I was forwarded an E-mail from Wendell Finance Committee Representative, Jim Slavas yesterday that was quite disheartening. Its content was yet another 1,100 words of opposition to the amended regional agreement that can greatly improve education for the children of Orange. Needing time to reflect on the contents of the E-mail, I hopped on an elliptical machine for over an hour. I could not help but be troubled because the Regional Planning Committee was not provided with the opportunity to have an informational session in the Town of Wendell, as we were in the Towns of Petersham, Orange, and New Salem. Not having the chance to engage Wendell’s residents in open and honest public dialogue with regard to our work was discouraging, to say the very least.
As my heart rate went up I tried to recall my own life’s lessons with regard assisting my fellow citizens. Then I remembered Father Al. When I was in my early teenaged years I lived in downtown Niagara Falls, New York. Most of mine and my older brother’s peers were members of a CYO (Catholic Youth Organization). In thinking about this time, I recalled Anthony, a boy who would take into his possession anything that he could carry, and was not screwed down. I remembered Brenda, who had her first child at the age of 16, and David, who always had something harmful in his pockets. More disturbingly, I remembered my brother’s friend Danny, who my mother had to take to the emergency room because he took sleeping pills in attempt to take his own life. Fortunately, he failed.
I recall tough times for a lot of tough kids who attended weekly mass, which was presided over by Father Alfred Pearson. Father Al was a good man who took us under his wing and provided weekly guidance in his sermon at what he called his “Youth Mass.” And because we were always prone to fighting with one another, his constant cry was for us to do to one another what we would like to have done to us. This familiar “Golden Rule” could not have been emphasized enough to us then and now that I am thinking about it – to everyone, always.
Father Al had the best stories, and he sometimes told them with accompanying cartoons that he, a talented artist, drew himself. I vividly recall his “Golden Rule” story, and I believe he would appreciate me sharing it with all of you. Days after a fight between two teenagers in our group, he really got on us about this concept. He told us one of his amazing stories about the difference between heaven and hell. I remember him telling us to close our eyes while he told the story so that we could use our young imaginations to guide us along.
In this story, he told us that in both heaven and in hell people had their arms replaced with forks that extended all the way to the floor. So from the forearm to the bottoms of our feet we imagined these fork appendages. Then Father Al explained in vivid language the difficulties that people had feeding themselves, because the forks were too long for them to get the food to their mouths. He said there was food everywhere, but nobody could eat it. They had to try to throw it in the air with their long fork-arms and catch in their mouths, but more often than not – it did not work.
So people were hungry and skinny, for they could not eat. As the days passed, unable to eat they had hunger pains, and they grew weak. They cried, they moaned in agony, and the screamed. They could see the food, they could pick it up, but they just could not eat it. With this they became angry and hostile. Once our young minds had the picture of all of these miserable starving people with big fork arms he told us that this was the equivalent of hell.
Then Father Al asked us to imagine the same starving people with their long fork-arms sitting at a long table. He asked us to imagine the table full of our favorite foods, be they pizza, cookies, chicken, or pasta. And then Father Al asked us to imagine everyone at the table taking turns feeding one another. This was his equivalent of heaven – his springboard into his lesson about the “Golden Rule.”
The Golden Rule is not specific solely to Christianity and the teachings of Father Al. I read in a book recently the religions of the world with language similar to this teaching:
Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire law, all the rest is commentary.”
Buddhism: “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.”
Hinduism: “This is the sum of duty; do naught unto others what you would have them do unto you.”
Zaroastrianism: “Whatever is disagreeable to yourself, do not do to others.”
Confucianism: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
Bah’i: And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose though for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.”
Jainism: “A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would want to be treated.”
Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria): “One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts.”
Whether it is because of religion or it is just common decency, Father Al encouraged us to help one another. I recall him telling us that we were to help others for one simple reason….because we can.
Back to the Regional Agreement:
Among the arguments of at least one Wendell Finance Committee Representative is that the regional agreement should not be supported is the sad finances of the Town of Orange, and the underperformance of Orange’s children. I ask for everyone to keep in mind that at the foundation of this agreement is the improved educational life for our littlest people – the children.
Our member Towns of Petersham, Wendell, and New Salem have provided their elementary aged children with the gold standard in elementary education. At the same time these towns have provided the same gold standard for middle and high school students at Ralph C. Mahar. The children of Orange should have these same opportunities.
If my arms were forks, I’d feed these children. I hope others can do the same.
Sent to all local media.
At 1:00 PM on November 3, 2011 twenty-eight students in grade twelve at Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School were called to a meeting in the Charlotte Ryan Theater. There, they were met by Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District Superintendent, Michael Baldassarre; Principal, Ismael Tabales; and Guidance Counselor Caitlin McKenna. These students were informed that they had been named recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarships for their performance on their Grade 10 MCAS Examinations during the 2009 – 2010 School Year.
There are a number of criteria that a student must meet to be eligible for this honor. First, a student must score in the Advanced category in either the Mathematics or the English language arts section of the grade 10 MCAS test and score in the Proficient or Advanced category on the second subject (Mathematics or English language arts); and must have a combined MCAS score on these assessments that ranks in the top 25% in their school district. Superintendent Baldassarre informed the students named below telling them, “I hope that you see how cooperation, hard work, and preparation bring about circumstances such as these. When you are willing to put in the effort as you have, your success is as predictable as sun in the summer and snow in the winter. ”
Students who are named recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship are entitled to four years of free tuition upon their acceptance to participating Massachusetts public institutions of higher education, such as a University of Massachusetts campus or a community college beginning with the fall 2011 semester. Sadly, this scholarship does not cover the cost of college fees, which can be up to four times more costly than tuition, room and board, textbooks, and other expenses.
Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School 2012 John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Winners:
Benoit Carley
Christopher Capuzzo
Leigh Closser
Linnea Duley
Raymond Fisher
Garrett Gale
Travon Godette
Paige Gonzalez
Zachary Gordon
Andrew Hough
Steven Koonz
Nicolaus Kowalczyk
Jesse LaCroix
Nathaniel Martin
Russell McBurnie
Jacob Mongeau
Kyle Olsen
Danielle Recos
Gregory Richard
Eric Sawin
William Simmons
Danielle Spear
Susan Stewart
Michael Sullivan
Leah Truesdell
Holly Wilson
Emma Woodcock
Casey Zeman
