“Round Square is not about ticking the boxes. It’s about giving boys the confidence that it is okay to be concerned for their future and to want to do something about it.” Graeme Swanson
understanding our values in action, the momentum will grow,’’ he says. Round Square believes in acting locally, thinking globally, and has already offered all member schools the opportunity to apply for a grant that can be used to benefit the environment in their area. Such a grant would help boys plant native trees on the burnt Port Hills. Year 13 student Vincent Li went to the Round Square Conference in Switzerland last year and returned brimming with enthusiasm about the opportunities it offers. “A lot of their ideals line up with ours, but I think Round Square will be the catalyst to push existing service projects further and for developing new projects. We need to focus more on service, environment, democracy and leadership. We have made a start with the change to our prefect system last year, but there is so much more we can do. “I like the fact that this is led by students. However, I want to see much more collaboration between our committees so we can combine on projects. The old Humanitarian Committee [now Service Committee] led the charge, but now it’s time for us to have much
more clearly defined roles for our committees. We need to energise them and make them more active, useful and relevant.’’ Vincent knows it will take a change in mindset for Round Square to really take hold in the school, but he has high hopes and is passionate about setting a good foundation to build on in the future. HOD Biology Graeme Swanson also attended the conference. He says the schools that are most active in the organisation have a democratic and student-driven process. “It needs to be student-empowered and for students to have creative ideas, time to implement these ideas and a sense of idealism,’’ says Graeme. “This is a time when students can be idealistic, explore ways they can make a difference in their world and turn these visions into something concrete. The most successful Round Square schools
have ongoing projects as part of school life, with an ethos of giving back to the community. “Round Square is not about ticking the boxes. It’s about giving boys the confidence that it is okay to be concerned for their future and to want to do something about it. “At the conference, it was great to see a group of international students of the same age talking about issues and sharing experiences of how they can make the world a better place. In the South Island of New Zealand it’s easy to feel isolated, but Round Square can make us part of the global citizenship where we talk about our shared ideals.’’
College Issue 32 2017
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