Presidents Message

It is no secret that 2007 has been the most significant year in Our Lady of Good Counsel’s history since the school opened in 1958. This year, a new era in Good Counsel’s history was launched. Getting to Olney was a long and at times arduous journey filled with unanticipated costs and delays. With faith and the support of so many of you, we were able to accomplish what some felt was an impossible goal – opening our doors on time on January 8, 2007.

After so many years of planning and anticipation, it feels a bit surreal to be able to walk in and out of rooms and across playing fields that for so long were two dimensional plans. Witnessing teaching and learning, games being played, concerts performed, and attending Mass in our beautiful new chapel fill me with a tremendous sense of gratitude for the great generosity of our community which has brought us to this point. Current students as well as our future generation of falcons have our donors to thank for making our beautiful new home possible.

Speaking of our students, they have had a terrific year. Students in the class of 2007 earned more in college scholarships than ever before and many of them are off to some of the finest colleges and universities in the country. Their success in the classroom, athletics, extracurricular activities and community service has been well documented. It is a class that has had a positive impact on school and community. They will be missed.

Good Counsel has received unprecedented support this past year. For the first time unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund were in excess of one half million dollars. The Grand Celebration had its best year to date raising in excess of $350,000 and a sold-out Steve Dean golf tournament netted over $14,000 for the scholarship.

The incoming freshman class of 2011 is the largest in school history, and includes more honor students than ever before. It is a class that will be the first to spend all four years in Olney. In a few short years none of our students will have spent any time at the Wheaton Campus.

The old building that was a second home to so many of us for such a long time is just a memory now. The memories of Brother Mark, Brother Charles, Brother Remigius, and all those who established our school and set it firmly on the path to success will guide us in our activities in our new building. If the Brothers were to walk through the door today, they might not recognize the building but they’ll know “Falcon Pride” when they see it, and I know they would feel just as much at home here as we do.

Thank you once again for all you do to make Our Lady of Good Counsel the exceptional school that it is.

Sincerely,
Arthur Raimo
President

Meet Art Raimo
Art Raimo has spent over 25 years at Good Counsel doing everything from leading the vision for our new school, teaching students to appreciate history, and getting students moving by driving the school bus.
View Profile