The Power of Commitment

One of the great privileges of my role is meeting prospective students and their families as they begin exploring the possibility of joining CBC Fremantle. Most of the boys who sit across from me are in Year 4. They are often a little nervous, sometimes apprehensive, and understandably unsure of what to expect.

To help put them at ease, I usually begin by asking about their interests. More often than not, the conversation quickly turns to sport and favourite teams. My long-standing jokes about the Fremantle Dockers are rapidly losing their impact given their current success. Perhaps my beloved Collingwood Magpies, on their current trajectory, will soon become the easier target!

The interview process is a unique part of the CBC journey. It is far more than an enrolment meeting. Most interviews last close to an hour, providing an opportunity to share with families what makes CBC Fremantle different. While the young boy may be sitting directly across from me, the message is often intended for everyone in the room.

We discuss the attributes of a CBC Gentleman and our belief in "Today's boys...tomorrow's gentlemen." While these ideals may sound simple, they are profound. We believe that the most important thing that happens during a boy's secondary education is not simply the marks he achieves, the sports he plays, or the awards he receives. Rather, it is the transformation from boyhood to young manhood. The kind of man he becomes matters.

Towards the end of the interview, I often tell the boys that I have one final piece of information to share, something that may be a deal breaker. They sit expectantly as I explain that at CBC Fremantle we do not have any rules.

The reactions are always entertaining. Some boys immediately light up with excitement, while others look slightly concerned. I then ask them how their weekend sport would go if no rules were followed or enforced. The answer is usually immediate: "Not good."

I explain that school would be much the same. Without boundaries and expectations, it would quickly become unsafe and chaotic. What we have at CBC are not rules imposed upon people but commitments agreed to by our students, staff and families. These commitments represent shared understandings about how we will treat one another and how we will contribute to our community.

In many ways, we begin our relationships at CBC by building trust rather than enforcing rules. We ask students to give their word and commit to the expectations of our community. If there comes a time when those commitments are not met, our conversation is not centred on arguing over rules or technicalities; instead, it focuses on the student's word, the commitment they made, and how they can restore that trust.

Recently, while discussing these commitments, I mentioned to a prospective student that his impressive ponytail would need to be cut before commencing at CBC. He was understandably disappointed. I reassured him that there is absolutely nothing wrong with long hair. In fact, if I could grow mine, I probably would! The picture of Jesus with flowing hair and a beard can also create some confusion when I explain that He, too, would need a haircut before enrolling at CBC.

This often leads to a broader conversation. Why do we ask our boys to cut their hair, shave, tuck in their shirts, polish their shoes and comply with a range of expectations that can sometimes feel inconvenient?

The answer is surprisingly simple: because they do not always want to.

At first glance, that may seem harsh or unnecessary. However, if I asked every parent reading this article to list the things they do each day that they do not particularly feel like doing, the list would be extensive. Going to work, paying bills, exercising, attending appointments, completing household chores, helping children with homework - being an adult often requires us to place responsibility ahead of preference.

With commitment comes sacrifice.

The small sacrifices we ask of our students are not about haircuts, polished shoes or tucked-in shirts. They are about developing habits that prepare young people for life. They teach that we do not always get our own way, that compromise is necessary, and that genuine community requires us to think beyond ourselves.

Every commitment we ask our students and families to make is achievable. In a world that often sends confusing messages to young people about responsibility, identity, and belonging, we believe there is tremendous value in partnership between school and home. Together, we strive to develop resilient, kind and principled young men - men with strong moral compasses who understand that sacrifice, service and commitment are not burdens but essential parts of a meaningful life.

These commitments may seem small in isolation, but collectively they help shape the gentlemen we hope our boys will become.

Mr Brent Butcher
Vice Principal