Francis Douglas Memorial College

{{Infobox school

| name = Francis Douglas
Memorial College

| seal_image = Francis Douglas Memorial College Crest-Logo, 2025.png

| motto = Christo Duce

| motto_translation = With Christ as our leader

| type = State integrated secondary, day and boarding

| religion = Roman Catholic

| established = 1959; {{years ago|1959}} years ago

| sister_school = Sacred Heart Girls' College, New Plymouth

| address = 201 Tukapa Street,
Westown

| city = New Plymouth

| country = New Zealand

| coordinates = {{Coord|-39.0821|174.0533|region:NZ-TKI_type:edu|display=inline,title}}

| principal = Tim Stuck{{cite web |title=School Website |url=http://www.fdmc.school.nz/|accessdate=4 February 2021}}

| roll = {{NZ school roll data|175|y||y}} ({{NZ school roll data|||y}})

| gender = Boys

| years = 7–13

| decile = 8

| MOE = 175

| homepage = [http://www.fdmc.school.nz/ fdmc.school.nz]

}}

Francis Douglas Memorial College is an all-boys state-integrated Catholic school with boarding facilities located in Westown, New Plymouth, New Zealand. The college was founded in 1959 under the leadership of the De La Salle Brothers, a religious order of brothers based on the teachings of St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle. It is one of two secondary schools established by the Brothers in New Zealand, the other being De La Salle College, Mangere East, Auckland. The name of the school is dedicated to the memory of Father Francis Vernon Douglas, a missionary priest who was killed while doing missionary work in the Philippines during the Second World War. The school educates approximately 760 boys, 130 of whom are boarders. The 60th Jubilee of Francis Douglas Memorial College was held on Queen's Birthday Weekend, 2019.

Sporting

74% of students participate in at least one sport. The most popular sport at the school is rugby union, other sports include hockey, cricket, basketball, soccer, rowing, and athletic events, with Basketball being the fastest growing sport at the school.{{cite web |title=Francis Douglas Memorial College - FDMC Sporting Codes |url=https://www.fdmc.school.nz/Sport/fdmc-sporting-codes-1 |website=Francis Douglas Memorial College |access-date=25 March 2025}} Annually, the school plays a rugby union match against major cross-town rivals New Plymouth Boys' High School, this being one of the major events on the school calendar. {{cite news |last1=Mcilraith |first1=Brianna |title=New Plymouth Boys' High School beat rivals Francis Douglas Memorial College in annual sports exchange |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/122200139/new-plymouth-boys-high-school-beat-rivals-francis-douglas-memorial-college-in-annual-sports-exchange |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=Stuff News |date=21 July 2020}}

Music

Francis Douglas Memorial College has a music department where bands develop their talents. Many students have performed in the annual Smokefree Rockquest competition, with bands from the college winning two Regional Finals.

Students have performed at the G-TARanaki Guitar Festival{{Cite news|url=http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2010/aug/new-plymouth/g-taranaki-2010-presents-youth-rock |title=G-TARanaki 2010 Presents: Youth Rock |date=12 August 2010 |access-date=15 September 2010}} and were shown guitar skills by Uli Jon Roth.{{cite web |url=http://www.gtaranaki.co.nz/sky-academy.htm |title=Gtaranaki 2010 – Sky Academy |work=gtaranaki.co.nz |year=2011 |access-date=30 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928210848/http://www.gtaranaki.co.nz/sky-academy.htm |archive-date=28 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Māori culture

The school runs cultural activities, such as the Annual Inter-house Haka Competition, and school camping trips to a marae.

The first inter-house Haka Competition was in 2010. Students register their names for the activity and each House performs their Haka with the school as an audience. The winning house is chosen by a judge who is a popular figure from New Plymouth.{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/4287257/Inter-house-haka-a-success |title=Inter-house haka a success |newspaper=Taranaki Daily News|date=29 October 2010 |access-date=10 November 2010}}

The school has a school Haka written by an ex-student Hemi Sundgrem which is about the founders of the school, Francis Douglas and the De La Salle Brothers.

Boarding

Lasalle House is the boarding hostel for Francis Douglas Memorial College. {{cite web |title=About La Salle House |url=https://www.fdmc.school.nz/Boarding-1/about-la-salle-house |website=Francis Douglas Memorial College |access-date=25 March 2025}}