To the family and friends of St Edmund’s College,
This week we gathered as a community to celebrate and acknowledge our new College leaders for 2019. This is the text from my address at the Leaders Induction Assembly (given by Mr Jacob Knowles on my behalf):
Being called to leadership is a privileged and honourable position, whether it be leadership of a sporting team, leadership within a work setting, leadership of a family or leadership in the community. It is privileged and honourable because it means working with people – not for people, not over people, but working with people. As such leadership is all about relationships and community.
A good leader does not lead from the front – if you lead from the front you are blocking the views of others and they cannot see where they are going except for blindly following the leader. A good leader does not lead from the back – if you lead from the back then you have no vision and cannot give direction to the people you are serving. Good leaders walk alongside the people they are serving – so everyone has the same view, everyone has the same vision and direction and everyone is on the same path. Leading from the front or the back does not make for healthy relationships or vibrant communities. Leading alongside people is all about establishing the right relationships and being genuinely involved in the community you are serving.
The new College leaders who have been announced today were chosen because they have already demonstrated that they are good at working alongside others – they are aware of the needs, wants and wellbeing of their fellow students, and have articulated how they can work to improve and strengthen these even further. I wholeheartedly congratulate our new College leaders, wish them well in their journey of leadership and look forward with great anticipation in working with them. I thank the families of our new College leaders for their positive role in moulding our College leaders into the fine young men they are today.
I thank our outgoing College leaders for their work this year. They have added much to the atmosphere and environment of St Edmund’s and have contributed to a very successful year. Thank you for your hard work, your co-operation and your ability to create a vision and make that vision a reality.
When we think of the Christian nature of leadership, we, of course, turn our attention to Jesus Christ. You would have noticed that at the opening of this address the term “serving others” was used several times. Jesus provides us with a strong model of servant leadership. When you think of that phrase, “servant leadership”, it initially sounds like something weak and subservient. Servant leadership is anything but weak. Servant leadership is tough and difficult, but when it is carried out successfully it is leadership that is effective and transformative. Servant leaders are not preoccupied with personal visibility and recognition. Servant leaders seek to invest themselves in the lives of their people so that, as a whole, their community is challenged to grow and thrive. Servant leaders do not seek service for themselves; they aim to serve others; they do not aim to do their own will; they do not promote themselves. Why? Because they are amongst their people – they are walking alongside their people just as Jesus walked alongside all he came across; refusing nobody’s company and giving the time to those in need. Just as Blessed Edmund Rice walked amongst his people, was very aware of what they needed and worked hard his entire life to ensure that the marginalised in Waterford were given an education they deserved.
The religious tradition known as Christianity eventually emerged from the servant leadership of Jesus and his followers. That is why we are all here today. The movement of Christian Brother’s schools emerged from the servant leadership of Blessed Edmund Rice and his fellow Christian Brothers. Again, that is also why we are all here today.
So to our new College leaders – what will emerge from your servant leadership? How can you best serve your fellow students and the wider Eddies community? Best wishes, good luck and congratulations on your very significant achievement of being in a position to serve those around you.
Loving God,
You call us to life in all its fullness, following the path set out by Jesus your Son.
As we reflect on his leadership as Servant, we ask you to deepen our desire to imitate his example.
May our exercise of the gifts you have given us be a faithful reflection of his presence at work in our lives.
As we discern the meaning of our call to servant leadership,
help us recognise the ways you seek to minister through our lives.
Inspired by the knowledge of your abiding presence,
may we have the courage to reach out and support one another,
to stand firm in what is true, to decrease when others should increase,
and to lead with vision and compassion, as faithful followers of Jesus, your Son.
We make this prayer to you in his name.
Amen
India Immersion Experience
Thanks to Mr Matt Calder, Mrs Leonie Owens and Mr Joel Richardson for their time, effort and wisdom in guiding our small group of students through their immersion experience in India. The emails and photos I received were testament to the significance of such immersion experiences and I sincerely thank our three teachers for leaving their families and commitments here at home to allow our students to walk in the shoes of others for a while, interacting with other needy communities in a helpful and respectful manner. Many thanks to our students Jack Alexander, Jackson Burns, Sam Daniher, Eamon McCoola, Lachlan McLeod, and Ben Stonehouse for their significant contributions. I am sure they have come back wanting to be the voices of those they came across and standing in solidarity with them.
Discrimination Laws
There has been a great deal of media attention on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s promise to amend the discrimination law to ensure that no student at a private or religious school should be expelled on the basis of their sexuality. Like most Catholic schools and like all EREA schools, St Edmund’s College will never discriminate against a student or member of staff on the basis of their sexuality. As an EREA school (and as a school that understands right relationships), St Edmund’s College strives for the well-being and safety of all of our students, particularly in regard to combatting homophobia. This acceptance and well-being obviously extend to members of staff. We are an inclusive community and we respect the diversity of our students and staff. We cannot be a school based on the Gospel teachings of Jesus Christ if we do otherwise.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our Hearts, forever.
Christus Lux Mea
Joe Zavone (College Principal)