From the desk of Wally Dawkins, Athletic Director:

“If it is yours, you should take pride in it and take care of it”! Those were my Dad’s words that I heard repeatedly as a child. Though a relatively basic philosophy, I have held onto that simple truth my whole life.

Our family moved around frequently during my younger years. My father was Air Force.  Every six months to a year we were traveling to a new “home”. It probably explains why as an adult, I have chosen not to move much.  At one stretch while growing up, I attended 8 different schools in 7 years.  I never wanted that for my kids. Both my children started at Whitehouse in Kindergarten and received their cap and gown from WHS also.

I will begin my 38^th year in education when we begin the 2016-2017 school year in August. Brook Hill is the 5^th school that I have been employed by. That’s an average of about 8 years per school. I have never been a “mover and shaker” as an adult. Of those 38 years, 21 was at Whitehouse.  During those 21 years, I was a Whitehouse Wildcat through and through.

A week ago, I began my 9^th year at Brook Hill.  I have to admit, for some time after I left Whitehouse, I still had those maroon and white blood cells running through my veins.  Whitehouse was a great school, and I still have many close friends who work there or whose children still attend there.

Slowly however, the maroon has turned to orange…All Orange in fact. I now consider myself a member of The Guard Family.  “ALL ORANGE…All The Time”! I have developed not only a strong sense of loyalty to “The Hill”, I am also very protective of its very existence, understanding that this is no ordinary place.

It’s God’s Place. I have heard over and over from many people, especially the students, of how Brook Hill feels like one big family.  Wyatt Earp is famous for saying “If they ain’t family, then they’re strangers”! I have pride in this Brook Hill Family. It is my school.  Through good times and bad, Brook Hill is my school.

My family members are not perfect…but they are my family. My children are not perfect…but they will always be my children.

It’s the pride thing I mentioned in the first paragraph. I feel ownership in Brook Hill.  It’s “mine”, and I take pride in it and I will take care of it.

Last year I stole a slogan from Sewanee University.  The Tigers have an acronym of “YSR”, which means “Yea Sewanee’s Right”.  Go online and YouTube their official music video version of “Yea Sewanee’s Right. Our acronym is “YBHR”.  Any idea as to what it stands for?

“Yea Brook Hill’s Right”.  I’m convinced Brook Hill is the right school. Spiritually, Academically, and Athletically.

Our coaching staff at Brook Hill has a strong sense of loyalty to the school, its mission, and the vision of our Founder Steve Dement.

I heard a famous coach say onetime that “as a family you have to stick together because you’re all you’ve got”! With the 2016-2017 school year fast approaching, we will have times where it is easy to stick together and feel good about our school.  At other times, our resolve will be tested to maintain that pride in our school and to “take care of it”.

A family, is a family, is a family…through good times and bad. Not strangers! And…to quote the coach, “we stick together because we are all we’ve got”!

And that’s another reason to be “ALL ORANGE…All The Time”!