Grad Gala Address

The School would like to begin firstly by acknowledging that the area we know today as Whistler and land on which this hotel stands are located on unceded traditional territories of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations and we honour their language, culture, and history.

This evening marks a great celebration and is, of course, an emotionally charged event for all of us - students, families and staff alike.

You are my first cohort of Grade 12 students at Shawnigan in my capacity as Headmaster. I shall remember you vividly and with deep affection – and would like to thank you for your support, generosity of spirit, and guidance over the course of the academic year – and for introducing me to the traditions, laughter, and magic of Shawnigan.

You have, to your great credit as a grade, embodied the 3Cs of Shawnigan: ‘Conversation, Compassion and Community’ and our Word Shirt for this year: ‘Perseverance’ – and the School has benefitted immeasurably from your combined contribution to our campus.

We have an exciting evening ahead of us: from toasts to musical performances, from speeches to dancing.

I would like to thank parents of our graduating class.

 

All of you will know the Shawnigan stag that stands proudly and resolutely at the entrance to our School. The plaque at the base of the sculpture reminds readers that the Shawnigan stag "will watch over all who enter these grounds."

Thank you for trusting us with your children and I hope that the Stag has delivered in its care of our students for the duration of their time at Shawnigan.

 

In exploring our unparalleled campus, you will also have come across one of our other distinctive features which connects us to our British Columbian landscape: a totem pole (on the south west corner of Lake Omar), created by a Haida First Nations artist.

‘Pass the Hat’ is a unique totem pole carved from red cedar and painted white. It tells this story:

‘I am the thunderbird (a mythical eagle) who is placing a watchman’s hat upon the head of the bear / human, who is my daughter. As I pass the hat to her, I am passing on my knowledge of our culture. I am telling her where she came from; I am sharing the ways in which we communicate. As I give myself to her, she becomes the thunderbird, the watchman and the bear all at once. She becomes responsible for carrying on the traditions of our family. As she watches over her generation, I watch over her.’

This is very much a message for passers-by: students, parents, educators, and visitors – and is at the heart of the Shawnigan experience. Our responsibility as staff at Shawnigan is to ‘pass the hat’ – to support and inspire our students, with our values-based education at the centre of our teaching, so that they can find their passions, achieve their potential, and live fulfilling lives. 

Tonight, in combination with Closing Day, is an essential part of your rite of passage. As parents and staff, we pass on the ‘watchman’s hat’ and you transform into ‘the thunderbird, the watchman, and [the] bear.

You should be proud of what you have achieved and we are certainly proud of you.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff for their support of students over the course of this year – with a very special thank you to the House Directors. The relationship between our students and staff is rightly characterized as a partnership. The interaction between gifted and committed educators and talented pupils has yielded extraordinary rewards. This has been a dynamic and creative academic year. The experience of living, studying, working, and creating alongside other people gives us a strength and depth which is powerful, original, and refreshing.

However, it is our role as guides to become progressively unnecessary.

I would now like to invite our Grade 12s to show their appreciation to their families (here and back home), to the Shawnigan Parents Association, to the staff, and to the wider Shawnigan community for the unstinting support they have received on the road so far.

Friendship is a vital ingredient at Shawnigan.

 

The shared experiences and conversations between individuals is, I believe, part of the magic of Shawnigan. What you learn about yourself and your friends along the way is at the heart of the experience.

You have developed a sense of identity and a unique sense of community at Shawnigan, a shared humanity, and invaluable friendships forged will serve, stimulate, and support you for the rest of your lives.

 

Today is also a day of significance for the Lamonts and other students of Norwegian backgrounds – Leo and Annicka to name a couple in the room. May 17th is the national day in Norway – a time for flags, traditional dress, parades and copious amounts of ice cream for children. Kathini and I are wearing 17^th May rosettes in honour of this evening.

In recognition of ‘Syttende Mai’ I would like to turn to the words of a poet from the fjords of Norway, Jan-Magnus Bruheim. One of his poems pictures an old man reflecting rather wistfully on a life gone by: 'So he was racing through life / Without catching it / A joy was running after him on the road / but never caught up'.

This is an important message this evening – and, indeed, for life.

After the fast and challenging pace of this half of term and exam season, today is a day for turning back momentarily and allowing a heartfelt joy to catch up with our grads.

In the years to come, we trust that the wisdom of Bruheim sustains you for the path ahead and that you learn, at times, to let a heartfelt joy catch up with you.

It continues to be a privilege to be your Headmaster – I refrain from adding ‘pleasure’ as we still have to navigate the afterparty!

 

I would now like to invite the ‘Rev’, Reverend Jim Holland, to say grace.