002
– The preventive system requires a super model rather than
power-managers.
-
Carlo Maria Savio Villegas, SDB
In
the preventive system, the importance of a good leader is essential.
But this initial statement begs another question... what is a good
leader? In the business and commercial world, a leader is called a
CEO ie. The chief executive officer. The success or demise of a
corporation depends on the skill and acumen of the CEO. And many a
times, the Rector is expected to function now a days as a CEO. Can
this paradigm of a skilled CEO be what the preventive system is
asking for in Salesian terms?
The
answer is both no and no. No, because a successful CEO is exactly
described as one who 'is hands on' which means in-touch with the
reality of the rank and file. He is keeping in-touch and monitoring
closely everything that happens in the work-environment. This is not
enough. Moreover the answer is again, No despite the CEO's great
delegation skills when dealing at the management level of leaders.
These two skills do not translate into a successful CEO in the
Salesian preventive system automatically.
The
good CEO closely monitors the very details of the system at the rank
and file level. He also clearly organizes human resources skillfully
and aptly delegates responsibilities to run the system at the top
levels, these does not assure a successful running of the preventive
system. These characteristics may work well with production lines and
service companies. But not in the educative field. But many other non
Salesian schools will be up in arms after hearing that. Because in
their schools today, their educational system is likened to a
corporation and thus would merit a CEO functioning head. Should the
Salesians do the same?
For
the Salesian school, a CEO skill and functionality is not disregarded
nor contradictory to the Preventive system. In fact, a typical
Salesian CEO is one who has ALREADY the skills to animate both the
rank and file as well as the managerial and delegated roles of
responsibility but also has more. The Salesian CEO adds more
uniqueness to the educative system.
First
of all the basis of this argument is proven time and time again by
the alumni of our Salesian schools. Those who have studied in our
Salesian schools in their primary and secondary schools can easily
feel and notice the difference when they transfer to another school
which is still run by religious educators but are non Salesian. These
others schools have also CEO's but are totally in contrast with that
of the CEO version in Salesian settings.
So
what is the difference? Actually its hard to limit the definition to
a few verbs and adjectives. Probably because it is not a mere prowess
of management and organizational skill. It is a building up of a
lifestyle more than a building up of a system. Some descriptions of
our alumni are as follows...it was easy to approach a priest or
brother... now in a new school, we miss the presence of the priest or
brother in the corridors, in the play ground, in the classrooms and
shops, talking, and joking with us... we miss the family spirit even
among teaching and non-teaching staff... we miss the weekly
eucharistic celebrations... we miss the confessions at first friday
masses... we miss the annual retreat. For the alumni, they know that
in the School of don Bosco is governed by a soul and not by a rule.
And if there be a rule and regulation, it is subservient to its
spirit and not the other way around.
The
good Salesian CEO is a unique breed of leader. He not only takes the
sheep out for pastures but he tries to know each by name. Where lies
the difference with other educational structures is that it is not
enough for a Salesian CEO to assure the excellent training of the
students in the intellectual, physical and values education. The main
difference lies in the word 'confidence.' This confidence is borne
from an earned relationship of trust. It goes beyond the curricular
program of academics or technological training for excellence. It is
a trust that goes beyond the confines of the schedule and classroom
walls. In fact, it goes beyond the duration of time spent in the
early years of schooling. Only if this trust is gained can we even
say that it was borne with great cost from a different set of
'power-managers' that do not have any other agenda than the good of
the person being prepared for life.
The
very alumni who spoke to don Bosco in the Letter from rome should not
be understood only as a 'blast from the past.' Instead this personage
of the alumni who gives testimony of his past for the present clearly
explains that the preventive system is not a mere tool in the
education of the young WHILE in the school and presence of their
mentors. No, the preventive system is a lifestyle that is imbued by
the young and in turn is passed on to the next generation with great eagerness due to great inspiration of its maturing and transforming effectiveness.
Usually
the best way to gauge the condition of our educative system is simply
counting its fruits. By the fruit we easily know the tree. The Alumni
have said it better than anyone else, the preventive system is an
available presence of a father, educator and friend that attracts the
young to willing and spontaneous entrustment of
oneself to a mature salesian educator so as to be
guided into enthusiastically preparing oneself
for life, and not only for the grade nor for the schooling
certificate.
The
preventive system needs a C.E.O., a
Charismatic Educative
Orienter... he who models an inviting lifestyle for
all walks of life towards one common destination of perfection.
Pedagogues usually call this end 'human perfection.' But Salesians
spelled it in fewer letters in “h.o.l.i.n.e.s.s.” ie. A fitting
relationship with the other and The Other.
All
CEO worry about meeting standards. The
preventive system CEO
seeks not only a human
ISO standard. He
seeks
not only accreditation
for international
standardization.
In fact he
seeks supranational
standardization.
And
why?
Because its CEO never loses sight of its long-term objectives and
merely its short term goals.
The
Salesian CEO understands clearly the Ireanean phrase Gloria
Dei est vivens homo!
Irenaeus,
a man who knew a thing or two of finding the secret of human
'maturation'
after
the
model
par
excellence of
formation is
said to repeatedly
insist that God began the world and has been overseeing it ever since
this creative act; everything that has happened is part of his plan
for humanity. The essence of this plan is a process
of maturation:
Irenaeus believes that humanity was created immature, and God
intended his creatures to take a long time to grow into or assume the
divine likeness. Thus, Adam and Eve were created as children. Their
Fall was thus not a full-blown rebellion but rather a childish spat,
a desire to grow up before their time and have everything with
immediacy.1
This
thing about growing
up before their
time
is tantamount to carrying out a system of immediacy that is
facilitated through coercion – a language inherent to the
repressive system and not to the preventive system of
Don Bosco who cannot conceive of this system without having Christ as
his super model and “C.E.O.”
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