Headmaster's News

                                                                      October 2008

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER

Our Opening Assembly
                                                

Our School motto is Courage, Honor, Truth.

 

Last year in our Opening Assembly I spoke about one of those words, Courage. This year, I focused for a moment on another one, Honor. Specifically I wanted our boys to always think about Honor in two ways at Brunswick.

 

If you look in the dictionary, the first definition you find for Honor is as follows: “Honesty, fairness or integrity in one’s beliefs and actions.”  Offering an example of the word Honor in a sentence, the dictionary reads: “He is a man of honor.”

 

It seems to me that there must be a reason that one of the three words (of all the possible words that could have been chosen) in our motto is Honor.

 

As we opened school, I wanted to remind each Brunswick boy that we need them to always conduct themselves in a manner that is Honorable; that brings Honor to themselves, to their family and to this School.

 

> To be trustworthy in all their dealings in both good times and bad.

> To tell the truth always, both when you have something to gain and something to lose.

> To behave the right way, both when people are looking and when they are not.

> To do the right thing, both when it is popular to do so and when it isn’t.

 

If they do this, they will indeed become men of Honor.

 

The second way I want our boys to think about the word Honor is, not coincidentally, the second definition of the word in the dictionary.

 

Specifically: “the privilege of being associated with or receiving a favor from a respected person, group or organization.” Used in a sentence: “It is an honor to be a member of this community.”

 

As the year started, I wanted everyone in this community to be aware of and be appreciative of what an Honor it is to be associated with Brunswick School. As a student, it is an Honor to be among these teachers, to be in these buildings, to represent this school on the playing field. As a member of the Faculty, it is an Honor to be among these colleagues, to be affiliated with this institution and most importantly, to be able to work with and be among young men like your sons.

 

My hope is that everyone in our community will appreciate how lucky we are to be part of this place; to be a part of this School, to stand for what we stand for and to stand against what we stand against. So many people in this world lack the opportunity and purpose that shapes our lives here.

 

Together, let’s HONOR that privilege!

Headmaster's Letter | All School News| BPA News | Upper School News | Middle School News | Pre & Lower School News | Printable Version