Fr Greene, Headmaster Foley, fellow members of the Belvedere Union.
It is, of course, an immense honour to have been elected your President this evening.
And yet, honour is not the overwhelming feeling I have right now. Nor has it been in recent weeks as I reflected on taking up this role.
For me, I take on this position with a deep sense of duty. Of responsibility. And of conviction.
A duty to this great 120-year-old plus institution and to those who have stewarded it before me.
A responsibility to our many members, past, present, and future.
And, most importantly, a conviction that what we have, can always be made better…become more.
Magis
This conviction is perhaps what the Jesuits would term, Magis.
Magis is derived from the Latin word for ‘more’.
But Magis isn’t about having more, or even doing more. That is an important distinction.
Magis is the value of striving for better, striving for excellence.
Magis is one of the foundational principles of Jesuit education.
It’s probably the most important value I took with me from my schooling in Belvedere and have tried to apply to my life ever since.
You see, with Magis, you can never fail.
You experience lessons along the way, of course, but becoming better is the goal, rather than reaching any sort of potential.
Just like one of my old rugby heroes, Johnny Wilkinson, might say: Potential is limiting.
And so, gentlemen, Magis is my intention for the coming Union term.
We don’t need or want a Union that does more for the sake of it. Nor do we want to create something that becomes unsustainable.
But we do want to ensure we get better every year, as part of that pursuit of excellence. As part of Magis.
Junior Union
On getting better, one of the greatest things to happen the Union in its lifetime, in my view, was the instigation of the Junior Union, by one of my predecessors, Brian Kearney, in 2008.
2008 happens to be the year I graduated from Belvedere and was swiftly co-opted on to that budding committee which has since achieved so much.
I’m pleased to report the JU is still going strong, and you’ll hear from its new Chairperson, Sean Carroll, in a few moments. Sean, you’re very welcome and thank you for joining us this evening.
The JU has done a lot over the past 16 years, from sporting events to soup runs, with charitable endeavour always to the fore.
But perhaps the most important thing it has accomplished during that time, is develop a pipeline of talent that has had a significant impact on both the shape and modus operandi of the Union that we have today.
It is perhaps one of the reasons why we now have the youngest President in our history. But also, a continually refreshed committee, with new faces every year that bring energy, commitment, enthusiasm and drive to what we are about.
Community
So, what are about? Well, that’s easy. So easy in fact, I can explain it in single word: Community.
You see, Belvedere is not, and never has been, just a school.
Yes, it’s a fine educational institution that we were all lucky enough to attend for a defined period of time.
But like just like the Hotel California, while you can check out, you never really leave.
I’ve always had a touch of the Red Car Theory about Belvedere.
That is to say, for Belvederians, Belvedere is all around us.
Belvedere is not the four walls that surround us today, but the people that sit and stand, and live and give, within them.
Belvedere is the life-long friend with whom you pick up wherever you left off. The teacher who inspired your career. The coach who instilled a will to win. The doctor you turn to when health is of concern. The dentist you see if a tooth is of bother. The broker you call when you’re switching your mortgage. I could go on, and on.
For me, as I am sure it has been for many of you here today, Belvedere has been the foot in the door when you need a place to start. The pat on the back when things go well. The helping hand back up when you’ve had a fall. And the kick in the backside when it’s in dire need.
The Belvedere Union is an important part of the Belvedere community. I could speak today at length about the great work that is done across our Union, from the highly successful Network Forum to the Golf, and everything in between. I’m grateful to our new Senior Vice President, Colin, who has already provided a great summary of that this evening.
Support Network
However, you might permit me to pause for a moment on perhaps one of the most important elements of our Union. That is, the incredible work of the Benevolent Association.
Operating confidentially, the BBA grants financial assistance and puts in place professional support services for Belvederians and their families who are suffering hardship.
However, the group is also often simply a reliable source of advice and direction to Belvederians who find themselves in challenging circumstances, requiring effective guidance and support.
Having chaired the BBA over the past year, I was pleased to have led a strategic review, culminating in a new five-year plan to ensure we reach more Belvederians and their families in need.
To this end, the BBA will soon rebrand and relaunch as the Belvedere Support Network. I look forward to sharing more on that in due course, because it really does represent the best of our network… of our community.
Of course, the Belvedere community, is not just about students, past or present. My mother Mary is a case in point. Mary, to this day, is as wrapped up in Belvedere as I am. As a former Chair of the Ladies Committee, she even got her name on the wall before I did!
But in giving so much to this college over many years, as the late Brother Davis’ theory goes, she received so much more in return. Like all mothers, she’s proud of her sons, of course, but perhaps the greatest reward she received from the college is an incredible group of friends, all of whom have a single common bond. You guessed it: Belvedere.
One of her great friends, I’m delighted to say, is with us today. That’s right; it’s a great pleasure to have Bernie Millar, join the Union in the new and important role of Alumni Relations Officer.
Bernie is a parent of three Old Belvederians, and a former Chair of the Ladies Committee herself. She brings with her a wealth of administrative and event management experience, of course. But it’s her innate understanding of what the Belvedere community is really about that makes her so perfect for this role.
Bernie, I’m looking forward to working closely with you over the coming months, and on behalf of everyone on the committee, I’d like to welcome you and thank you for your valued work.
Bernie will work very closely with John Reynolds, our new President Elect, and me, to advance the goals of the Union over the coming term. John, I’m also very grateful to you for accepting the role.
Committee
When I first accepted, like most, I moved quite quicky to thinking about succession. I knew what I wanted. I needed someone who would challenge, motivate and drive me throughout my term. And someone who I could rely on to take things to the next level after that. I didn’t have to think too hard about who that person was.
John is someone I didn’t know very well before last year, but as a valued member of the committee in recent times, representing the BYC, I’ve been so impressed by his astute judgment and informed perspective on so many matters. Having worked very closely with him over the past year, I am confident he will be a brilliant President.
Finally, a word to the man who tapped me on the shoulder, our outgoing President, Kevin Lynch. Kevin, I want to thank you for your commitment over the past year to the role. It has been a pleasure to work with you on many aspects of the Union agenda, especially in relation to our strategic direction. You have represented the Union, the college, and indeed, the entire Belvedere community with distinction. And I believe we are very well set up to build on the momentum that you have helped to establish. Thank you, Kevin.
To close, I’d like to leave you with a thought.
One of the buzzwords to come out of the pandemic was “resilience”.
Somehow, it seemed to become omnipresent overnight, and, in my view, has been savagely overused ever since.
People now regularly use it to describe themselves, when the reality is that life is a game of resilience. And resilience, a game of life.
But then I heard something, at the Clongowes PPU dinner, of all places, that changed my mind.
You see, I’ve come to learn that resilience isn’t something within us, it’s something between us.
As a group of past pupils, we have much to be grateful for. Not least, for the bonds of friendship that were built here in Belvedere.
If I do one thing and one thing only during my term as President, it will be to create opportunities as a Union, for us to tend to those bonds.
Gentlemen, thank you for your backing. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your friendship.
And if I don’t see everyone of you at the dinner on October 18, there will be hell to pay.
Goodnight.