By the time you are reading this article, Christmas would be only a matter of days away. What joy and contentment it would bring to you and your family to include Kingston College on your gift list this year. Not only would it be an uplifting departure from your tradition of giving to individuals dearest to you, it would send a clear message to especially the needy students on both the North Street and Melbourne campuses that they are being thought of in a special way and at the most special time of year, the celebration of the birth of our dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I remember very well a lesson courtesy of the late Bishop Percival William Gibson, which relates to the subject of giving. As he was wont to do after stepping aside from the headmaster role (he never formally retired or resigned) he would return to the College quite frequently to lead the Chapel service on Wednesdays or to teach classes of his choosing. In one of his spirited (pardon the pun) sermons he remarked that “it is better to give than to receive”. Of course being skeptical of this assertion I approached him afterwards and asked that he explained what he meant. Placing his hand on my shoulder in a reassuring way and with a twinkle in his eyes, he asked if I preferred to receive help from others or would it be better if I were helping them instead. Seeing my added confusion, he explained that those who give of themselves freely in cash or kind are in a position to do so, while invariably the recipients are in need of help. He asked again which category would I prefer to be in, and of course without hesitation I said “the giver”.
The lesson from Bishop Gibson has remained vividly with me some 40 years later. Sometimes we overlook the blessings that are ours and inadvertently forget our responsibility to reach out to others less fortunate than ourselves. This Christmas I am appealing to everyone, especially my fellow Old Boys, to enclose a special contribution for your alma mater and mail it to the chapter of KCOBA to which you belong or with which you are familiar (non-Old Boys). If for some strange reason an Old Boy is not a member of a KCOBA chapter, it would also be an opportune time to make amends for this serious lapse. For those living in the United States, your contribution sent via the New York Chapter or the Atlanta Chapter is tax deductible. Therefore, it is prudent that your contributions are made prior to 31st December 2007 to take advantage of the tax deduction when you file your tax returns in 2008. If you need the address of any particular chapter of KCOBA, you can click on that chapter’s icon in the left margin of this newsletter.
Imagine the difference our collective contributions could make in the life of the school that I know we all hold dear?? I am also willing to bet that this Christmas will be extra special for you and your families because you would have understood/reiterated that in the season of joy and glad tidings, it is indeed “Better To Give Than To Receive”.
You can add your preference in terms of what area(s) you would like to see your contribution applied. Here are some of the areas that you may want to consider:
The Kingston College Development Trust Fund (KCDTF) ♦ Scholarships ♦ Nutrition ♦
