The Newsletter of St Edmund’s College Canberra The Pelican Issue 10: December 2005 Remembrance Day Celebrations Inside War Memorial unveiled Big Band Bash New Hospitality Centre St Edmund’s unveiled St Edmund’s its new war memorial musicians hit all Hospitality growing on Remembrance Day. the right notes. in popularity. Welcome A new way forward A message from the Board Welcome to our second edition of the Pelican! As we head into Christmas and the commercial frenzy that surrounds it, it is refreshing to know Guided by our strategic plan, a flurry of changes that within the cultural and academic program at are underway at the College. Our prime focus is on St Edmund’s, there is a strong focus on community. improving our academic performance. To achieve this goal we are developing a timetable and calendar For some years the school has been running a social that will maximise teaching and learning and minimise justice program that emphasises community service. distraction and disruption. I would like to thank our While the program has always sat within a larger dynamic school board that continues to monitor, educational context, next year will see it officially nurture and discern our way forward. become a tertiary unit for year 11 students. We are also well into planning for an organisational On top of the hours students already commit to and pastoral care review. A key challenge to all social service, they will complete assessment tasks Edmund Rice schools is not just to uphold but to and be more directly involved in social advocacy progress ourselves as a Catholic school inspired issues they are concerned about, such as the gap by the Gospel and the charism of Blessed Edmund between rich and poor in Australia, homelessness Rice. We have a particular role in forming young and poverty. men who will participate and make a thumbprint In 2005, students conducted fundraising for Caritas on the Church of the future. It is very pleasing to and St Vincent de Paul, and showed particular see how our youth ministry team and Religious initiative when they sold cups of hot chocolate Education program are equipping our boys with every morning throughout winter in the quadrangle, faith and values. raising $3000 for charity. (I understand students The St Edmund’s community is special because of who had caught the bus from Bungendore at the commitment, hospitality and loyalty of its families. 7.15 particularly appreciated the enterprise!) We will be featuring the stories of some of our families It is thanks to the ideals of the Edmund Rice charism in the coming months, and it is with great delight that and ethos and the school’s emphasis on pastoral we begin with the Darmody’s. care, that so many within the student body are Our commemoration of the war memorial wall committed to the concept of social justice. Spiritual on Remembrance Day by Bishop Pat Power, development and a sense of community in the Major-General Jim Molan and Br Laurie Needham, spirit of the Christian Brothers is a formal part of was a very moving ceremony. For our current boys, St Edmund’s strategic focus. It is this formal the poignant lessons of sacrifice and the blessings emphasis on teaching the boys how to be socially of peace were given prominence. compassionate and responsible young men, that sets our school apart. The talents of St Edmund’s musicians, poets, writers and sportsmen are proudly displayed in the following pages. It is a privilege to be part of a Eddie Senatore school that challenges the boys to strive for their Chairman of the Board personal best and witness them grow into men by their perseverance and action. Christopher Hayes Headmaster Front cover L to R: Nicholas Winter 6B, John Downing 4B and Bryce Paule 5W. Sidney Sommerville-Smith and Kathy Thomas, siblings of Baron Smith, a former student killed in Vietnam, attended St Edmund’s unveiling of its new war memorial on Remembrance Day. They are flanked by school captain Ben Giteau (L) and Daniel Penca (R). War Memorial unveiled After 18 months of planning and a Major General Molan said people should nation-wide search for names, St Edmund’s not forget that “each and every one of us chose Remembrance Day to unveil its can make a difference in the world, and the new war memorial. world desperately needs our service.” He said this had been brought home to him after Dedicated to ex-students of Christian Brothers’ serving as chief of operations in Iraq last year. Colleges who had served overseas either as peacekeepers or on active service, the event Service to others was a theme picked up was marked with a moving ceremony attended by all the speakers, including Headmaster ACT Senator Gary Humphries and Member for Canberra Annette Ellis lay a wreath at St Edmund’s Remembrance by ACT Senator Gary Humphries and Member Christopher Hayes, who said it was a “virtue Day celebrations on 11 November. for Canberra Annette Ellis; the family of Baron which all of us should strive to achieve.” Smith (an ex-student killed in Vietnam); David Belcher, a foundation student at Br Laurie Needham, Province Leader of the St Edmund’s who originally suggested Christian Brothers; Tessa Zarb, President of a memorial to ex-students, and who has the Parents and Friends’ Association; spent the past 18 months searching through Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hall; Bishop newspapers, websites, archives and talking Patrick Power and Major General Jim Molan. to military contacts, attended the ceremony Remembrance Day saw In his address, Major General Molan, an and said that while he felt “very emotional”, St Edmund’s unveil its new war ex-student of the Christian Brothers’ College he was also “very satisfied” with the way East Melbourne, now known as Bundoora, the project had developed. memorial to honour former students paid tribute to his Christian Brothers “It’s been a big 18 months but St Edmund’s education, saying the values he had learned of Christian Brothers’ Colleges has really embraced this project and I’m had served him well over the years, particularly very grateful because they didn’t have who had served overseas. the idea of service to others. to do anything. Edmond Maher [Deputy “Your wall here at Eddies is a wall of Headmaster] really deserves special thanks commemoration and it looks back to other because he wars and to other sacrifices,” he said. has coordinated the whole project and has “But it reminds us just as much to look been very supportive. I feel like this is a very forward. It reminds us that the imperfection good achievement for the College.” of man and the continued presence of real evil in the world means that the need for service and sacrifice today is as real as it was over the last hundred years of Australia’s history.” 3 Senior Band members James Carrigy-Ryan, Scott Hansen and Morgan Curtis dressed the part when they played ‘Selections from Chicago’ at St Edmund’s Big Band Bash. Big Band Bash Legendary Australian jazz musician John Not to be outdone the Intermediate Band Morrison brought the house down when he provided the second bracket with pieces led the Combined Colleges’ Band in ‘Caravan’ including ‘Sunset on the Sahara’, ‘Bohemian at St Edmund’s Big Band Bash on October 26. Rhapsody’ and a saxophone feature called Performing in front of a sell out crowd, no-one ‘Rock-A-Sax’. was safe when the famous trumpeter left the Following on from its success at the Moruya stage and moved around, finally ending up at Jazz Festival in early October, the Senior Jazz the sponsor’s table. Band swung into action with ‘In the Mood’, John Morrison ended what had started ‘Lester Leaps In’ and ‘Zoot Suite Riot’. as a night of high drama and excitement From L to R: Headmaster Christopher Hayes with Special thanks must go to Margaret Broom Alexandra Barry, winner of the Kath Durie Music Scholarship, when the percussion ensemble entered and Rita Daniels, Principal of St Clare’s College. and Mary Frigo who arranged the seating the hall drumming to an African ‘Bembeh’ and coordinated the ticket sales, the (mother drum). Corfield family, and all the parents who Inspired by jazz legend James The Senior Band donned fancy dress inspired put the show together. Thanks also to by its choice of music, ‘Selections from the sponsors, without whom the concert Morrison, St Edmund’s students Chicago’, which featured Shane Hughes on wouldn’t have been possible. showed off their musical prowess trumpet and Mimi Evans on alto saxophone. at the school’s Big Band Bash. The Senior Concert Band impressed with its performances of ‘African Symphony’, ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘Jericho’, and ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee’, before raising the roof with its final piece ‘Kanga’, in which Senior Jazz Band director, Dino Martiniello, joined on tenor saxophone. 4 Co-curricular highlights 2005 St Edmund’s College has again experienced On the sporting arena, St Edmund’s fielded an outstanding year in the many co-curricular 25 rugby, 21 soccer, 13 cricket, 3 hockey, activities we offer. 2 AFL and 12 basketball teams in the various competitions throughout the year. The College The College’s music program, under the was also represented by many boys in various direction of Greg Stenning, continues to Associated Southern Colleges and ACT track grow in stature. In 2005 the numerous and field, cross-country, swimming, triathlon, college bands performed at many eisteddfods, mountain biking, skiing and water polo local festivals (Moruya Jazz Festival) and competitions.