Tribute to a Gooooooood Reader

Writing blog posts can at times be trying. I'm never quite sure how much impact they have.

Early in my tenure as Principal, a wise, long-serving school head told me that one of the most important responsibilities of this role is to shape narrative in the community - to introduce important ideas and be the catalyst for the community engaging in the dialogue. Of course, many of the subjects should be different for students, employees, Governors, alumni, parents, etc., but across the board, having the conversations is an important part of being strong community.

The blog is one vehicle for this narrative, but I get very little feedback on my posts. While I receive readership counts and some in-person comments from time-to-time, I'm never quite sure whether my thoughts resonate, offend or are met with a wave of indifference.

Over the last year and a half, the one exception to this has been the consistent, enthusiastic and heart-warming feedback from my father-in-law, Doug Holt. He has been my most loyal reader and every time I have posted, he has been was quick with a supportive comment or a laugh. Loyal readers will recognize that I have mentioned him in a couple of posts, which he always appreciated, even if it included some good natured chiding.

Sadly, I won't be getting commentary from him about this post (at least in traditional media). Doug died last week. His death was unexpected and sudden while he and my mother-in-law were vacationing in Florida. It was shocking because Doug (known by his three daughters and five grandchildren as Poppa) was only 71 (but seemed much younger), was seemingly very healthy, and came from stock that were blessed with remarkable longevity. While any death is difficult on family and he lived an extraordinarily happy, fulfilled life, it always hits you a bit harder when someone goes prematurely. There is no doubt that's how everyone who was close to Doug feels today - lots of incredulous friends and family still trying to figure it all out.

Doug was a special guy. He was born and raised in Magog in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. He was the first in his family to attend university (a proud Gaiter), living with his grandmother in Sherbrooke as a way to be economical. While he had a very successful career working for and leading sales and marketing divisions in various sectors from aeronautics to tools to manufacturing, he wouldn't for a second peg career as his greatest achievement. He worked to live, and his greatest pride, pleasure and comfort stemmed from family.

He certainly dotted on his three daughters, Alison, Sandy and Jenn, sometimes to the chagrin of his two sons-in-law. He often treated them lovingly like teenagers, always getting their cars ready (washing them or filling up fluids), passing on helpful advice, and insisting that they check-in regularly whenever travelling ("Your mother insisted that I call.") If is he dotted on his daughters, then he downright fawned over his four grandsons and one granddaughter. They could get away with a great deal with Poppa, and they would do things for him that were beyond the realm of possibility if requested by a mere parent. It was apparent to anyone who knew Doug that his greatest pride in life was around his daughters and grandchildren - he would talk about the "original five" and his grandchildren all the time. For his grandchildren, their grandfather was among their very best friends. While it is a great blessing to get know grandparents, their loss is often the first major one experienced by children, and this is a case in point. As a parent, while losing someone you love is tough, it is not nearly as difficult as breaking that news to your children.

He and I had many common traits (sometimes disturbingly so for me), but we were also different in many ways, none moreso then our relationships with mess. As I brag to my wife, I am blessed with a very high tolerance for mess. She is less enthusiastic about that particular "strength" of mine. And as for her father, if there was one thing that drove him nuts, it was disorder and mess. Anytime people were doing something significant, like cooking or packing up to leave, Mr. Clean would some sweeping in with an almost Pavlovian drive to vacuum or collect the recycling or empty the garbage in the middle of the chaos. He loved order, which made him the easiest target for button-pushing from mischievous relatives.

Doug was one of those guys who loved to be busy. He always had cottage or home improvement project on the go, even though, truth be told, they weren't exactly his forte. He took on many tasks large and small and took as much joy in doing them, especially with family members, as he did in the outcome He was a very active guy - loving to play squash, ski, walk, and golf, despite his titanium knees. He reveled being with his many friends as well as extended family members such as in-laws and cousins. He was fun to be with.

In the family, he was famous for his many oft-repeated phrases: doing a high kick (although not as high as it used to be) and karate chop while yelling hyundai; singing Summertime but coughing after the first line as he tried to mimic Satchmo's gravelly tone; pointing to himself with both thumbs and declaring himself gooooooood when he was feeling particularly proud about something; or running around the outside of the Trouser Lake cottage (Lac Trousers in Quebec) at night banging on the windows to scare the kids while yelling "Monkey Man". Their response was to charge outside searching for Poppa them taking him down like a wounded animal.   

What I always found most remarkable about Poppa was the strength of his personality. He went through life with an unrelenting ability to always be positive, enthusiastic and supportive to everyone around him. He complimented people all the time and was one of those people who always showed deep, sincere interest in others. He took pride in others' accomplishments whether large or small and wore his emotions on his sleeve. One of the great family games was to get him crying, which would in turn get one of his daughters crying (usually Jenny), which would have a domino effect with the rest of the family. When I think of his tears, however, they were almost always tears of joy and nostalgia rather than sadness. What a wonderful way to go through life. I've talked to a great number of his friends, acquaintances, and even those who barely knew him, but they all talked about that sense of enthusiasm and joyous acceptance. While Poppa was a man of his own strongly-held opinions (politics, sports, religion, among others), he always seemed to listen to, appreciate and accept those who were different from him. Like most Quebecers, he loved a good conversation. None moreso than his daily one with his younger brother Gerry, where a review of the weather could eat up 10 minutes.

Finally, one of Poppa's most remarkable traits was his willingness to laugh at himself and practical jokes aimed at him, which were never in short supply thanks to his nephews, sons-in-law and grandchildren. Whether it was used tea bags (a personal nemesis of his) throughout the house, water balloons being tossed his way, trick golf balls, or a variety of other pranks - all of which featured him as the target - his own laugh at the outcome was usually the loudest. I really wish I can become as generous.

So, what else is left to be said? Lots.

Stories and memories, photos and videos will for a very long time help nurture us with his generosity and enthusiasm. But more than anything, whether it is through genes or learned behavior, Poppa's greatest legacy is in who his children and grandchildren are today, and who they will become. Together with the completely symbiotic, loving relationship with his dear wife Kay, this is the legacy that is most important to him, and it is the one for which he has the greatest pride.

So farewell to a man who loved people, who loved family, and who loved life. We will miss your enthusiasm, your joie de vivre, your caring, your laugh and your cries, but look forward to seeing you often in the words, actions and personalities of your children and grandchildren.

 

Of Memories, Community and Sharing Gold

I always like to ask alumni about the most visceral memories of school. There are many responses and lots of variety. However, four themes tend to predominate:

1) Experience overseas, especially on service projects when graduates' report that their world views changed profoundly. Students' assumptions about norms, adversity, happiness and their own lots in life were often turned on their ears. I am proud that Appleby offers one of the leading global education programs as we "double down" on these kinds of experiences and epiphanies.

2) The Northward Bound program. When Bruce McLaughlin and some other Governors encouraged Ned Larsen to start an Appleby-specific Outward Bound-like program in the 1970s, I suspect they had no idea of the full extent of the impact that they would have. It is remarkable the number of alumni for whom their time in Temagami provides the centerpiece of their memories - be it related to experiences from years ago such as solos or swimming in ice holes (common sense and the risk managers put and end to this practice a while ago), or those from more recent times such as canoe trips, camping in quinzhees, and wolf howls.

3) The impact of specific teachers in shaping lives. Almost all alumni - be they from the class of 1943 or 2013 - have views on their teachers. While many names and faces will fade with time, most grads hold a few people locked in their hearts because in their life-shaping influences. Not surprisingly, in boarding environments, these kinds of impacts are both more frequent and all-encompassing as faculty can become a blend of parents, aunts and uncles, and mentors, in addition to their traditional roles as teachers, coaches and advisors. The thing that I have started to realize, and it challenges my natural intuition, is that while there are some teachers who have almost universally positive impacts, there are also some who are outliers. They are at the same time unpopular with some alumni, and wildly popular and influential with others. On a superficial level, it seems almost incongruous that someone can generate such divergent reactions. It does reinforce that each child has his/her own personality and make-up. The key to understanding, connecting and unlocking potential of each student is unique. Not every teacher can hold that key for every child. Moreover, it is a sign of a healthy school that students will deal with a variety of teachers with different styles, for that is good preparation for life. This does not mean that a great school should in any way compromise its commitment to very high quality teaching by all, but it does reinforce that great teachers will often have varied impacts on different students. It is critical, however, that schools find a way to make sure that each child does connect well with at least one teacher; that every child has a trusted adult to whom they can turn.

Over the next two weeks, we will be launching a series of comprehensive constituent surveys - all students, employees, parents and alumni will be asked to provide us thoughtful feedback on how we are doing and how we can get batter. Some of the questions will relate to these issues. Alumni are being asked to let us know which faculty had the greatest impact on them, students and parents are being invited to let us know how well faculty connect with students. Please take the time to fill out the survey.

4) Communal experiences. When I changed schools moving into Grade 4 in September in 1972, it was a big deal. I didn't know anyone there and I was one of only a few new students moving into a already coherent and close class. But when I think back to that year, there is little that I remember. But what does stand out (I think) were two major events that we watched together in class. They were the launch of Skylab (the first space station), and game 8 of the Summit (hockey) Series between the Soviet Union and Team Canada ... remember the Henderson goal? Through the fog of time, it seems to be that they were captivating events that generated great enthusiasm, in large part because we experienced them as a community. We celebrated together and our energy was amplified as it bounced off the energy from our schoolmates.

Like many other places, we shared a similar experience over the last two days as teachers tuned in the women's Olympic gold medal game on Thursday, then the men's semi final hockey game on Friday. Both of these fabulous bouts between Canada and the USA entranced the school population. (I was really impressed by the handful of American fans who courageously waved the red, white and blue in a sea of red and white.) Some classes watched the games in their classrooms while others saw it on Appleby's close circuit tv system. As I had it on in my office, it was clear that the streaming to the various computers and projectors were out of synch - you could hear massive cheering taking place on different rooms separated by minutes.

The largest gatherings were in the Schlesinger Dining Hall, which was packed with hundreds of students and employees - from Grade 7 to 12, from all countries, long serving teachers and facilities staff. Here is a clip of us watching the Canadian Olympic Women's Hockey Team win the gold medal. Of course, we were particularly proud that Brianne Jenner, Appleby graduate and daughter of our colleague David Jenner, scored the goal to get Canada back in the game.

These are incredible community events, which in 25 years time, our students will remember fondly as being highlights of their time here. Of course, the core aspects of school are critic - teaching, sports, arts etc. - but these times when we come together, share emotions, and celebrate are often what makes a great school experience whole, special, and memorable.

Can Our Imaginations Match the Change?

At a recent Round Square International Conference, Dr. Peter Diamandis provided the most thought-provoking messages for both students and adults. Diamandis is the co-founder of two universities, creator of the X Prize for commercial space travel and subsequently expanded the concept into prizes for a wide range of endeavours, including genome mapping, environmental clean-up, high efficiency cars, as well as health sensing and diagnostic tools. His message and broader career focus is on the impact of exponential growth innovation on the human condition.

The increasing scope and pace of change almost seems like an old message. Buckminster Fuller talked about it in the 1930s. Paradigm shifting became a popular concept in science and business in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Innovators like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have transformed the way business works, the way we learn, the way humans interact, and the way we live our lives almost on a second-to-second basis. Even Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat (2005) seems like it has been with us for decades.

Diamandis is one of those many experts who preach from the gospel of ‘change is our most important reality’ and whether it ends up being positive or negative (he has a strong bias for the former) the pace for the future exceeds our ability to imagine it. He makes the case that 150,000 years of human evolution in rural environments, where the sphere of influence was one’s own tribe and the area within perhaps a 100 km radius, provided us an ability to understand and internalize linear change (at a pace of perhaps 10%, 50%, two-times or even five-times.) However, exponential change – at a pace of 1,000, 100,000 or 1,000,000 times – exceeds the human brain’s ability to comprehend and adapt.

My maternal grandmother was born at the very start of the 20^th century and died in 1991 having lived her entire life in the same house in the Yonge and St. Clair area of Toronto. When she was young, the house was in the country, surrounded by forests, fields and wildlife. By the time she died, it was in the middle of the largest city in the country. When she was growing up, she would go with her mother to visit friends in a horse and buggy over dirt or plank roads. Throughout her life, she saw dozens of generations of automobiles, airplanes, trips to the moon, and even space shuttles. When you consider communications, medical science, energy, household operations, major world events such as the Russian revolution, the two world wars, the cold war, the depression, the role of women, the emergence of diversity and multiculturalism – almost anything, it is hard not to be impressed how she and her peers were able to adapt to the new social order. The scary truth, however, is that we will experience orders of magnitude of change beyond what she did, and those students entering Grade 7 will likely live through at least a thousand-fold more change than we will.

Diamandis outlines many examples of disruption innovation happening at an exponential level, including these three:

·         Computing power: This is perhaps the most commonly cited example of exponential impact, and we experience it in communication, automation of almost all machines and complex tools, as well as access to information (e.g. a Masai tribesman holding a smartphone with internet access has more more processing power in his hand than President Reagan could command, and access to more information than did President Clinton). IBM’s Watson computer can process 1 million books per second. Looking forward, as computing power reaches the capacity of the human brain and eventually the cumulative power of all human brains (technological singularity), artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to render many of our day-to-day tasks obsolete. (Think already of robotics like Big Dog, and the self-driving car.) In addition to changing lifestyle, this is and will continue to have a profound impact on information-based jobs and professions as AI will make accessing information intuitive and instantaneous.
 

 
 

·         Health & Medicine: There are many examples in health sciences of exponential innovation. Perhaps none will have more impact in the medium term than the mapping of the human genome and the discovery of genetic relationships with all aspects of life. This achievement, together with other medical innovations such as artificial body parts, is already leading to the creation of artificial life by design, cloning, and the probability of dramatically extending life. While Statscan suggests that the life expectancy of the Grade 7 students will be 77-82, many scientists are declaring that these innovations will result in the strong probability of their living beyond 100, and possibly as old as 150. The implications to working life, pensions, quality of life, family structures, and the work force are immense. 

·         3D Printing: The possibilities for disruption through 3D printing are staggering. This form of manufacturing creates, in real time, three dimensional items of varied types – clothing, multi-working-part machines, food, etc. It is already changing the notions of the ease of creation and the ability for individuals to command design. While costs are still high, like computing processing power, 3D printing is putting immense power and potential into the hands of individuals.
  

The implications of change on our graduates will be increasingly important. The Canadian stories of Nortel and RIM, both of which used to dominate the TSE, are good examples of the increasingly volatile nature of the working world. This chart illustrates how the half-life of corporate power/success is becoming shorter due in large part to disruptive influences. Our students today should be prepared to be successful for jobs that haven’t been defined in companies that don’t yet exist.



Over the last decades, it has become understood that the ‘company man’ concept of someone working for one employer in one stream over a lifetime is close to obsolete. Our students will be shifting companies, sectors and even careers many times over. There is a high likelihood that they will leave a company involuntarily sometime in their lives, and they will also work for themselves at some point. A person’s ability not only to cope with disruption, but also to adapt to it, and optimally to capitalize on it will be a defining characteristic of future success. Interestingly, the rate and pace of the change for which we are preparing these students is beyond anything that either their parents or teachers have experienced or can easily comprehend.

Of course, as Appleby heads into the process for defining our next major blueprint for the future, we are compelled to answer the question, how are we ensuring that our graduates are ready for this world? What are the most important attributes that will allow them to capitalize on this pace of change?