Advisory Program

February Theme: Pride

Pride may be interpreted positively or negatively, depending on the context in which the term is used.  For February, the context of pride is positive.  Pride in one's school, pride in one's ethnicity, pride in one's heritage, that is the focus for our Thoughts for the Day and our group discussions.

Aristotle identified pride (megalopsuchia, variously translated as proper pride, greatness of soul and magnanimity^[7]) as the crown of the virtues, distinguishing it from vanity, temperance, and humility, thus:

Now the man is thought to be proud who thinks himself worthy of great things, being worthy of them; for he who does so beyond his deserts is a fool, but no virtuous man is foolish or silly. The proud man, then, is the man we have described. For he who is worthy of little and thinks himself worthy of little is temperate, but not proud; for pride implies greatness, as beauty implies a goodsized body, and little people may be neat and well-proportioned but cannot be beautiful. ^[8]

He concludes then that

Pride, then, seems to be a sort of crown of the virtues; for it makes them greater, and it is not found without them. Therefore it is hard to be truly proud; for it is impossible without nobility and goodness of character. ^[9][10]

In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes every virtue as a balance point between a deficiency and an excess of a trait. The point of greatest virtue lies not in the exact middle, but at a "golden mean" sometimes closer to one extreme than the other. For example, courage is the mean between cowardice and foolhardiness, confidence the mean between self-deprecation and vanity, and generosity the mean between miserliness and extravagance.

So, the goal this month is to be proud of who we are, where we come from and for those who have come before us.  Since February is Black History Month and Rhobb Hunter, President of the Senior Class, is planning to emphasize key events in Black History through the morning announcements and through a Chapel program, we can explore the concept of ethnic pride.

Black pride" is a slogan used primarily in the Americas^{[citation needed]} where it is used to raise awareness of the state of black racial identity and to express solidarity amongst group members.

The slogan has been used in the United States by African Americans to denote a feeling of self-respect, celebrating one's heritage, and being proud of one's personal worth. Black pride as a national movement is closely linked with the developments of the American Civil Rights Movement, during which noted figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, A. Philip Randolph, Stokely Carmichael, and others protested the conditions of the United States' segregated society, and lobbied for better treatment for people of all races. Roy Innis has sought to enhance and build on the black pride movement of the mid-1960’s, he and a Congress of Racial Equality delegation toured seven African countries in 1971. Curtis Mayfield's "We're a Winner" became a virtual anthem of the black power and black pride movements.

Just as African Americans can take pride in their heritage, so can those from other ethnic backgrounds.  Whether a student is Asian, Irish, Scotish, British, Hispanic or any of the other diverse backgrounds from which our student body springs, we can each take pride in our heritage.

Consider all of these positive avenues for discussing pride this month.  Do some research on your own heritage and create a talking point to share with others about your background.

January Advisory Theme: Class

The theme for the Advisory Program for January is Class.  The word can mean many things but as it applies to being an MUS student and to our Community Creed, please consider the following definitions:

 

Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	High style in quality, manner, or dress.
Synonyms:	quality, refinement
Part of Speech:	adjective
Definition:	stylish; with panache

 

Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	Degree of excellence.
Synonyms:	caliber, grade

 

 

Panache is a word of French origin that carries the connotation of a flamboyant manner and reckless courage.  Panache is now used to describe someone who has a dashing confidence of style, or shows a certain flamboyance and courage, and is a familiar word now in English.

 

“Win with class”, “Represent the school with class” – just a couple of the admonitions that have been given over and over through the years to sports teams and to groups interacting with the community.  MUS wants to be recognized as a class act by the local community and by those who our students come into contact with as they travel around the country and abroad.

 

Being recognized as a class act is not something to be sought out of arrogance; rather it is an obligation to maintain the good reputation established by those students and faculty members who have come before us.

 

Outstanding examples of a class act:

 

Bud Wilkerson, former coach of the Oklahoma Sooner Football team, is widely recognized as one of the truly class acts to ever grace the NCAA scene.  Lessons may be gleaned from his approach to life and sport: http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/wilkinson_bud.html

 

Colonel Ross M. Lynn, founding headmaster of the new MUS, is another outstanding example of class. 

Col.

Lynn had a vision of what it meant to be an educated gentleman and he built these concepts into the fabric of MUS from the beginning.  Read more about Col. Lynn at:  http://www.musowls.org/supportmus/givingsocieties.html

 

A person with class is someone who will stand out in a crowd.  MUS students should not seek to be recognized as a man with class for reasons of arrogance.  Rather, we seek class because that is the high standard that has been set by those who have come before us and it is a legacy we hope to leave for those who will follow.

 

Send your ideas about who should be recognized as a “class act” to Coach Cady and he will post them on this site.  Email: john.cady@musowls.org

 

December's Advisory Theme: Belief and Faith

December’s Advisory Theme

Belief and Faith  - definitions, quotes and short histories of Hanukkah and Christmas.

Anatole France:

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Andre Gide:

Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.

Anne Frank:

In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death.

Buddha:

Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true. [paraphrased]

Demosthenes:

Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.

Edith Hamilton:

Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active.

Robert Fulghum:

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- myth is more potent than history -- dreams are more powerful than facts -- hope always triumphs over experience -- laughter is the cure for grief -- love is stronger than death.

Walt Disney
When you believe a thing, believe in it all the way.

---

Benjamin N. Cardozo
We are what we believe we are.

---

William James
Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that assures the successful outcome of any venture.

---

William James
Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.

---

Dr. Thomas Fuller
He does not believe who does not live according to his belief.

---

F. F. Bosworth
Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts.

---

Robert Oxton Bolt
A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind.

---

James Lane Allen
The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

faith      /feɪθ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[feyth] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation 

–noun

1.	confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.

2.	belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3.	belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4.	belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

5.	a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.

6.	the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.

7.	the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.

8.	Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

—Idiom

9.	in faith, in truth; indeed: In faith, he is a fine lad.

---

[Origin: 1200–50; ME feith < AF fed, OF feid, feit < L fidem, acc. of fidés trust, akin to fīdere to trust. See confide ]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Chanukah -- the eight-day festival of light that begins on the eve of Kislev 25 -- celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality. More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel . Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d. When they sought to light the Temple's menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity. To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled. On Chanukah we also recite Hallel and the Al HaNissim prayer to offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d for "delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few... the wicked into the hands of the righteous." Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil -- latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts); playing with the dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, "a great miracle happened there"); and the giving of Chanukah gelt, gifts of money, to children.

Christmas

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Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Christmas festivities often combine the commemoration of Jesus' birth with various secular customs, many of which have been influenced by earlier winter festivals. The date as a birthdate for Jesus is traditional, and is not considered to be his actual date of birth.

In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. Christmas Eve is the preceding day, December 24. In the United Kingdom and many countries of the Commonwealth, Boxing Day is the following day, December 26. In Catholic countries, Saint Stephen's Day or the Feast of St. Stephen is December 26. The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6. Eastern Orthodox Churches that still use the Julian Calendar celebrate Christmas on the Julian version of 25 December, which is January 7 on the more widely used Gregorian calendar, because the two calendars are now 13 days apart. (Armenians who use the Julian Calendar celebrate Christmas on the Julian version of Jan. 6, which is Jan. 19 on the Gregorian calendar.)

The word "Christmas" is a contraction of two words "Christ's mass" and is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ (Χριστός). Since the mid-16th century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, was used as an abbreviation for Christ. Thus, Xmas is an abbreviation for Christmas.

After the conversion of Anglo-Saxons in England from their indigenous Anglo-Saxon polytheism (a form of Germanic paganism) in the very early 7th century, Christmas was called geol, which was the name of the native Germanic pre-Christian solstice festival that fell on that date. From geol, the current English word Yule is derived. Many customs associated with modern Christmas were derived from Germanic paganism.

The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne was crowned on Christmas Day in 800. Around the 12th century, the remnants of the former Saturnalian traditions of the Romans were transferred to the Twelve Days of Christmas (26 December - 6 January). Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public festival, incorporating ivy, holly, and other evergreens, as well as gift-giving.

Modern traditions have come to include the display of Nativity scenes, Holly and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Father Christmas or Santa Claus on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill and peace.

Determination

The November Advisory Theme is Determination. 

The act of deciding definitely and firmly ; also : the result of such an act of decision b: firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end <a man of great courage and determination>

Firmness of purpose; resolve: approached the task with determination and energy.

A fixed intention or resolution: returned to school with a determination to finish.

 

     “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”  Calvin Coolidge

 

Fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round - remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.
James Corbett

 

Determination is the wake-up call to the human will.
Anthony (Tony) Robbins

 

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
Vince Lombardi

 

 Bear in mind, if you are going to amount to anything, that your success does not depend upon the brilliancy and the impetuosity with which you take hold, but upon the ever lasting and sanctified buldoggedness with which you hang on after you have taken hold.
Dr. A. B. Meldrum

 

A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop.
Robert Hughes

 

What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it.
Alexander Graham Bell

 

Nothing great will ever be achieved without great mean, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.
Charles De Gaulle

 

A failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough.
John Christian Bovee

 

The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference between the great and the insignificant, its energy - invincible determination - a purpose once fixed, and then death or victory.
Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton

 

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.
Tommy Lasorda

 

If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
Samuel Johnson

 

MUS Fight Song by John Murry Springfield: 

Go big team down the field

And honor bring to the red and blue

Our team will never yield

Our men forever will be true

 

 

Personal Integrity

The highlight of our October Advisory Theme was a visit from one of our Board of Trustees and an alumunus of MUS, Mr. Chuck Smith.  The following is the text of Mr. Smith's address to the upper school. 

 

Homeroom Teachers / Advisors,

Here are your talking points and questions to facilitate discussion that will be used Wednesday morning.  Chuck Smith will lead off the session at 10.20.

SO HOW ABOUT YOU?  WHAT’S YOUR INTEGRITY WORTH?

HIGH PROFILE INTEGRITY FAILURES

o       MICHAEL VICK,  NFL QUARTERBACK

o       DICKIE SCRUGGS, TRIAL LAWYER

o       LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS (MANY)

o       JOHN EDWARDS, SENATOR (D-NC)

AND

FORMER VP CANDIDATE

o       MANY, BUT NOT

ALL

, WALL STREET CEO’S

These men sold their integrity for money, greed, power, ego-boost, position or simply instant gratification.  They had it made, but ditched their career and life when they made a choice to ditch integrity.  By the way, most are in prison today.

Integrity is more of a way of living your life day to day – these examples make headlines, but your actions everyday need to reflect your value system of doing the right thing, even when no one notices….

Do you live with a “conniving” spirit, striving to be “shrewd”, meaning you will take advantage of others to benefit yourself, or will you be bound to an open and honest path?  What’s your integrity worth?

Questions for discussion:

1.      The cashier gives you too much change, do you return it?

            2.  Your opponent announces the score, incorrect in your favor,

    do you say anything?

IS YOUR INTEGRITY FOR

SALE

?

HOW MUCH IS YOUR INTEGRITY WORTH?

Courage and William Wilberforce

Download link_for_william_wilberforce.doc

September Theme: Courage

Advisory Theme for the month of September: Courage

A definition provided by our chapel speaker for this Friday, September 12 - Mr. Brian Kelsey

“Courage is doing what you know in your heart is the right thing to do in the face of great pressure from those around you to take an easier path.”

Some of the great men of courage he will discuss are: Churchill, Wilberforce and J. Q. Adams.  Ideas from and links regarding these men may be found below. 

Download information_and_quotes_from_churchill.doc

 

Scholarship

Scholarship is perhaps a misused word in today’s society.  Is scholarship only a reward that a student may receive for outstanding performance or ability (an offer of monetary reward to attend an institution of learning)? Does scholarship exist as defined in this manner, the methods or habits of a scholar?  Should one seek to be a scholar for the sake of knowledge, exclusive of monetary reward or gain?

Some would say that a scholar is one who educates himself for life, in preparation for life and even for the duration of life.

Do you wish to be known as erudite, one who has knowledge, most particularly that gained from books? 

Perhaps it really is all about the money, but then again who will keep those ideas and concepts alive that don’t necessarily assist one in picking out the best stock or mutual fund?

April Theme: Respect

The library has created a special display that directly relates to the April Advisory theme: Respect.  Please find a link to the information listed below, and pay a visit to the library for more information:

http://faculty.musowls.org/mus-library/

April Advisory Theme: Respect

Respect: the Advisory Theme for April

From the MUS Community Creed:

Respect: An MUS student is courteous and kind and appreciates everyone in his community.

Respect is taking into consideration the views and desires of others, and including it into your decisions. When you respect another, you factor and weigh their thought's and desires into your planning and balance it into your decision making.

An example would be: respecting someone's opinion. you may or may not agree, but you place it into consideration, and it may ultimately influence your decision (even if partial).

Respect can also be applied to taking care of oneself, or the environment. Respect adds general reliability to social interactions. It helps people get along with other people.

From Wikipedia

34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Acts 10:34,35 

Respect yourself and others will respect you.

Confucius
Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)

“Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself - no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are - completely; the good and the bad - and make changes as YOU see fit - not because you think someone else wants you to be different.” Stacey Charter

“Never take a person’s dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you.” Frank Barron

“What is the quality of your intent? Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent. My intent will be evident in the results.” Thurgood Marshall

“Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around” Anonymous

Respect your efforts, respect yourself.  Self-respect leads to self-discipline.  When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power.  ~Clint Eastwood

In my day, we didn't have self-esteem, we had self-respect, and no more of it than we had earned. ~Jane Haddam

I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean a human being in his own eyes.  What matters is not what I think of him; it is what he thinks of himself.  To undermine a man's self-respect is a sin.  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The Indian way is about seeing the spirit that is in everything. It's about respect. Respect for the earth, respect for life, respect for your fellow man, respect for yourself. An Indian's wealth is not about material things, it's about what's done to help others, and enrich the soul.

Quote from Chief Big Eagle (Aurelius H. Piper) Native American leader of the White Buffalo Society and foreign correspondent to several tribal governments.

Lyrics from Respect Yourself by the Staple Singers

If you disrespect anybody that you run in to
How in the world do you think anybody's s'posed to respect you
If you don't give a heck 'bout the man with the bible in his hand
Just get out the way, and let the gentleman do his thing
You the kind of gentleman that want everything your way
Take the sheet off your face, boy, it's a brand new day

Respect yourself, respect yourself
If you don't respect yourself
Ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na na
Respect yourself, respect yourself

If you're walking 'round think'n that the world owes you something cause
You're here you goin' out the world backwards like you did when you
Put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that'll help the solution
Oh, you cuss around women and you don't even know their names and you
Dumb enough to think that'll make you a big ol man