1: Don't let anything upset you.

2: Don't make your diet too austere. Your self-denial can come from carrying out your duties, and putting up with the troubles others cause you. Allow yourself seven hours sleep every night. For any reasonable cause - both for yourself and the others - this may be varied by an hour either way. This is good for your health, and that of your dependants.

3: Celebrate Holy Mass and pray the Divine Office pie, attente ac devote. This applies to you, and to your dependants.

4: Never omit meditation every morning, and the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament during the day. For the other things (concerning the life of prayer. Tr.) do what is set out in the Rules of the Society.

5: Strive to make yourself loved rather than making yourself feared. Love and patience should accompany you whenever you give orders, and when you correct, and you should act in such a way that from your deeds and from your words, every one might understand that your first aim is their spiritual good. When it is a question of preventing sin, put up with anything. Let your care and concern be directed at the spiritual good, the good health, and the sound education of the young people a caring God has entrusted to you.

6: When the question in hand is more important, raise your mind briefly to God before you come to a decision. When any report is made to you, listen to everything, but try to get the facts very clear, and to hear both sides before making a decision. It is not uncommon that certain things that at first sight seem to be like a heavy beam turn out to be only a wisp of straw.

1: See to it that the teachers have everything they need in the way of food and clothing. Be aware of how hard they work, and when they are ill, or even just feeling out of sorts, send a relief teacher to their class.

2: Often speak to them singly or together; observe whether they have too much to do; whether they lack clothing or books; whether they have any physical or moral problems; or whether in their classes they might have pupils who need to be admonished, or particular matters concerning discipline, or teaching method, or the level at which they teach. If you come to know of a need, do what you can to meet it.

3: In the talks you address to them in this regard, recommend to them that they ask questions of every student in the class indiscriminately; that each one in turn should read out their work. (Tell them) to avoid unhealthy friendships, and favouritism, nor should they ever take students or others to their rooms.

4: When they have to assign work to their students, or counsel them, they should use the classroom or room set aside for this purpose.

5: On the occasion of Days of Obligation, novenas, or feast days of Our Blessed Lady, of the Patron Saint of the place, or of the school, or days honouring one of the mysteries of our holy religion, let them announce the event with a few words. They should never omit to do this.

6: Watch to see that teachers never put students out of the classroom, or where this becomes absolutely necessary, they arrange for someone to go with them to the one in charge. They should never, for any reason, strike anyone who does not do his work, or who misbehaves. If something serious happens, they should immediately inform the Principal or the Rector.

7: Outside of school hours, the teachers may not exercise their authority over the pupils, and they should limit themselves to giving good advice, warnings, or at most to the sort of correction that a properly-understood charity would suggest.

1: What has been said of the teachers can in large part be applied to the Assistants and Dormitory Supervisors.

2: Spread the work load around so that these people have the time and the conditions to attend to their studies, as with the teachers.

3: Willingly spend time with them to hear their views about the young people entrusted to them. Their most important duty is punctually to be wherever the young people assemble to go to rest, to class, to work, to sport and such like.

4: If you become aware that any one of them might have formed an unhealthy friendship with a pupil, or that his position, or his personal morality, are in danger, prudently transfer him to other duties. If the danger continues, inform the Superior at once.

5: Every so often call a meeting of the teachers, assistants and dormitory supervisors, and inform them all that they must make efforts to prevent bad conversations, to get rid of every book, writing, portrait, picture (this is wisdom) and anything else that might put in danger the Queen of Virtues, purity. Let them give good advice to all, be kind to all.

6: It is the concern of everybody to identify students who might be dangerous (to others, morally. Tr.). Insist they be identified to you.

1: Arrange things so that each morning they are able to hear Mass and receive Holy Communion according to the Rules of the Society. Domestic staff should be encouraged to go to Confession once a fortnight, or once a month.

2: Be very charitable in giving orders, making it clear from your words and your deeds that you are seeking their spiritual good. Be attentive in particular that they do not strike up friendships with the boys, or with outsiders.

3: Never allow women to enter the dormitories or the kitchen, nor should they have anything to do with anyone in the house except to perform an act of charity, or in case of absolute necessity. This article is of the greatest importance.

4: If disagreements or disputations should arise between those in service, or between the assistants, or between the boys or others, hear each one out with kindness, but generally speaking offer your opinion separately to each party, so that the one does not hear what you say of the other.

5: A tried and tested Lay Brother will be put in charge of those in service. He will oversee their work, and their conduct, so that there will be neither theft nor loose talk. But be attentive at all times that no one does errands for, or manages things on behalf of, relatives, or other outsiders, whoever they may be.

1: Never accept students expelled from other schools, or those you come to know to be morally bad. If in spite of your caution, you come to admit someone of this kind, immediately assign him a companion you can trust to take care of him and never lose sight of him. If he should happen to lapse into indecency, give him just one warning; if he offends again, he should be sent home immediately.

2: See to it that your students get to know you, and you them, by passing as much time as possible with them, using the technique of a friendly "word in the ear" - something you know all about - each time you see the need. This is the great secret that will make you master of their hearts.

3: You will ask, "What sort of words?" The same sort that would have been said to you once upon a time. For example, How are you? Good. And your soul? More or less. I need your help for something important, will you help me? Yes, what is it? To make you good. Or, to save your soul. Or, to make you the most outstanding youngster here. With the more restless ones: When do you want to start? What? To be my consolation; to be as good as St Aloysius. To those who receive the sacraments reluctantly: When are we going to beat the devil? How? With a good Confession. It's up to you. As soon as possible. At other times, When are we going to do the laundry? Or, Do you feel like helping me beat the devil? Would you like us to become partners in the business of your soul. Things such as these.

4: In our houses, the Rector is the Ordinary Confessor, so make it clear that you willingly hear every one's Confession, but give them full liberty to confess to others, if they so desire. Let it be well known that when grades are awarded for conduct, you do not take part, and take good care to banish even the shadow of a suspicion that you might make use of, or even remember, anything said to you in Confession. Nor should there be seen to be the slightest sign of favouritism towards anyone who goes to Confession to one priest rather than another.

5: The Altar Servers Group, the Sodality of St Aloysius, of the Blessed Sacrament, of the Immaculate Conception should be recommended and promoted. Show goodwill and approval towards those who have joined. You, however will encourage, but not direct these groups. Consider such things the work of the young people themselves, whose oversight is entrusted to the Catechist.

6: When you find out about any serious fault, have the guilty party brought to your office, and with the greatest kindness try to get him to say what he has done, and that doing it was wrong; then admonish him, and invite him to take steps to put his conscience to rights. By this means, and following up the student in a kindly way, will have marvellous effects, and improvements that might have been considered impossible.

1: We should willingly make ourselves available for religious services, for preaching, and celebrating Eucharist for the convenience of the people, and for Confessions, every time charity and our regular duties permit, especially in the Parish in which our house is located. But do not take on appointments or other things that involve your being away from the house, or which could interfere with the responsibilities entrusted to each one.

2: As a courtesy, outside priests should be invited from time to time to preach or carry out other duties on Feast Days, when we have entertainments, and suchlike. The same invitation should be extended to Civic dignitaries, and all those people who look favourably on our work or support it, as a recognition of favours received, or in anticipation of their help.

3: Charity and courtesy should be the hallmarks of a Rector, whether towards residents of the house, or outsiders.

4: In matters concerning material things be as obliging as you can, so that any pretext for wrangling, or anything that might damage charity might be kept away.

5: In spiritual matters, things should be always resolved in a way that will redound to God's greater glory. Previous undertakings, minor details, revenge, self-love, excuses, pretensions, honour itself, should be given up in order to avoid sin.

6: In matters of great importance it is well to ask for time to pray and seek advice from some holy and prudent person.

1: The exact observance of the Rules, and especially of obedience are the foundation of everything. But if you want the others to obey you, be yourself obedient to your own superiors. One is not suitable for command, if he is not capable of obeying.

2: Make sure that the work is shared out so that no one is too heavily burdened with duties, but see to it that everyone carries out faithfully the duties entrusted to him.

3: No member of the Congregation should enter into contracts, receive money, make loans or lend to relatives, friends, or others. Nor should anyone keep money or administer goods without being directly authorised by the Superior. The observance of this article will keep far away the malady which proves most fatal to religious congregations.

4: Hate like poison modifications to the Rules (of the Salesian Society). Their exact observance is better than any variation. The better is the enemy of the good.

5: Study, the passing of time, experience, has made me understand and see with my own eyes that greed, self-interest and pride have been the ruin of flourishing Congregations and respectable Religious Orders. As the years pass you yourself will come to know facts that you would now consider incredible.

6: Put your best effort - by word and deed - into promoting the common life.

1: Never command things you judge to be beyond the strength of your subordinates, or which you foresee will not be obeyed. Act so as to avoid giving repugnant orders; what's more, do your best to encourage the natural inclinations of each one, preferring to assign offices to those whom you know would be happiest to fill them.

2: Never order things that could harm peoples' health, or rob them of the sleep they need, or which might get in the road of their other tasks, or the orders of higher superiors.

3: When giving orders always speak and act in a kindly and gentle way. Threats, anger, not to speak of violent acts, should never be part of your speech or your actions.

4: When the case arises of having to command something difficult or distasteful to the subordinate, one could say, for example, Could you please do this or that? Or: There is an important matter I would prefer not to trouble you with, because it is not easy, but there is no one who could do it as well you. Would you have the time, the energy? Is there anything else that might prevent you? And so on. Experience has brought me to understand that similar approaches, used at the opportune moment, succeed very well.