Help For Friends in Need

“Oh I get by with a little help from my friends…”
Lyrics sung by arguably one of the best musical groups of all time and one of my favourite groups - The Beatles. Have you ever wondered why some groups gel together, making hit after hit, while others never make the grade or at best have a one hit wonder and then fade into oblivion? The musical genius of The Beatles grew out of the very different interests and skills that each band member brought to the group, resulting in classics like: I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends, Come Together, Help, Imagine, Can’t Buy Me Love, Yesterday and hundreds of other songs that have stood the test of time. What makes The Beatles stand out as one of the all time great musical bands? Was it the chemistry of the four beatniks? Was it their individual talent or genius for lyrics and music? Or was it something else?

Synergy is that secret ingredient that takes the ordinary to the extraordinary. It’s not just in the music world, that such creative synergy exists though. Think about the sporting world and the combinations that brought such success to the Brisbane Broncos, year after year, or the former, (it grieves me to say) winning combination of the Australian Cricket team that endured for many long years. In the business world, we find similar creative synergy that results in the kind of incredible innovation in communications – like Apple’s iPod and iPad. Teams of people worked with Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder and CEO, to create and produce this amazing new technology.

Steve Jobs is a creative genius but he didn’t achieve what he did alone, and let’s face it, he only achieved these remarkable things with the help of others. Synergy in essence occurs when a group of people can achieve so much more than any one individual working alone. It begs the question though: do you have to be an extraordinary person to achieve great things? One of the great authors of our time said:

I learned the most important lesson of my life: that the extraordinary is not the birthright of a chosen and privileged few, but of all people, even the humblest. That is my one certainty… (Paolo Coehlo)

Think about the efforts of ordinary people in Brisbane, in Toowoomba, and all over the state during the recent floods, as well as the devastating cyclone Yasi. Yes many an ordinary person went to extraordinary lengths to risk their own life to help save others or to help neighbours and strangers get to safety or to help clean up after the devastation had passed. These were extraordinary circumstances that ordinary people found themselves in and many thousands of ordinary people pitched in to help fellow Australians – strangers - but in a true Australian style, we considered all of these people as ‘our mates’ and thought nothing of giving our time and our money to help those affected. The sad truth is though, that many of these people still need our help, because they are still without flood insurance, still without homes restored and still struggling financially.

Whether a partnership of music or business or even education, there are certain special ingredients that contribute to the success of partnerships or a group of people. Sir Ken Robinson, author of “The Element” maintains that the critical elements of extraordinary and successful synergy – the magic that comes when people work together and achieve an extraordinary outcome that would not be possible with just one person working individually. People often derive a large sense of who they are through affiliation with a specific group and it’s likely to boost their self esteem too. Schools, too, can provide this kind of connectedness.

According to Robinson, the best and most creative teams are diverse, dynamic and distinct. The group or partnership needs different sorts of people, with different but complementary talents. Diversity of talents is important, but it’s not enough. Robinsons argues that successful groups have a distinctive personality and come together to do something specific – to get a job done.

Caloundra City Private School is organising a “Caloundra Reaches Out Concert” at the Caloundra RSL on Sunday, 6 March at 3pm to 5.00pm to raise funds for the Premier’s Appeal. The concert will be a great family event with a fabulous magician, the Tenorissimos, the Sunshine Coast Orchestra and other performers such as the singing sensation, 13 year old Straalen McCallum, who recently appeared on Channel 7’s Sunrise and was one of the youngest stars ever signed to Sony Music Australia. Tickets are priced for families: $25 Adults, $10 children and $50 for a family ticket – two adults and up to three children and will be available from the School and from the Reception Desk at the Caloundra RSL.

When there is a greater need than our own, it’s time to think about what we can do to help. This is a special way that our families and the wider community of Pelican Waters and Caloundra can help raise funds for fellow Queenslanders in need. It’s the Australian way to help our mates, and what better way to help our mates by making a contribution as a school community, to the Premier’s Disaster Appeal and enjoying a concert in the process.

The School is in a partnership with parents. The success of this partnership depends on the support and willingness of parents to commit to the common vision, shared values and sense of purpose in achieving the best that we can for the young people in our care. We can teach our young people the power of teamwork by the whole school community committing to this event. Surely each of us wants our young people to grow up with a strong sense of community and a commitment to helping others in need, it’s the very least we can do. Extraordinary things happen when ordinary people band together to make things happen. This is something we can all do; we can make a difference to so many people affected by the devastating floods and cyclone.

James Taylor once sang….
When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing, whoa, nothing is going right…..

Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will. ……

Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend.

Let’s be that friend. Let’s be that extraordinary team that comes together, with all of our will, to realise a goal of helping our fellow Queenslanders.

Karon Graham
Principal