"Our sons have completed their studies and it is time for them to return to their homes and live in the style befitting their station.  On the morrow, we will hold a great banquet in their honor and expect them to be dressed in their finest garments."

The old man smilingly answered, "They will be there," and he added, "appropriately dressed."

The following day, the banquet hall was filled with royalty and nobility dressed in dazzling jewels and costly finery.

Then came the great moment when the students entered with their beloved teacher. A startled cry arose from the crowds. For here were their young men dressed, not in the garments of the noble, but in simple sackcloth robes, each carrying a mortar board–the sign of a common workman.

"Let me explain," spoke the teacher as he raised his hands for silence. "Your sons are dressed in the clothing of the mason, for their destiny is to build."

"Some will build cities, some will build lives – perhaps one of them may even build an empire. But all will be builders on the solid foundation of knowledge."

And thus, over the years,

the cap and gown have become a traditional part of graduation,

symbolizing the fact that our young men and women are builders

– of their own future –

and the future of the world