Principal’s US Trip

The Principal’s upcoming US visit was announced in Abington Monthly Meeting (suburban Philadelphia) on page 6.

Luncheon & Presentation on October 18th in John Barnes Room

On Tuesday, October 18, Abington Meeting and Abington Friends School will host a very special guest, David Gray, principal of Brummana High School in Lebanon, who is on a U.S. Speaking Tour. Our Meeting community is encouraged to attend a luncheon at 12:30 PM followed by a presentation at 1:00 PM in the John Barnes Room. The presentation will be entitled: Quaker Education in Lebanon: The 150-year Legacy of Brummana High School and the Vision for the Future. It is a story of hope, of poverty which can be avoided, of dignity which can be conferred, of democratic processes which can be taught. It is a story of a school, the only Quaker institution in Lebanon, a beacon of light for nearly 150 years, standing strong like its 250 year old mother tree, in all weathers, oblivious to the turmoil swirling around it. It is a story of a land with a divided, conflict-torn past, of a calamitous, perilous and uncertain present, and of the possibilities of a more prosperous, peaceful, happier future. It is a story of Lebanon, the land of the cedars, and at its center, a lone Quaker institution which must survive as a light in the darkness. Principal Gray is inviting those with whom he meets to be in relationship with the school and to consider how they might help support the students and faculty during the unfolding economic crisis in Lebanon. Your RSVP is required for the luncheon, and please indicate and dietary needs. RSVP to: AMM@abingtonfriends.net Born in Inverness, Scotland, David Gray graduated from the University of Bristol, where he also did his Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and initially taught in Bristol. He then continued his career in Education in Athens, Greece, and since then worked in London and in Leeds before becoming Headmaster of Pocklington School in Yorkshire, England, in 1992 and then Principal of the Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools (ESMS) in Edinburgh (the largest group of independent schools in the European Union) from 2000 until 2018. He became Principal of Brummana High School in Lebanon in January 2019 which he has led for nearly 4 years through the worst economic crisis Lebanon has endured in living memory, and which is now in its 150th year. He is a member of The Society of Heads. With 30 years of experience as Headmaster and Principal of leading independent schools in the UK, David Gray is an international educational leader who has developed a deep awareness of what constitutes first class education. He has the experience of instilling high standards throughout a school and inspiring the ambitions of the next generation of leaders and managers.