Download PDF - Gregory Terrace

QDU Debating Mrs L O’Sullivan
Have you booked your place at the Annual Debating Dinner yet? Well, hurry up as it's next week, on Saturday 11 August. It promises to be a great
night with a comedy debate and scrumptious food by Gil Hirst. Bookings can be made via College Events page on the school website.
Terrace did extremely well last night when we won five from five debates. Congratulations to debaters and coaches of teams 9.2, 9.4, 10.2, 11.1
and 11.2 who won their Finals 2 debates last night and will progress to the next round to be held next Wednesday.
Next week will see Years 9, 10 and 11 compete in secret topic debates in the Finals 3 round. All teams will debate at 7pm, arriving at their venue
by 5.30pm to receive the topic. Year 9 and 10 will take the negative case and Year 11 teams the affirmative. Winning Finals Round 3 teams will
progress to the quarter-finals on Friday 17 August.
Dean of Identity Mr C Ryan
Like a lot of my fellow bleary-eyed Australians, I love the Olympics. I do worry about what it all costs and how important it actually is but I do enjoy
the drama of human endeavour and am distraught when the dream is broken by drug scandals and the like. I feel as though I have been competing
in my own emotional mini-Olympics with a bit going on in my family. This week, my 81-year-old aunt, who is my God Mother has been preparing
to die. There has been much to do, as those who have run this race know all too well. I found this in her bedside table on the day the Olympics
started and it has been on my mind as I have prepared her Funeral Mass booklet over the weekend. I thought I would share it with you.
The Smaller Beatitudes
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves: They will have no end of fun.
Blessed are those who can tell a mountain from a molehill: They will save a lot of bother.
Blessed are those who know how to relax without looking for excuses: They are on the way to becoming wise.
Blessed are those who know when to be quiet and listen: They will learn a lot of new things.
Blessed are those who are sane enough not to take themselves seriously: They will be valued by those about them.
Happy are you if you can take small things seriously and face serious things calmly: You will go far in life.
Happy are you if you can appreciate a smile and forget a frown: You will walk on the sunny side of the street.
Happy are you if you can be kind in understanding the attitudes of others even when the signs are unfavourable: You may be taken for a fool but
this is the price of charity.
Blessed are those who think before acting and pray before thinking: They will avoid many blunders.
Happy are you if you know how to hold your tongue and smile, even when people interrupt and contradict you or tread on your toes: The Gospel
has begun to sleep in your heart.
Above all, Blessed are you who recognise the Lord in all whom you meet: the light of truth shines in your life for you who have found true wisdom.
Campus Ministry Mr P Antenucci
Year 10 Micah Retreat
Toward the end of Term 2 and the beginning of Term 3, Year 10s have participated in a camping expedition and Micah Retreat that follows at the
Gregory Terrace Outdoor Education Centre. This week marks the end of those activities.
The Year 10 students have participated in a variety of activities on camp that further develop a range of skills. Teamwork, leadership and self
confidence are crucial skills in developing young men that are tactfully taught by Mr Matt Fairley and the GTOEC staff.
Broken into House groups, Year 8, 9 and 10 camps are followed by retreats. The House Dean, other members of the Campus Ministry team and
I, meet the boys on Thursday afternoon at the GTOEC to conclude the week with the Micah retreat. The Prophet Micah is best known for challenging
others to “act justly, love tenderly and to walk humbly with God.”
Micah’s virtues sound great but have little meaning for Year 10s if not put into proper context and made applicable to their lives. Through a variety
of activities, we try to illustrate the connection to Micah’s virtues through awareness of self, awareness of others and awareness of God in our
everyday life. We challenge the boys to apply this awareness in practical ways when interacting with others.
A call to be uncommon men - We recognise that making an effort to have this type of awareness is uncommon among teenage young men. Our
challenge to the students in leaving the retreat is: “Dare to Be Uncommon.” At the conclusion of the retreat, the boys are given a rubber wrist band
with that slogan on it to serve as a daily reminder of the virtues we have spoken about.
Captains Corner Chris John – College Captain
For the last couple of days, my feet have been perched on the couch, my eyes focused on the TV. I have been watching the Australian Olympic
team compete at the 2012 London Olympics. Christian Sprenger, an Old Boy of Terrace, stood out as he won a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke.
Through hard work and gruelling training, Christian was in peak physical condition to touch the wall in a near perfect race. He looked up at
the result and thought there was a mistake as he had crunched his PB (personal best) by a second. Imagine that feeling of ecstasy.
Imagine that feeling of opening up your report card and believing that there has been a mistake, as you have exceeded your own expectations
and crunched any goals you had originally set. Whatever that PB is for you, knowing you had tried your very best, endured every hard training
session and late night to achieve your best possible result would be exhilarating.
This week, let us draw inspiration from our nation’s athletes in London. Let us commit ourselves to every homework session, to every assignment,
to every training session in all aspects of our school life so that at the end of our journey, our competition, and our race we can experience that
ecstasy of excellence.
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