While I was away, I was present at a discussion on Esprit de Corps, and whether it was a good thing in girls' schools. What is esprit de corps?—The feeling that we are one of a large body of which we are proud. A soldier has it when he is proud of his regiment2 and is proud of belonging to it.
Now, is it good or bad for girls to have a strong feeling of this kind for their school? Many opinions were expressed at the meeting. My opinion is that it is a good thing—a necessary thing. But every virtue3 has its defect—if you overdo4 it, you fall into some fault; if you are too amiable5, you may fall into being untruthful; and so with esprit de corps. I want you to have it, but I want you to be on your guard against some faults connected with it. I want our School to be full of it, but I want it to be of the best kind.
One fault very common in members of any large body is conceit6. The feeling of belonging to a fine institution swallows up personal humility7. You may be more occupied with the importance and dignity of your position, than ready to take home the idea that you yourself are a very faulty member! Margaret Fuller, a clever American friend of Emerson's, said, "There are so many things in the universe more interesting than my individual faults, that I really cannot stay to dwell on them." There is one form of conceit—or rather of self-satisfaction—to which schoolgirls are liable: they know they are living up to the average standard imposed by public opinion and esprit de corps, and they are satisfied with this, instead of trying to live up to their own best self. It is quite possible for any straightforward8, honourable9 girl to live up to the average standard, and it is very comfortable to feel satisfied. But if you are trying to live up to the highest standard you know, you will not be comfortable—you will be always profoundly discontented with yourself, but it will be the Divine discontent Plato speaks of. You will be always failing, but it will be failing nobly—the failure of one who loves the highest, and is content to follow the highest, even though it be afar off. In King Arthur's court, the noblest knights10 went in search of the Sangreal—scarcely one could succeed in his quest, but it was nobler to aim high and fail than to be content with "low successes." We, too, ought each to follow the quest of the Sangreal, that is, to seek to be perfect, and then there is no room for self-satisfaction, far less conceit.
Sometimes esprit de corps not only makes us think a great deal of our own merits, but it also makes us blind to the merits of others. We need only put this into words, to see its smallness, but it often happens. Some people's patriotism11 seems to consist in despising the French and Germans. No one values true patriotism more than I do, but I detest12 "insularity"—that insufferable feeling of superiority of which English people are so often guilty. We ought to love our own school, or hall, or college; but it is a poor, low kind of love if it means despising other schools, or halls, or colleges, picking holes in them, refusing to learn from them, and being mere13 partisans14. A soldier would be proud of his own regiment, and think it the finest there was, but he would admire the splendid history that other regiments15 could boast, and he would be glad and proud of the fact that there were so many fine ones. All good schools belong to a splendid brotherhood—a grand army—and they should be proud of each other. We can be just as true and loyal to our own, and yet have wide feelings. Esprit de corps—loyalty to our body—is a very splendid thing, and we degrade it when we turn it into mere clannishness16; it ought to bring out our love for all that is good, just as love for home ought to make us love outsiders better.
I have spoken of the faults of esprit de corps—do not think that means I do not value it. No; a thousand times, no! If we had no esprit de corps we should not be a living body, but a dead, stagnant17 mass, only fit to be swept away. What is true esprit de corps? My idea of it is, being content to sink all personal interests—being content to be as he that doth serve—being glad and proud to fill the smallest post, if so be that, by filling that post in the most perfect way, you can help on the perfection of the school to which you belong. I was talking to some one the other day about the community to which she belongs, and where she holds a leading place. "Of course, I would black the shoes," said she, "if it would help the work in the very least, and so would any one who was worth their salt." I quite agree with her, and I would not give much for any work in which that was not the feeling of the workers, from the highest to the lowest: that is the only true esprit de corps.
Some say women are incapable18 of such a masculine virtue—that women cannot put their private feelings in their pocket and act in subordination to the good of the whole—that they cannot sink their self-importance and their petty jealousies—that they cannot suppress themselves for a cause. Schools like ours have done a great deal for the mental education of women. I think they will do something more valuable still if they show that through their public education women can learn true public spirit, that school teaches true esprit de corps—that it teaches them to seek the beauty of being second, instead of the glory of being first.
In acting19 or recitations, could you be glad to take a minor20 part to help on the whole, or would you be huffy and cross-grained because your powers were not brought to the front? In the Wagner music at Baireuth, the singers take the good parts in turn, and the best prima donna, as Kundry in "Parzival," in one whole act has only one word. Think of the self-suppression needed for one who has such talent, to be content to act in such a piece and to put her full power into the dumb by-play, which is all that she has to do.
Esprit de corps is the virtue above all others which we, as members of this school, should seek to attain21, and, in the very nature of things, nothing so entirely22 kills it as any self-seeking; while if you wish to be worth anything as an individual, remember that nothing is so smallening, so alien to any true greatness—to the most far-off touch of greatness—as the wish to be Number One.
Esprit de corps, to my mind, means that we all stand shoulder to shoulder, loving our school, helping23 each other; doing our duty in home and school, and in after-life, more perfectly24, because we are proud of our school and mean to be worthy25 members, so far as in us lies; helping others because "our advantages are trusts for the good of others." Remember our school motto, "Ad Lucem," and, because you have been brought nearer to the light, help to be sunshine in all shady places. And while you are at school, have the esprit de corps which will make you do everything you can, for the good and credit of the school.
For one thing, be careful to get it a good name outside. "Manners are not idle"—people are quite right when they judge a school, as they largely do, by its manners. If girls are really growing as they should in gentleness, courtesy, reverence26 for age, and all that makes true womanhood, it must tell on their manners, and if they are not doing so, their school is not doing for them what it should. If you have real esprit de corps, you will not give people who are prejudiced against us, any reason to think ill of our School in this respect.
Another point of true esprit de corps concerns those who have power—whether as prefect, or VI. form, or head of a form, or through being popular. Power was given you that you might do more work for others—you are made a chief in order that you may be as he that serveth; privilege means responsibility—not enjoyment27. There is nothing so mean as to take the loaves and fishes of any post, and not to do its duties; to order others about, and to be lax with yourselves. A ruler is contemptible28 who does not rule himself. Whether we are teacher, or prefect, or head of a form, or a leader in any way, it ought to make us hot, and sore, and ashamed, in exercising our rightful rule over others, whenever we are conscious (as we must all be at times) that we have failed in ruling ourselves—failed in temper,—failed in carrying out minutely, every law, great or small, that we help to enforce on others. Esprit de corps will make us use our power for the good of the school and not for our own pleasure.
Esprit de corps means being ready to give time and trouble to all school interests—without any thought of whether you will have a leading part given you, or of whether it is very amusing to do it. You would be unworthy members of the school if you simply came to do your lessons, and took no part in the little things which make corporate29 life go with a swing. You might as well think you were worthy members of your home because you ate and slept there. Membership in a home means being ready to take part in all its little tiresome30 duties; to throw yourself into amusements which sometimes do not amuse you personally; in all ways to help on family life. The girl who distinguishes herself in the tennis is thought a good public-spirited member, and so she is,—she helps the school and shows esprit de corps,—but, to my mind, the girl who fags well at the match, and gets small thanks and no credit, shows even more esprit de corps than the one who has the excitement of distinguishing both herself and the school.
The clever girl who wins prizes and scholarships, helps our school to shine, and no one applauds her more than I do, but in my heart, I feel that the school owes even more to the dull plodding31 girl, who knows she cannot do much, but who determines to give her very best to the school, and to be worthy of it by giving no scamped work. Perhaps she gets low marks, perhaps she is told she ought to do better,—and quite rightly, because we want her to rise to give really good work, and are not satisfied till she does; but whether it is good or not, if it is her best, she has fought a good battle for the school, and has "helped to maintain the high standard of duty which was founded in the school by its first and beloved head-mistress—Ada Benson."
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1
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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overdo
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| vt.把...做得过头，演得过火 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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11
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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13
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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partisans
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| 游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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clannishness
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17
stagnant
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| adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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28
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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31
plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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