For many of us this has been a step into the unknown, and we appreciate the support and kindness we have received along the way.
There is much to reflect upon – from classroom challenges to new friendships, from Inter-house competitions to community gatherings.
Tuesday’s Chapel service and Wednesday’s wonderful Cops for Cancer event added a special ingredient of ‘hope’ to this week.
This is the Lamont family’s first Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to gathering this weekend with friends for a traditional roast turkey and trimmings – and pumpkin pie.
According to some historians, the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during a 1578 voyage in search of the Northwest Passage - the expedition was plagued by ice and freak storms that, at times, scattered the fleet. On arrival at Frobisher Bay, the priest held a service to express thanks ‘for their strange and miraculous deliverance.’
Over time, it has transformed into a feast to give thanks for the past harvest season. In recognition of the harvest festival, we invited all members of our community to donate to our local food bank - to support those less privileged than ourselves.
Thanksgiving in British Columbia is now an official holiday celebrated on the second Monday of October each year.
I have also learnt that Canadian Thanksgiving has a different date than American Thanksgiving, though it does coincide with the observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day across the border.
There’s a conservation area in Milton, Ontario, that I’ve read about – it has a path around the lake with pictures and short stories of indigenous people and their celebrations. One of the stories is about ‘thanksgiving;’ it starts with this sentence:
"Thanksgiving to native Indians was a way of everyday life rather than a one-day celebration."
I rather like that.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather annually with family and friends and to reflect on the blessings of the year gone by – but perhaps we should pause to reflect each day to give thanks for what we have.
It is part of developing a generosity of spirit and daily sense of gratitude.
Tomorrow, coincidentally is World Teachers’ Day – focusing on awareness, understanding and appreciation of the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development of young people.
With this in mind, I would like to finish by inviting the students present to express and ‘give thanks’ to all our staff – both present in Chapel this morning or at work elsewhere on the campus – for their support and kindness over the past month.
Have a lovely Thanksgiving break.
3rd October 2018
Richard D A Lamont
Headmaster