Page 28 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 28
But the first years of any institution have a special interest. Who knows,
when Gonzaga is a venerable institution, there may be somebody writing
a history of those unimaginably distant days of the 1950s when it all
began. He, or she, if these notes happily survive, will have some idea of
the story of those early decades. In the meantime let us bring this tale
to an end by reading the preamble to the Constitution of the college. This
is how Gonzaga College saw itself when the Constitution was adopted in
1984.
PREAMBLE
TO THE CONSTITUTION
GONZAGA COLLEGE
Gonzaga College, founded in 1950 as a day school for boys, carries on
the tradition of Catholic and Jesuit education under the direction of the
Society of Jesus.
The school shall strive to become a community of staff, students and
parents who cooperate with one another in a common task, beginning
from the clear sense of purpose that its whole activity shall be in
harmony with the principles inherent in the teachings of Christ.
Each pupil will strive to attain a standard of academic excellence in
acordance with his aptitude. It is in this context that the school cultivates
knowledge for its own sake, a wide range of reading, and the encourage-
ment of cultural activities.
Central to its educational vision is the development of the whole
person, a person who combines a mature self-confidence with a reflective
grasp of reality, who has a view of life that transcends the superficial, and
who is articulate in the expression of this view. Such a vision heightens
the boy's respect for his own physical development, his concern for the
environment, his appreciation of the aesthetic dimension of life, and his
ability to use leisure wisely.
It is the highly-valued goal of Gonzaga that its graduates should have
a generous approach to life; one which enables them to enunciate and
apply the implications of an evolving Christian ethic to the time in which
they live: aware of, and actively participating in, the quest for justice and
reconciliation in our society.
While fostering the innovative tradition of Gonzaga, the provision of
opportunities to attain the goals set out above will be a primary concern
of the various authorities.
William M. Lee SJ
26
when Gonzaga is a venerable institution, there may be somebody writing
a history of those unimaginably distant days of the 1950s when it all
began. He, or she, if these notes happily survive, will have some idea of
the story of those early decades. In the meantime let us bring this tale
to an end by reading the preamble to the Constitution of the college. This
is how Gonzaga College saw itself when the Constitution was adopted in
1984.
PREAMBLE
TO THE CONSTITUTION
GONZAGA COLLEGE
Gonzaga College, founded in 1950 as a day school for boys, carries on
the tradition of Catholic and Jesuit education under the direction of the
Society of Jesus.
The school shall strive to become a community of staff, students and
parents who cooperate with one another in a common task, beginning
from the clear sense of purpose that its whole activity shall be in
harmony with the principles inherent in the teachings of Christ.
Each pupil will strive to attain a standard of academic excellence in
acordance with his aptitude. It is in this context that the school cultivates
knowledge for its own sake, a wide range of reading, and the encourage-
ment of cultural activities.
Central to its educational vision is the development of the whole
person, a person who combines a mature self-confidence with a reflective
grasp of reality, who has a view of life that transcends the superficial, and
who is articulate in the expression of this view. Such a vision heightens
the boy's respect for his own physical development, his concern for the
environment, his appreciation of the aesthetic dimension of life, and his
ability to use leisure wisely.
It is the highly-valued goal of Gonzaga that its graduates should have
a generous approach to life; one which enables them to enunciate and
apply the implications of an evolving Christian ethic to the time in which
they live: aware of, and actively participating in, the quest for justice and
reconciliation in our society.
While fostering the innovative tradition of Gonzaga, the provision of
opportunities to attain the goals set out above will be a primary concern
of the various authorities.
William M. Lee SJ
26
