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Tower Hill Celebrates 84th Annual Tree Trim and Caroling

Whatever your faith, Tree Trim reflects on the source of love, peace, kindness and community in your hearts...

On December 10 Headmaster Chris Wheeler welcomed students, parents, grandparents, friends, visitors, faculty and staff to Tower Hill School’s 84th Annual Tree Trim celebration in Weaver Gym. All were assembled to witness and participate in a special Tower Hill tradition. Dr. Wheeler shared the following:

"Ninety-three years ago, when Tower Hill was founded, there existed a very strong relationship with the Episcopal Church. Even today, our school’s mission statement refers to our Christian heritage. But today we also recognize that many faith traditions make up our community – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindi, Buddhist – forgive me if I have missed anyone! And while we must acknowledge that this Tree Trim celebration is a Christian in its origin, at the same time we can take away from it truths universal to almost all religions. In that spirit, I encourage everyone present at this Tree Trim tradition, whatever your faith, to reflect on the source of love, peace, kindness and community in your hearts. The Reverend Peter Trow offered this prayer in 1999 (the same year our seniors were in Pre-K!):

Let there be respect for the earth,
Peace for its people,
Love in our lives,
Delight in the good,
Forgiveness for past wrongs
And from now on, a new start. Amen.

"This morning you will see all of our seniors helping the faculty with our lower school children, as the little ones prepare to place their ornaments on the tree. We have a number of seniors, 25 to be exact, who were themselves lifted by seniors 12 or 13 years ago and who have now come full circle. This tradition is one that has taken place 83 times before. By observing this tradition today, we connect to our past as we look to the future. And like the evergreen tree, our tradition celebrates the renewal of the Tower Hill family. I hope that we all find peace and joy in being together this morning as we witness this wonderful ceremony.

"We recognize the Senior Lifters: Kendal A. Robino, Ryan C. Bosse, Reed M. Boyden, Spencer T. Boyden, Sydney R. Butler, Alicia du Pont, Evan M. Frazier, Celeste Greenbaum, Sara S. Hobbs, Hope J. Jennings, Sophia M. McCoy, Evan M. Mitchell, Zachary M. Rosen, Kathryn D. DeLillio, Katherine Ianni, Angus P. Maloney, Anne Grae G. Martin, Mason H. Nickel, David W. Saunders, Lindsay D. von der Luft, Barbara A. Edmonds, Nicholas C. Giroux-Doehring, William J. Hopkins, Christopher C. Martinez and Devin Shorey.

"Before we conclude our ceremony, I would like to read a poem by the 13th century poet Rumi. For me this poem expresses well the idea that whatever your religion, whatever your mode of worship, there is a common source of light that illuminates the truths of our lives:

What is praised is one, so the praise is one also,
many jugs being poured into a huge basin.
All religions, all this singing, one song.

The differences are just illusion and vanity.
Sunlight looks slightly different on this wall than it does on that wall
and a lot different on this other one, but it is still one light.
We have borrowed these clothes, these time-and-space personalities,
from a light, and when we praise, we pour them back in. Amen."

The Tree Trim ceremony concluded with all joyously singing O Come All Ye Faithful.
 
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