April 9, 2025 On March 26, Immaculate Heart Central in Watertown celebrated the induction and renewal of members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapter of the National Honor Society. That night, eight current senior members welcomed one senior and four juniors as members of the society. Senior members received Miraculous Medals to carry with them as they go on to the next chapter of their lives. These medals were blessed and distributed by Father Frank Natale, M.S.C., pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Watertown. Reflections on the four pillars of the National Honor Society – scholarship, leadership, character, and service – were written by the elected officers and presented as part of the ceremony.
LEADERSHIP Good evening, my name is Samuel Charlebois and I am the president of National Honor Society here at Immaculate Heart Central and my office is leadership. An effective leader is defined not by how others served him, but by how their actions helped their people. This message is exemplified by Christ in the gospel of Mark where it is written, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As leaders, we are all called to serve, not to be served. A good leader cares for their people and puts their needs before their own. Jesus is the perfect model for this unique kind of leadership and is an example that I challenge all of my National Honor Society Members to exemplify. Caring for others as a leader takes dedication and a love for your people. I learned this through my many years captaining my varsity sports teams over the years. We were never the best on paper and our records were never anything special. In those moments, my teammates needed strong leadership; one that showed them that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I, as their captain, needed to show that they had a leader who cared for them and shared in their struggles. I was never above them and I never tried to be better than them. This is how leadership must be practiced. It is meant to show care and support to those in need of it while guiding with strength and reason. So, as I look at all my fellow members of the National Honors Society and especially to the new inductees to this amazing organization, I am confident that this community is receiving a group of purposeful and loving leaders. This group proves time and again that they have the ability to lead others through caring service, acts of charity and acts of strength. Every one of you has the potential to be amazing leaders, and I know that you will help change the lives of others through that leadership. Thank you.
SCHOLARSHIP Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and congratulations to our inductees. My name is Isaac Curtis, and I have the privilege of talking to you about scholarship. Oxford languages define scholarship as, “academic study or achievement, learning of a high level.” While this is true and being a scholar does include academics and studying and learning, I believe that scholarship is more than just a good grade on paper. When I think of a scholar the first thing I think of isn’t how great their grades must be. Mahatma Gandhi said this, “all of your scholarship would be in vain if at the same time you do not build your character and attain mastery over your thoughts and actions.” When I read this, I began to ponder on the character of a scholar. A scholar is not an A, or even an A+. A scholar is a hard worker, an overachiever, someone who will work and work until all that can be done is done. For those who attend a Catholic school, there is more for scholars to do. Pope Benedict XVI (sixteenth) said “a good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. And a good catholic school, over and above this, should help all its students to become saints.” Simply put, Catholic scholars are called to be more than regular scholars. Though they must still work hard and overachieve, scholars from catholic students must also be saint-like, kind, caring, giving. We here at IHC are not only called to be scholars, but to use that knowledge to help others, to spread our knowledge, and to give freely that which we have worked so hard to achieve. Again, congratulations to the students that have worked so hard to achieve this honor. This is not the end, but the beginning. You have been chosen to herald knowledge to the world, through hard work and perseverance. Thank you.
SERVICE Good evening, my name is Olivia Staib, and my pillar is Service. Service: at IHC the first thing students think of is the Faith Community Service program or Rotary Interact. But service is so much more than the organized events that students can participate in. As Mother Teresa once said, “Do small things with great love.” Service doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. It could simply be helping a fellow student who is struggling or picking up garbage that doesn’t belong to you. It could also be simply holding the door for someone or choosing to say yes to a request that might not be something you want to do. Yes, the service events for Faith Community Service are great ways to help the community, but what are you choosing to do when no one is watching? As National Honor Society Students, you have given your time in more ways than just planned service events. You have chosen to go out of your way and serve others, even when it is an inconvenience to you. You know that service isn’t just a number of hours on a piece of paper or a way to gain recognition. Instead, you have demonstrated that you know service is the little things you do on a daily basis to help others. When we serve others, we are being a light in a world that so desperately needs it. My hope is that you continue serving others, not only throughout the time you have left in high school, but also as you go through life. Congratulations to the 2025 inductees to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapter of the National Honor Society. This is a great achievement, and you should be proud of your accomplishments. As you become a member of NHS, I charge you with this mission: to continue serving others in small ways with great love, even when it is inconvenient. Thank you.
CHARACTER Good Evening. My name is Abigail Bombard and my pillar is Character. When I think of character, I believe someone can have a good character in many different ways. But what character means to me most is something greater than any achievement, skill, or status we can have. Character is who we are when nobody’s around. Character is in no way being the perfect human, but it means always looking to do right even in difficult situations. When I think of character, one person stands out to me. This person demonstrates character because when things do not go as hoped, he always stays positive and perseveres. This person sees the good in everyone, even when they make poor decisions. When he is successful, he always makes sure to stay humble, and he stands up for what is right no matter the circumstances. He will go out of his way to help others and never look for any reward. When I have experienced adversity like losing a game or seeing someone being mistreated, this person has been a model for me to always persevere and treat others as I would want to be treated. One thing he always tells me is to look to God and pray when times get hard. This person is my dad. I am sure we all have personal stories of someone who stands out to us as exemplifying good character, and if you cannot think of anyone look to the one we all use as an example of character, God. So let us learn from them and be people of strong character. Remember character does not mean you are perfect and can never make mistakes, it means you are willing to stay true to your heart no matter the situation. In the Bible, Romans 5:3-4 says, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character; and character produces hope.” The bible tells us that character is seeing the good in bad situations and to choose to keep going no matter what you face. God uses trials to strengthen our character and to show us that it is not about what you succeed or fail at, but it is about what you will do in response to this and whether you are willing to act in this way when nobody’s watching. To my new inductees, as well as my senior members of the National Honor Society, congratulations on all of your hard work. Remember to do everything with good intentions and stay true to yourself no matter who is watching. Continue to represent our school and work to build character every day. |
||||
|
|||||||||
