Forging Bonds & Shaping Leaders: How the Brotherhood Prepares Young Men for Life
Mr. Brendan Towell | Director of Engagement
Captain Kyle Brandt ‘13 | Alumni Speaker
St. Augustine Preparatory School was founded in 1959, in the small rural town of Richland, NJ. The inaugural class was all of 12 young men, and they began their experience with a ceremony that has evolved into what is now known as the Rose Marie Davis Brotherhood Ceremony. At this event, marking the official start of the academic year, the newest members of the school community are officially welcomed, blessed, and receive certain signs of their membership in the Hermits Brotherhood. Additionally, each boy signs the Book of Hermits, which signals their commitment to live the values of Truth, Unity, and Love on and off the campus.
Following a moment of silence for all Fallen Hermit Brothers, the community listens to remarks prepared by a current member of the Hermits Alumni. This year, marking the 66th in the Prep’s history, all gathered heard from United States Air Force Captain, Kyle Brandt ‘13. Below are his prepared remarks as he addressed the St. Augustine Preparatory School Community on the morning of September 4, 2024.
To view the entire ceremony, please click the link here.
To view a highlight video of the ceremony, please click here.
Fr. Murray, esteemed faculty and staff, thank you for welcoming me home to Richland’s proud and peaceful glen. As many of you know, duty often calls us away from home in one way or another. I am both honored and blessed to be afforded this opportunity to execute a duty of a different variety; a duty in service of the school that gave me so much as a young man. If you’ll forgive me, I have to begin by stating that any opinions I express are exclusively my own, and not those of the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. With that out of the way, I’d ask you to indulge me with a few personal memories.
When Mr. Towell called me and asked me to speak to you all, I struggled a bit with what I was going to say. I have so many memories of the Prep. I remembered the late Mr. Tamagni, my theology teacher who taught me that there are no excuses for our actions or inactions. Christian gentlemen own consequences. I remembered Mrs. Asselta, who taught me the importance of being able to memorize quotations and recite them on demand. It’s a critical skill at our military academies. I remembered Mrs. McHugh, who taught many young men the importance of dignity and respect inside and outside of the classroom. I remembered Coach Fingerhut, who stayed late after school one day to administer my Candidate Fitness Assessment, a major admissions requirement to the Academy. The truth is, I have memories of every single member of the faculty and staff here at the Prep, and I could stand here all day and tell you about them all. The important thing is, these memories are a testament to the character of both the individuals themselves and the institution they serve.
With that, I’d like to transition to briefly addressing the parents in the audience today. I only have 19 months of experience in parenting, but if you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of calories worrying about making the right decisions for your son and if you’ve enabled him to make the best decisions for himself as well. By being here in this room, I can assure you that you have no need to worry; the answer is yes. The Prep is an excellent institution, in every sense of the word. Your son will achieve excellence in academics, excellence in extracurriculars of all varieties, and perhaps most importantly, excellence in individual character.
To the classes of 2028 and 2029; all good military speeches have three main points. Fortunately, the Prep has already laid them out for me. Unitas, Veritas, and Caritas. Unity, Truth, and Love. When I entered the Air Force Academy as a Basic Cadet, I received a new set of three main points. Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. The astute listener will recognize that those sound awfully familiar. And in truth, they certainly felt familiar to me, leaving the Prep as a man to serve and stepping into a new blue blazer. They felt familiar to me because both sets of core values are the building blocks of a strong moral character, and a strong moral character is the “secret sauce” to success in all walks of life.
I’ll start with Unitas (Unity). Today is the beginning of your Unitas journey. The brotherhood ceremony. If you think it is significant, you think the “hype” is overblown, or maybe you’ve not thought about it at all; today is a landmark day for the rest of your lives. You have joined a brotherhood that spans many decades, and a vast geographic expanse. Whatever uniform you end up wearing in your professional life, be it a business suit, a lab coat, or a military uniform, the bonds you make here will last a lifetime. You will forever share the Prep’s blazer with other graduates of this institution, even if they came many years before you. The Prep will continue to give to you, many years after you leave this quiet campus. I challenge you in the coming years to earn those gifts each and every day. Be a good brother to your fellow Hermits. If you slip and fall short, all is not lost. I challenge you to get back up again and allow that experience to strengthen your commitment to your brothers.
Veritas (Truth). Integrity. These things matter to Christian Gentlemen and to people of all walks of life. Of course, telling the truth is important. Everyone’s heard the cliches of doing the right thing when no one is looking. But Veritas is so much more than that. It is being your authentic self, before God and man alike. It is being honest with yourself and with others. The highest-performing teams are not composed of people who are excellent at everything. They are composed of people who are true to themselves and others about what their strengths are, and what their weaknesses are. It is to your benefit, and the benefit of those around you, that you are men of Veritas. Men of integrity.
Caritas (Love). I’d be lying if I told you I had this figured out in 2009 when I sat where you sit today. Some things just need a little time and a little experience to work themselves out. We’re blessed in our Faith tradition in that we have an example of perfect love. In his Gospel, John tells us that “Greater love hath no man than this, but to lay down his life for his friends.” Powerful words. But Caritas comes in many forms, from the gargantuan to the miniscule. Living your life in service to others is Caritas. Even the smallest acts of service. Matthew also tells us in his Gospel “Whatever you did for these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Caritas means loving your Hermit brothers when it’s hard. When it’s inconvenient. When they don’t deserve it. Loving your Hermit brother might mean giving him a shot across the bow when he’s failing to live up to our lofty ideals. It also means taking heed when your brothers are giving you that same shot. Live your lives with Caritas in remembrance of Christ.
Gentlemen, I offer you my heartfelt congratulations. You have taken the first step on the road less traveled, and I assure you that you will be better for it. Stay the course. Run the good race and fight the good fight. Welcome to the Brotherhood. Saint Augustine, pray for us!
Check out an additional article on then-Cadet Brandt ‘13 from April 2015.