Page 4 - 2024-2025 Annual Report

Formed For Something More

2024-25 By Nick Kuechly, Board Chairman Mond: Because our world is not the same
as Othello’s world. You can’t make flivvers
Board In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, without steel. And you can't make tragedies
Mustapha Mond, World Controller, faces without social instability. The world is stable
Members off against John “the Savage” and his now. The people are happy. They get what
friends in chapter 16:
they want. And they never want what they
can’t get. They’re well off. They’re safe.
Mond: So you don’t much like They’re never ill. They’re not afraid of death.
civilization, do you Mr. Savage? They’re blissfully ignorant of passion and old
John: Why is [Shakespeare] age. They’re plagued with no mothers or
prohibited? fathers, no wives or children, nor lovers to
Mond: Because it’s old, that’s the feel strongly about. They’re so conditioned
chief reason. We haven’t any use for old that they practically can’t help behaving as
things here. they ought to behave. And if anything goes
John: Even when they’re beautiful? wrong, there’s soma [a happiness potion]…
Mond: Particularly when they’re John: All the same, Othello is good. Othello
beautiful. Beauty is attractive, and we is better than those feelings.
don’t want people to be attracted to old Mond: Of course it is. But that’s the price
things. We want them to like the new we have to pay for stability. You’ve got to
ones. choose between happiness and what
John: But the new ones are so stupid people used to call high art. We’ve sacrificed
Rev. Joseph Bayly and horrible… Why don’t you let them the high art…
see Othello instead? John: It all seems to me quite horrible.
(Term ending June 2027)
Mond: I’ve told you, it’s old. Besides, Mond: Of course it does. Actual
they couldn’t understand it… happiness always looks pretty squalid in
John: Well then… something new comparison to the overcompensations for
that’s like Othello and that they could misery. And of course, stability isn’t nearly
understand. so spectacular as instability. And being
Helmholtz: That’s what we’ve all been contented has none of the glamour of a
wanting to write. good fight against misfortune. None of the
Mond: And it’s what you never will picturesqueness of a struggle with
write. Because every work like Othello, temptation, nor a fatal overthrow by
Mr. Tom Thistleton
nobody could understand it, however passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.
new it might be. And if it were new, it … Happiness is a hard master, particularly
couldn’t possibly be like Othello. other people’s happiness. A much harder
John: Why not? master, if one isn’t conditioned to accept it
Sabbatical Helmholtz: Yes, why not?... unquestioningly, than truth…
continues, pg. 11

The Board is pleased to welcome Brian Minick, who began his three-year elected term
July 1, 2025. Brian and his wife, Anne Lynn, have one recently graduated MHA
daughter, and two more daughters in eleventh and ninth grades. Micah Frank
completed his three-year elected term. Jason Hutchinson retired from the board
during his sabbatical after serving for six years. The Board appointed Dave Liebing to
fill the resulting vacancy. We are deeply grateful to Jason and Micah for their many
contributions to the Board, their unwavering commitment to MHA and classical,
Christian education, and advancing our mission, vision, and values. Both families
remain active in the school—be sure to thank them in person for their service. As part
of our regular sabbatical rotation, Marius Pienaar began his sabbatical July 1, 2025.

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