College Captain’s Report

College Leaders 2003

“Don’t walk in front of me- I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me- I may not lead. Just walk beside me- and be my friend.” Albert Camus Bound together by a shared passion for the school and what it represents, we, as the college leaders of 2003 have made a point of ‘walking alongside’ our peers. The community of De La Salle has always worn its heart on its sleeve, the boys proudly adorning the blue and gold blazer, and it has been a great pleasure to belong to this. This belonging and camaraderie each De La boy is fortunate enough to experience has been exemplified by the 15 young men who led the college this year. These 15 young men, however, are representative of a far larger group, one which exceeds the title of a mere institution and moves into the realm of being a fraternity—such is the feeling of mateship between the boys. As leaders of the college we were asked what we could do for De La Salle, the school already having given us so much. With the school going through large-scale constructions on the Kinnoull site, we knew that many activities would have to be revamped to suit our limited space. Determined that nothing stand in our way from achieving the best, a well-adapted ‘Kinnoull Week’ took place in the first few weeks of Term 1, welcoming the Year 11s to the senior campus. Where limited space couldn’t hold us back, it was only the Gods who could ‘rain on our parade’. What started as a miserable day for the annual Mission Action Day walk only became worse as torrential rain forced the cancellation of the event. Unfortunately for the leaders we had started the walk early in order to get back and start the sausage sizzle. After walking half the 12-kilometre course in the rain a phone call alerted us to the day being called off. A free can of drink for the boys upon returning was little consolation! The generosity of De La boys still shone through as over $45000 was raised for charity. The much-anticipated Year 12 Formal came together brilliantly and was a great celebration of the uniqueness of our year, as was the range of Year 12 memorabilia, a huge response from the year level displaying the sense of pride felt by all. A great deal of work went into Founder’s Day. We decided on a theme of ‘De La Talent’. But yet again, rain meant that proceedings had to be cancelled after only an hour of activities, unfortunately cutting short what promised to be a fantastic day. A passion and a prolific desire to make our contribution to a place we love have driven our leadership team this year. Captaining the college has been an intensely rewarding experience and I feel very fortu-

nate for having had the opportunity to leave a mark. The success we have had this year is in large part due to the generosity of many individuals. To my fellow leaders, it is with great pride that I can say I am one of you. The strength of character and enthusiasm you have brought to the college is to be envied and looked up to, and something of which we should all be very proud. Each Leader in 2003 has made better the life of the college, and done so in his own individual way. To the Vice-Captains, Billy Dwyer and Tom McIlroy — your support, guidance and friendship has made this experience all the more worthwhile for me, and a lot of fun along the way. Huge thanks goes to our coordinator Mr Breen who was the voice of reason for the group and, having experienced it all before, was a point of reference Tom McIlroy (College Vice Captain), Mr Matthew Breen (Leaders’ Coordinator), whenever an idea came up. Many thanks go to Mr

Patrick Davis, (College Captain), Billy Dwyer (College Vice Captain) Cooper, Br Adrian and Br Tim, for helping to realize our visions for the College. To Mrs Bew: I would recommend a Mrs Bew for any leadership team; her eagerness to participate and assist in any way was second to none, and much appreciated. Amongst many of the other things she did for us, the breakfasts she provided at the 8:00am meetings on a Monday were a keen incentive for getting out of bed. Thanks to the understanding and encouraging teachers for telling us to ‘get your priorities right’ and to our families who have stood alongside us the whole way. We thank you all very much for your wonderful assistance this year. Although now resigned to the inevitability of leaving De La Salle, I am consoled by the fact that ‘once a De La boy, forever a De La boy’. I hope we have upheld a tradition and left our own legacy, as the class of 2003, forever De La boys, forever mates and forever brothers in arms. It is has been a pleasure and a great honour to walk alongside you. Patrick Davis College Captain