Cistercian has always been very competitive. Each year, the sports and academic teams strive to earn a higher rank at their respective competitions. This year, however, Cistercian has achieved first place in a competition for compassion: North Texas Giving Day. 

According to its website:

“North Texas Giving Day is an online giving event that provides nonprofits the opportunity to gain exposure to — and start relationships with — new donors, and for people in North Texas to come together to raise as much money as possible for local nonprofits.”

In addition, any donation on this day is matched by the organization’s corporate sponsors by 7.5%. This year, 584 people donated $486,575 (before the bonus) to Cistercian … the most amount of money raised by any non-profit this year!

When asked why Cistercian did so well during North Texas Giving Day, Fr. Paul attributed the sharp increase in donations to both the efforts of alumni and a spirit of competition: “Last year we got 2nd in donations behind the North Texas Food Bank, so we made it our goal this year to beat them and earn 1st place.”

The fundraising efforts at Cistercian are led by Mrs. Erin Hart, who encouraged all the alumni to donate this year and shared Cistercian’s goal for 2015 with them. In the end, some last-minute donations coming in close to midnight propelled Cistercian to victory and the coveted 1st place spot in 2015’s North Texas Giving Day.

Voluntary Volunteerism
Cistercian has always taken pride in giving back to the community. However, Cistercian is also notable for being one of the few schools that does not require a set number of community service hours to graduate. Fr. Paul admits that he had doubts about this idea when he became the faculty community service sponsor.

However, as he became more experience and attended several community service events, Fr. Paul noticed that there was a clear difference between Cistercian students who were there of their own will and students from other schools who were only there to fulfill a graduation requirement. Still, he sees the obvious danger with voluntary community service: “Those who don’t do anything, don’t do anything.”

Therefore, Fr. Paul explains, Cistercian relies on the parents and form masters to encourage students to participate in philanthropic activities.

Nevertheless, students at Cistercian have many ways to give back to the community outside of school. Many freshmen, sophomores, and juniors have joined the Young Men’s Service League, or YMSL, which Fr. Paul called a “wonderful initiative”. YMSL’s mission is to “assist, serve, and support those who are in need in our community, develop leadership skills among our membership, and promote mother-son relationships.” YMSL has monthly meetings in addition to the service opportunities at its various philanthropies. During its monthly meetings, members participate in an activity, listen to a distinguished speaker, and learn valuable life skills. These meetings are boy-led, and every member has a responsibility in YMSL. Outside of the meetings, YMSL members must do at least 20 hours of community service. Its philanthropies range from Bed Start in Plano to GRACE in Grapevine to the North Texas Food Bank in Dallas. Volunteering with one’s mom is highly recommended and at least 10 of the required hours must have been served with your mom.

Why We Serve
Finally, Cistercian has always placed an emphasis on service as a great way to evolve from a boy into a man. It continues to strive for more ways to help out the community. Junior Daniel Losson and first-year YMSL member explains it best:

“The opportunity to give back to the community truly humbles oneself on our journey to manhood. Furthermore, in being able to share that charity with our friends and family allows us to grow together toward a more virtuous life.”