home contractor, we treat his legacy to us as a precious gift. It is therefore fitting, that I conclude with his words:
[ F rom Headm aster geoFF roBerts’ a d dress on PriZe day]
“One of my fondest memories, is the first time I had the whole Lower School together at camp for the Thursday night campfire. I looked out to see the grade 11 counsellors, proudly singing to the boys and staff, the Ben Harper Song – With My Own Two Hands. It was a great moment.
A long, long time ago, but not so far away, a big, burly, hairy University of Western Ontario lineman squeezed in through the front door of Crescent School and asked to see Chris Gordon, the Headmaster at the time. The receptionist, long since departed, and probably still recovering from that heart-stopping first meeting, buzzed into the Headmaster’s office and whispered, “Sir, there’s a bear here to see you. Please come quickly.” And so Ross MacDonald’s career began here in 1978, the same year Steve Davies and I began. Little did that receptionist know – little did we all know – what an impact this man would have on our School.
It is not surprising that that memory resonates with Ross, for the lyrics of that song represent the very essence of who he is and what he has done for the School... I can change the world With my own two hands Make it a better place With my own two hands Make it a kinder place With my own two hands I’m going to help the human race With my own two hands Ross has influenced many lives with the reach of those, two, strong hands. Our very best wishes, to Ross and to his sons, for the adventures that lie ahead. We love you, Ross, and we thank you. saNDRa boYes
From Ross’ repertoire of Hallowe’en costumes for the Lower School annual party
Ross has done just about everything. We’d be here for hours if I were to list his coaching exploits, and expound on his prodigious teaching prowess, or talk about his long-time commitment to outdoor education and Camp Tawingo, so I won’t. I’d like to talk about something completely different, and I’d like to start just a little after the summer of ’78. Crescent was quite small then, and the staff was frighteningly young and about a quarter of the size. Many of us were newly married and sans children. We weren’t being paid much, frankly, but it didn’t seem to matter. We found economical ways to entertain ourselves. For example, Ross and his wife Barb played doubles badminton at Crescent most Friday nights during the winter with Steve Davies and his wife, and me and my wife, with assorted fourth couples to balance it off. The badminton was absolutely awful; the laughs were huge and often. Steve Davies was lightening on the court; Ross was not. I mention this bit of personal history to give you all a glimpse of Ross MacDonald, the man. Ross was then, as he is now, a family man at heart – which made him a perfect fit for Crescent School. His three sons are the basis of his strength, and the joy of his life, as he is to them. Yes, Ross has done many, many things at Crescent, and has been the consummate professional. But his legacy will be what he has embodied every minute of
Ross at the annual parent vs. staff soccer game.
every day: Ross is a good man, one of the finest I have known. He is kind, strong, a life-long learner, humble and fundamentally decent. He has been a champion for character education, long before we profiled that central tenet of a Crescent School education. So what does one do to acknowledge a professional life lived in such wonderful service to Crescent School? It took a while, but I think we came up with something appropriate. Beginning next year, we are rebranding our Leadership week. It will be called B.E.A.R. Week in honour of Ross MacDonald’s positive and significant influence on Crescent School. The acronym B.E.A.R. will stand for: Be Engaged, Active and Responsible. The Bear, Ross MacDonald, will be with us forever. We wish you well as you cross the retirement threshold towards a long and bright future. On behalf of everyone at Crescent today, and those who have benefited from your wisdom and good sense who are not, we thank you for committing your adult work life to the furtherance of Crescent’s mission. We couldn’t have done it without you. Geoff RobeRts
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