One of the great joys of being Head of School at Belmont Hill is the chance to engage with all ninth grade boys in a dialogue about Ethics. We do this in the Macpherson Room, which is a space on our campus that honors our faculty and our school’s founding principles.  We meet once a week to tackle hard issues like the difference between problems, moral temptations, and moral dilemmas. By considering case studies and real time political situations, we contemplate the difference between issues that can be solved and those that can only be managed through an understanding of values. By acknowledging that our values are different, we come to appreciate the value in hearing and appreciating other voices. 

One of the biggest challenges with work in character education is defining and measuring it. At Belmont Hill, we have engaged in research and analysis in these areas yet feel strongly character at our school is an evolving dialogue rather than a checklist or scorecard. In 1923, character meant one thing, some of which remains today. One hundred years later, the definition has grown to include concepts of belonging, empathy, and even sustainability and stewardship. Boys develop more from doing, questioning, and conversing about character than they do from simply being told to be good in overly simplistic ways. 

This quest to explore and understand character can lead to evolving definitions of what it truly means at Belmont Hill, including the following: 

I.        Curiosity and Empathy
II.       Respect and Integrity
III.      Grit and Teamwork
IV.      Kindness and Leadership
V.       Gratitude and Optimism

It is critical that our understanding of character is multifaceted and evolving as generations move through our school. Ultimately, that is what Belmont Hill is – a community that is continually exploring, redefining, and shaping this concept collectively. We measure it most fundamentally by the success of alumni, but there are also many moments along the way when we can see that our aims are true. 

One personal insight of my own research into the School’s history of the symbol has been the reminder that the sextant actually reveals where you are as opposed to where you are going. I have often found myself referring to it as something like a moral compass, guiding us through those stormy seas of school life. While not exactly untrue, it might be more accurate to connect the sextant to a concept of self-awareness. By knowing exactly who and where we are in the world, we are able to then plot a course of where we would like to go. 

All of this begs the question as to why it’s such a powerful symbol that we wear on our jerseys or other gear in support of our school.  Founding Head of School R. Heber Howe’s original goal for Belmont Hill graduates was to utilize scholarship for service. When we wear a sextant on our clothing, we send a message that we know who we are at this school, and we know what matters to us. By knowing ourselves fully, both our strengths and our flaws, we are able to dedicate ourselves in service of others.  

We don’t require a mascot, nor do we yell or cheer about a sextant when we come to play. When our teams compete, we arrive with a sense of purpose and generally leave with a sense of accomplishment. We arrive as a group of developing young men of character, bound together by this clarion symbol. We commit to being at our personal best, and we lock arm and arm as brothers to achieve our goals. And when we are done, we recalibrate and move forward to the next challenge, wherever that may be. 

We know that we are all on a quest – a pursuit of character – a process that is never complete throughout our lifetimes. Our work is to convince our boys that there is no more important journey that will assist them in living happy, healthy, productive, and fundamentally good lives.