Benjamin had to memorize the “Gettysburg Address” for a class last week and it amazed me how much I remembered, having memorized it for a class of mine over forty years ago.
In sixth grade, I had one teacher I’ll never forget. Mr. Copeland. He was an amazing teacher, one that made a large impact on my life. There are a lot of things I could write about him, like the math puzzles he got us to do in our heads or him making you wear a big pink ribbon tied around your waist if you didn’t wear a belt, but this is about the “Gettysburg Address”.
Mr. Copeland announced one week that he was going to run a contest, a poetry contest, for anyone who wanted to participate. You didn’t have to, but there was going to be a reward for the first person to memorize six pieces of poetry. He told us the first five and I only remember the first couple of those: “The Children’s Hour” by Longfellow and “Concord Hymn” by Emerson. He said he would tell you the sixth poem after you had completed those five.
This was irresistible for me. I worked very hard to memorize everything because I sure wanted that reward. After finishing the five, Mr. Copeland told me the sixth was the “Gettysburg Address”.
I don’t remember anything about that. It’s not like he told me what it was and I was scared or concerned or whatever. I think I just went home and started working on it. I do remember being nervous and not being able to get through it all when I first tried to recite it for him, but I think that was because it was for the reward. I did get it correct the second time and won the prize; a book of poetry. More to the point, it was One Hundred and One Famous Poems, compiled by Roy J. Cook.
I was disappointed.
I’m not sure what I thought the reward would be, but a book of poetry never crossed my mind. I mean, what was a boy in sixth grade going to do with a book of poetry?
Fortunately, I never got rid of it. I guess I stuffed it into my stacks of books and forgot about it. Maybe I kept it because of what Mr. Copeland had written in the front of it:
Andrew Shepard, 1966
For excellence in literature
To see young minds expand and grow makes teaching the most exciting and rewarding of occupations.
Continue to strive for excellence and thereby avoid mediocrity.
The world today is full of the latter and crying like a voice in the wilderness for people who are willing to exert the extra effort that produces excellence.
Each honest calling each walk of life has its own elite, its own aristocracy based on excellence of performance.
My best wishes as you continue to strive for excellence in all your endeavors.
J. Reed Copeland.
I still have the book. The dust jacket is long gone and it’s somewhat battered and stained, but it’s still here. It’s my favorite book. I still read it occasionally and think about everything he did for me.
Posted by Andy 
