Opening Convocation

The Convocation service on Monday, August 22 was a truly special day for Westminster. To commemorate this momentous occasion, multiple founding trustees, many former board chairs, former heads of school, and employees who served at Westminster for more than 20 years were invited to attend Convocation and a special luncheon afterwards. These were the people who have shaped and molded our beloved Westminster into what it is today, and it was such an honor for me, as the new Head of School, to welcome all of these pillars of Westminster’s history back to our campus. The energy and excitement were palpable, and the Spirit of God was in our midst as we began our celebration of 50 years of God’s faithfulness to us.

There were many special moments that day, including Dr. John Oliver’s address and the opportunity for our entire student body to thank our school founders for their work 50 years ago. But none was more evocative than the moment we unveiled the newly founded David Hanks Legacy Scholarship in honor of Emeritus Board Member and long-time Westminster supporter Mr. David Hanks. The crowd rose to their feet with uproarious applause in support of the new scholarship that will be given in honor of David Hanks each year.

Mr. Hanks has been a proud ambassador of Westminster for decades, and it is our sincere honor to acknowledge his deep love, selfless support, and faithful service to our school with this scholarship fund. It is our hope that the traits we have all come to love and respect in Mr. Hanks will be remembered each year in the form of this scholarship. You’ll find out more about Mr. Hanks and the scholarship later

By Dr. Shawn Brower

in this edition of Windows.

Westminster has much to be grateful for as we look back at the last 50 years, but we still have much, by God’s grace, to accomplish in the future. In an era when secular culture seems to be infiltrating all aspects of our lives, I want to assure you that Westminster is committed to not just maintain but to lead, with more fervor than EVER before, with our biblical world and life view always at the center of all we do. We have Gospel-centered goals for the discipleship of students’ hearts to be pursued and won for the cause of Christ. It truly is a great time to be a Westminster Wildcat. I am inspired by those who have joined us in our journey forward, as we build on what has already been started, and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Dr. Shawn Brower Head of School

Homecoming

Inclement weather threatened the weekend full of 50th anniversary festivities planned for the first weekend of October, but the Westminster faithful were not to be deterred!

A soggy homecoming football game on Friday night was graced by the evidence of God’s covenant with his people, a beautiful rainbow that arced across the field just before kickoff, then Saturday morning dawned clear and bright.

Families from near and far made their way to Westminster’s campus to reminisce over old times and see changes to the campus that have been made since they attended as students. Memories and stories were shared as children had the opportunity to see where mom or dad spent so much time as a child.

One of the most popular activities of the day on campus was the alumni soccer game. Dr. Brower served as referee, and kids cheered on their fathers as good natured alumni battled it out on the pitch. The cornhole tournament was another popular choice.

Later that evening, more than 140 alumni and their spouses gathered in downtown Augusta on the rooftop deck of Sole restaurant. Every effort had been made to locate beloved previous faculty members and request their attendance. It was a pleasure for alumni to spend time with teachers who shaped them, like Mike Merwin and Andy Menger. Conversation and stories of Westminster exploits, experiences, and adventures flowed freely.

While literally dampened, Homecoming Weekend was a wonderful reminder that Westminster is so much more than just a place to develop one’s mind for one short season of life. Lifetime friendships are made here.