At the 8^th Annual ACPPA Conference, Anne Edmonds NSW, Jacquie Hughes NSW, and Bishop Robinson.

Every ACPPA Conference has been a great experience – a difference experience – and, I suspect, no two principals would agree as to which was “The Best”. But I am going to stick my neck out and say the conference that I remember most vividly was the 8^th conference, organised and hosted by the Sydney association, held at the Gazebo Hotel in Kings Cross in 1991, and entitled The Catholic Principal: Leader and Artist.

As we settled in for the opening session, our attention was grabbed, almost brutally, when with no introduction a clown came bumbling onto the stage, clothes in awry, his briefcase bursting, dropping papers in all directions, while he ran hither and yon in confusion and disarray. This clown was, we were soon to discover, Dr Kevin Treston who mimed the behaviour of the avid conference goer who must leave the turmoil of arrival to one of quiet and openness for what was to come. His keynote address asked the questions, “Why are we always rushing to somewhere? Perhaps we are already there!” He built on the theme of the leader as artist which is about mixing the colours of the palette for a masterpiece that is the Catholic school using the diverse gifts of the people we lead.

Dr Ross Keane arrived for his keynote address resplendent in white tie and tails, and proceeded to conduct a video of a full symphony orchestra. The leader blends the talents and gifts of the number so that it all works perfectly, not as individuals, but as a team.

An artist took us step by step through the process he must use to create a painting from just the raw colours he has.

Bob Maza, a musician, song writer, actor and indigenous Australian, told us a powerful story of how the positive influences of his home life and schooling had shaped his development. We need to continually reflect on our story. Story-telling is a powerful tool.

A number of breakout workshops based around music, poetry writing, painting, acting, story-telling and like artistic challenges encouraged participants to lose some of their inhibitions. A graffiti wall also proved popular and was soon covered with “tweets” before tweets were invented.

The conference Mass was most notable for the fact that everyone sat in a circle. The readers were not readers, but proclaimers who had memorised the scripture verses for the day and wandered around inside the circle speaking to everyone face-to-face. At communion time each person served as the Eucharist Minister to the person next to them.

I also remember that it was Aussie Rules Grand Final weekend, but this being pre-AFL days in Sydney, there was no free session to watch the game.

At the Conference Dinner: Peter Blundell Qld, Jim Smith WA, Anne Nolan WA, Frank Hennessy Qld, Denis Anthonisz Qld.