The Béliveau Factor

Posted on December 10, 2014 by admin

“Outstanding”. “A gentleman”. “A class act”. These are just some of the tsunami of accolades that have poured forth in recent days to describe the late Jean Béliveau.

As we prepare for the holiday season, with its focus on the importance of giving, family and friends, there is probably nobody more representative of these cherished things than Jean Béliveau – a truly great Montrealer. His life was not simply well lived. He was a truly magnificent citizen from whom we have much to learn.

Jean Béliveau came from a large a blue-collar working class family. He often spoke about the many important lessons he learned from his parents during his early formative years – lessons about respect, the value of hard work, and sustaining long term commitment to projects that matter, all timeless qualities.

Béliveau came from a different era, There were no organized hockey leagues until Juniors. His brilliance emerged on outdoor rinks in a Quebec small town. After being called up to les Canadiens in 1953, his career with the Habs was to be nothing short of spectacular. He was a very special player – possessing a large 6’ 3” frame – strong, yet swift, agile and graceful like a much smaller player. Over twenty years as a player with the Canadiens, Béliveau went on to set the record for most points with the club that still stands today. He also captained the team for 10 years and won 10 Stanley cups. He had his named engraved on that holy grail of hockey seven more times as part of the Habs’ management team. It’s unlikely anyone will ever do that again.

Béliveau played his whole career for one team and then followed up as a paid employee and volunteer with that same team for another 40 years after his retirement. He’s part of the historic bedrock that contributes to the Montreal franchise’s strong sense of history and tradition, even in this age of media hype, athletic celebrity, and mega contracts.

However, it’s perhaps what Béliveau did off the ice during and after his playing days that defined him best. In short, he was a man of deep character. He was always the last one to leave when autograph-seekers wanted a moment of his time. He gave countless hours to hospital visits, charity causes and what are often referred to as “rubber chicken dinners” – small-scale community fundraisers held all across Quebec and Canada. Simply through his presence, millions of dollars were raised for good causes. He rarely said no.

I met him when I was in grade 7. He came to my school’s annual spring track & field day to give out the awards. I remember it well. He was upbeat, inspirational, and engaged.

I have two other notable memories of Jean Béliveau. The first relates to one of the Canada Cup Series that was played some years ago before the days that professional hockey players joined the Olympic movement. There were several games played between top hockey nations, many here in Montreal. During one match an American player “creamed” one of the Canadian star players with a dirty check. He was penalized, but the Canadian player was injured and unable to play the following game. The Canadian fan base was outraged. So when the US national anthem was played in Montreal at the next game, the sell-out crowd drowned out the “Star Spangled Banner” with an avalanche of noisy and angry boos. Prior to the final Canada-USA game, the “Hockey Canada” people had a brilliant idea. Rather than turning to a senior politician or the president of Hockey Canada, they turned to the most dignified and respected Canadian they could find, Jean Béliveau. Before the US national anthem began, they played a video from Jean Béliveau with a short lecture on respect. As the music began, the boos started to emerge from up in the rafters. With a live camera fixed on Béliveau and his image on the enormous scoreboard, he confidently raised his finger, tilted his head and the noise magically vanished. True respect.

My other notable memory was when former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien offered Jean Béliveau the position of Governor General, the highest appointed position in our nation. No greater honour could have been bestowed upon him. However, within 24 hours Béliveau rejected the opportunity, wholly in the name of his family. His son-in-law had died tragically a few years earlier and his daughter was a single mother to two young girls. Béliveau had committed to being present like a second father for those young girls. Even an offer for one of the most honoured positions in the land could not pull him away from Montreal and his family.

Thank you Monsieur Béliveau – for the values you espoused, for the example you set, for the leadership we can all learn from. – Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Depend on the Ancients

Posted on December 4, 2014 by admin

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending an excellent teacher workshop presentation by Mr. Vlahogiannis, one of our senior academic department heads. For many years Mr. Vlahogiannis has led the social science department and throughout his 20+ years at LCC, he has taught philosophy.

His presentation to teachers was a window into philosophy, the subject he calls the “subversive discipline”. Why subversive? Essentially because philosophy is a discipline that promotes rational thought and constant questioning. The questioning focuses on norms in our society, our pervasive ideology, and the nature of beauty, virtue, goodness, and ethics. Through disciplined questioning we can determine a better understanding of so much around us.

Many modern philosophers claim that today’s youth are more consumers than citizens; that they’ve been trained to want to consume, so it is hard for them to understand the more important complexities of citizenship and its responsibilities. These philosophers assert that young people are mixed up about how, why, and where they can contribute to the “public good” in meaningful ways.

As young people watch hundreds (actually thousands) of digital and TV commercials that promote or portray a so-called “good-life”, philosophers are concerned that it is becoming increasingly difficult to define the “good life” beyond the powerful allure of consumerism—owning stuff, more and more stuff. There are strong pressures from corporate interests for youth to define themselves with “things” rather than character and their possible contributions to a healthy society.

So to make some inroads on these important questions, I simply suggest our senior students register for Mr. Vlahogiannis’ classes. There they will be given the opportunity to ask many questions, explore the history and foundations of philosophy, discuss concrete issues, and participate in case studies.

That said, some of the first and most famous philosophers were the ancient Greeks. They were very interested in the nature of existence and they were the first to be able to distinguish the capacity of human beings for rational thought, decision-making and reason.

That legacy has had a massive impact over the past 2000 years or so. I recently ran across a book by two philosophers entitled Ten Golden Rules of Leadership: Classical Wisdom for Modern Leaders by Michael Soupios and Panos Mourdoukoutas. They have reviewed the writings of the classical philosophers and selected ten ideas that positively impact the effectiveness of leaders and remain relevant today. The authors remind us that genuine leadership is very demanding and requires courage, principles and practice. That’s something I believe all our students need to learn as we offer them different opportunities to lead and refine their skills.

Genuine leadership is difficult because in addition to simply getting things done, it actually requires leaders do the inner-work on a continual basis. And that is a lot to commit to; it’s lifelong.

So, from classical Greek philosophy, here are 10 timeless classic rules for leadership:

Rule 1: “Know Thyself.” – Thales
Rule 2: “Office Shows the Person.” – Pittacus
Rule 3: “Nurture Community at the Workplace.” – Plato
Rule 4: “Do Not Waste Energy on Things You Cannot Change.” – Aristophanes
Rule 5: “Always Embrace the Truth.” – Antisthenes
Rule 6: “Let Competition Reveal Talent.” – Hesiod
Rule 7: “Live Life by a Higher Code.” – Aristotle
Rule 8: “Always Evaluate Information with a Critical Eye.” – The Skeptics
Rule 9: “Never Underestimate the Power of Personal Integrity.” – Sophocles
Rule 10: “Character Is Destiny.” – Heraclitus

— Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

Je Vois Montreal

Posted on November 28, 2014 by admin

“Une journée. Deux cents projets. Mille personnes. Et vous, que voulez-vous changer à Montréal?”

That was a tweet from someone last Monday morning at Je Vois Montreal – a private citizens’ forum focused on incubating ideas to get our city back on track to truly flourish. I am actually old enough to remember the excitement around the introduction of the Montreal subway system, Expo 67, and welcoming the world to the 1976 summer Olympics. During those years, creativity, possibility, and excitement flourished here in Montreal – and it’s possible again.

However, after the election of our first separatist government in the fall of 1976, followed by the sovereignty referendums of 1980 and1995, Montreal experienced a host of significant political and economic challenges. This included diminished private investment and the flight of people and company head offices to cities such as Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. In practice, this has proven to be difficult to overcome. Also, aging infrastructure has presented a host of challenges to our city – and to all of us in our daily lives.

The Je Vois Montreal – I See Montreal initiative was started when Jacques Ménard, president of the BMO Financial Group in Quebec and Chancellor of Concordia University, was inspired by learning how other cities facing similar issues have managed to change in recent years.

Ménard & others commissioned a private consultant report on how cities like Manchester (UK), Melbourne (Australia), Philadelphia (USA), and Pittsburgh (USA) all shared a high level of community involvement that helped those urban centres to shift direction and get back on track after challenging times. Each took different steps to achieve meaningful renewal.

Je Vois MTL was trending on Twitter last Monday. Hundreds of Montreal citizens, politicians, educators, self-pronounced change-makers and newsmakers gathered at Place des Arts for the full day to discuss the future of this city and share ideas for its revitalization.

They wanted to rise above the negative energy of the Charbonneau Commission, economic decline, and the Parti Québecois’ proposed “Charter of Secular Values” which together have combined to keep investment away in recent years. The positive response to this citizen forum initiative has actually been well beyond anyone’s expectations.

Hundreds of ideas from Montrealers flooded in when the challenge was sent out earlier this year. Last week conference delegates discussed 150 of those ideas, each one a plan for concrete action. The ideas cover many areas of city life, including: the environment, transit, job-creation, neighbourhood renewal, and the arts.

For example, some contributors noted that Montreal is a major university city. With about 170-thousand post-secondary students, this represents the largest number of students in any city in Canada. With CEGEP students in the mix, Montreal has the largest proportion of post-secondary students as a percentage of the total population of any city in North America.

Concordia has taken a lead amongst universities with six specific proposals from students & administration: They include:

1) Univers-Cité – A stronger alliance of universities focused on collaboration, research and the nurturing of people, talent and skill.

2) International Student Hospitality Project – Special welcome and cultural integration of international students, and a

3) Unique First Nations education project in Kanawake.

Other initiatives have a special artistic focus such as the proposed “Festival of Murals” on Blvd. St Laurent (like Philly – where over 3000 colourful painted murals adorn walls of buildings in what used to be a tired and worn out inner city).

So as Montrealers, I think our LCC students should have some input into this call for creativity and citizen input. From what I can tell, there has not been any high school level contribution.

This week I challenged our students to come up with concrete ideas and funnel them through our student council. In the next two weeks I would like to see the LCC ideas in writing and submit them to the “Je Vois Montreal” group.

I look forward to seeing how creative and original our students can be. I urge them to be positive and take ownership because the future of Montreal should be important to us all. – Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Get Uncentered

Posted on November 4, 2014 by admin

This week I urged our Middle and Senior School students to become uncentered. Yes, uncentered. To be centred is about being balanced, to feel calm and at ease. I value the opportunity to be centred as much as the next person. However, in our lifelong quest to be balanced and focused, I believe that we also benefit from actively seeking opportunities to be uncentered.

It is subtle, but I asked our students to notice that the Round Square Associations of schools intentionally placed the name of its organization off-centre in its own logo. This is because one of the key objectives of membership in Round Square is to provide meaningful experiences that take adolescents out of their regular routines and challenge their values, norms and assumptions. This can be done through leadership conferences that explore the six RS IDEALS, and through international exchanges and service projects.

Two weeks ago I returned from Jordan along with Ms. Shadley and six grade 11 LCC students. The international Round Square conference included delegates from 52 schools. All of our students were active participants, very willing to be uncentered.

Just going to Jordan required a good dose of courage. According to our popular media, a trip to the Middle East – and specifically to the Muslim world –is alleged to be a dangerous decision that will inevitably lead to problems with terrorists, extremists and political instability. But that was certainly not our experience!

So, a few thoughts about Jordan… More than anything, it is known for its moderation and openness amongst Muslim states. It is dedicated to the promotion of tolerance, inclusiveness, peacekeeping, dialogue and global citizenship. The Jordanian Prime Minister told all student delegates from the 52 schools gathered that the country has a mission among all Arab states: to be a prototype and example of human commitment to respect and peace. Despite these lofty goals, its territory is small, as is its population – about 8 million – the same as Quebec. Jordan has a lot of strategic borders with countries such as Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and Israel. Nonetheless, Jordan has a stable political environment and a recent history marked by peace and minimal terrorist activity.

Jordan is a real leader in the region by its response to the recent civil strife in Syria just to the north. Jordan has accepted 1.4 million desperate political refugees from that war-torn country. Consider the impact if we did the same here in Quebec! Unbelievably, Jordan has not shut its borders. Despite the extraordinary financial cost of sheltering so many refugees, Jordan continues to welcome Syria’s war-weary because it believes deeply in its humanitarian responsibilities.

The host RS school, King’s Academy, is a relatively new school. Established in 2007 by Jordan’s King Abdullah, it is the Arab world’s first boarding school – and and the first high school to bring students from all around the world to Jordan to study.

There are many elements of being uncentered that I remember. Every morning, the 5 am call-to-prayer dominated the landscape, as did the call to-prayer- several times throughout the day.

But I was particularly struck by the intelligence and courage of a young female presenter whose life experience is radically at odds with everything our students know, value, and consider normal. Shabana Basij-Rasikh is a 23-year-old Afghani woman who attended a secret primary and secondary school in Afghanistan when the country was under the rule of the Taliban. Under that extremist group’s control, it was illegal for girls to attend school. Yet, Shabana’s parents actually risked death by dressing their daughter as a boy and sent her to a secret school because they valued learning so much.

Shabana’s story is a powerful one. She was successful in school and along the way managed to earn a scholarship to a top American university. She shared with us that despite her good fortune, she felt guilty to be so lucky because less than 1% of Afghan girls receive any post-secondary education or training outside of the home, and 90% of women remain illiterate. So she asked herself, what will I do with this privilege? What will I do with my education?

She told us that the most valued profession in her country is to become a doctor. However, she didn’t see this possibility as her personal passion. She considered becoming a lawyer, but dropped that too because she felt her eventual social impact would be limited. After considering how she would have the broadest impact on Afghan society, she decided to become a teacher – and she challenged our students on this point. She noted to the RS student delegates that 75 million girls in the world today are prevented from receiving an education by governments that actively limit the roles and progress of girls.

At age 23, Shabana has gone on to establish the first boarding school for girls in Afghanistan. SOLA – the School of Leadership in Afghanistan – now teaches 42 girls and wants to grow to 340 students, with girls coming on scholarship from each of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Already under Shabana’s dedication and leadership, more than 40 Afghan students have earned close to $10 million in scholarships to study at universities abroad.

I was very impressed by Shabana’s courage, her entrepreneurial skills and her devotion to the teaching, growth and development of young women in Afghanistan. She was very clear that she does not see her role as empowerment. Rather, she describes it “as simply creating space so that young, smart girls can grow into their confident selves”. Very impressive!

Reminding students that very few girls in her country even receive an education, Shabana sees knowledge, training and learning as precious. So she asked delegates to do their best to use their education wisely. Her core question was “How will you give your education a purpose? Is it just for you? Or can you help others help others to raise their voices?

I thank Shabana for those great questions. And the more our students have the courage to become uncentered as they grow older, the easier it will become to answer those questions for themselves. What will they do with their education? – Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

Return on Disability

Posted on October 2, 2014 by admin

One of our important responsibilities at LCC is to broaden the perspectives of all our students. This happens every day when they attend class with peers from different cultural/religious backgrounds and every time they volunteer at a social service agency attempting to improve life in our community. Student perspectives are broadened when they walk into a food bank or a grassroots agency helping to reduce poverty or violence, assist teen mothers, or a host of other important causes.

My personal sense of perspective was broadened recently when I learned more about people with disabilities and the fact that two Canadians are notable leaders in this field. They are working hard to eliminate stereotypes and change the perspectives of everyone across North America.

Mark Wafer is a man in Toronto who owns seven Tim Horton’s restaurants. Wafer has a hearing disability. Eighteen years ago he decided he would do his part to hire people with disabilities after he discovered that these individuals were routinely overlooked by employers. He wanted to disprove the unfounded biases that people with disabilities would be poor performers.

Since then, as an employer, Mark has learned some startling lessons. It turns out that his most efficient workers are consistently those with disabilities: people with hearing issues, autism, down syndrome, and intellectual handicaps of all sorts.

Wafer asserts that his employees with disabilities are extremely committed to their responsibilities at work. In 2011, not one of his 41 employees with a physical or mental disability missed a single hour of work. This is not something he could say for the other two-thirds of his team, for whom absenteeism was an issue.

Mark has been so impacted by the loyalty, productivity and contagious positive impact of these special employees, he has gone on the road across Canada to explain to other employers that workers with disabilities are actually a hidden gold mine.

Another Canadian who has made an impact with a similar message is Rich Donovan. He left a lucrative career on Wall Street in the financial sector to study the connection between disability, productivity, and profitability of companies.

Rich himself suffers from cerebral palsy. He has conducted thorough research and found that on average, employees with disabilities significantly outperform regular employees in many industries. He has labeled this the “Return on Disability”.

Perhaps the best case study of this in practice is Walgreens, America’s largest pharmacy chain. Walgreens has 20 large distribution centres across the USA. The most efficient one is in Connecticut. Of the 600 employees working there, nearly half are in some way disabled. Those employees are considered the principal reason that the distribution centre outperforms all others by 20% in terms of efficiency. Mark Wafer in Toronto also claims that his disabled employees are 15-20% more productive than the rest of his employees.

Rich & Mark are doing their best to spread the word and remind everyone who is able-bodied, and without mental or emotional handicaps, that we need to re-evaluate our sense of what people can do and how they can contribute.

Despite immigration, there are fears that by 2025 Canada will be short 1 million workers. Perhaps some of the solution is sitting in front of us. But clearly, too many of us have been blind for too long about the abilities and potential of disabled people.

As you know, Terry Fox is probably Canada’s most famous disabled citizen. He ran his famed Marathon of Hope on one leg for several months, raising money for cancer research while impressing and inspiring a nation and the world. LCC has participated in the Terry Fox Run for more than 30 years. It’s a priority for our school – so please support a student in the annual run this coming Friday. – Chris Shannon, Headmaster