above-mentioned borders: they should be known by the educator, as far as possible and they should be ready to consider the home as their family.
We will preferably accept those who attend our festive oratories in our charitable
institutions, because it is extremely important for us to know something about the character
of the boys before they are definitively accepted in our houses. Every boy accepted in our
houses should think of his his companions as brothers, and his superiors as the ones who
take on the role of their parents.1294
The educational autonomy which Don Bosco wanted rather than the administrative autonomy, leads
him to exclude interference and intrusion from hospices and boarding schools which limit the
preventive effectiveness o f his system. This is the intent of the earlier cited letter in reference to the
peculiar nature of the preventive system and addressed to the president of the Roman Hospice San Michele A Ripa, apparently about to be entrusted to Don Bosco:
Meanwhile it would be best that I explain my views in reference to the essential part of
your letter: “the direction of the young and their immediate dependence and surveillance
shall be entrusted to us”.
Don Bosco's explanation consisted in the exact definition of the respective areas of competence, namely the administrative and the educational areas.1295
Family spirit is another essential element characterising the kind of boarding school Don Bosco
wanted. However, the problem of order, punishments and even expulsions i s more keenly felt here that in any other structure. It is the idea of family that shapes all the organisational and disciplinary aspects.
The boarding school is 'a home', as we have seen underscored by Caviglia in reference to the educative
community.
1296
Th e very continuity and stability of communal living highlights the positive aspects of
formation activities which might find less cooperation in other institutions, things like group activities,
stability of friendships, graduated spiritual direction, the c ultural and emotional value of festivities, entertainment, theatrical and musical performances, the creation of traditions and a particular lifestyle.
Even Don Bosco's theory and practice regarding holidays, which is somewhat strict, can guarantee the
pres ence of intensely participative communal forms of living, much like the memorable Autumn walks
we mentioned earlier.
In this regard, Michael Magone's stands out as an exemplar.
During all the time he was with us, only once did he go home on holidays. After that, even
at my urging, he never wanted to go home, even though his mother and relatives, whom he
loved with great affection, expected him home. He was quite often asked the reason for his
attitude but he always shrugged off the question with a laugh. F inally, one day, he explained
the mystery to one of his close friends: “I went home only once to spend some days of
vacation, but in the future, unless forced to, I will never go back home again”.1297
We need to bear in mind once again that certain restrictions, imposed or advised, deal primarily with some institutions like the academic students' section of the oratory at Valdocco, which was considered a minor seminary for ecclesiastical vocations. The following will explained this more thoroughly.
1294 Regolamento per le case..., part II Chap II, art. 5, p. 61, OE XXIX, 157.
1295 Letter to Prince Gabrielli, June 1879, E III 481-482; cf. Also letter to Can. Guiol, Marseilles, Sept. 1879, E III 520. 1296 A. Caviglia, Domenico Savio e Don Bosco. Studio, p. 68.
1297 G. Bosco, Cenno biografico sul gioanetto Magone Michele..., p. 57, OE XIII 211.