bc- benedictine military school november banner publication

8/14/2019 BC- Benedictine Military School November Banner Publication

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The BannerLeaders are Made.

November 2009

B E N E D I C T I N E

M ILIARY SC HOOL1902

A BC Hero ReturnsSPC. Christopher Kit Lowe stepped up to the microphone and looked out at the faces of 315 Benedictine Military

School cadets seated before him. Just four years ago, he was among them. Yet in a surreal personal moment Tues-

day morning, Lowe took to the stage not simply as a 2005 school alumnus, but also as the decorated war hero he has

become at the tender age of 23.

I remember sitting there, where you are, Lowe told his audience. I slept through the ring ceremony. A low, know-

ing laughter rippled through the school cafeteria. But what you learn here at school is something you will take into

college and your personal life, he added.

Lowe went on to talk about the camaraderie he rst discovered as a cadet at Benedictine and relied on down range

in Afghanistan, when he deployed with the 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat

Team, Georgia Army National Guard.

Lowes year-long deployment was cut short in August, when he took a bullet to the right leg while providing cover

for a medic tending to the mortally wounded Marine Corps Pilot Capt. Matt Freeman, from nearby Richmond Hill.

An enemys bullet ripped through Lowes leg and severed a nerve. He continued to hold his position - despite the

wound - until reinforcements arrived. Lowe has spent the past two months in rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army

Medical Center, near Washington, D.C. He walks without a crutch, but his leg is encased in a large, medical boot.

Alum gives Purple Heart to BC -- By Pamela E. Walck Savannah Morning News 10.21.09 (cont. pg. 6)


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Board o Directors

Ofcers

Chairman:Mr. William E. Schmitt

Vice Chairman:

Mr. J. Marc Friday 78

Secretary/reasurer:

Mr. Jefrey A. Iannone 87

Board o Directors

Mr. Odilo Blanco 55Rev. Robert E. Chaney 78

Mr. Joseph M. Gannam 77

Dr. Joseph K. Hogan 82

John E. Jaugstetter, Ph.D 55

Rev. Philip Kanush, O.S.B.

Rev. Michael J. Kavanaugh 76

Sister Johanna Maguire, R.S.M.

Mr. Tomas J. Mahoney III 81

Dr. James W. Miller

Hon. Mary Kathryn H. Moss

Mr. Walter B. Murphy III 71

Mr. William W. Shearouse, Jr. 66

Sister Lourdes Sheehan, R.S.M.

Mrs. Kathy H. Siler

Rt. Rev. Placid D. Solari, O.S.B.

Mr. Donald M. Tompson 65

Mr. O.C. Welch III 73

Dr. Edward J. Whelan III 71

Letter rom the Principal...

Dear BC Family,

This is the month during which we celebrate Thanksgiv-

ing. The month when little children learn about the Pil-

grims and their travels, which landed them at Plymouth

Rock. They use their little hand tipped sideways to draw aturkey and then they color it in with fall colors. As fami-

lies, we gather and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. Its a time to count ones bless-

ings, big and small. In our house, in the kitchen, we have a plaque in Fall colors

that says Every Day is a Gift. I see it and look at it every morning. Then I get

in my car and drive here to work. Id like to tell you one recent story that exem-

plies why Im so thankful to be here.

At the end of October, one of our Cadets, a junior, lost his mother on a Saturday,

after only two days of illness. A story that only begins not ends with heartbreak.

First thing Monday morning, members of the Junior Class made it known to me

that they were seeking permission to attend their classmates mothers funeral.Of course, I said, its the right thing to do. I reminded them they would

need a signed permission slip to leave. Not long after that, other class members

came to me to say they all wanted to wear their Class A military uniforms and

sit together. I admired their devotion to their classmate and their school. After

lunch that same day, yet other Juniors came to me to say they would like to collect

money to buy their classmate his class ring. Permission again granted, with my

comments to them how pleased and proud I was of their efforts to help a fellow

Cadet. They simply smiled and left as if to say its a no-brainer what were sup-

posed to do.

The day of the funeral, every Junior was present in the Cathedral of St. John theBaptist, and they all sat shoulder to shoulder as their classmate served Mass at his

mothers funeral. At Masss end, the Cadets formed a column through which the

casket passed on its way down the Cathedral steps to the hearse. A heart wrench-

ing sight to behold, a true representation of the brotherhood formed, of the bond

that exists between BC brothers. A quarter of the class went to their classmates

house after the funeral, and, later, a handful took him for a burger at Five Guys

downtown. This Cadet returned to school and classes the very next day, as if

things were normal. For him, they were he was back among his brothers, his

teachers - parents away from home to him, back among his family, right where he

belongs. Should he falter, were right there to catch him, should he need comfort,

our arms are wide open.It is an honor and a privilege to tell you this story, as it gives further meaning

to, and is yet another example of, the spirit that is in the soul of the Benedictine

Military School Family.

May God blessings be upon Susan Jackson and her son, Jacob Geriner, now and

always.

May we all remember the meaning of Thanksgiving,

Deb Antosca, Principal


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Letter rom the Headmaster...

Carl Moore - 11/9

Dr. Antosca - 11/27

November Faculty

and Staff Birthdays

Dear Friends of BC,

First of all, I need to correct a mistake that I made in the last Banner; it was Patrick

Eberwein who was the recipient of this years Lions Club, Hugh OBrien Award

for Leadership; my apologies to Patrick and his family and my congratulations fora distinction which was well deserved. My thanks go to Mr. Larry McDonald who

pointed out my mistake.

I must confess to mixed emotions during last Friday Nights Senior Night event. How I hope that the

memories of so many meets, games and practices will serve our seniors well in their years to come. I

hope too that the moment itself was a deeply satisfying one for our senior cross-country runners, football

players and cheerleaders. I can go back no further than their sophomore year and yet, I can readily say

that they will be missed. I could only imagine how proud their parents must have been and what wonder

they must have felt to have now come to this point. My appreciation for what they have done for BC and

the commitment they made in order to make that contribution; it was great.

My thanks too go out the coaches whose countless hours of practice gave our cadets and cheerleaders

the condence to tackle whatever came their way. I have to believe that far more than just technique

was taught. These deeply committed men and women understood their role as the communicators of life

lessons.

Our cadets had the opportunity to hear from one who not so long before, sat in their seat and has since

gone off to apply the lessons learned at BC on the worlds stage. Last week, SPC Kit Lowe related to our

students his experience in Afghanistan and his role in saving another. His Purple Heart Medal, which he

presented to the school, stood in eloquent testimony to what General Douglas MacArthur described as the

simplicity of true greatness. Kits presentation of his medal to Dr. Antosca spoke to me of one bravesoul communicating to another on terms that only they could truly appreciate.

On Wednesday, the junior class, in an instant, displayed the meaning of brotherhood as they surrounded

their classmate Jacob Geriner during his mothers funeral. The testimony of their presence and Jacobs

grateful response were eloquent beyond words.

The prayers of the Benedictine community are requested for Mrs. Susan Jackson, Jacob and his family.

Sincerely,

Fr. Frank


4/19

November Calendar

11/6 - Varsity Football @ Appling County - 7:30

11/8 - Cross County State Championships (Carrollton, GA) 11:30AM

11/9 - Student Fall Dance - 8:00PM - 11:00PM

11/11 - Veterans Day - HOLIDAY11/13 - Sophomore Retreat

11/15 - BC Open House (2:00PM Program Start)

11/17 - School Mass

11/20 - BC Basketball @ South Efngham High School 5:30PM

11/21 - BC Wrestling - Groves Rebel Duals 9:00AM

BC Basketball @ South Efngham High School 4:30PM

11/24 - BC Wrestling @ Appling County - 6:00PM

11/25-11/27 - Thanksgiving Holidays

11/25 - BC Wrestling @ South Efngham Duals - 9:00AM

Benedictine Military School will present the 8th Grand Night in the Cathedral

with Ole BC, on Sunday, 13 December 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of

Saint John the Baptist. The concert will feature the BC Cadet Chorus and the

Senior Class of 2010 directed by Dewain Smith, Ceremonial Brass directed byRobin Beauchamp, 13th Colony Sound Barbershop Chorus and the Savannah

Storm Barbershop Youth Chorus directed by Jeremy Conover, the award win-

ning quartet On Demand, and Timothy V. Hall playing the magnicent Cathe-

dral organ.

This concert is designed to help you get in the spirit of Christmas by enjoying and participating in

the sounds of Christmas from a variety of musical genres. All of this for ticket price of $5.00. Tick-

ets can be purchased at the Benedictine Military School Business Ofce (912-644-7006), beginning

November 2, 2009.

8th Annual Grand Night in theCathedral with Ole BC

THE 400. BE ONE.Dont miss the BC Open House -

Sunday, November 15th. Program begins at 2:00 PM.

Please contact Director of Admissions, Will Fleming at

912.644.6532 or

[email protected] for more details.


5/19

JROC Cadet o the MonthWinners or October are:

Cadet SGT Nick Mock, 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon,

A Company, 1st Battalion.

Cadet SGT Conrad Ezequiel Tebyanian-Haro, 3rd Squad,

2nd Platoon, D Company, 2nd Battalion.

Cadet Ben Cannoles, 1st Squad, 1st Platoon,

F Company, 3rd Battalion.

JROC Squad o the Quarter Winners or1st Quarter Are:

3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion. Squad leader is Cadet CPL Thomas Mahoney.

3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, D Company, 2nd Battalion. Squad Leader is Cadet CPL Bryce Bailey.

2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, F Company, 3rd Battalion. Squad Leader is Cadet SGT Davis Remler.

Fr. Frank and Fr. Anthony Celebrate at thePulaski Jubilee

On October 9th, Fr. Frank and Fr. Anthony participated in a

ceremony held at Ft. Pulaski in remembrance of the 230th an-niversary of the mortal wounds received by Brigadier General

Count Casimir Pulaski, Father of the American Cavalry,

during the October 1779 Siege of Savannah and in observance

of the 85th anniversary of the creation of Fort Pulaski as a Na-

tional Monument by proclamation issued by President Calvin

Coolidge. Fr. Frank and Fr. Anthony participated in the parade

of ags of Pulaskis life and legacy which included the Unit-

ed States, France, Haiti, UK, China, Poland, Ireland, Hungary,

Greece and Germany.


6/19

A BC Hero Returns (cont. rom cover)What SPC. Lowe isnt telling you is that

hes standing before you with 70 stitches and

a bullet hole in his leg, said Deborah Anto-

sca, the schools principal. He cant feel his

right leg from the knee down. And when he

leaves Savannah today to go back to WalterReed, he will undergo a painful surgery there

to take the nerve out of his left leg and place

it in his right leg. Antosca tried to get her

cadets to understand the gravity of Lowes

war experience. She read the denition of

hero from a tattered Websters Dictionary.

She reminded them that just four years ago,

Lowe sat among them. She noted he wasnt

talking big about his injuries, but rather about

a school-wide drive to collect supplies to send

to the children of Afghanistan, many of whom dont even have the tiniest pencil stub for school. It was an idea

Lowe said Freeman had but never got to implement.

And the import of the moment nally seemed to sink in, moments later, when Lowe presented the cadets and

Antosca a rectangle-shaped box. This is the only medal you never want to receive in the military, because i

means you were a bullet-catcher, Lowe said, as he opened the box to reveal the Purple Heart he received for his

injuries.

He has a matching medal back home. One given to him by Theresa Freeman, the slain Marines wife, as a thank

you for Lowes efforts that day.

Lowe said he cant wait to get better, so he can go to college and become an ofcer in the Marine Corps. So he

can honor Capt. Freemans memory. At that moment, the signicance of Lowes sacrice hit its mark.

The cadets jumped to their feet and applauded. They honored Lowe with the school ght song. And a few lin-

gered afterward, to meet the kind of man they hope to become.

BC Seniors Joey Friess and Howie Pavlo lead the Cadets in a round of The Fight Song

in honor of Spc. Lowe.

A Generous HeartThe years Canned Food Drive to benet Americas Second

Harvest Food Bank is $1,000 more successful due to thegenerous heart of BC Senior, Chip Reisman. During the

summer, Chip an avid golfer, played in the Walmart First

Tee Open and had the opportunity to apply for a Unilever

Leadership Grant to benet his local community. Chip

chose to donate that check in a presentation held on Octo-

ber 22nd in front of the student body to Americas Second

Harvest Food Bank. Congratulations and thank you to Chip

for his generous spirit!

Fr. Frank, Chip Reisman, Mary Jane Crouch, Director of Americas

Second Harvest Food Bank and Mark Stroud.


7/19

On October 27, 2009 BC Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Board Members, along with

Hancock Day School middle school students, were treated to an awe inspiring presentation

from Lt. Clebe McClary, USMC. After an introduction like no other from his wife Deanna,

McClary, who described among other things, the strength and passion for life her husband

has maintained, Lt. McClary arrived and took the stage in his dress Marine Corps uniform

with one lost at the elbow, an eye patch and a commanding stage presence. From the rstmoment he began speaking, all eyes were riveted on him, a Vietnam Veteran, rattling off

jokes about Clemson football intermixed with family anecdotes and, of course, the main

reason for his visit, to impart his lessons learned to the Cadet student body.

With his infectious laughter and his soothing South Car-

olina accent, Lt. McClary spent the majority of his hour

long talk on the true meaning of SUCCESS. In a most entertaining way

Lt. McClary detailed See,U you,Communicate,Commitment, Enthusiasm

Start, Sustain the Pace. Sprinkled with serious discussions of his experi-

ence in Vietnam and how he lost an eye, his arm below the elbow and how hehas come through 33 surgeries successfully with his faith in God and the love

of his wife and family, Lt. McClary nished with several other acronyms he

nds useful. PIG Professionalism, Integrity,Guts. PRIDE Personal

Responsibility InDaily Effort. BIONIC Believe ItOrNot, ICare, and

FIDO Forget It andDriveOn.

After his presentation, Lt. McClary and his wife stayed on to sign copies of his

book Living Proof and speak with the Cadets. For more information on Lt

McClary, visit www.clebemcclary.com.

Te rue Meaning o SUCCESS

Alumni Association Breaking Bread with Commissionees

In honor of their recent achievement, the newly commissioned

senior ofcers were treated to lunch on September 16th by the

Benedictine Alumni Association. The lunch, catered by Barnes

Restaurant and owner

Hugh Barnes 80, is

part of an initiative for

the Alumni Associationto be more involved

with the school and the student body. Paul Painter 95, President-Elect

of the Alumni Association, spoke to the seniors, reminiscing about his

own Commissioning experience and how his participation in JROTC has

inuenced his life.


8/19

PARENT

TEACHER

ORGANIZATION

Can you believe its that time of year -starting to think about the holidays!! I smile, but I also get thatmoment of panic. Every event is like that -so many things are coming and going. Take advantage of the

moment...dont put off another opportunity to volunteer.

We have completed two events: the Tuition Rafe and Butter Braids. Thank you to

Kathy Vaught, who led this years outstanding Tuition Rafe. Kathy and her crew

made this tuition rafe the best ever-with a 41% increase

from last year! Thank you for all of your hard work!!

Thank you to Lisa Ganser, the chair of the Butter Braid

fundraiser. This is a short but sweet event. Thank you all for taking advantageof this opportunity to order a tasty treat for yourself or as a gift!

Just a reminder that the Second Annual A Night in Ol BC Auction is February

27th and if you would like to volunteer, you can e-mail Susanna Powers at [email protected] and

Kim Fogarty at [email protected].

Whats coming up immediately...We are in need of chaperones for the Fall Dance- November 7th. Please

call or e-mail Brigitte Rentiers if you can help: 484-4793 cell [email protected].

We would like to thank you for the time and energy you put into your sons school. These are the years

that go by so quickly -take a chance and volunteer -you will be glad you did!!

See you at the next event!!

Brigitte Rentiers and Susanna Powers

(Co-President) (Co-President)

DONT MISS

THIS YEARS

AUCTION...

SAVE THE DATE!


9/19

Its Almost ime to ake it to the Hoop!

DatE Day OPPONENt PlaCE FRESh JV VaRSIty

Nov. 20 Fri Brantley County S. Efngham 5:30

Nov. 21 Sat. Rockdale County S. Efngham 4:30

Dec. 5 Sat. Glynn Academy Glynn Academy 5:00 6:15 7:30Dec. 8 Tue. Long County Ludowici, Ga 5:00 7:30

Dec. 11 Fri. Jeff Davis BC 5:00 6:30

Dec. 12 Sat. Pierce Co. BC 6:15 7:30

Dec. 15 Tue. Windsor Forest BC 5:00 6:15 7:30

Dec. 18 Fri. Calvary Day School Calvary TBD

Dec. 19 Sat. Sav. Holiday Classic TBD TBD

Dec. 21 Mon. Sav. Holiday Classic TBD TBD

Dec 17-19 BC JV Christmas Classic BC Check Brackets for time

Dec. 29 Tue. Sav. Country Day Efngham High 5:30

Dec. 30 Wed. Efngham / Jenkins Efngham High TBD

Jan. 8 Fri. Brantley Co. BC 6:15 7:30

Jan. 9 Sat. Tattnall Co. Tattnall 4:15 7:30

Jan. 12 Tue. Appling Co. Appling 5:30 7:30

Jan. 15 Fri. Charlton Co. Charlton 7:30

Jan. 16 Sat. Brantley Co. Brantley 8:00

Jan. 19 Tue. McIntosh Co McIntosh 4:30 7:30

Jan. 22 Fri. Long County BC 5:00 6:30

Jan. 23 Sat. Jeff Davis Jeff Davis 4:00 7:30

Jan. 26 Tue. Pierce Co. Pierce Co. 7:30

Jan. 30 Sat. Charlton Co. BC 7:30

Feb. 5 Fri. Tattnall Co BC 5:00 6:30Feb. 6 Sat. Appling Co. BC 6:15 7:30

Feb. 12 Fri. McIntosh Co (Senior Night) BC 6:15 7:30

New Seats or Basketball Fans!When basketball season starts, BC fans will get a nice surprise

in the form of new bleachers that have arrived in one of the

home seating sections! The new section of bleachers comes

complete with several insets for handicapped accessibility,

hand rails, and an overall sense of security that the outdated

wooden bleachers could not provide any longer. Thank you to

the BCAA for their generous donation and hard work getting

the bleacher project rolling. The completion of the bleacher

project is dependent upon donations, so if you would like

to contribute to the BC Gymnasium Bleacher Project, please

contact Rick Saunders with the BCAA at 912.398.7359.New bleachers in the gym, folded into the wall.


10/19

1st Prize $5,000 cash.L. Brady69

2nd Prize $1,000 cash.B. Sharpley

3rd Prize $500 gas cardsJudy Byers

4th Prize A Big New Desk! .....170 current and futurestudents of Benedictine!

AND:

THE GRAND PRIZE! .. Win or Lose - the joy and satis-

faction in joining with others in supporting the rafe that makes such

good things happen for our school and our students.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone - Faculty, Staff, Board, Stu-

dents, Parents, Alumni and Friends that sold a ticket, bought a ticket, or in any way supportedthis years PTO Tuition Rafe. Good job! Together you raised $31,000 dollars that will benet

current and future BC students for years to come.

PO uition Rafe Winners Announced

CaDEtSPERFORMaNCEREPORt:

WIN - Students were challenged to exceed the prior years accom-

plishment of 642 books sold - hanging in the balance was the prize of

a Day Off from School. Their goal was set at 643 books. When it was

over the student body had sold over 800 books and won a well-deserved day off from school!

WIN Homeroom classes were challenged to become the homeroom

with the highest equivalent ticket sales per student -hanging in the balance was a

restaurant lunch-out for the entire homeroom. Chief Schaefers freshmen homeroom (A-2)

obliterated the competition with sales equating to 4.84 books per student and will be missed by

all in the cafeteria as they will be dining out for lunch in the near future!

WIN This year, coinciding with the PTO Tuition Rafe, was an In-House Rafe wherefor each ticket book sold by a cadet he received an in-house rafe ticket that would be thrown

into the pot for a random drawing at the end of each week of the month-long rafe. The prize was

$100 cash- on -the spot. It was a win, win, win, win!!

Week 1 David Zambito

Week 2 Travis Tucker, Jr.

Week 3 Matt Shay

Week 4 T.J. Mahoney

Outstanding job yall enjoy the desks!


11/19

Football, Hotdogs and Homecoming Queens, Oh My!

BC SPIRIT!! BC SPIRIT!! Nothing less could be seen or heard by one walking the halls of BC duringhomecoming week this year.

The cadets kicked off the week with collegiate spirit day, dressing up in their favorite college teams ap-parel being the biggest fan they could. It was almost like living in Athens. The students also competed by

homeroom in the Banner Drawing contest. If you never knew about the artistic side of BC, you shouldhave seen some of these banners. They looked great. Winners were picked for each grade and were: Mrs.Gerrys homeroom for freshmen, Mr. Hornes homeroom for the sophomores, Mr. Blackstons homeroomfor juniors, and Mrs. Ganems room for seniors. Moving into Tuesday with spirits high the students facedcharacter day with big smiles. They dressed up in costumes resembling superheroes, cartoon characters,animals, and the crowd favorite mocking teachers. Costumes were judged in the gym just before thestart of the War Ball Tournament. Of the best dressed were Lt. Dangle (Matt Shay), CW4 Schaefer (TimDotson), and Chris Turk (Derek Smith). Well, the War Ball Tourney put on by JROTC was a huge successonce again. Headquarters proved to be the company to beat. Thursday found the boys decked out in allof their maroon and white for BC spirit day. Closing the day was yet another competition between home-rooms and grade level. touch football. The boys loved getting to play against their fellow classmates inthe clash. Thursday night found teachers, students, parents, and alumni back at school for one awesomepep rally. The senior student council ofcers did a great job of planning the evenings events and keepingthe crowds interest and spirits high. Friday was homecoming T-shirt day where they wore their new orold homecoming Ts. We ended the week with the annual hotdog eating competition, where one individualfrom each homeroom is selected to eat as many hotdogs and buns as possible within three minutes time.This years champion, two years running, was Cinnegar White representing the A-6 Houligans. Closingout the Homecoming festivities was the annual Homecoming football game where at halftime the Home-coming Court was announced. This years 2nd runner up is Dria DeLoach, a Senior at St. Vincents. 1strunner up is Molly Regan, a Senior from St. Vincents and the 2009 Homecoming Queen is Alyssa Barn-hill, a Senior from St. Vincents.


12/19

Freshman Retreat

Congratulations to Ricky

Mcallaster for being selected as a member of Team Palmetto,

the select traveling South Carolina Lacrosse team. Look for

Ricky to be a part of the new BC Lacrosse Team this year!! For

more information on Team Palmetto visit

www.teampalmettosc.com.

Cl as s o f 2 0 13 !

Every year, each grade level has the opportunity to participate in a grade appropriate retreat led by the Campus

Ministry Department and Fr. Ronald Gatman, O.S.B. the Campus Minister. This year the Freshmen Retreat took

place in the BC Gymnasium where the Fr. Ronald performed a Mass specically for the Freshmen. After Mass

Chris Pig Phillips 79, father of Will Phillips of the Class of 2013, gave a presentation on what a Benedictine

education truly means and recounted some of his favorite memories from his time at BC. As a special treat, theClass of 2013 feasted on a lunch provided by Spankys thanks to David Silverman and the Alumni Association.

Te Cadet ShopTime is ying by....before you know it the holidays will be here! Please keep the Cadet Shop in mind for

your Christmas shopping! We have new items that will make great gifts for everyone. We just received

ladies pink baseball caps, beautiful maroon Christmas ornaments, maroon skullies for the cold weather,

hoodies and childrens t-shirts in white. We also have 3ft X 5ft maroon ags and umbrellas and beach

towels are on the on the way (just in time for summer!). Remember that all monies go right back to the

school. Also, dont forget to check us out on www.thebc400.com at the Cadet Shop link!

Thanks for your support--call for special appointment times-644-7018/644-7000

Betty Shay

Paula Summerlin


13/19


14/19

Writtenby:JanRogers

andLarryMcDonald

PeseNoesofOcober1seGuidnceCounseo

ibeoperingonnernivescedue.

Jan Rogers will be in the ofce on Mondays and

Wednesdys while Larry McDonald will be in the ofc

Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both will alternate Friday

teGuidnceDeprmencnbereced

912.644.7011or912.644.7010.

ExChaNGE ClUB StUDENt OF t

MONthFOROCtOBER

Congratulations to Matthew Shay for b

selected as the October Exchange Club of

vannah, Student of the Month. On Octobe

2009, Matthew and his parents, Betty and R

were invited to the monthly luncheon mee

of The Exchange Club of Savannah to rec

his award. During the meeting, Matthew

an opportunity to speak to the Exchange C

members about what receiving the award means.

FREShMaN/SOPhOMORENEwS

Freshman and sophomore teachers are in the process of mee

with parents regarding grades for the rst quarter. Parents

advised to contact the guidance ofce @ 644-7010 for sche

ing meetings with teachers regarding grades of their student

Students with three or more failures will have counselor con

ences, and the parents will be called to schedule teacher con

ences. These conference topics will include grade and/or d

pline issues.

Most grade issues involve students not giving enough time for study outside of schoo

set time for study and review of homework and class work is a necessity for students, o

they leave school. Having a time and place for uninterrupted work is important for bu

ing good study habits for college and for reinforcing class work at BC.

Parents are reminded that the rst and second quarter grades are averaged for a rst sem

ter report that is incorporated into the transcript that is sent to college for initial entra

The semester grades are part of the ofcial transcript from our school.


15/19

BC Bas k et b al l

Fan FestFr iday , Novemb er 13 t h8 :0 0 PM

BC GymCo me s ee t h e pl ayer s i n ac t i on at t h e BC

ver s i o n o f Mi dn ig ht Mad nes s

Do n t mi s s :* In t er - s q u ad s c r immag e

* 3 Po in t Sh oo t i n g Co nt es t* Sl am Du n k Co n t es t

an d yo u r f i r s t c han c e t o j o i n

HELTONS HOULIGANS

f o r mor e det ai l s c o n t ac t

j as o n h el t o n at 9 12 . 6 4 4 . 6 5 2 0


16/19

By: Fr. Ronald Gatman, O.S.B. - Campus Minister

IaMaBOwINyOURhaNDSlORD

The Greek writer, Nikos Kazantzakis, wrote an autobiographical novel titled: Report to Greco. In the pages

immediately preceding the main text he presented three brief sentences which have stayed with me over the years

He said, I am a bow in your hands Lord, draw me lest I rot. Do not overdraw me Lord, or I shall break. Overdraw

me Lord, and who cares if I break. These three short sentences capture our relationship with the Divine that we

have all probably experienced at one time or another.

The First: I am a bow in your hands Lord, draw me lest I rot.

From time to time in our lives for longer or shorter periods of time we all become stagnant, unproductive, and

inert. Life proceeds along at an easy routine pace, we coast. We become comfortable with the lowest commondenominator, our efforts at work or at home become minimal. We just exist. We are not using our God-given

talents to the full. Certainly we all need our proper rest, but God does not want us to go to pot. (No pun intended).

Jesus made this clear when he stated his mission to his disciples. He said, I have come that you might have life

and have it to the full. Christ demands the very best that we have to give. He calls upon us to use the gifts that he

has bestowed upon us. He calls us to strive for excellence. The root meaning of excellence is to move away from

where you are, meaning to continually grow and improve your lives every day. Above all in the end it means to

draw closer to God, the source of our life and of eternal life. But how do we exercise our potential to the fullest

and develop into a well-rounded, balanced, and wholesome person, in other words, become holy? Jesus gives us

the answer. He tells us that we must serve the needs of others. It is only by going outside ourselves that we truly

become our best self. When we serve the needs of others out of our love for God we become truly alive since we

are dying to ourselves and living for others. This is the key to peace and joy and happiness that Jesus revealed tous through his service to others and especially in his sharing of himself in the Eucharist and his death on the cross

May we all imitate our Lord Jesus Christ and live. Draw me Lord, lest I rot.

The Second: Do not overdraw me Lord, or I shall break.

Years ago a spiritual writer, Rudolf Otto,described our condition when we are in the presence of God as one that

is: Mysterium tremdum et fascinans, meaning that we are at one and the same time both drawn toward God and

repelled by Him. We are drawn toward Him because we are attracted by His goodness and love, but we are re-

pelled by Him because we fear his almighty power. We are like a moth which is drawn to the light of a candle, but

fear to come too close lest we burn up. We know that our God is a demanding God and that He desires to see us

become perfect. He wants to get everything out of us that He can, and He does this for our own good, not His.

As followers of Christ we want to surrender ourselves to the will of the Almighty Father. We want Him to take

us and do with us what He wills. Yet at the same time we are afraid that if we give ourselves totally to God and

leave ourselves behind we will be led into the unknown, the unfamiliar, and this frightens us. And in fact we are

unable on our own to give ourselves totally to God unless we are aided by faith in Him. This is the only thing that

permitted Abraham to say, Yes, to God when God told him that He wanted Abraham at the age of 75 to leave his

homeland and family and go off into an unknown land that He would show him.


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It couldnt have happened otherwise because we are attached to our -

niteness, we are mortal, and want to save our lives. Here again we see

one of the profound spiritual insights that Jesus shared with his disciples.

He tells them, Whoever saves his life, (that is, clutches it, holds on to

it for dear life), will lose it. While he who loses his life for my sake and

the Gospels will nd (save) it. Although we know that Christ spoke the

truth often we still hold back, we dont give our all to God. We are afraid

that we will break. We must pray always, Lord, send your Holy Spirit to us to strengthen us and give us

the courage to do whatever You will on earth, as it is done in heaven.

The Third: Overdraw me Lord, and who cares if I break.

Finally, what would happen to us if we did give ourselves over completely to Gods will and do what He

asks? Would we break?

Would we be destroyed as the moth in the ame? I think not. Certainly we would suffer,because if we

enter into the re of the Holy Spirit we will be cleansed and transformed like the Scripture says happens

when gold is tested in re. The dross is burned away and the gold becomes pure. The famous Trappist

monk, Thomas Merton,said, He who gets involved with the Holy Spirit gets involved with death. One

must die to self in order to live. This must be understood in light of the words spoken at a Mass of Chris-

tian Burial in the Catholic Church, for your faithful Lord, life is changed not ended. It is only through

the process of death that things are transformed, whether this be in smaller matters such as dying to hateful

anger, or relinquishing the hold that things have on us, or in the great exodus to the heavenly kingdom atthe end of life here on earth. Death to self in this life which leads to everlasting life as I see it,is like the

scene in the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Scriptures, where Moses is on Mt. Sinai and he encounters a

bush that is on re but is not consumed by the re because it is the Fire of God that transforms and raises

us to new life. This same image in its exalted form is found in the scene of Jesus dying on the cross, where

he passes over from death to LIFE.

A thing to consider when pondering over this last statement about being overdrawn and breaking is the

words of Scripture that tell us that God will not let us be tested beyond our limits, but with every testing

He provides a way out. This holds true even for the death of our mortal selves. At the hour of death a door

opens for us. And when that door opens we nd Christ standing before us welcoming us. Remember Jesus

said, Here I am standing at the door and knocking. Whoever opens to me I will enter in and we will sit

down and have supper together. (paraphrase)

A nal plea. Lord God, overdraw me each and every day, that I may break away from my selsh self and

live in the light of Christ, that holy light in which we experience the freedom of the sons and daughters of

God. Amen.


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New Materials Available in the Media Center

FICtION

F Bra Fahrenheit 451 (3) Bradbury, Ray

F Bro The Lost Symbol Brown, Dan

F Doy Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume I (3) Doyle, Arthur Conan

F Fit Babylon Revisited Fitzgerald, F. Scott

F Fra Cold Mountain (3) Frazier, Charles

F Haw The Scarlet Letter (3) Hawthorne, Nathaniel

F Hem The Old Man and the Sea (3) Hemingway, Ernest

F Hur Their Eyes Were Watching God (3) Hurston, Zora Neale

F Lon The Call of the Wild London, Jack

F Mel Moby-Dick (2) Melville, Herman

F Oco A Good Man Is Hard to Find (2) OConnor, Flannery

812 Wil The Glass Menagerie (2) Williams, Tennessee

F Rem All Quiet on the Western Front (2) Remarque, Erich Maria

822.3 Sha Hamlet (3) Shakespeare, William

F Ste The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck, John

F Wil The Picture of Dorian Gray (3) Wilde, Oscar

NONFICtION

921 Bak Growing Up Baker, Russell

DVD

DVD 217 One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (133min.)


19/19

Join us for the inaugural

Coach Harry Deal Classic

Sunday November 8th

Hunter Army Airfield Golf CourseShotgun start at 12:30

The tournament is an 18-hole, Father/Son* two man scramble.

Entry fee is $100 per team. Mulligans will be sold for $10 with a limit of 5 per team. Hole Sponsorship $100

All proceeds will go to fund the golf team with items such as:Shirts, Tournament Entry Fees, Gas, Lodging, etc.

Names_______________________________________________________

Phone Number_________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________

E-mail_______________________________________________________

Please send your entry fee and the info above to:Chip Reisman

103 Winterberry DriveSavannah, GA 31406

912.355.6591

[email protected]

Entry deadline is October 31st

or the 1st

64 teams. Entries may be mailed to theaddress above or brought directly to BC with attention to Chip Reisman.

You may request two teams to play with and we will do our best to accommodate

one of these requests:

_____________________________________________________________

If you are not able to play in the tournament but would still like to make a

donation to the BC Golf team please contact Doug Willett Head Golf Coach (912 644 7000)

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