Third Day: Alumni get-together in the morning

During the past fifty years thousands of students have walked out of St. Lawrence High School and later PU College, Moodubelle after passing SSLC and PUC examinations respectively and have taken different roads, charted different careers and have spread over different parts of India and even different countries of the world. However, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of their beloved St. Lawrence High School, many of them have made it a point to revisit their Alma Mater which had not only provided them education but also instilled in them a sense of discipline and values which had taken them to greater heights. Thus, on the morning of the third day of the Golden Jubilee celebration an alumni get-together was organised in the High School-PU College Complex where hundreds of past students gathered with great enthusiasm to meet their old friends, revive their high school memories and pay tribute to the institution that is very close to their heart.

The Old Students and Parents-Teachers Associations held their combined programme in the morning of Wednesday, 30th December 2009 at 9.30 AM with the inauguration of the drinking water well below the college ground  dug and built under the Drinking Water Scheme of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat with a cost of two and half lacs of rupees obtained from the Udupi Zilla Panchayat because of the efforts of Mr. Gerald Fernandes, member of the Zilla Panchayat and an old student of St. Lawrence High School. The well was inaugurated by Fr. Joswey Fernandes. Mr. Gerald Fernandes, Mr. Shahsidhar Wagle, President of the Belle Grama Panchayat, Principal Fr. Paul Sequeira, Mr. Devdas Hebbar, President of the Old Students Association, Mrs. Meera Lobo, President of the Parents-Teachers Association, Mr. Benedict Martis, President of the Lions Club and a number of old and present students and guests attended the function.

Following the inauguration of the drinking water well, all the past and present students and guests proceeded to the high school-college quadrangle for the ‘morning assembly’. In his introductory note, Dr. Norbert Lobo, the past student who is presently a lecturer in St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, who anchored the morning function, recalled the custom of assembly during his high school days. The prayer song was rendered by Mrs. Anita Alva and group, all past students. Thereafter, Mr. Devdas Hebbar took the salute from the class leaders including the old students and reported to Fr. Joswey Fernandes, the Correspondent of St. Lawrence Educational Institutions. It was a moment of emotion and flashback for all the past students right from the first batch in 1959 to the last batch a year ago. It is remarkable that five students of the first batch-Fr. Denis Castelino, Mr. Nityananda Pai, Mr. Alex D’Almeida, Mr. Vitthala Nayak and Mrs. Leena D’Almeida were present for this emotional reunion. The assembly concluded with the National Anthem.

The old students had healthy interaction while taking the breakfast. Thereafter, all the old students assembled in the quadrangle for the fun games and present students sat at the edge of the ground to observe the games of the old students. There was overwhelming response to the fun games which were wonderfully conducted by Mr. Henry Alva and Mr. Ivan Menezes of Bellevision (UAE).The entire group of the old students were divided into six teams and were given different tasks. The first task was putting up the act of a Scarecrow (Berchappa) which was quite hilarious. The other games were the ‘Kambala’ race, presenting things on spot on demand and a kind of funny relay game.

After the fun games old and new students and guests assembled in the College hall, where Mr. Ivan Menezes conducted ‘Pick and Speak’ game. The participants in this funny event were: Fr. Raymond D’Souza, an old student who is presently serving in Allahabad Diocese,  Mrs. Meera Lobo, Dr. Norbert Lobo, Mr. Leeladhar Kamat, Mr. Ronald Saby, Mr. Valerian D’Souza, Mrs. Shamala and Mrs. Anita Alva.

The stage programme was presided over by Fr. Joswey Fernandes. The Chief Guest for the function was Dr.Lakshminarayana Samaga, Professor of Medicine, K.S. hedge Medical College, Derlakatte, Mangalore. Mrs. Meera Lobo welcomed the guests on the dais. Prizes for the victorious teams in the cricket match held on Sunday, 20th December 2009 and the winners of the fun games were distributed by the Chief Guest. This list of the winners was read out by Mr. Charles Quadros.

In Mens Cricket, the first prize was won by the Edmeru Friends and the second prize went to the Dendooru Friends. In Women’s Throw Ball match, Ms. Ranjani Shetty and team won the first position and Mrs. Shakuntala M. Suvarna and team won the second position. In the Scare crow competition, Mr. Prashant Shetty and group secured the first prize, Mr. Leeladhar Kamat and group, second prize and Mr. Joseph Lobo and group, third prize. In Pick and Speak event Mrs. Meera Lobo won the first prize and second prize went to Mr. Prashant Shetty.

Dr. Lakshminarayana Samaga in his address as the Chief Guest recalled the years that he had spent as the student of St. Lawrence High School. He shared with the students both old and new, the difficulties that the students of the past had to face in order to achieve education. He pointed out how the high school had not only given education but also instilled discipline and motivated the students to achieve greater things in life. He urged the present students to strive for excellence and said that one can achieve success in life with sincerity of purpose, determination and total commitment.

Fr. Joswey Fernandes in his presidential message expressed great happiness on meeting so many old students. He felt that it is like a family reunion and said that the old students are like the roots of a large tree which make the tree strong. He wished well for all the old students in their career and life.

Mr. Valerian D’Souza proposed the vote of thanks.

Following the function in the hall all the old and present students proceeded to the dining place to have the lunch and later dispersed to come back in the evening for the grand Alumni and Parent-Teacher Association Day Function that will start exactly at 5.30 PM. The function is going to be a treat to the eyes and ears as the Bellevision will be organizing the Rasamanajri Musical Programme and the Old Students will be presenting the hilarious Tulu Play “Panande Padhrad”. It is heartening to know that the revised Bellevision website will be re-launched with great fanfare during the evening programme.