IBSC Annual Conference

St. Mark's hosts the

2022 IBSC ANNUAL CONFERENCE

When asked to share his St. Mark’s experience with the world, HENRY SCHECHTER ’22 brought a weathered baseball cap.

The recent graduate and School Flag recipient had been asked to lead a panel discussion of his fellow Marksmen, focusing on their shared St. Mark’s experience. His audience: 500 teachers and administrators representing 120 schools worldwide attending the 2022 International Boys’ Schools Coalition Annual Conference at St. Mark’s. The theme of the conference: The Path to Manhood.

‘This school shapes a crisp, untested hat into one with a story. I became the man I am today under the cover of this hat.'

Henry Schechter ’22 speaks at the IBSC Conference

“Every student who enters St. Marks is notified of his acceptance with this navy-blue hat with his graduation year embroidered on the side,” said Schechter, showing the audience the cap he received in 2010.

Then, reaching under the podium, he held up a similar but brand-new cap. Its vibrant blue fabric was a stark contrast to Schechter’s own faded cap.

“I didn't realize what my hat meant until I got this new one a month ago,” said Schecter. “The two hats are metaphors for our experience here at St. Mark's through years and years of experience, hard work, and guidance. This school shapes a crisp, untested hat into one with a story – one ready to take on anything. I became the man I am today under the cover of this hat.”

For the next hour, Schechter led a panel of boys from across all three divisions in a discussion of how their passions are sparked and fanned by the school community. And, just as these boys shared their experiences with the delegates, the IBSC Annual Conference was an opportunity for St. Mark’s to share its incredible community with the world.

THE PATH TO MANHOOD

Each year, members of the 300 IBSC schools around the world gather in one place to share their experiences, discuss best practices and pedagogy, and unite around a common mission of educating boys. Following two years of virtual conferences, St. Mark’s was excited to welcome delegates to Dallas for a week of professional collaboration and Texas hospitality.

“We come together as a coalition for the first time since 2019,” said Chris Post, secretary of the IBSC Board of Trustees and headmaster of The Boys' Latin School of Maryland. “We come together at a time when the development of boys and the formation of young men has never been more important. And we do so with a spirit of hopefulness and optimism about the future of and for our boys and the future of our schools.”

During the conference, delegates attended workshops where colleagues, including many St. Mark’s instructors, shared their best practices on a wide range of topics. The highlights of each day were the plenary sessions, featuring an impressive slate of keynote speakers.

During his opening session, David Brooks discussed ways that educators can help boys form their character at an early age.

“The way we form character is less about iron willpower and more about forming loves,” Brooks said. “The job of the School is to give students new things to love and to have them love the highest things. The underlying skill of being an educator is the art of seeing another person and making them feel deeply seen, heard and understood.”

Keynote Speakers

DAVID BROOKS

New York Times columnist

LEE BERGER

Paleoanthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence

JULIE LYTHCOTT-HAIMS

Best-selling author on mentoring and activism

ERIC JOHNSON

The 60th mayor of Dallas

DR. ALAN STERN ’75 Planetary scientist and space program executive

(clockwise from right) Marksmen lead a discussion about student life

David Brown and Michael Morris lead a workshop

Daniel Sanchez ’21 leads delegates on a campus tour

Jackson Cole ’16 leads a workshop

Delegates attend a reception at the Perot Museum of Nature & Science

‘The underlying skill of being an educator is the art of seeing another person and making them feel deeply seen, heard and understood.'

In addition to learning and collaborating, conference guests enjoyed some of the most impressive sights Dallas has to offer. The week began with a reception at Old Parkland, the historic former hospital facility recently transformed into a stunning, modern office park, filled with historic artwork and memorabilia. Then, on the final evening of the conference, delegates visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, enjoying dinner and drinks alongside dinosaur skeletons, priceless gems and world-class exhibits.

The conference also provided Marksmen with opportunities to showcase their talents. Prior to each plenary session, students and recent graduates from across all three divisions entertained attendees with a series of musical performances, including an excerpt from Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway classic Into the Woods, performed by the combined choir and orchestra. As the conference drew to a close, delegates returned to their home countries filled with new ideas and renewed spirits in their shared pursuit of the IBSC’s mission: guiding boys on the path to manhood. This is a mission that came into even clearer focus as Henry Schechter and his fellow Marksmen shared their St. Mark’s experience with the world.

“This panel is called Making Your Mark,” Schechter told the audience. “During my time at the School, I've certainly seen my peers and classmates make their marks on the communities that they're a part of. Turning young boys into young men of character is no easy task, but our school does it in so many ways. We operate with an aura of hard work and passion that follows us long after we've walked our path to manhood.”

—DAVID BROOKS

IBSC Conference Planning Committee

David Dini, Headmaster Jason Lange, Chair Shannon Nadalini, Co-Chair Kurt Tholking, Co-Chair

Dave Carden Ann Dilday Alex Eshelbrenner Christi Finegan Josh Friesen Marion Glorioso-Kirby Jason Leneau Kathy Mallick Kristin Mlakar Paul Mlakar Michael Morris Kendall Murphy Kerry Schneidewind Suzanne Townsend

Conference guests enjoyed dinner with the dinosaurs at the PEROT MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE.

St. Mark’s Press

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FACULTY AND STAFF HANDBOOK

SECOND EDITION

Faculty members DAVID BROWN and MICHAEL MORRIS led a workshop on Character & Leadership Education.

SCHECHTER'S hat became an emblem of a Marksman's journey on the path to manhood.

AADI KHASGIWALA ’23 was one of several student musicians who performed at the conference.