ABSTRACT
The development of Antietam’s service program was classic in the sense that the headmaster formally charged a faculty committee to examine the school’s curriculum. Among other things, the committee found that the school had drifted from the mission articulated by Antietam’s founder. Administrative support for the required service program has been steady but far from overwhelming. Two major factors seem to suggest that the program might be on the downward curve of its development: (1) The program director currently carries an excessively heavy work load that includes teaching, college counseling, and community service; his increased administrative duties occupy much of his time since the service program is relatively mature and smooth running; lastly, the director aspires to assume higher administrative positions in independent schools and is more actively pursuing professional advancement opportunities outside of Antietam; and (2) Antietam recently opened a new multi-million dollar indoor athletic facility which has attracted growing numbers of students; school-year service participation has fallen off sharply as students defer service to the summer months. The program is well-run and apparently accepted by students and faculty. Its future, given the director’s professional aspirations and the school’s expanded athletic opportunities, seems in doubt.
