The Brunswick community convened on Thursday, Sept. 12, for its Annual Meeting & Dinner — the traditional, opening-of-school gathering of parents and faculty held in Burke Field House during the first full week of the school year. 

After those assembled unanimously confirmed this year’s nominated slate of new trustees, offered by Committee on Trustees Chair Patrick J. Fels (P ’23, ’25), Chairman of the Board R. Willett Cook (P ’30) took the podium to thanks teachers, administration, and staff for their hard work and dedication to Brunswick boys’ success, as well as his fellow trustees and parents for their incredible generosity and ongoing support of the school.

Cook concluded by stating that all in attendance are connected in celebrating Brunswick’s common mission. 

“Led by Head of School Tom Philip, we will all continue to do everything possible to ensure that Brunswick provides an education that develops the ‘whole boy’ — not to just educate, but to instill core values and encourage thoughtful life choices, and lay the groundwork for success in life as sons, brothers, friends, colleagues, husbands, and fathers,” Cook said.

In his address to the gathering, Head of School Thomas W. Philip cited many initiatives and accomplishments, large and small, of Brunswick School and its students over the past year — the campus-enhancement projects, the growth of resources, the college placement, and the notable achievements in academics and athletics. 

But, as Philip said, all of these extraordinary distinctions lend themselves to quantification “by the numbers.”

“Numbers are, of course, measurable — but that does not mean that they are always meaningful,” Philip said. “Brunswick’s true strength is at a far deeper level. We aren’t just about victories, we are about virtues — not about what is fleeting but about what is foundational, not about counting but about character.

“It’s not so much what results our boys achieve, but rather how they achieve those results that truly matters.”

All parents and educators must collectively understand that they are now competing for children’s time and attention as never before, Philip observed. And in the larger context, the routine day-to-day, person-to-person life experiences and moments that naturally and organically contributed to the building of young people’s character in the past are far, far fewer today. 

“In response to this new reality, Brunswick stands firmly committed to competing for the face-to-face attention of our boys in this highly digitized world. And in doing so, we understand that the how of what we do must be exceptionally thoughtful and strategic,” he said. 

As such, Philip cited 10 of Brunswick’s core principles, which he had previously outlined in a summer letter to the school community. 

• We believe that as bright, able, hard-working as one might be (or become), being of sound character is the most essential attribute of all. We strive to filter all that we do through the lens of Courage, Honor, and Truth.
• We seek to teach our boys how to think, not what to think. Our curriculum is founded upon and formed by facts, not agendas. As faculty, we keep our own personal and political views out of the classroom so that our boys can form their own views without influence or intrusion.
• We celebrate the fact that diversity of background, ethnicity, religion, culture, and experience makes us all stronger, while at the same time believing that we all have more in common with one another than we have different.
• We firmly believe that everyone has a right to express their views in appropriate settings, and we insist that they do so in a respectful manner, and don’t compromise (and are open to hearing) the rights and views of others. 
• We believe that kindness, thoughtfulness, and respect both takes and shows strength. We love these boys with our whole heart. We want them to feel that deep level of care and to have the courage and strength to share it with others.
• We are a proudly American school. We believe in the promise and potential of America, and want our boys to feel just pride in their history while also striving to make our nation better still in the future.
• We see an important distinction between the concept of “equity of opportunity” and “equity of outcome.” While equity is a just and fair starting point, excellence — not equal outcomes — is the goal we are striving for.
• As our boys achieve and meet with success, we also believe that they must welcome their good fortune as an opportunity to further uplift the lives of those around them.
• We ascribe to the credo “Little Me, Big We.” We believe that everyone at Brunswick is part of something greater than themselves. We rise or fall together.
• And, very intentionally and for 122 wonderful years, we believe in, have great faith in, and celebrate boys.

In conclusion, Philip cited the challenging circumstances surrounding parents, teachers, and students in the world today — but did not shy away from them. 

“The wonderful news is that, though the challenges may be great and the times may be turbulent,” he said, “because of our focus on character, our reasons for hope and optimism shine bright in each of our boys.”

To hear remarks by Head of School Thomas W. Philip and Board Chairman R. Willett Cook, click on the video links below.