Brunswick School welcomed more than 850 parents, faculty, staff, and special guests to its Annual Meeting & Dinner — an evening dedicated to reflection, gratitude, and community — on Thursday, September 11. 

After the gathering voted on matters of official business, Board of Trustees Chair Will Cook P ’30 spoke to the many successes of the past year, from academic and athletic accomplishments to artistic performances and service projects, noting how each contributes to the distinct Brunswick experience.

Cook expressed deep appreciation for the faculty, staff, trustees, parents, and donors whose dedication and generosity sustain the school. With record support for the ’Wick Annual Fund, a successful Senior Fund from the Class of 2025, and continued momentum in the “Ever Stronger, Ever Brunswick” Capital Campaign, the community’s commitment remains clear.

In closing, Cook reminded the audience of Brunswick’s enduring mission.

“We will continue to do everything possible to ensure that Brunswick provides an education that develops the whole boy and is committed to strength of character, good will, and achievement — striving to make the most of the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in this ever-changing world,” he said. 

Head of School Thomas W. Philip reflected on the school’s transformation over the past year, with new and reimagined spaces across every division, 18 new faculty homes, and enhancements to athletic facilities. He praised students and teachers for approaching the transition with “patience, good-natured collaboration, and a true Brunswick spirit,” while emphasizing the generosity of families and trustees that made it possible. 

Looking ahead, Philip pointed to Brunswick’s strategic plan as a guide for sustaining excellence while thoughtfully adapting to the needs of boys in a changing world.

Philip called Brunswick “a gift” — a gift parents give to their sons and one that faculty receive in return through the quality of students they teach. He urged families to maintain gratitude for that gift at both the “macro” level, given the opportunities of our era, and the “micro” level, within the unique setting and community Brunswick provides.

Acknowledging the challenges of modern parenting, Philip noted the anxiety and restlessness often fueled by social media. He cautioned against shielding boys from every setback.

“The greatness that unquestionably lies within each of our sons is far more likely to be developed when our boys are challenged than when things are coming easily,” Philip said. 

Turning to history, Philip shared an image of Brunswick’s 1913 varsity baseball team. Just four years after the photo, those same students faced World War I, the influenza pandemic, the Great Depression, and the upheavals of the mid-20th century. 

“They were just boys in that photo,” Philip observed, “but the gift of Brunswick helped prepare them to persevere through extraordinary times.”

He reminded the community that Brunswick has always been about the “purposeful presentation of challenge,” measured and guided by the school’s enduring values of Courage, Honor, and Truth. 

Drawing inspiration from a framed reproduction of the Declaration of Independence that hangs in the Upper School atrium, Philip spoke of Brunswick’s own “declaration.”

“We believe that true independence requires awareness of self and others. It demands curiosity, resilience, respect and responsibility — and it grows through practice, physical effort, intellectual struggle, and emotional maturity,” he said.

“Our classrooms, our playing fields, our traditions, our Vermont Campus experience: All serve to fulfill this ‘declaration.’ They all work toward the building of boys who can one day stand independently as men — come what may.”

Closing his remarks, Philip reflected on the timelessness of Brunswick’s purpose:

“As was true then, so it is true now. We prepare young men for life — a life of Courage, Honor, and Truth. May it always be so.”