waiting, and watching her walk across that stage.   

[reedco]

          Congratulations to all. Lots of good points,Lots of good students ,Grateful for smart people, hard working people. Some in my family make for good bragging, I need a smart one to tell me how to sell some of this forever wind.

[samandothers]

Congratulations to all the graduates.  It does take a lot to get through school on both parents and the student,well worth celebrating!

[paul case]

That's one happy Graduate there MM. Obviously happy grandparents too.

Congratulations to all graduates! Now get out there and do something else for us to be proud of you for!!!!!

PC

[sandhills]

My niece graduated yesterday, my oldest daughter next weekend, and another niece the weekend after in North Dakota  .  Yesterday's was nice, a class of nine, took 45 minutes, and a lot of memories shared by the kids, I enjoyed it.  Now I just have to get 100# of pork but thawed, smoked and ready to go for Friday  :.

[paul case]

I attended my home high school's graduation last evening. It rained thundered and lightening through the whole thing so the crowd was a little smaller than normal. Many empty seats in the bleachers to be had. Lasted just over 1 hour. I heard every word that was said. They announced about the same $200,000 worth of scholarships awarded to more than half the student body. Had the video too.  It was all good.

PC

[ESFted]

Just attended the granddaughter's high school event....over six hundred graduates and scholarship money in the millions! It was held in a big sports arena and felt like a theatrical production.  Don't know what ever happened to keep it simple.

[sandhills]

We had my daughter's yesterday, class of 47 I believe.  They kept it simple and nice, 45 minutes long, 2 really nice speeches from students, and a nice slide show.  The sun actually came back out yesterday, it was a nice day.

[caveman]

Congratulations on your daughter's graduation Sandhills.

My middle daughter, Shelby, will graduate tonight.  She ended up as the salutatorian and will give a brief speech to her class.  She chose to have me introduce her, which I am honored to do.  My dad graduated from the same school 55 years ago.

Picture is from baccalaureate, which was Sunday.

  

[Roxie]

Great picture, and way to go Shelby!   8)

[paul case]

Congratulations to caveman and Shelby.

Wow is she loaded down with honors or what?

PC

[sandsawmill14]

congrats 8)

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Ol Caveman looks proud.  8) 8) 8)
I don't blame you buddy. 

[Magicman]

Thanks Caveman for sharing your pride!   

[caveman]

Poston and MM, I am proud of her.  She has worked diligently without much complaint while helping me do a major portion of my job over the past four years.

The graduation went well.  Shelby gave her speech and I was able to give her her (Tom) diploma and she and 407 of her classmates were able to get their diplomas or certificates of completion.  Afterwards they rushed the graduates out of the doors of the civic center and we spent 20 minutes or so trying to locate Shelby and assemble for family and extended family photos.

We were able to get a picture of all of us.  Our youngest daughter has six more years until graduation but they will surely fly by.

 

[Roxie]

That sure is one beautiful family. 

[thecfarm]

Graduation is good. High honors even better.
407? I don't think there was that many in the whole school when I graduated.  ;D  I had 69 in my class.

[samandothers]

Congratulations!  Is she going to college? If so where?

[Magicman]

There were 8 in my class, but at least we had 3 more than the grade ahead of us!      :D

[sandhills]

Congratulations Shelby!  I'm just saying that caveman because I got tired of hearing everybody congratulating me, heck I didn't have anything to do with it, she did all the work  :D.  Seriously though congratulations and great pictures, my wife got some really good ones too but I've never figured out how to get them from facebook to here yet.

[caveman]

Thank you Roxie.
Samandothers, she graduated high school with 42 college credits (I think) and will try to earn 18 more credits this summer by taking classes at Polk State College and Hillsborough Community College.  She plans to start at the University of Florida in Gainesville in August and major in Ag Communications.  I will not be disappointed if she waits until January to go to Gainesville.  Morgan, her older sister graduated from UF last April with a degree in Food and Resource Economics.  With Morgan getting married in April and moving out and Shelby planning to head to Gainesville in August our house is going to be too quiet.

CFarm, there were probably around 775 in her freshman class.  Usually they have around 300 in the graduation ceremony.

[Chop Shop]

Out here on the west coast the audience is full of parents and family and FRIENDS.

The friends tend to bring AIRHORNS.  Like the kind you have to keep on a boat.   They repeatedly honk them every time one of their buddies is called.

Its more of a popularity contest for teens than a ceremony.   Its louder than an industrial jobsite and very annoying.

When I was a kid they only gave you a couple tickets to share with family and it was held at the schools auditorium.  Now there are thousands of people and they are held at the local fairgrounds and events centers, same places where concerts are held here.

I avoid going anymore.  My ears thanks me.   Respect is a rarity these days.

[Chop Shop]

Congrats to the proud parents/family here to!

[samandothers]

She sounds like she has done great!  You guys have too!

I wish her the best in her future education and career path.  The home does change as the children grow up and move out.  It is satisfying to see them grow up and move on.  I do enjoy when they come back to spend some time!

[paul case]

I am quite proud of the young lady that invited us to my alma ma'der's graduation ceremony. Her name is Katelyn Schooley. She received a couple scholarships at graduation. She is a very good artist and has plans to go to PSU in Pittsburg, KS to become an art teacher,among many other things including working in gospel ministry. She and my wife along with 18 others left this morning to go to NM for a week and put on vacation bible school at a navajo reservation.

She also is dating my 16yo son, but I am proud of her anyway.  ;)

PC

[rjwoelk]

Today my daughter became a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted  Police.
Yup dad got a little emotional.
I am so proud of my kids .

[Magicman]

Congratulations on the Graduation and I suppose a "Badging".   8)

[rjwoelk]

Yes lynn lots of drill part of the orignal drill done on horse back.

[Grizzly]

Do they get any choice at all in the posting process? If so best have her choose something out of province so none of yer friends get it! At least don't send her north!!
I can believe it feels satisfying to know you raised a child to do well and now you get to see her success.
Congratulations!

[samandothers]

Congratulations on raising a wonderful girl with the drive and ability to accomplish this feat!

[rjwoelk]

Griz. She will be at kamsack sk
sask was her first choice
Her first day is a friday night shift. 3 reservation in the area. She will be well initiated.

[rjwoelk]

She knows some christian members and will be able to talk to him for the things that she cant discuss with anyone else. His wife told her to call her for the things she can.

[Grizzly]

We're in a similar area with 3 nearby reservations. 1 in particular provides for a lot of high speed traffic with flashing lights. The other 2 are quieter. Anyway, glad to hear she'll be in good hands.
We've been invited to powwows and such but most of my native friends tell me to stay away. Too much violence. Too bad, cause they do have some good traditions.

[Dudaks]

Congrats to all the graduates and their families! My son will be graduating this evening in the stadium, weather permitting. He has been accepted to Drexel and I couldn't be more proud. Hard to believe the day is here. He has been focused about what he wants to do from a pretty young age. His major will be electrical engineering, which I hope meets with his expectations. Very proud of his accomplishments and excited for his future.

[Magicman]

Thank You for sharing your excitement.  We rejoice with you.   

[samandothers]

Good for him.  Any of the engineering fields are good and help teach problem solving and logical thinking.

[Grizzly]

I haven't noticed not one single member talkin bout graduatin from the School of Hard Knocks.  ???

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

I haven't noticed not one single member talkin bout graduatin from the School of Hard Knocks.  ???

That's because you don't graduate until this life is over... In the meantime you are just held back for another year of lessons.

Herb

[Ron Scott]

Well done!

[rjwoelk]

My daughter that Graduated from the RCMP at age four. The foal is still with us and is very dear to her.


 

[rjwoelk]

Her she is after RCMP Grad and posting. Grandma (97) hurt her back and was feeling poorly, but sure perked up when her granddaughter showed up in her Red Serge.


 

[Magicman]

That picture of two happy ladies is a true family treasure.   

[rjwoelk]

Thanks mm.
Pretty much a 70 year spread.
She became my step mom when i turned 4. And has been mom to a family of 8. 3 girls and 5 boys. She had never been married and took on that job i believe at about 40. That was after a 6 week court ship.

[samandothers]

Strong women run in your family it appears.  In this case I believe it is the strong will and determined spirit!

[caveman]

I am at the University of Florida's College of Ag and Life Sciences graduation ceremony. 3/4 of the forestry team that won the national FFA forestry contest in 2014 graduated here tonight. Two earned forestry degrees and the other an ag communications degree. They will all begin their masters programs next month. 

  The boys pictured are tonight's graduates. I am doing
My best imitation of 4x4 DUG - posting from my phone. 

[fishpharmer]

Congratulations to all of those pictured, including you Caveman!!  

[maple flats]

Wow, good work all.
I didn't even attend my own college graduation, I was working that day, they mailed my diploma to my house.
However, I have attended the graduations of all my kids and grandkids, both HS and College. Last month I missed one, but it was restricted to his parents and sister. He graduated from Naval basic, and is now in another school, before he is sent to California for 6 months Seal Training. So far several have been "weeded" out but he is still gung ho. His graduation was streamed live on TV, but during the whole ceremony we could not figure which one he was. There were like 800 and they all looked the same.

[thecfarm]

That is good. Mighty good.

[paul case]

I attended another high school graduation last night, kind of hard to believe it has been a year since I started this.

The graduation was at Commerce High School in Commerce, OK the town where the church I pastor is located. It was a good ceremony, not too long. Nice temp controlled gymnasium was comfortable even with a full house. There was a glitch in the sound system, their music player to be exact and it would not play the national anthem and as it was cutting out, the pastor of FBC in Commerce and I picked it up and all joined in to finish Star Spangled Banner. That was real neat and the whole crowd together sounded much better than a recording.

It was kind of bittersweet for me as there were many of the graduates that attend my church that have plans to move away for school or work. 

Congratulations to all the graduates of 2018.

PC

[caveman]

We attended another graduation ceremony today at the University of Florida.  Our daughter, Shelby, who graduated high school two summers ago graduated with her bachelor's degree today.  The forestry team pictured earlier in this post also had some graduates today.  The three boys all were awarded their master's degrees today.  Lexi, the girl in the forestry team picture, graduated from UF last spring and will begin teaching agriculture on Monday at a middle school in our county.  There were about 2500 from four different UF colleges who were awarded diplomas today.



 
Shelby and her boyfriend, Taeler.
Shelby and the grumpy old man. I only wear my gator shirt to special occasions.  It is a bit painful for me to wear (even though I do serve as an adjunct for them for ag mechanics).

[WDH]

Congrats proud Pop.  You done good. 

[doc henderson]

@CaveMann glad to see she got her mom's looks :D.  congrats!  Bachelors in 2 years!  guess she got her mom's smarts too!  congrats on the boys as well. great accomplishments.  I am sure dad gets some credit as well.

[caveman]

Doc, she has been on a mission since she graduated high school.  She moved back home from Gainesville at Christmas break and took most of her classes on line.  She did have to drive 240 miles round trip one day a week last semester for a class but she has been invaluable to our family since my oldest daughter had her son last December and my dad had a debilitating stroke in February.  Shelby has stepped up to the plate, so to speak.  She watches my grandson four days a week, helps my mother with my Daddy.  She has some options and I told her there is no hurry.  She has gone to school every year since she was five.

I have encouraged her to apply to be a substitute teacher.  Our department can give her some work.  I have discouraged her from teaching as a career due to the job expectations and the pay but it would not be a bad gig for a few years.

My youngest starts high school tomorrow morning.  She has me for first and third periods (poor kid). 

They all got the pretty from their mother.  They probably got their hard heads and pleasant dispositions from me.  

Anyway, I am proud of them and the effort that they put in.  

[samandothers]

They sound like great kids dad!  Tell your wife great job!  :D