It was the usual medley, contributed by pupils who could really sing and by others who really couldn't.
An undertone of varying discord ran along under the truer melody.
Then, after his name had been called by the principal, Dick Prescott rose.

Very stiff and starched, and painfully conscious of the creaking of his shoes as he went forward in that awesome stillness, Dick ascended the platform, advanced to the front center, made an elaborate bow, and then, in an almost scared voice he began to tell the assembled hundreds of grown-ups why they were there as though they didn't know already.

This performance, which admitted of very few gestures, was stated on the programme to be "The Salutatory." From his being chosen to render this address, it was easily to be inferred that Dick was regarded as the brightest boy of the class.
Then other exercises followed.

Two members of the Board of Education also had pieces to speak.

One told of the educational policy and methods followed in the Gridley schools, on which subject he knew vastly less than any of the eight smiling teachers present.
The other member of the Board of Education gave a lot of chilled advice to the members of the graduating class, he did this at much greater length and with far less effect than Old Dut had lately done in his last private talk with his class.
There were a lot of other pieces to be spoken, most of them by the youngsters.