Neil McNeil High School Celebrates 50 Year

Gaither, John

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Spiritan Magazine Volume 32 Number 2 May Article 14 5-2008 A Very Special Place John Gaither Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/spiritan-tc Recommended Citation Gaither, J. (2008). A Very Special Place. Spiritan Magazine, 32 (2). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/spiritan-tc/vol32/iss2/14 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Spiritan Collection at Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Spiritan Magazine by an authorized editor of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. 22 May 2008 / SpiritanI t was in the spring of1984 that I first en-tered the doors ofNeil McNeil to be inter-viewed for the new posi-tion of second VicePrincipal necessitated byincreased enrolment.Now as I think back on that interview withFather Fleming, it was more of a casualchat than a formal set of questions. FatherPeter asked about my family and sharedwith me his memories of when he startedat Neil as a very young priest from Ireland.Then I abruptly asked about John Candy’syears at Neil because I had read many timesthat Candy was quoted as saying howmuch of his success was owed to Neil.John Candy Arts CentreYears later, after I became Principal ofNeil, the Spiritans moved to a new resi-dence on the Neil property and the vacatedhouse became part of the school. The staffgave their wholehearted support to mysuggestion that the new addition becameknown as The John Candy Arts Centre, inhis memory.Please don’t step on thatThe reason I tell this particular story isthat it captures so much of what I believewe often refer to as the Neil “spirit”. In ahumorous way, I experienced it on my firstday as Principal. For instance, as I walkedout of Father Peter’s former office that day,I remember feeling drawn to the noisyclamour of boys playing basketball. As Iapproached the gym doors, I heard a gradenine student from behind say, “Sir, pleasedon’t step on that.” I looked down and saw“that” was “sacred” territory… the schoolemblem and Fidelitas in Arduis mottobeautifully embedded in the marble floor.Changing enrolmentWhen I became Principal in 1994,school enrolment was much smaller be-cause of changing demographics. Duringthose five years as Principal, I witnessed astaff determined to make Neil a placewhere parents would be eager to send theirsons. To this day this is still happening asGrade Nine enrolment increases every year.I will take some small credit for this butquite honestly I think it was the hard workof the staff that, along with Vice PrincipalGary Donovan, made this turnaroundpossible.At that time, the school was lookingtired and worn and a campaign was begunto get rid of the Annex and dilapidatedportables, paint the cafeteria and gym andgo begging to the Board for new lockers.John CandyYour character is formed here. You don’t understand it at the time, but asyou get older, you realize what a great place this is. My success is rooted inthe values of discipline and respect for others that I was taught at Neil.A Very Special PlaceJohn Gaither (Principal 1994 – 1999)F I D E L I T A S   Jim Hughes (1963)I grew up in a Catholichousehold, headed by agrizzled Irish grandfatherwho wore his faith on hissleeve, which in OrangeToronto was a gutsything to do. My years atNeil helped expand andsolidify what had bentaught at home and atchurch: trust in God,watch over the little guyand never give up.Spiritan / May 2008 23The latter request along with many otherimprovements was finally dealt with severalyears later by the current Principal, JohnShanahan.In 1999, I decided to take early retire-ment and in order not to lose my connec-tion to Neil, I proudly continued to recruitat several elementary schools and I woulddo so today if it weren’t for my involve-ment as a volunteer with the charity Freethe Children.How much Neil meantJust the other day, I was returning homefrom the charity office and while standingon the subway platform I heard a man callout my name. I turned around and saw afamiliar face — despite the years. I remem-bered him because he had been in my of-fice many times because of disciplinaryproblems. He shook my hand firmly andtold me that he had graduated from uni-versity and now worked as an investmentbroker. In the minutes we shared, he toldme how much Neil had meant to him andhow his years there were his only trueexperience of community despite hisbehaviour.I think that brief encounter exemplifieswhy Neil in the past fifty years has been soimportant in so many lives … alumni,today’s students, families, staff and, I amproud to say, mine. Neil is indeed a veryspecial place. ■I N   A R D U I S

A Very Special Place

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A Very Special Place

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