This is what I said:
September 14th 2011
It is my honor to close our ceremony today, and knowing that I am the last person standing between you and a tour of this lovely building with a drink or an hor deurve in-hand provides adequate incentive for me to keep my remarks brief.
As our Board Chair David Lockwood observed, Just a few times in the life of our school have we had the honor to actually touch the bricks-and-mortar results (or perhaps I should say the Douglas Fir & Birch result) of the good will generated by excellent teaching for almost 50 years.
Everyone here agrees that the good will and gratitude that results from Derryfield's unending commitment to excellent education was essential to create such a building, and for that I want to give thanks to our faculty and staff who tirelessly put our mission in motion day after day - bravo! Many, many thanks.
And, let's be clear about what it takes to build an 8,000 square foot building, conceived and constructed during one of the most devastating recessions our country has ever faced.
First, It takes a rare combination of courage, determination and leadership. I could not agree more with our present Board Chair that those words describe our past Board Chair Steve Burke, as well as Pam & Lou Fink. But I am equally certain that courage and determination describe the kind of leadership that David Lockwood has brought to Derryfield. And that we could be twice blessed with his service on the Board is really sensational. David, a special thanks to you for everything you have done for our school in both generation one and generation two.
Second, the success we celebrate today takes philanthropy, pure and simple. I want to second Mr. Lockwood's expressed gratitude to all those who have given to our Gateway Project. And I want to add that the pursuit of philanthropy is, in many ways, as noble as philanthropy itself. For that pursuit in particular we have our Associate Head Jennifer Melkonian to thank. She drove this effort forward from the beginning and she kept us uplifted and on-task month after month.
You will note, as you tour, that her cleverness even includes not having furniture in the common spaces today to serve as a reminder that we are about $60,000 shy of our million dollar goal. So if you want to join this winning team, and maybe even be the person to put us over the goal, talk with Jennifer tonight. Maybe we can even have your name on a couch before too long.
Finally, a note about the intersection of scholarship and compassion – a place The Derryfield School has occupied since our earliest days.
On your tour you will see the first installed classroom project in this new building. I am fond of saying that since it's founding The Derryfield School has skillfully balanced the world that is and the world that ought to be.
In the world that ought to be, parents and other passionate supporters step forward to create an excellent school both for their children, and for future generations of children.
In the world that is, students need a safe place to explore and learn about the events of September 11, 2001. So on many of the interior walls you will see learning projects related to students trying to understand this event that occurred almost ten years ago to the day of our Opening Ceremony.
So let me close by saying, once again, on behalf of the entire Derryfield community, Thank you for being here today.
Thank you for contributing your time, talent and treasure.
And thank you for supporting both a school and this singular moment that makes the world a little more like it ought to be.
CNS
