Rites of passage in the making of good men

SECONDARY SCHOOL ENROLMENTS

Hutchins School celebrates the powerful journey that each boy undertakes as they pass through adolescence and into manhood.

Our Rites of Passage program celebrates the significance of becoming a good man; the importance of strong family relationships and our students’ future role in making a positive difference to the world. This year we are working alongside Dr Arne Rubinstein, the author of Making of Men.

This begins with our Year 7 students who are commencing a journey that will culminate in a formal Rite of Passage event.

Recently an overnight camp gave students a chance to acknowledge the significance of this journey and recognise the difference between boyhood and being a “Good Man”.

One of our students has kindly allowed us to use his words to describe his experience: “I knew it was time to let go of some of my childish behaviour, putting one of these behaviours in writing and throwing those words into a fire, in front of all of my peers, was significant, it was life changing.”

Later in the year, the same boys will share a similar overnight experience with their fathers or another significant male in their life, and take another step towards manhood.

The father/carer-son bond is integral to a boy’s journey. Being able to strengthen this bond alongside others provides important support and helps build a sense of kinship and empathy for each other.

Our community understands that schooling is more than just an academic journey. It is an ongoing exploration of characterbuilding undertaken alongside parents and carers through childhood, adolescence and into manhood.