The people who talk most are those who know least, because they are afraid to show that they know so little. They talk loudly and repeatedly of the little information they possess. And often that little is not true. Probably they have just heard from somebody, whose words they swallow whole, if are not enlarged and augmented through their own invention.

So, I do not know how, the words started that La Salle boys have no manners. Since there are so many people who are entirely ignorant of La Salle, they readily pick up these words and spread them round. And now it seems taken for granted that La Salle boys have no manners. And since that is the only thing they have heard of La Salle, they think that is the everything of La Salle.

We admit there are some La Salle boys who do not behave properly. But they are only some and are comparatively few. And there is no school which can claim to have no "black sheep". What really distinguishes our boys is that they are more independent and less subservient. If that is the reason they makes people say they have no manners, it is very unfortunate and we do not want such 'manners'.

We simply want to be what we are, young, open, nascent, active, daring, and rebellious. We allow no outward decorations to hinder a full development of our inward mind, our soul. We cannot, just to please the older people, make ourselves appear elderly and experienced, because it is contrary to the nature of our age. We do not wish to be taught so early that we have to be hypocrites. The future is ours. We are not to be dominated by those who have failed. Let them only advise us.

It is right, therefore, that in La Salle there is no rigid rule down to the minutest of detail to tie us down and to force the young shoot of our mind to grow in a crooked way.

We La Salle boys are free. We learn to love freedom for we have tasted the sweetness of freedom.
We are independent, for we must be independent to be free.
We are strong, for we must make ourselves so that we need not depend on others.
We are not afraid because we know what we are.
We are proud for we have not submitted ourselves.
We are not prejudiced for there is nothing to block our view.
We are ambitious for we see there is so much to be done.
We are open and frank for we have not learnt to suppress our feelings.
We love light and brightness for our eyes have not been closed.
We love the arts of beauty for we can see and we can hear.
We love nature for we live not in artificiality.
And we love one another for we have fought together.

Let people say what they say. We will keep to all these. We must first grow; the polishing can come afterwards.

C.K.