MESSAGE FROM THE
HEAD OF SCHOOL A Careful Balance for Challenging Times
T
RUST. Like love, respect, and care,
“trust” as the sacred, overarching, and binding
it’s essential to all healthy human
element in a spectrum of endeavors focused on
relationships.
the building of character and encouragement of
It’s also the most important and recip-
trust in oneself.
rocal ingredient in our work to guide, nourish,
Not surprisingly, as a host of complex chal-
and prepare our boys for life — as it has been
lenges have since emerged, The Brunswick Trust
from our very beginning, 120 years ago.
has naturally and strategically evolved. Today,
The equation of trust is precious, at once simple and dynamic:
character and leadership remain a major focus — and The Trust’s charge and whole-school
In order for us to have maximum impact as educators, our boys must trust us and also see
responsibilities have grown to encompass additional, equally critical areas of concern.
clearly that we trust ourselves. Equally important, we must actively place our faith and trust in them as we work to build their many strengths, encouraging them today and always to love and trust themselves. After all, trusting oneself yields the greatest and most resonant lifelong return — and that, of course, is both our daily passion and ultimate goal. As educating boys and young
Few would disagree that, in so
AFTER ALL, TRUSTING ONESELF YIELDS THE GREATEST AND MOST RESONANT LIFELONG RETURN — AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS BOTH OUR DAILY PASSION AND ULTIMATE GOAL.
many quarters, these most recent years have been a time of unusual
consistently requires mindfulness of and
challenge and struggle — a time
repeated engagement with all of The Trust’s
in which our foundations of trust
areas of concentration.
have been shaken mightily. Consequently, we are very
In that carefully balanced and accrued experience, we want our boys’ reservoirs of trust
actively planning and working to
to flourish naturally, for nature provides the
enhance The Brunswick Trust,
strongest foundation and the greatest well-
through increased whole-school
spring of assurance, both essential to healthy
focus on three additional areas
states of mind.
that now, in the early 21st
As Rachel Carson wrote in Silent Spring:
century, really demand special
“There is something infinitely healing in the
men to be future leaders of
and continuing emphasis:
repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that
exceptional character has
Community service and environ-
dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
always been the heart and soul of our work,
mental sustainability; diversity, equity, inclusion,
we also know that our charge has the greatest
and belonging; and — especially important —
as always, we hope to offer our boys a natural
impact when it thoughtfully anticipates the
health and wellness.
resource that is “infinitely healing” as well —
challenges of changing times and circumstances.
Extending our unwavering commitment to
And so, during the course of 12 decades, the ways
character and leadership, The Brunswick Trust
in which Brunswick fulfills its core mission have
— a trust we all hold very dear — has now
carefully evolved in strategy, though never in
come to be built on these four “pillars.” And,
purpose or intent.
please be assured, that building and strength-
More than 10 years ago now, recognizing the truly unprecedented and burgeoning chal-
How wise and true! In The Brunswick Trust,
and, with your help and support, our work to do so will remain our deepest commitment.
ening will continue. It has been observed that “trust is built with
lenges of our new century, we established The
consistency.” Here, the goal is to cultivate and
Brunswick Trust — at the time a new, whole-
ensure our boys’ natural, instinctive expecta-
school program with a deliberate emphasis on
tions that building their strength of character
Thomas W. Philip
WWW.BRUNSWICKSCHOOL .ORG
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