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Since the early 2000s, I’ve been blessed to work as a cameraman, producer and director within the Australian film and TV industry. During earlier years, I did a lot of video editing too, but up till recently, I’ve stuck to filming, directing and producing.

I’ve also been honoured to produce and direct many Dads4Kids Community Service Announcement (CSA) TV advertisement campaigns over the years. Our first effort was all the way back in 2002, and a career highlight was our 2017 CSAs, which ruffled a few feathers for reasons still unknown.

Recently, thanks to my good friends at CMG AV, I was honoured to be part of the live broadcast crew for Knox Grammar School’s Centenary Tattoo at the Quay Centre in Sydney.

Knox Grammar School is an independent Uniting Church day and boarding school for boys, located in Wahroonga, an Upper North Shore suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was founded in 1924 by the Presbyterian Church of Australia as an all-boys school and named after John Knox, the famous Scottish minister and founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

If, like me, you have Scottish heritage, there’s a good chance you would know of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a spectacular, annual event that takes place each August on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade. My heart still skips a beat whenever I hear the pipes and drums. Amazing Grace on the bagpipes is a surefire tear-jerker for this wannabe Scotsman.

The Knox Centenary Tattoo did not disappoint, and congratulations to all the staff and students at Knox Grammar School on 100 years! The highlights video gives a great overview, and I even make a (thankfully) brief appearance behind the camera at the 1-minute 24-second mark.

During a break in filming, I googled ‘Virile Agitur’, Knox’s school motto. I almost fell off my camera chair when I discovered it means ‘do the manly thing.’ What a fantastic motto for an all-boys school!

Families sending their boys to Knox ought to be congratulated, as by all accounts, they offer excellent academic and co-curricular activities. As the United States founding Father Benjamin Franklin said: ‘an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.’

According to Knox’s website: ’Our school motto, ‘Virile Agitur‘, is derived from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

‘The motto (of Knox) consisted of two words, ‘Virile Agitur‘, and the school will bear this motto until it shall be time honoured and hallowed among Old Boys and present boys alike…

The motto presents our object for every boy; he must see to it that he is doing “the Manful thing”, the right thing. We must always follow our motto, and by doing that we will benefit not only ourselves but our school, and in later life, our state, country and perhaps the world.”

Inspirational words that should inspire all boys and men to be the best we can be. Virile Agitur indeed!

Lovework

As the Rev. Al Stewart says: ‘Healthy masculinity is about being prepared to give your life in the service of others. In wartime, men do it in massive acts of courage; in peacetime, you probably do it by dying the death of 10,000 commutes.’

Jesus Christ, the greatest man of all time, said, ‘Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.’ (Coincidentally, this is our theme for the 2024 Men’s Leadership Summit). Live the Knox motto of Virile Agitur and always do the manly thing – you won’t regret it.

Yours for doing the manly thing,
Nathaniel Marsh

P.S.: If you’re in need of a breakthrough or just want to be part of a manful thing, join us for the 2024 Men’s Leadership Summit 9^th – 11^th of August. Watch this video from one of our amazing Keynote Speakers, Pastor Wayne Alcorn. I’d love to see you there. Don’t miss out – Book Now!

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Republished with thanks to Dads4Kids.