Year 12 Commissioning Speech 2021 – Message to the Young Men of Year 12

For the young men of Year 12 and to every Eddies Man from Year 7 to Year 12 …

The theme of the Commissioning Mass today is The Heart of an Eddies Man.

At my house there is an ongoing discussion as to what makes a good movie. What is at the heart of a truly good flick? If you dissect it and get down to the essence, what are the things that make you say…that was good?
For my sons, we are talking complex plot twists, fantastic acting and thoughtful, yet breathtaking cinematography - movies like Inception, Shutter Island, and Blade Runner (the latest one) come to mind.  Dad on the other hand, is happy if there is something resembling a storyline, lots of CGI and as long as it is all smiles at the end, then I am all good. For me, the ultimate form of cinema would be the superhero movie. 

If the heart of a good movie is superheroes, explosions and coloured spandex, what then, is in the heart of an Eddies Man?

I think our College Vision covers it.

… inclusive Catholic community enriched by Ipswich culture and grounded in the Edmund Rice Tradition educates and inspires young men to live simply and make a difference. 

There is a lot in these words. An Eddies Man is challenged to live simply and make a difference. It is not hard to do, it does not take the brilliance or strength or virtue of a superhero. You do not have to be super strong or super smart or wear a formfitting Lycra bodysuit. 

That sort of stuff is extraordinary.  It does not mean you cannot strive for the extraordinary, but the extraordinary is exactly that - extra ordinary, beyond the norm. It does not happen often. It is in the simple and the ordinary, the little things of every day, that you can make a difference.

The Year 12 theme for this year is Invest in the Crest. Investment means you must put something in and maybe you get something back. 

To make a difference, all it takes is a little investment. Invest a moment, invest a smile and invest a kind thought. Invest your time - with a friend, with your family, with our staff. Invest in study, invest in sport, in creative activities, invest in what you can do for others. Invest your heart, invest yourself.

This year is a chance to put a razor-sharp edge on the skills in which you have invested and knowledge you have gained, from the first day in Year 7 when you became an Eddies Man. 

Gentlemen, the journey from today to November is crazy short. In between now and then there will be assignments, exams, certificates. You will succeed, you will fail but you will celebrate, and you will learn. You will dress up for the Formal, dress down for inter-house days and hopefully be proud of the College uniform every day. There will be time invested with your buddies, effort invested in our sausage sizzles and speed invested in getting to the pizza line on Fridays! 

And then the moment will arrive; it will probably be hot inside our Hall and it will be bright outside and there may even be tears; it will be when you take your first steps away from this place, our place on the hill. For some of you it will come all too soon, but we will be here to farewell you, friends, staff, parents and caregivers - our Eddies Team.

So take the challenge, give it a go, and give this year all you can. Invest every part of yourself. Be ready to enter the world as the best you can make of yourself, whether it be an apprentice, a university student or a trainee. Be ready to live simply, making a difference in the lives of others with the little acts of every day. Make a difference as a son, a brother, maybe one day as a partner or as a father. 

What is the heart of an Eddies Man? The heart of an Eddies Man, like our College crest that sits above the heart of our young men, is in Ipswich, in our Catholic Community, in the legacy of the Christian Brothers. It is in living simply, maybe striving to do the extraordinary, but it is in being firmly and solidly set in the plain and ordinary act of every day.

And what do you get back for your investment? The fact that you will enter the world a strong and resilient, kind and respectful, gentle and responsive, reflective Eddies Man, and importantly, that in your world, you have and will continue to make a difference.

Recently our first staff and student volunteer team for 2021 took to the streets.

As a Catholic College in the Edmund Rice Tradition, we are inspired by the Gospel and called to stand in solidarity with those who are marginalised. The Rosies' engagement program is a powerful experience as Talon Biddle shares. “Volunteering with Rosies was an experience which I will never forget. Helping the patrons in need was not just about serving them food. I think the way in which I helped out the most was through conversation. Many families were able to open up to me about how they are going or even just having a light-hearted conversation which put a smile on their face as well as mine. I found the experience eye opening and quite inspirational”.  

Recently, nineteen Year 8 STEM students headed off to Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane City. Students utilised science, technology, engineering and mathematics to design and build their own working satellite with littleBits circuits and everyday household items using the scientific design process. NASA was very grateful for their designs.

The first event for this year will be our Performing Arts Night for this term held in the Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday, 3 March. This will be a wonderful event to kickstart our performances for this year. It will commence at 6pm and I encourage you all to attend to support the many talented students we have at the College.

Last Friday’s assembly performance was a pre-recorded version of the Muse hit ‘Starlight.’ I’d like to congratulate the students from Junior Contemporary Ensemble of 2020 under the Direction of Mr Jesse Gold who joined forces again to complete this special project. Well done boys!

A reminder that Instrumental lesson timetables can be found on EDE, outside K205 and I have already emailed them out to a number of students involved in the program. I am still making a number of changes with students joining the program. If any parents would like a copy of their son’s timetable, please feel free to email me at tkirkwood@sec.qld.edu.au and I will send this out. Any student still wanting to join the program can see me to collect a note in K205.

Mr Tim Kirkwood
Director of Music

For all Sporting and Cultural notices please check the College App or the Co-Curricular pages in EDE.

https://ede.sec.qld.edu.au/hom...

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Volleyball Write Up - https://ede.sec.qld.edu.au/hom...