Malcolm GauldIf you’ve spent any time at Hyde, you’ve probably heard this one. (I mean…. it is so last century.) In any case, Don MacMillan, former head of school at Hyde-Bath, is credited with its origin.
The message is so disarmingly simple that you can easily miss the point. When Don coined this line, it was one of those things that stuck immediately. It was as though the faculty had experienced an immediate collective realization:
Every kid who has ever excelled here has held up his/her end on both sides of the equation. Every kid who has ever bombed out here has fallen down on one or both sides of the equation.
It also quickly became clear that there is a causal relationship between the two dynamics. Kids who don’t lie tend not to quit – and vice-versa. Kids who do lie tend to quit – and vice-versa.
Before too long, we realized that this rule isn’t just for kids……:-).
So, whether you’re starting out as a new student (or parent!) at Hyde, or starting your first job in the workplace, or pursuing a new challenging personal goal, keep it simple: Don’t Lie. Don’t Quit. Somehow, I sense that this one may stick around until next century.
Onward, Malcolm Gauld
