From the Desk of Dr. Brian Bloomfield
Why Do We Give? Dulce et decorum est donare.
October 24, 2014
This week and next, families will receive the kick-off letters for our 2014-15 Annual Fund campaign; in a few weeks (November 8) we have our largest fund raising event of the year, the Cornucopia Auction; on December 10, The Academy will participate again in Valley Gives Day, the region’s day to focus on philanthropy. We begin to shift from thinking not only about schooling and children, but to the money which we need in order to build the program at The Academy. Why? I offer two reasons why it is appropriate (dulce et decorum est) for us to ask you to give in support of The Academy.
The first is classical. The Latin term caritas (which we translate as “charity”) was most famously extolled by St. Thomas Aquinas as one of the three theological virtues, and to him it was the “most excellent” of virtues. Through charity man connected with God and with his fellow man. Aquinas was a devout Catholic but even as one who is not, I take inspiration from his position (or perspective) and believe that giving allows us to connect to others and to an idea larger than ourselves. It is at once selfless and beneficial.
The second is my own belief that charity is an expression of love. Love itself is an emotion which does, at times, overwhelm us. We don’t seem to have enough space to fully feel our love. Charity is the same: it is the outward expression of love, and when we feel so much love for a cause or for our fellow human beings we need to express it externally.
I hope that you’ll all consider giving to support The Academy this year. The Annual Fund, the Cornucopia Auction, online through our website or during Valley Gives Day… whatever you can give, whenever you can give it: This is one way we express our love for the way The Academy has touched our lives and continues to strengthen students every day
Dr. Brian Bloomfield
Head of School, Academy at Charlemont