“Even young ratbags may be accepted, provided no scandal is given and they show willingness to keep on improving their conduct.1241
Nevertheless, in the considerable amount of documentation we have on Don Bosco’s life, there is countless information about cases where forgiveness was granted to individuals who were negligent in discipline or even scandalous, but ready to sincerely acknowledge their error.
7. Rewards
Don Bosco's doctrine and practice always included the traditional pedagogy of reward, however simple and familiar. He did this through an awards celebration. DonBosco grew up in schools inspired by the Jesuits and so he could not but have included the psychological and moral factor of 'emulation' in his system.
The most longed-for award for any young man had to be the one connected with the fact that of good deed had been done and the inner satisfaction it produced, especially when there was also the warm and affectionate recognition of the educator added to it. For many years Don Bosco established the handing out of the awards for good conduct on an annual basis.This award was given to the best boys, selected by a free and democratic nomination process. The award ceremony ordinarily took place before the feast of St Francis de Sales, on June 29.
Don Bosco explained the award selection procedure to the boys at a Good Night given on 19 January 1865.
There is a tradition in our house and I say this for the newcomers. On the feast of Saint
Francis, awards are given out and the boys themselves are the ones who give these awards
to the best of their companions. The academic students give the awards to the best
academic students and the working boys to the best working boys. This is the way it is
done. Every young man draws up a list of ten names of the young men he considers the
most diligent, the most studious, the mostdevout among those he knows, no matter what
dormitory or class they belong to; he signs the list and hands it over to his teacher. The
teacher hands it over to me and I go through all of the lists and the one who has received
the majority of votes gets the award on the feast of Saint Francis de Sales. Even the
seminarians may draw up a list of ten youngsters. The superiors will draw up their own
lists. Even I would do mine, but mine only counts for one vote.1242
The solemn award ceremony for achievement in th e school and studies took place towards the end of
the scholastic year, during the middle of August or in the first days of September. The ceremony took
on a particular solemnity. There were songs, recitals, performances of choice instrumental music, talks
suited for the occasion, and in the presence of important persons.
1243
Award ceremonies for working boys are recorded for the Oratory in Valdocco on 30 May 1872, 2 July
1876 and 15 August 15 1878.
1244
Also other awards, special awards but much simpler ones, wer e handed out on a weekly or monthly
basis. Much appreciated was the privilege of sitting at the dinner table with Don Bosco and the
1241 Regolamento dell'Oratorio....per gli esterni,part II, Chap II, art. 7, p. 30, OE XXIX 60.
1242 G.B. Lemoyne, Cronaca 1864ff, p. 78-79.
1243 Cf MB III 357-358, 428; V 279-280; X 187, 373, 1230. In the 'conference' on 1 September 1872 we see: “The
decision was made to hold the award ceremony in the courtyard of the younger students, with gas equipment, music
etc”. (Prellezzo, Valdocco nell'Ottocento..., p. 171); there is a note in the minutes of the meeting on 6 August 1881
(Ibid., p. 274) and 31 July 1882...
1244 J. M. Prellezzo, Valdocco nell'Ottocento..., p. 45, 70. “The decision was made to hold the award ceremony for
working boys on the day of Corpus Christi in their courtyard, after vespers, with vocal and instrumental music”. (Ibid.,
p. 168).