From the Headmaster
Heart, mind and courage walk arm-in-arm
In 2017, New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey wrote a powerful article revealing multiple allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein. The article did much to ignite the #MeToo movement and led to Weinstein’s eventual imprisonment. A further four members of the Weinstein company’s all-male board were dismissed for complicity and silencing.
Recently I watched the film ‘She Said’ which is an adaptation of the reporting that led to the details of Weinstein’s behaviour. The film superbly demonstrates how too few people were willing to speak, much less allow a reporter to use their name, for fear of reprisal. The film discloses how Weinstein and his associates used nondisclosure agreements, payoffs, and legal threats to suppress their accounts of sexual assault; all were frightened of retaliation.
The film also showed the many, working within the company, who expressed guilt and regret over not having said or done more when confronted with Weinstein’s behaviour. Some spoke regretfully of their lack of courage. Shakespeare is famous for the line in Hamlet ‘conscience makes cowards of us all,’ and this was the case with all involved in Weinstein’s cover up.
Sometimes humans are courageous; often they are not. Courage and fear are among the central themes of scripture. The phrase ‘do not be afraid’ or ‘have courage’ or ‘fear not’ occurs, I am told, 365 times in the bible; one for each day of the year.
The word courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means heart. The word encourage means to give someone heart. Heart, mind and courage walk arm-in-arm. Part of our teaching of the Catholic tradition has at its centre the belief that Christianity is a faith that does justice. It takes courage to do this. Sometimes it takes a lot of courage. It takes the kind of courage that embraces life with all its complexity and nuance, rather than hiding from it. It is an expression of a heart courageous enough to risk pain and injury. Pope Francis calls us to courageous tenderness. Our role, in partnership with parents, is to accompany the boys in our care to find courageous tenderness.
Examinations
Examinations are well underway for Year 7 - 12 students. Preparation has been thorough, and the atmosphere has been positive. Many students have taken advantage of tuition on offer in the College library after school each day. At the conclusion of this exam period, it is my sincere hope, that our boys will reflect on the experience and be proud that their preparation and effort were rewarded with results that exceeded their potential.
Remembrance Day
This year, Remembrance Day marks the ninety-sixth anniversary of the Armistice on the Western Front. As we remind ourselves each year, at 11.00am on 11 November 1918, the guns fell silent. Four years of war had come to an end.
It became known as the Great War, and for good reason. Its scale was unprecedented. It sparked the mobilisation of 70 million people across many nations. Its violence shattered great empires. Its images have never lost their power. To a great degree, those images of the muddy moonscapes of the Western Front have served to define, for succeeding generations, the horror of war.
It was the costliest conflict in history up to that time. Thirteen million people died, nine million of them combatants. Over one-third of all the soldiers killed were “missing” or had no known graves.
Three hundred and thirty-two thousand Australians fought in the Great War with the First AIF. Sixty thousand died, 45,000 of them on the Western Front, and 152,000 were wounded. Those grim statistics meant that only one out of every three Australians who went to the war got through it unscathed, at least physically. With a population of only about four million, Australia had, proportionate to forces fielded, the highest casualties in the British Empire.
It is tragic that over 100,000 Australians have died in wars whilst serving their country last century. The College acknowledges Remembrance Day to honour all the brave men and women who have served, both in war and in peace, to protect our nation and our way of life. Lest we forget.
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster
