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SOUL Man

Reinventing Chapel at Shawnigan
The Shawnigan experience is defined by community, and at the heart of our community is Chapel. It was clear from the very inception of SOUL (Shawnigan Online Unique Learning) that it would be essential for Chapel to retain its central place within the School, and thus “Heart and SOUL,” our virtual community gathering time, was born.

At the core of this feature of the SOUL program is the Reverend Jim Holland, our School Chaplain and the newly re-branded “SOUL Man.” He, like other Shawnigan staff members, has had to completely re-think the way he delivers his program in recent weeks.

“I was a bit anxious at first about translating what we do in Chapel to strictly a film format,” admits the Rev. “Having spent 25 years in magazine publishing and doing lots of local radio and TV in my day, I have come to prefer a live format. It has an energy and feel that the other forms lack.”

Fortunately for the Shawnigan community, the Rev has more than stepped up to the challenge. He has collaborated with several people and has been expertly guided by Neil Trafford, our Head of Film Arts. Although it has been a steep learning curve for the Rev, the “Heart and SOUL” videos have been a success from the start. “Working with Neil Trafford, I have seen that, though different, the video format has its advantages,” reflects the Rev. “It also has its challenges. Because it lacks the energy of a live presentation, I have come to see that one has to somehow create the energy through angles, movement, etc. So, there is a whole added layer of creativity.”

This creativity shines through in each segment, where it is clear that the Rev is taking a new approach to Chapel. “We have agreed that what we need to create is not a kind of re-enactment of Chapel, but something new,” explains the Rev. What he has created is indeed “new” – and yet it is at once familiar and reassuring as well. The Shawnigan community has quickly come to look forward to the Rev’s walks through campus, and his words that alternately comfort and challenge.

This new form of Chapel has enabled “SOUL Man” to reach our community in a whole new way, and his initial trepidation has quickly given way to acceptance. “I am becoming aware of the power that video has, because I am receiving feedback from people who never paid much attention when I spoke at a podium in Chapel,” he laughs. “I am also hearing from extended family and others who never watched the Chapel presentations, who say they are enjoying the segments.”

Those of us who did pay attention in Chapel will notice that the message has changed in recent weeks. “The message is not changed by the format,” clarifies the Rev. “It is, however, being shaped by the COVID pandemic. I believe we are in a time of historic and profound change. As with everything, we can choose to learn what is being taught, or we can ignore it. I think that the pandemic brings historic opportunities as well, opportunities to realign our priorities, to break from negative patterns and habits of mind, to reconsider how we as a society care for one another, and to rethink what is truly valuable.”

“We must incorporate these questions and lessons into what we do as a learning community at Shawnigan. If we miss them, we miss everything that is important about this time,” he stresses. “I believe that we have the opportunity to become a much stronger community in the weeks and months ahead.”

Thank you, “SOUL Man,” for walking us through these uncertain times!


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We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.