Greetings from St Bede’s College

With the Seniors now on exam leave, the campus has become a lot quieter this week. The Year 13s had their Leavers' Mass, Tie Ceremony and Special Prizes on their last day, last week and we would like to share with you, photos, speeches  and special prizes from the ceremony.

Below is my address to the boys as part of their Leavers' Tie Ceremony, please see our 2021 Head Boy Jackson's address to his fellow Year 13s and our special prizes later in the newsletter.

Today you walked into this Chapel as a St Bede’s College student. Very soon you will walk out as old boys of the College, and you will join 1000s that have gone before you over the last 110 years.

Men, you may not think this right at the moment, but your school days are not only some of the best days of your life, they are also the springboard or the launchpad for even better days to come. I hope this College provides the opportunity for greater things in your life later.

When I speak to old boys, I often comment – do not judge our College by its very good academic record, nor its very presentable sporting and cultural programmes (all features of this year), nor the significant number who have left school and eventually gained employment in business, the arts, the professions or trades. Rather judge St Bede’s College on the men our College, in conjunction with your parents, have helped form, not what you have achieved as an 18-year old, but rather the employers, husbands, fathers that you are at 28, 38, 48 etc. If we have helped form you to be good men in all the roles you become, then St Bede’s College has done a good job.

This year we wanted to encourage a stronger appreciation of the significance of the Old Boys’ Tie Ceremony and the generosity of the sponsors that contribute to provide a tie for each leaver. We chose to tell the boys who their sponsor was a few days before today’s presentation and we asked them, during their RE class, to take a moment to consider their sponsor and to write a few words of appreciation. Some boys simply signed the letter provided, whereas others wrote a heartfelt message. We were impressed with what we read!

Realise you are from a similarly bigger and connected community formed in the same manner, all unique and different in talent, personality and race, but hopefully one who gives and contributes, who therefore live as men who show their faith by how they live their lives.

FIDE ET OPERE…

Until next week,

J. G. Boyle