entire recreation time with the boys, and try to whisper some affectionate word into their ear, the way you know best, and you will gradually come to realise the need for it. This is the great secret which makes you master of a young person's heart”.1120When the letter to Fr Rua became the Confidential Memo for all Rectors, Don Bosco included an additional series of these 'whispered words' directed to the good of the souls and their salvation.1121

But there is also a Rector's daily ‘collective encounter' or 'encounters' with the community of superiors, assistants, outside co-workers, young academic students and /or working boys, and domestics. It was Don Bosco's wish that normally the Rector or, at times, one of his collaborators, should give a Good Night to the whole community gathered for night prayers, before retiring to their quarters.

He shall publicly offer some affectionate words to the community; he should make some

announcements or give some advice on things to be done or to be avoided. He should try to

draw some lessons from events that occurred in the place or outside during the day.

This is the already classic Good Night which aims at creating and intensifying a general climate of sincere willingness to communicate with one another. Don Bosco recommended it be short though he often did not keep it that way himself. But he never wanted to turn it into a verbose and dry sermon. “The talk should never last more than two or three minutes”. Given these conditions the Good Night might really become “the key to morality, the key to the good running of the house, and the key to success in education”.1122

3.2 The community of teachers, educators

The Rector is not the only educator nor does he run everything himself, alone. “If the essence of being a Rector” is not that of doing everything himself personally, but of coordinating and working in with others, it is clear that the Rector's activityshould involve the collaboration of everyone who holds responsibility in the house. Here we have verification of the convergence of two equally true statements: “All in all, from this you will come to realise that the essence of being Rector consists in being able to share tasks which need to be carried out and then making sure that they are carried out”.1123

“Anyone holding office or providing assistance to the young people entrusted to us by Divine Providence is responsible for giving warnings and advice to any boy in the house, any time there is a reason to do so, especially when it is a question of preventing any offence against God”.

Even the doorkeeper is called on the stage as he plays the role of a first rank actor to guarantee the 'preventive character' of the system.1124“The choice of a good doorkeeper is a treasure for an educational institution”.1125

The terms “superior” or those who hold any kind of responsibility, and “educator'” are practically synonymous since in different ways they are fathers, brothers and friends. The terms are more especially applied to those who hold some office in boarding schools, such as the prefect or vice-rector, the financial administrator, the catechist or spiritual director, the prefect of studies, the professional

1120 F. Motto, I «Ricordi confidenziali ai direttori»..., p. 149

1121 F. Motto, I «Ricordi confidenziali ai direttori»..., pp. 155-156. Regarding the noisy, happy unorganised recreation

at the first oratory, Don Bosco writes in the Memoirs of the Oratory: “to one I might whisper a recommendation to be

more obedient, to be more prompt in attending to his duty; to another I would suggest regular attendance at catechsim,

or at confession, and so on”. MO (1991) 160.

1122 Il sistema preventivo (1877), p. 56, 58, OE XXVIII 434, 436; cf E. Ceria, Annali della Società Salesiana, vol II,

Turin, SEI 1946, pp. 856.869, Di una cosa tutta salesiana: la buona notte.

1123 Letter to Fr Giuseppe Ronchail, 23 March 1877, E III 158.

1124 Regolamenti per le case...., Articoli generali, art. 1, p. 15, OE XXIX 111; part I, Chap XV, pp. 47-49, OE XXIX

143-145 Del portinaio.

1125 Il sistema preventivo (1877), p. 56, OE XXVIII 434.