Baccalaureate Service for Orcas Graduates

 — by Meredith Griffith —

Graduating Seniors Celebrate their Baccalaureate Service.

Last week 19 high school seniors on the brink of graduation gathered to celebrate their journeys at an interfaith, community-wide Baccalaureate service held at Orcas Island Community Church.

Mikaela Hansen and Melanie Flint, on guitar and ukulele, shared a lovely song they composed as a tribute to their community. Lyrics included the line, “We won’t forget our island home; it’s our family so we’re never alone.” Flint told the class, “Remember all the friends you’ve made… they’re a part of you, no matter how much they drove you crazy all those years.”

Former Orcas High School football coach and youth pastor Scott Harris asked the young adults to share their memories of growing up on Orcas Island – from playing foursquare, capture the flag and “house” in the trees at Orcas Elementary, to the development of strong friendships, to the tightly knit team spirit of high school sports and the mantra, “OI till you die!”

Elementary and high school friendships were discussed with vivacity. But in between, when Harris commented, “Let’s move on to middle school,” there was a good bit of vocal protest, then silence. Most declined to comment on either the middle school dances or “the neon phase.”

The young adults shared their plans for the fall, which ranged from studying agriculture, medicine, marine science, anthropology, hospitality, and sports science to traveling across country by train, or working in Ireland.

According to Emory University, the baccalaureate service began in 1432 when an English statute required every degree candidate at the University of Oxford to deliver a sermon in Latin. Islanders continue the tradition as a way to honor Orcas graduates from all walks and faith backgrounds in the area of spiritual and character development.

“So why does being stuck on Orcas Island – instead of driving you all crazy – produce something amazing?” asked Harris. He answered his own question with one word: community. He pointed to the Beatles song, “All You Need is Love” and shared from 1 Corinthians 13, saying, “If you don’t have love, you have nothing. You can be spiritual, but not have love. Love is a powerful thing. Love says ‘I’m sorry,’ and gives forgiveness. Love shows up when no one else will. When we love, we experience God… and when we do that, we experience our true selves.”