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"Il faut cultiver notre jardin" From “Candide” by Voltaire
An Excerpt from Musings of "Bob's Boy", Stephen Morris '79 When I was growing up, there was a small vegetable garden behind my house. I remember not when it was in full bloom, but the early spring, when all one could see were wooden rods ostensibly sprouting from the earth. By midsummer, a casual passerby would see only tall, proud tomato plants. Closer inspection, however, would reveal the rods - old hockey sticks - that gave the fledgling tomato plants
Bob Armstrong rarely tolerated lateness at practice, but often turned a blind eye to our social indiscretions, such as school tournaments at Bishop's College School. The tradition of order based on respect and trust, not rules and fear, continues at the Grove. Bob and Andy let us push ourselves, finding out whether we'd quit or try harder, be selfish or be generous, and above all, take risks and accept the consequences. Those lessons would prove invaluable for the rest of my life.
much needed structure and support. To produce excellent tomatoes, it all counted - the garden, the
“When we students arrived at the
sticks, and the plant.
Grove, we were the proverbial tomato sprouts; out of the ground but not yet able to stand independently.” My brother Scott (Morris) '68 and I had the privilege of knowing and being coached by Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Harris, and we are both eternally grateful for that opportunity. A rink on campus would have been a dream realized to Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Harris - a beautiful new garden
I played hockey for all of my years at the Grove and
for the next "grove" of saplings, providing LCS with
two people in particular were my mentors. Both
both fertile academic and athletic gardens!
played a bigger role in the lives of Grove students than one might expect from a hockey coach. Bob Armstrong and Andy Harris ‘44 were many things to many people - but to me, they were the spirit of the game incarnate. Bob and Andy shared the same mistress - hard, cold, and bleach-white, she fueled emotions ranging from desperation, to anxiety, to euphoria. She had a special grip on almost every Canadian's heart.
The hockey cycle continues. My nephews, Sam Ault '98 and Jackson Ault '01, both played at the Grove, and Sam was coached by Andy Harris and Bob's son, Ian Armstrong '83. Scott and I are playing hockey in Canada, Georgia, and South Carolina - and once a year in the Czech Republic. My own hockey skills, modest though they are, astound most people in Georgia. Of course, in Georgian gardens, the rods really are nothing more
When we students arrived at the Grove, we were the
than wood. Not everyone is blessed with the
proverbial tomato sprouts; out of the ground but
support of old hockey sticks.
not yet able to stand independently. Bob and Andy were our used hockey sticks. Tough and reliable, they were awesome in every sense of the word. They supported us with the wisdom and experience that we so desperately needed - whether we realized it or not.