From the Head Master
Our School’s inaugural Giving Day is approaching rapidly. I imagine that most members of the extended TGS community will have encountered information and communication about this event, which is taking place next week.
The impetus for this Giving Day has come from a number of convictions. The first is our belief that a Trinity Grammar School education is a wonderful opportunity and that it is potentially transformative in shaping the lives of our students and graduates. It seems to me that this belief is shared by most members of the extended TGS community.
The second conviction is that our extended School community has both an opportunity and a moral obligation to serve the wider society in which we live. To paraphrase Jesus, “from those to whom much has been given, much will be required.” Education scholarships that counter disadvantage are one way that we can collectively contribute to societal good.
The third conviction is that journeys start with a step. Whether that step is the establishment of a Scholarship Trust, whether it is making a gift for the sake of others, or whether it is stepping through the gates of our School on the first day of enrolment, a journey is beginning. We have high hopes for what this Scholarship Trust may become in the decades ahead, and we have high hopes for what the boys who benefit as recipients might be and do in the fullness of time. The end point is unknown to us, but it starts with this first step.
As you are probably aware, gifts given on the day will be multiplied through the commitments that have already been given by various generous stakeholders of the School. I would like to express my thanks to the Parents and Friends’ Association, the Old Trinitarians’ Union, the Friends of Rugby, and the members of the School Council for their support in this way. The Waratah Education Foundation have pledged a substantial contribution to this initial seeding of the Scholarship Trust. In addition, a number of generous individuals and families, including members of the School Council, have committed substantial gifts to the matching pool. Any other members of the community, whether individuals or corporates, who would like to make a substantial contribution to the matching pool for the Giving Day are very welcome to make contact with Mr Peter Wilson, our Director of Development, at PWilson@trinity.nsw.edu.au .
Early indications suggest that we may have underestimated the enthusiasm and generosity of our community in supporting this initiative. I would be delighted if this was the case! I hope that you might join with me and my family in seeing the Scholarship Trust as a worthy initiative and joining us in planting a seed to bring benefit to others in years and decades to come.
Detur gloria soli deo
Tim Bowden | Head Master
