Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Hyde Schools

Gary Eskow's ISAC Statement

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Ursus:
Gary, Thank you for allowing us to reprint this on the forum.

www.isaccorp.org/hyde/eskowstatement.pdf
www.isaccorp.org[/url]
[email protected]

On the night of November 4th, 2005, while attending a weekend of meetings at the  Woodstock campus of the Hyde School, I was summoned to the office of Head of School  Duncan McCrann and ordered to leave the campus, for reasons which remain unclear to me.      

Despite this abrupt dismissal, I still believe that there is value in the bedrock principles of Hyde, and in much of the work that takes place within its walls.  With the sincere hope that its telling will make it a better place, I offer this, the story of my experience at the Hyde  School.

, and the one his son Malcolm Gauld penned with his wife Laura, The Biggest Job We’ll Ever Have, and consider enrolling our son at Hyde in the Fall.  Malcolm, Hyde’s current President, and his sisters Laurie and Gigi, are all employed at the school’s Woodstock, CT, and Bath, Maine campuses, as are the aforementioned Mrs. Malcolm Gauld and Gigi’s husband Don. So are a number of other old friends and family members.

Jerri was also eager to read this literature. Fortunately, after a brief period of discord that occurred when he commenced his Fellini-like dissolve from being “the nicest boy in the 8th grade,â€

Anonymous:
Reading this, I just feel sad.  So many possibilities when groups come together, working to better themselves and their family dynamic--it's hard to admit that more harm than good can come.

I know many good, well-intentioned folk have come under Hyde's gravitational pull.  I know Hyde has helped many people. I personally have deeper understanding of myself, having lived the Hyde experience.  And I have a great talent (professionally beneficial) for translating between bi-polar meglomaniacs and regular folk.  I finally had to acknowledge that whatever benefit I gained from hanging 'round the meglomaniacs, was outweighed by the psychic/spiritual/ethical toll--I had to excise the "cancer" as Eskow so astutely named it.

It's not just Joe Gauld, though he epitomizes it.  It's the power to pass judgement on other's character and emotional development-- the total lack of humility, and the quashing of critique.  It infects the staff and the group dynamic. For Hyde to truly flourish as a character-building enterprise, it would have to truly embrace the chaos of self-examination.  People would need the freedom to question the school's basic principles and practices on a regular basis.  But that exercise isn't really compatible with maintaining a stable, financially viable institution.  Especially one which so handsomly rewards is administrators.  

Hyde can't have it both ways--ethical leadership and money-grubbing.  Of all the lessons the school grabbed from other institutions (AA included), that's the one they missed.

Ursus:

--- Quote from: ""Guest"" ---Reading this, I just feel sad.  So many possibilities when groups come together, working to better themselves and their family dynamic--it's hard to admit that more harm than good can come.

I know many good, well-intentioned folk have come under Hyde's gravitational pull.  I know Hyde has helped many people. I personally have deeper understanding of myself, having lived the Hyde experience.  And I have a great talent (professionally beneficial) for translating between bi-polar meglomaniacs and regular folk.  I finally had to acknowledge that whatever benefit I gained from hanging 'round the meglomaniacs, was outweighed by the psychic/spiritual/ethical toll--I had to excise the "cancer" as Eskow so astutely named it.

It's not just Joe Gauld, though he epitomizes it.  It's the power to pass judgement on other's character and emotional development-- the total lack of humility, and the quashing of critique.  It infects the staff and the group dynamic. For Hyde to truly flourish as a character-building enterprise, it would have to truly embrace the chaos of self-examination.  People would need the freedom to question the school's basic principles and practices on a regular basis.  But that exercise isn't really compatible with maintaining a stable, financially viable institution.  Especially one which so handsomly rewards is administrators.  

Hyde can't have it both ways--ethical leadership and money-grubbing.  Of all the lessons the school grabbed from other institutions (AA included), that's the one they missed.
--- End quote ---


You wax so eloquently about this.  Were you student, parent, staff?

One of the things I find so personally valuable about Gary's piece, even though I disagree with some of his approach and conclusions, is that it is entirely his voice, grasping most earnestly to find some solutions and positive outcome from this debacle.  I have tremendous respect for his efforts, and sadness for what he went through.

He also has a fantastic ability to remember dialog, and ability to describe relevant circumstances.  This tale could have just as easily been written during my own family's experience, which was a different time, and the other campus.  Which goes to show... not much has changed.

I personally do not believe that Hyde can be saved, which is not the same thing as saying it will not continue its existence of being a lush money cow for the Gauld family.  There's a sucker born every minute, and the more unhappy the world gets, the more these suckers will flock to idealistic feel-good/feel-better solutions, usually at a table set up by some guru or another of personal development, slick fleecers extraordinaire.  

This type of business has been around a long time. At least the snake-oil just came in a bottle.  Now they want your kid and your family, 'till they empty your bank account.

Anne Bonney:

--- Quote from: ""Ursus"" ---There's a sucker born every minute, and the more unhappy the world gets, the more these suckers will flock to idealistic feel-good/feel-better solutions, usually at a table set up by some guru or another of personal development, slick fleecers extraordinaire.  

This type of business has been around a long time. At least the snake-oil just came in a bottle.  Now they want your kid and your family, 'till they empty your bank account.
--- End quote ---



I'm stealing that, it's great.  I'll quote you properly though.
 :D

Anonymous:
Student, faculty brat.  The place was my home and I loved it.  But it damn near ruined my family and my psychological health.  Both have been restored over time, thankfully.  Far from Hyde.

P.S.  Thanks for the writing compliment--public school education!
(Hyde's responible for the typos, certainly)

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