THEME: THE WELL-BEING OF OTHERS
Having a formal occasion like an assembly in the outdoors comes with its own challenges, some of which we have discussed over the last couple of weeks – starting with the conduct expected of young men from Maritzburg College before, during and after formal occasions.
So let’s all co-operate and pay attention, please – these weekly gatherings of our school together on Monday mornings are important, as we gather together and reaffirm our sense of unity and purpose, we celebrate good news and commiserate on bad, we reiterate our shared journey together – boys and staff – and we end off with some singing, to stir the hearts.
The theme for the week is the “well-being of others”
The reading from scripture this morning talks a lot about LOVE – which in my experience is not a typical topic of choice for the grizzled young men of Maritzburg College. Fortunately for us all, the sense in which the word LOVE is being used in the reading does not relate to any form of love that might make one squeamish, but at its essence is referring to the kindness, support, respect and tolerance that you would find in any harmonious neighbourhood.
I believe that each of you has been sent to this school by your parents so that you will learn fabulous things, you will expand your minds, and, hopefully, you will be prepared for a great purpose in your adult life. But most importantly, you will learn through your interaction with each other in the classrooms and on the sports fields, on the corridors and in the quadrangles, in the dormitories and in common rooms, and on the Maharaj buses, as you make your way to our rival schools, a certain Code of Behaviour, that even more than the lessons you will learn in the classroom will stamp you as a Maritzburg College boy and prepare you for the world beyond this place.
The absorption and understanding by pupils of knowledge are the basic tasks of all good schools – but at the heart of every GREAT school is also an appreciation that young people also need to be mentally equipped for life beyond its protective confines – including your resilience, sense of right and wrong and your ability to fit in and hopefully thrive with the people around you.
But before we even venture beyond the green palisade fence of our school, and concern ourselves with how the adult YOU will get on in life, you need to learn the valuable lessons to be kinder to each other, more tolerant and more empathetic – and those lessons you will learn HERE.
- If you are perhaps a 5th Former at the Food Court, and you see that a 3rd Former has been struggling to be served – then why not offer to help the young bloke get his burger ‘n’ chips?
- If you are perhaps a 4th Former, and a boy in your Quad from a different friendship group has said something to offend you, why not show some good judgment and maturity and discuss things one-on-one like men, rather than each enlisting a gang of friends to confront each other?
- If you are perhaps a 3rd Form boarder, you can learn from today’s lesson and show some empathy to a 2nd Form dayboy who doesn’t know your name, but has had the good manners to greet you on the corridors.
This is not an invitation for the boys of Maritzburg College to throw away good manners and our Core Values. We expect that each College boy will vigorously pursue the codes of behaviour established over 160 years at this school. You should not have to be told to show good manners and respect; or to be well-turned out, to do your best and to never give up. These have all been the attributes of Maritzburg College boys for generations.
But, whatever your position in College’s hierarchy, whether you are a freshly-minted acting prefect or new 2nd Former – or indeed the acting headmaster or humble cleaning contractor – you young men especially need to work harder at respecting each other, honouring our school and all it stands for, treating each other with kindness and tolerance, and not abusing College’s hierarchy for your own self-importance. Individually, we are 1 250 boys and 200-odd staff, each plodding along on our own path.
But, collectively, whether we are rich or poor, dayboy or boarder, black, brown or white, Christian, Hindu, Muslim or “Other”, we are a great team and a sacred brotherhood, united not only by our colours of red-black-white, but by our shared beliefs and values.
On the important subject today of how you treat each other, on how you treat each other as “neighbours” as quoted from the Bible, you had a better week last week, gentlemen – but you can always do better.
Pro Aris et Focis
Matthew M Marwick (Acting Headmaster)