The Principal Thing

The best words of the winter, "pitchers and catchers report!"

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel; winter is giving way to spring, when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of . . . baseball! Well at least, that is where this old man’s turn.

The coming of the baseball season activates an excitement that I have harbored since I was 7 years old. I was a catcher on my little league team. Originally, I liked the idea that the team had all new equipment. Later, I came to realize that the catcher was the field boss and you may know I like to be the boss. But ultimately, I accepted the responsibility of playing the position that required the most knowledge and the quickest wit.

Catchers author many of the best quotes. Tim McCarver said Bob Gibson "was lucky the other team never seemed to score when he pitched." You can’t keep up with Yogi Berra, "it ain’t over till it’s over" and many others. But today let’s think about Roy Campanella, "This is a man’s game but you gotta have a lotta little boy in you to play."

Don’t we all harbor a little kid in us? When we were children life was simple. There were people to look out for us. We could easily separate the good guys from the bad guys. We got Valentine wishes from everyone in our class. But we get older.

Getting older is easy, just keep breathing and you will get older. Growing up is an entirely different story. God calls on us to keep growing, while holding on the child-like faith that makes our life right.

God is so interested in our growth that He calls us together in congregations and schools. He plants us in families, biological and by affinity. In these families, we have the elders looking out for us and the little ones feeding us the enthusiasm.

St. Paul, who certainly was the field general on his team, says, "When I was a child I thought as a child, I acted like a child . . . when I became a man I put away childish things." Our challenge is to put away the childish and feed the child-like. We need to play like children and establish goals and targets for our lives like the mature Christians who work to extend the Kingdom of God.

So . . . my prayer for you is that you grow as you get older, and that you might still know the joy that comes from the confidence in knowing that we are His children.

On The Horizon

Our Savior’s is a wonderful place; we owe so much to the founders and those who have established the feel of family in this place. Now we must take this inheritance and make it the best possible OSLS. In the coming months, we need to think about what we want in a number of key areas.

Accreditation

We know that we are called to be a people set apart. They, the people of the Capital Region will know we are Christians as we practice Agape. And we will need to define what Agape looks like in our school.

What kind of school will OSL be Academically? God calls us to set our minds on excellence. Certainly, we want our kids to receive the finest education, using the best available resources. Our education must include exposure to the Arts, meaningful Activities, and the opportunities for growth that comes from Athletic competition.

On Tuesday, March 9th, beginning with dinner at 5:30 and a 90 minute meeting beginning at 6:30 pm, we will work to establish goals for our school in each of these action areas. It would be great to have you involved. If you show up on that night, it would be good. If you call ahead, it will be even better. We want to make arrangements for dinner. More importantly, we want to share some background information.

Parent Teacher Organization

The benefits of an active PTO will impact every area of school. We often think of the volunteerism that makes OSLS such a strong place. We are blessed by the spirit of service that is the soul of this school. The fund raising activity that allows the school to make purchases on the edge of excellence is a wonderful expression of confidence ownership. Providing a forum for the meaningful discussion of important issues to the school and school families; helps to ensure that stakeholders are heard.