Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 20/02) - Mother Teresa said, "If we worry too much about ourselves we won't have time for others."

That's the philosophy behind St. Patrick high school's biannual Lamplighter awards. The awards are unique because instead of rewarding academic achievement they recognize individual spirit.

"It's a way to recognize people. Some people stand out and show everybody that everybody can help. All the little things people do add up to make big things," said Michelle Normandin, a Lamplighter recipient.

The Lamplighter title comes from an analogy spoken in the 1800s by Robert Louis Stevenson when he was young.

While watching a lamp lighter starting the street lights in the early evening, he described it as "someone poking holes in the darkness".

Principal Johnnie Bowden said the Lamplighter awards encourage students to be the light in each other's lives.

"Are we instruments of darkness or are we instruments of light," Bowden asked at an afternoon assembly.

This year the awards had added significance as the school continues to recover from recent past tragedies.

"We've lost students to suicide. We had a tragic situation over the summer and a recent fire.

"All these things require us to come together as a community," said Bowden.

The awards stressed the importance of treating everyone with respect and kindness.

"A person may present themselves very well, but we don't know about the dark side in their life. So, we don't know how what we might say may impact on their life," said Bowden.

All the recipients were selected for simple acts of kindness -- a kind word, an infectious smile, or a helping hand when it was needed.

"What's especially valuable and important about these awards is they are generated by the students," said Bowden, as award recipients were nominated by one or more of their peers.

An honourary award was also presented to Renee Lelievre, a former St. Pat's staff member, for all her hard work and dedication.

"The Lamplighter awards are about people you can depend on. They are about people who put others before themselves, about people who are rocks in your life ... Rene is an example of all of those things," said St. Pat's teacher Michele Thoms.

The next awards will be in May and Bowden hopes more students will be recognized.

"Eighteen is great, but we should have at least 100," he said.