Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

SCHOOL LIFE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROGRAM INTRODUCT ION

So what’s the job of leader really about? It’s about service! It’s about putting in lots of time so that others can work in harmony. It’s about believing in the worth of each individual and find ways to enable her … to contribute and make a difference. It’s about being unselfish and putting the needs of others before your own. It’s about reaching out to others to help them … So where does that leave us? Whenever we are involved in choosing leaders we are looking not for those who want to parade the power of position but those who are willing to do the work that needs doing for no recognition—not for a perfect person but one who knows that … she has weaknesses and isn’t too proud to admit it. And not for the best looking, the funniest or the most popular, but for those who will serve us best.  The election process is re-evaluated at the end of every year, and on occasion it is revised to ensure that it is open and fair. Now, for example, all students putting their names forward for the position of prefect must complete a form in which they articulate their understanding of the role of a school leader and provide reasons why they believe they are suited to the position. Those forms are then posted, with photographs of each girl, to allow students to make meaningful choices.  The history of this formal structure does not show the whole picture, however, because Havergal has long recognized the value of informal leadership roles. The school encourages students to take the initiative to create positive change and has for many years provided opportunities to help them develop the skills they need to effect that change. For example, as also indicated in the tribute to Ms. Robson that appears earlier, Havergal: Celebrating a Century  tells us that in 1971, the first leadership training program was launched. It came about at the suggestion of Joyce Bertram, a camp director who had joined the staff to become its first program director. When the program was initiated by Joyce, Brenda Robson, and Mary Dennys, it became the

student votes more leverage. The positions of games and boarder captains were retained until the centennial year, at which time a prefect took on responsibility for the games portfolio, and the boarder captain became more independent of the leaders who represented the entire student body.  The early 2000s saw the final phasing out of Grade 13. With the prospect of the double cohort looming, Havergal adjusted its leadership structure. Prefect roles had traditionally gone to students in Grade 13, with those in Grade 12 taking on house captain roles, but after the double cohort year in 2003, all these key leadership roles were assumed by students in Grade 12, their final year. The election process that takes place over a number of days each spring results in the selection of the school captain, prefects, house captains and club heads. In the lead-up to elections, students are reminded of their responsibility to make well-considered choices. As Brenda Robson reminded the community in Prayers on March 2, 1994, the role of leader is rarely glamorous:

A Junior School prefect with students, 2015.

REFLECTIONS OF HAVERGAL  91