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GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
COL Brown's Spring Solicitation
April 1, 2011
Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends,
One morning last fall in the chapel, I was talking to the corps of cadets about heroes. It’s important for boys to have heroes—someone to look up to, someone to emulate, someone to inspire them to be better. I asked the cadets, “Who are your heroes?” Many comments were typical of boys of their age: a movie star, a famous athlete, a politician, a rock star. After a few minutes, one cadet in the junior high stood up and said, “Sir, who was your hero growing up?”
With pride, I told the corps about my hero. My hero was not a movie star or a politician, not a famous athlete or a rock star, but rather, my hero was my dad. I was very fortunate to have a father I looked up to. I was fortunate to have a father who inspired me to always try my best, and who was always there for me.
As I finished my talk that morning, I told the boys, “Many heroes have sat in the same pews you’re sitting in today. They are fathers, grandfathers, uncles and cousins to many sons throughout the world. If you don’t have a hero, go find one—someone you want to emulate, someone you look up to, someone who inspired you. And find your hero today. It will only make you better.” And I believe it.
As President of Carson Long, I have written you before asking for your support, and you have responded generously. Whatever your reason for giving, I thank you for partnering with us to advance our programs, improve our facilities, and continue our enduring tradition of character-based education. Please invest in Carson Long. Please join me once again. I’m looking for heroes.
A Milestone Year
The year 2011 is a milestone for Carson Long: our 175th anniversary. What an achievement! This fine institution has now spanned seven generations—remarkable. But what does it all mean?
For me, it means it’s time to put down the pen, to stand up, and to take a walk. It means it’s time to take a short break from thinking about the enrollment, the college acceptances, and the strategic plan. It means it’s time to ponder. What is the significance of 175 years?
It means we have adapted. The year 1836 seems like eons ago. If we hadn’t adapted since then, we would no longer be in business. An important transition came almost a century ago. After the unfortunate death of William Carson Long, his father, Theodore K. Long, returned to New Bloomfield, purchased Bloomfield Academy, renamed it Carson Long Institute, and incorporated military training—all within five years. Drastic? Certainly. But I would not be writing you today were it not for the vision of Mr. Long. In recent years, we have continued to adapt—rethinking our marketing strategy, tightening our admission standards, and investing in new technology.
It means we have persevered. We have been challenged over the years, even stumbled at times. But we have persevered. In my office, I have a list of 500 U.S. military preparatory schools, only 35 of which are open today. Here we stand tall, with our core principles intact. What a testament to the leadership this school has enjoyed—men with names like Willard, Holman, Stuart and Tejera.
It means we honor tradition. It makes me proud to look over our history and see such continuity. We could probably publish a series of photos spanning 80 years—just of cadets standing in front of Building Annex with that confident smile. As I read in Red and Blue the lessons learned at Carson Long, I would be hard pressed to identify the decade the cadet attended. I’m not saying things haven’t changed. I’m just saying what’s more apparent to me is how consistent things have been.
So, I say again, this is a milestone year. It’s important to celebrate. How many of your friends went to a school that enjoys such tradition? Seize this opportunity. Honor the effort it has taken to make Carson Long what it is today. Celebrate with us, and in doing so, help solidify Carson Long’s future as a model for character-based education in this country.
Join Us in Celebration
Last year, we formed the 175th Anniversary Celebration Committee. This committee is chaired by Dominic D’Agostino ’53. Dom has seen this school from many different perspectives. He was a cadet here. Before that, he had two brothers here. He is a father to Jim D’Agostino ’82. He has been an officer in the Alumni Association. And now he is in the ultimate leadership position—a member of our Board of Trustees.
Dom is accompanied on the 175th Anniversary Celebration Committee by me, members of my staff, and other trustees. He has been charged with leading us through our anniversary year. This fall, for example, we will be publishing a small book in time for Homecoming and Parents Weekend (the third and fourth weekends of October). This book will be a collection of photos and stories from years past. Please begin thinking about what you can send us for this important publication.
The Need for Character-Based Education
In a book I read recently, The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life, the authors discuss elements contributing to a crisis in male education. I was surprised to read a few of their findings: boys get the majority of D’s and F’s—in some schools, as high as 70%; boys make up 80% of discipline problems; of children diagnosed with learning disabilities, 70% are boys; of children diagnosed with a behavior disorder, 80% are boys. Startling numbers. We need an education system that better understands boys and the challenges they face.
A few weeks ago, I attended the AMCSUS (Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States) annual conference. The keynote speaker was The Honorable Scott Pearson from the U.S. Department of Education. His topic was the educational challenges of the 21st century; particularly, the challenges of public school education. He said nearly one in two high school graduates can attain only entry-level jobs. His message was clear: “in order to compete, we have to out-educate.” As I see it, to out-educate, we need strong alternatives to the traditional public school model. And Carson Long provides one: the character-based education.
Here in Pennsylvania, our State Senate has labeled education reform SB1—its top priority. This bill would provide school vouchers to students in failing schools. Vouchers would enable students to attend other schools, even independent schools. When was the last time education reform was the legislature’s top priority?
There is a spotlight on public education in this country. Put simply, parents are not seeing the results they expect. The public schools are not properly serving certain segments of the population. Students are getting lost.
Often, the students lost in the middle end up being successful at Carson Long. It’s a classic tale: “My school was really big. I fell behind. Nobody cared. I lost interest. My grades dropped.” When the boy enrolls with us, he gets the academic attention he deserves, he gets a few good test grades, his confidence improves, you catch him walking with his head up, and soon he’s pulling his weight in the building. Before you know it, a building officer is recommending him for a promotion.
The Standard
Our formula is simple. And it’s been the same for decades. Maybe the application has changed as we adapt to new cultural expectations, but the underlying principles have stayed the same. We set a standard. The boys have to meet the standard. This builds character. Once a boy can meet the standard, he has to help others meet that same standard. This builds leadership.
Although the formula is simple, the application is not easy. We have been effective because of our experience. We understand a good education is tailored to the individual student. In the past few years especially, our faculty have focused on learning the learning styles of our boys. This has helped us make big improvements in scheduling, technology and the structure of assignments.
It’s not easy for cadets, either. This education is not for the weak. And it begins as soon as a boy steps on campus. How to wear a uniform. How to make a bed. How to keep a cubby. We demand a lot. He’s up at 6:00 a.m. He has classes and activities all day. Study hall at night. In bed at 9:45 sharp. That’s a rigorous schedule. And it makes me proud to watch him rise to the occasion.
Our most successful cadets find, I think, that you get out what you put in. At first, the boy is just focused on himself, as he should be. (Building character.) Eventually, good character becomes second nature, and what’s left is for him to look out for his brothers. (Learning leadership.) At Carson Long, we set the scene—the standard, the extra attention, the opportunities to excel—and the cadets take care of the rest.
Please Invest in Us
The challenge we face is to succeed with more cadets and to succeed with a higher percentage of cadets already enrolled. There are a number of ways to do this: more faculty, more professional development, better technology, better facilities. All of these would help us better serve our boys. And each of them requires an investment. None of them will be paid for by tuition alone.
Tuition covers a cadet’s education. It pays for food and fuel. It pays for salaries and baseballs. It does not pay for investment. It does not pay for a new computer lab, a new class, a new athletic field, or a new academic building.
To build these things, we need you to make a gift. Your gift makes improvements possible. Your gift is an investment in Carson Long; an investment in the cadets themselves. Please invest in us. Be a hero to these boys. Support the principles that have guided Carson Long through the past 175 years—the same enduring principles that will define us for another 175 years. Please consider making a gift online (there is a link at the bottom of our homepage) or by calling me at 717-582-2121.
I am proud to be your President. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Matthew J. Brown
COL (R) USA
President
P.S.
Recently, several faculty members received an email from Moses Lee ’10. Moses is now a freshman at Norwich University and a member of the Air Force ROTC program. He is on the Dean’s List and hopes to be an Air Force attorney (JAG corps) upon graduation. In his note, Moses explains, “my parents and I still laugh about how I wanted to drop out of high school, get my GED and enlist. Look at me now. If it wasn’t for my family and CLMA, then attending a prestigious university was never going to happen. Just wanted to say thank you.”
He adds, “I remember as a cadet I was miserable: surrounding area, no girls, rules, rules and more rules that seemed useless. After my experiences here, I believe in everything Carson Long is teaching. After speaking with 2LT Arturo Diaz (CLMA alum/Norwich alum), the leadership we learned in Carson Long far outweighs the leadership they teach you here at Norwich. Please remind the cadet chain of command at CLMA that what they are doing will benefit them in the long run. Look at the future rather than the immediate.”
Thank you, Moses, for taking the time to write.
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