Thanks for the positive feedback to my suggestion of a publication: ‘Passing the Baton: messages from ‘old boys’…’ Now, let the work begin!
A couple of quick points:
We really need to get the word around that this project in on… and we need people to indicate whether they would (a) like to contribute but would need some assistance to put their story together. We could put some ideas together to ‘workshop ideas’ either online, via email or face-to-face. We could call for volunteers who feel they could lead workshops in the process of putting a story together with a focus and message of ‘Passing the Baton’. I can certainly work with anyone interested via email, on the phone, via letter or I’ll be in Mumbai (November 16 to December 5) and we could arrange something it you are nearby. (b) Have an idea and will work on it and submit (c) Would like to work with colleagues in a group (d) Would like to float the idea on the blog and get feedback (c) Would like to be involved in the process of putting the publication together.
I think there will be a big issue of getting a cross-section of representation from different age-groups of ‘old boys’. We must encourage young ‘old boys’ to tell their stories with a message. We must also have all the geographical regions covered.
Another issue is, how do we make the process of contributing inclusive? Everyone should feel welcome to contribute.
I probably turn people off with my harping on the group of 1963. I hope I don’t. I love reading the messages from other groups but all I have in my bag of memories and memorabilia is stuff from that era.
So here we go again… Here is the SC group of 1963. I love this photograph … such memories… a great group of people… Where are they now? Can you name everyone in this group? I will try and name as many as I can next week. But, let me tell you a secret, I have the list of ‘Senior Cambridge Results’ for all of this group – now, that’s one of my prized possessions. I’m certainly not going to publish the results, but if you have forgotten yours write to me and I’ll remind you.
My results … well, I would have to say they were poor, but now I can tell you that they were more or less true to form:
English Language 6
English Literature 6
Indian Language 6
Maths with Add. Maths 6
History 6
Geography 7
Passed with Division 3
By the way, '1' is the best and I think '9' was the worst - there's a guy here with a total of 12!
You may ask, how the hell did you get into university with that? Just lucky – that’s another story. So, what happened? I can also tell you, for years I taught History and Geography… A late developer? I didn’t know that then. For a while I remember thinking – That’s it!
So, I’m thinking of constructing a story about success, what is it? I have realised that it had nothing to do with my Senior Cambridge results … So, what does it have to do with...?
1 comment:
Your article giving your results and the progress made reminds me the story of Ugly Duckling we all read in school.
The poor baby swan, which found itself among baby ducks, was completely different from all the others.
The other baby ducks and all the other animals teased him and tortured him.
Only one day when it had developed fully into a swan and saw its own reflection in the pond did it realize how beautiful it was
God has made all of us.
He has given each of us some assets and some liabilities.
It is He who decides which asset or liability becomes prominent at which time.
It is we humans who become arrogant when our assents develop, some slowly, some fast and some extraordinarily
We are then praised by the whole world and we start living in the seventh heaven.
Conversely, when our liabilities become prominent we are cursed by the whole world and we hang our heads in shame.
I won’t mention any names but each of you must know persons in history who fall in these groups.
Even now, we have persons all over the world who fall in either of these groups.
Then there is the third type, the majority of us, like in a distribution curve, who do not have very good assets or liabilities.
I always compare the progress made by men in life to a horse race.
In a horse race, some horses lead in the beginning but as the race proceeds others catch up and beat it.
Then in a subsequent horse the winner may lose.
Does the horse feel proud if it wins or become demoralized if it loses? No.
It goes into the next race having no hang-ups regarding the earlier race.
We should be like horses.
We should race in life without thinking of the consequences.
Some will win some races; others will win other races and most will pass through life without winning any races. But that should not stop us from running.
We are all children of God.
He has made us all, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
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