Page 7 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 7
EDITORIAL
The editor wishes to thank all those who greeted the first appearance of
the Gonzaga Record with appreciation and encouragement.
In particular, the history of the foundation and early years of the Col-
lege was read with great interest, and for many ex-Gonzagans had some
surprises. In this issue the second part of that history completes the story
of the College down to the early 1980s.
A word of explanation about that history might be in place here. We
are still a young school, not yet forty years old. One might ask: Is it not
a bit premature to be writing a history of the place? Venerable institutions
have earned a right to a written history, but what justification has such
a stripling? Not much, really ... except for one thing. It is worth the
trouble to put down on paper a record of the foundation and early
history of any institution. It explains why it came into existence, and
what were the ideals it hoped to achieve. The generation of Jesuits that
began Gonzaga are now elderly, and some have gone to their reward
already. If the record of what happened in the first years is not written
now, it will be lost altogether. It would have been a great pity if that had
been allowed to happen. Happily, the record is now in print, and, one
hopes, will be preserved.
The school has much to be proud of in its efforts over the year to make
the boys more socially aware, and to do something practical to help those
in need.
Nearly £13,000 was collected, or donated by sponsors, or earned in
other ways. This breaks down roughly into the following:
Fifth year Project: £10,000
Vincent de Paul: 1,200
Midnight Mass collection: 900
Prep school wheel-chair project 600
12,700
The boys also helped with the Belvedere Youth Club flag-day. Gonzaga
is a small school as Dublin schools go. But by anybody's reckoning, this
is a magnificent endeavour.
When the examination results came out last summer it was clear that
academically the school had had what was probably the most successful
year on record.
5
The editor wishes to thank all those who greeted the first appearance of
the Gonzaga Record with appreciation and encouragement.
In particular, the history of the foundation and early years of the Col-
lege was read with great interest, and for many ex-Gonzagans had some
surprises. In this issue the second part of that history completes the story
of the College down to the early 1980s.
A word of explanation about that history might be in place here. We
are still a young school, not yet forty years old. One might ask: Is it not
a bit premature to be writing a history of the place? Venerable institutions
have earned a right to a written history, but what justification has such
a stripling? Not much, really ... except for one thing. It is worth the
trouble to put down on paper a record of the foundation and early
history of any institution. It explains why it came into existence, and
what were the ideals it hoped to achieve. The generation of Jesuits that
began Gonzaga are now elderly, and some have gone to their reward
already. If the record of what happened in the first years is not written
now, it will be lost altogether. It would have been a great pity if that had
been allowed to happen. Happily, the record is now in print, and, one
hopes, will be preserved.
The school has much to be proud of in its efforts over the year to make
the boys more socially aware, and to do something practical to help those
in need.
Nearly £13,000 was collected, or donated by sponsors, or earned in
other ways. This breaks down roughly into the following:
Fifth year Project: £10,000
Vincent de Paul: 1,200
Midnight Mass collection: 900
Prep school wheel-chair project 600
12,700
The boys also helped with the Belvedere Youth Club flag-day. Gonzaga
is a small school as Dublin schools go. But by anybody's reckoning, this
is a magnificent endeavour.
When the examination results came out last summer it was clear that
academically the school had had what was probably the most successful
year on record.
5
