Next month, Christian Brothers High School will host a special and unique night of fun and food. “A Taste of CBHS” will be held on the CBHS campus on Sunday, March 4, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., and will give the gathering of alumni, current and past parents and grandparents, and friends of CBHS the opportunity to enjoy an event filled with remarkable food and friendly faces.

“Some of my favorite memories are those of my time spent at CBHS, and I’m sure if you and I sat down to talk, we could create quite a fun-filled conversation around our connections to CBHS and the impact the Brothers have had on each of us and our families,” said Mike Robilio (CBHS ’76), president, Lucchesi’s Ravioli and Pasta Company, who is chairing the event.

More than 40 restaurants, food brokers, and wine and beverage distributors, and other vendors will participate in “A Taste of CBHS”.  Most have their own ties to CBHS as alumni, parents, or grandparents of CBHS students. In fact, the 1998 graduating class has five young restaurateurs participating in the event. Their specialties will be on display in Heffernan Hall with food and drink that one can sample – all in one convenient location.

“All proceeds from the event will be used for tuition assistance so that every boy may have an opportunity to become a Brothers’ Boy,” said Brother Chris Englert, F.S.C., president of CBHS, and also one of the guest chefs.

Those participating include: A. S. Barboro, Alfred's on Beale, Athens Distributing, Automatic Slims, Bangkok Alley, Behind the Scenes Special Events, Blues City Café, Boscos, Buckley's, Buster's Liquors, CBHS principal Chris Fay, CBHS President Brother Chris, Coletta's, Corky's, Dan McGuinness, Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar, Frank Grisanti's Italian Restaurant, and Garibaldi's Pizza.

Also participating are: Gordon Foods, Grove Grill, Guererri Family, Half Shell, Hog & Hominy, Holy Cow, Huey's, Interim, Jim's Place/Grille, Kroger Food Store, Leonard's Bar-B-Q, Lit Restaurant Supply, Lucchesi's, Memphis Catering Co., Poplar Perkin Coffee, Ricki's Cookies, Southwestern Distributing, Sweet Dreams, Sweet grass, Sysco, TJ Mulligans, US Foods, Vanelli's Deli, Victor L. Robilio Co., and YoLo Yogurt.

Challenges Facing Today's Teens To Be Discussed at Parents' Association Meeting

Shelby County District Attorney General Amy P. Weirich will be the guest speaker at the Wednesday, February 1, Parents' Association Meeting. She will discuss the challenges and legal consequences facing our teenagers in today's society.  All parents are welcome to attend. The social begins at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting begins at 6:00 p.m in the Heffernan Hall Conference Room.

There are many thousands of CBHS alumni who have left this school and gone on to success in business, the arts, religious life, married life… countless number of alumni of whom the Christian Brothers can be proud. Each year since 1993, the Christian Brothers High School Alumni Association has honored one of these men as Distinguished Alumnus.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest honor the Association can give. The guidelines for the award tell us that the recipient should be named based on his… “significant and broad accomplishments in business or professional life, which reflect distinction upon himself and thus upon CBHS.”

Over the years the Alumni Association has honored men from a variety of vocations, who have lived their lives of distinction in a variety of ways. Our distinguished alumni range from religious figures, such as the former worldwide leader of the Christian Brothers, the late Br. John Johnston… to a baseball major leaguer in Tim McCarver … to a recent recipient here today, long-time fixture at CBHS, Dean George Pratt.

This year’s recipient has made his own unique contribution to the community. Kevin Kane graduated from CBHS in 1974. He is president and CEO of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau and its subsidiary MMG, which manages the Memphis Cook Convention Center and the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. He is the current board chairman of Destination Marketing Association International, the central organization for 650 CVBs in 30 countries around the world. He is a board member of US Travel Association and sits on the International Tennis Hall of Fame Executive Committee.

Kane directs the marketing of Memphis to convention and leisure travelers. Since joining the CVB 20 years ago, he has grown the organization with new offices and visitor centers, an expanded sales team, a satellite office in DC and representation in Europe and the UK.

He serves as chairman on a wide range of boards including the Memphis Rock ‘N’ Soul Museum, Blues Foundation and Memphis-Shelby County Sports Authority. He is a native of Memphis and attended St. Michael Elementary before graduating from CBHS and the University of Memphis. He is also a member of the CBHS Hall of Fame and is a member of the CBHS board of trustees. He is an avid sports enthusiast, tennis player and golfer.

Kane and his wife, Haden, have three children – Kara (10), Carson, (9), and Harrison, (5). They are parishioners at St. Louis Church.

This weekend, Oct. 14-15,  was the culmination of a year-long preparation by the CBHS Alumni Association for a joint 140^th reunion nine reunion classes -- 2001, 1996, 1986, 1981, 1976, 1971, 1966, 1956, and 1951. In fact, this is the first time that the Class of 1951 has ever had a reunion. Hundreds attended the reunion.

Friday, Oct. 14 – All of the reunion classes had tables set up in Heffernan Hall. Dinner was catered by Leonard’s Barbecue until the football game against Briarcrest began at 7 pm. The Purple Wave were able to beat Briarcrest 28-16 to up its record to 6-2.

Saturday, Oct. 15 – A tour of the school was conducted by Brother Joel McGraw, FSC and others at 12 noon, beginning at the the Bell Tower and ending in Stephen Hall.



The Class of 1966 was one of 9 reunion classes celebrating this past Oct. 14-15 weekend.

Christian Brothers High School is proud to announce that six students from the Class of 2012 have been named Semifinalists in the 57^th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to seniors Jim Alrutz, Matthew Farrell, Henry Hill, Will Long, Michael Scully, and Patrick Sweeney.

As juniors, these students scored in the 99th percentile on the PSAT, which serves as the National Merit qualifying exam.  They will all continue in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They will continue in the competition through next spring for scholarships worth more than $34 million.

 

“These young men have been given the gifts of scholarship and aptitude and it is wonderful to see them using these God-given gifts to their fullest potential,” said Chris Fay, CBHS principal. “They are leaders on our campus and in our community and each of them deserve this recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.”

Also, congratulations also to three students for being selected National Merit Commended Students -- Charlie Fisher, Charlie Hamm, and Justin Scheuner.

Jim Alrutz, son of Douglas and Elizabeth Alrutz of Memphis, attended Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School. Matthew Farrell, son of Richard and Linda Farrell of Collierville, attended St. George’s Independent School. Henry Hill, son of Mark and Janet Hill of Memphis, attend St. Louis Elementary School. Will Long, son of Heather Merritt and Carl Long of Memphis, attended Grace-St. Luke’s. Michael Scully, son of Nick and Patty Scully of Memphis, attended St. Dominic School. Patrick Sweeney, son of John and Leslie Sweeney of Cordova, attended St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School.

Our new guidance counselor is Ms. Cindy McRae, who comes to CBHS after working in the Desoto County Schools for seven years. Ms. McRae is the moderator of our De La Salle Schol-ars program.

Mr. Tom Moore (Business teacher) comes to CBHS after selling his Nashville-based business. Coach Moore is the former head football coach at Brentwood Academy and he once played at Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt University. Mr. Moore earned his MBA from the University of Tennessee.

Mr. Artie Quinn (History teacher) ’04 comes to CBHS after graduating from Rhodes College with a degree in History. Mr. Quinn is a 2004 graduate of CBHS and he will also coach football and soccer.

Mr. Albert Escanilla (Religion and Ethics teacher) comes to CBHS via Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Es-canilla received his undergraduate degree from Lewis University and his Master’s Degree in World Religions from the Catholic Theological Union this past May. Mr. Escanilla will also coach cross-country and swimming.

Mr. Mike Hopkins (Spanish teacher) comes to CBHS from the University of Memphis, where he taught Spanish. Mr. Hopkins will be an academic coach and was instrumental in our Credit Re-covery program this past summer.

Mr. Keith Wood (Social Studies teacher) comes to CBHS from Millington Central High School, where he taught History. Mr. Wood has a Masters of Arts in History from the University of Memphis and has been a basketball coach for many years.

Ms. Trudie McClelland is our new attendance secretary. She will be assisting Mr. Marking, our Assistant Dean of Students with the daily attendance process. Ms. McClelland is a past-parent as her son, Drew, graduated in 2006.

Three others joined Christian Brothers High School earlier this year: science teacher Nick Dwyer, network systems administrator Joe Hillenbrand and librarian Ms. Aislinn McEwen.

The Brothers at Christian Brothers High School held a very special and relatively rare prayer service and dinner May 1 inside Heffernan Hall. CBHS board of trustees members Ronald D. Reddin (CBHS ’65) and Thomas M. Sullivan (CBHS ’72) were honored as the newest affiliated member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. There are now 38 affiliated members.

Ronald D. Reddin graduated from the CBHS Class of 1965, the final class on Parkway. A CBHS Hall of Fame member (inducted in 2001), he and his wife Susan have a daughter Laura and son Brian (CBHS ‘93) to complete their family. (And now son-in-law Brian and Laura have given them grandchildren!) Ron’s banking expertise and common sense helped make him the excellent CBHS Board member and Chairman of the Board for the school. His judgment in all matters and his affection for CBHS has helped contribute to the vibrancy of CBHS. And Ron is one of those board members whom CBHS “ties” to the board for an indefinite term! His devotion to the Church (Holy Spirit, St. Louis and St. Patrick), to his family, his community and his school and the Brothers make him, in reality, an Affiliate of the Brothers’ Institute and this ceremony “seals the deal.”

Thomas M. Sullivan graduated with the renowned CBHS Class of 1972 from the Walnut Grove campus and is also Hall of Fame member (also inducted in 2001). He and his wife Barbara and their family of Bridget, Patrick (CBHS ‘99 and Valedictorian), Mary Kathleen, Emily, Maureen, and Elizabeth have kept them very busy! And yet with their large family, Tom devotes a significant part of his life to the care of Christian Brothers High School as a Board member and as its current chair. Reynolds, Bone and Griesbeck understand, probably, that some of his paperwork on his desk deals with CBHS! Tom shares his dad’s (Jack Sullivan, CBHS ‘44) and his brothers, John (CBHS ’70) and David (CBHS ‘73) affection for their school. He and Barbara consider themselves “ecumenical” in attending Holy Rosary Church, Church of the Holy Spirit and Blessed Sacrament! And now… Affiliation to the Brothers of the Christian Schools!

In his testimony on behalf of Reddin and Sullivan, Brother Francis Carr, F.S.C., Brother Visitor of the Midwest District, spoke highly of their commitment and dedication to the school, as well as to the Brothers. “Their very special relationship to the Brothers, in many ways, emulates that of our founder, St. John Baptist De La Salle,” said Br. Francis. “They ‘get it’.”

“The commitment they have shown to the Lasallian mission in general and to CBHS in particular has been excellent,” said Brother Chris Englert, F.S.C., president of CBHS. “They have become brothers and true role models for the brothers and everyone else, too.”

“As an affiliated member, you share in the spiritual benefits of the prayers and apostolic activities of all those who are serving in the LaSallian Mission, and of the Brothers of the Institute,” wrote Brother Alvaro Rodriguez Echeverria., F.S.C., Superior General in the official document signed February 3, 2011. “When the Lord calls you to himself, you will benefit from the regular intercession of our Institute for our deceased Brothers and Affiliated members.”

During the ceremony attended by scores of family members and friends, Father Michael C.M., chaplain to the Brothers’ Community, blessed the Scriptures, Rule, Rosary and Crucifix. With the assistance of fellow Brothers, Br. Francis presented these articles of faith to Reddin and Sullivan.

As Christian Brothers High School enters its 140^th year since its founding in 1871, it began the 2011-12 school year without four long-time fixtures on campus. More than 130 years of experience came to an end this past spring with the retirement of four long-time faculty members: math teacher Park Wong, history teacher Fred Freres, librarian and English teacher Dr. Ellen Davis, and guidance counselor Marilynn Weedon.

“The CBHS community will miss their decades-long presence on the CBHS campus,” said Brother Chris Englert, F.S.C., president of CBHS. “In losing more than century of combined experience, consistency, and dedication, these are elements that are very hard to recover. I thank them for all they have done for Brothers’ Boys throughout the years.”

“Each has always had an excellent way of relating to students and faculty,” said Brother Joel, “and this has them all part of the cement of the school. They will be missed.”

Wong began teaching mathematics at CBHS in 1971 following his graduation from Memphis State University with a master’s degree in mathematics and has been at CBHS ever since.

“It was a nice ride,” said Wong. “I have been treated well. It is such a joy and honor to be able to teach so many outstanding students in the past 40 years, with a few actually majoring in mathematics in college. The administrators, fellow teachers and staff are exceptionally friendly, helpful and nice people.”

August, 1972. That was the month and year that Fred Freres began teaching at Christian Brothers High School.

“I greatly admired the Brothers and they were the main reason I wanted to become a teacher,” said Freres. “Thus, CBHS was the first choice to pursue my career.”

During his tenure at Christian Brothers, Freres has served for more than 30 years as Social Studies chairman, has taught all of the Social Studies courses in the curriculum except AP U.S. History, and taught Ethics III during his first five years on staff.

“Teaching at CBHS has been a huge part of my adult life. It has helped define who I am,” said Freres. “It has been so rewarding to feel that I have helped, in some small way, thousands of young men fulfill their potential and become all that they can be. The support that I have always gotten from parents, alumni and the entire CBHS family has made my life as teacher a wonderful experience. I will always love CBHS and appreciate what it has meant to me.”

For 31 years Dr. Ellen Davis has been in the library in some capacity. She also taught English for about 15 years.

“It has always been interesting and I guess most of my very best friends are here,” said Dr. Davis, in reflecting on her years at the school “We have had some wonderful times and some real tragedies. The beauty of this school has been the fact that in both good and bad times, there was always a feeling of community. I still get emails from around the country asking me to proofread or comment on a paper. It is hard to go anywhere in Memphis and not see someone who has shared the CBHS experience! I remember the great support I had from Br. Stephen O’Malley, Br. Adrian, and Br. Austin – “the holy brothers” trinity as far as I’m concerned.”

Marilynn Weedon joined the CBHS Counseling Department in 1999 and immediately enjoyed collaborating with other counselors who brought a wealth of experience to their jobs and who have become her good friends.

“CBHS is unlike any school with which I have ever been associated, yet I felt at home here from the first day that I began work,” said Weedon. “The support of the parents for their son's education, the dedication of the entire faculty and staff, the Brothers' presence on campus 24 hours a day, and the Lasallian network throughout the world make CBHS a very special place.”