Page 186 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

506 Records of Bahrain

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. The Stimulation of National Ambition. I thiuk that if wo could hold
iipbefore'tho schoolboys of Bahrain soino national ambition, ono which
thoy could readily understand, and in which they could personally co­
operate, wo should be able to bring about in them tho highest dogreo of
patriotism. Id tkcro any ideal picture, or futuro goal, which would capturo
their,imngmnliona, tiro their entlnisiuBm, and enlist their oigcr suporb V I
believo thcro is such a picture. It is tho picture of thoir Island as tho cul­
tural, educational, medical, architectural, aud cominorcial contro of tho
Persiau Gulf—tho picturo of Bahrain as tho uuquostionod loador of all tho
Gulf States, their exemplar and guide, foremost in dovolopmont, and para­
mount in prestige. This i3 an ambition which overy schoolboy would bo able
to understand, and oue in which no schoolboy would fool himself too young
or too insignificant to play his part. It is not for mo to suggest national
ambitions for Bahrain : but something of tho sort thoro must bo, if wo aro
to have tho highest degree of patriotism iu our young people, and tho
ambition which I have described is tho ono which comes most roadily to
mind : for it seems to mo that all tho nocossary factors aro present, all tho
conditions aro conducive, tho moment is ripo, aud tho stars aro propitious,
for 6uch a move by Bahrain. To mako hersolf undisputod leador of tho Gulf
States, iu6lcad of to remain a juuior mombor of a moro scattered combina­
tion with which sho bus so littlo in common, is a task woll withiu her
powers, aud if sho would adopt it as a national ambition sho would provido
her youth with souiotkiog to work for and to live for, aud we should liod
no lack of patriotism in tho schools.

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