Christian Brothers in My Life Mount Abu

Yesterday I received a mail from an ex-class mate of mine, the mail is as follows
Dear All,
I don't know whether you knew Hughie O'Neill who was stationed in Abu in the 60's. Later he left and married a lovely girl, Joan, and raised a beautiful family. He passed away on Friday night last and was cremated yesterday here in Dublin. His wishes were that some of his ashes would be spread on Mount Abu ... So he will be coming home at last. May he rest in peace.
Please do pray for the support of his wife and family as well as for his friends both in India and in Ireland

Brother O’Neal was an extraordinary Christian Brother. He was a good teacher loved to play games and loved to be on jungle walks with the boys on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He was a great football fan and a wonderful inspiration to our school football team.
He taught me in my final years in school, he had great mood swings he could be a terror one moment and a jovial person the next. I remember vividly while teaching he had the habit of twirling a pencil between his fingers, another one of his extraordinary traits was that when he was angry he never shouted or raised his voice in fact his voice lowered to a whisper or more like a hiss which always had the desired effect. I loved to be with him on our walk as he would weave some really intriguing stories that would keep us always wanting more.
It was good to hear that he had settled down in life with a life partner after he gave up his vocation of being a Bro. As can be seen from the mail he has made a request that his ashes be spread in the hill and dales of Abu. I guess anyone who has spent a part of his life in this Abode of ours longs to be back with the Gods. God rest his soul. He will once again come home to his final resting place. It’s sad but the ultimate reality is one by one the brothers who taught us will pass away. This year we lost another great brother Br “Larry Kelly” the legendary ambidextrous science master, he passed away on the 17Jan 2007 in Ireland. My heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families of these great men who were our teachers and mentors.

Bosky My Basset Mt.Abu

Bosky

Sandy -Kalu-N-Jerry

Bandu N Kail

Bosky posing

Bosky N Tom

Bosky N her favourite Minni

Minni having her fill

Mao posing

Bosky and her foster babies

Boski N Mao Napping

Bosky nursing second generation babies

My Basset Hound Bosky is a cat fanatic; she never ceases to amaze everyone around her. Growing up as a pup she had an immense affinity for cats. She was gifted to my bitter half by a very good family friend, along with her he had also brought a kitten for another of our friends, who at that time was out of station and hence she was given to us. We named her Mao.

Bosky and Mao became the best of friends.
In the course of time Mao had her first litter, five little kittens. These five took to Bosky like a duck to water. Bosky had just come off season, her first but ended up having something like a false pregnancy. To our amazement one fine day we found the little kittens suckling and Bosky grooming the cats, she took care of them as if they were her own pups. Liz my bitter half on seeing this strange phenomenon immediately phoned the vet and explained the predicament her dog was going through. The vet had a hearty laugh and told her not to worry as no harm would befall either the kittens or the bitch, in fact both would gain from it. The kittens had a ball on Boesky’s milk, they became little puff balls and it was hilarious to see her strutting about with the five in procession.
People who passed by the house would inevitably stop to glance at this astonishing spectacle. If a strange dog entered the vicinity Bosky would immediately stand up to defend her babies. In the course of time the other dogs who visited the premises for a free meal all got used to the growing kittens. Bandoo, the bandy-legged Romeo, Kalu the long legged shank, and Sandy the over grown mongrel, all had to bear with Bosky’s foster babies, these kitties treated these dogs like one of their own. They would brush, cuddle up and entice these grown dogs to have a game with them. Friends who dropped in would be thrilled to see these worst of enemies living in peace and harmony.
Bosky once again is going through another phase of false pregnancy as there are no male Bassets in this glorious oasis of ours. This time she is nursing the kitties of the previous batch, I’m sure she must feel more of a cat after nursing two generations of cats. I really wonder what would happen if she was to have her own litter in the future how she would will react. Bosky is the heart throb of all the little children around.

More Snaps Of The Sports Day Abu

Sports day St.Mary's High School more snaps

St.Patrick Runner-up

Back to the Pavilion

The final drill dispaly Prize distribution

Tug of War

Stick Drill

Gearing for the Relay

Mixed Medley

Good run

Juniors finishing

Annual Sports Day Mount Abu Continued

Brother Ward with the '83 batch of boys


The batch of 83 after a lapse of 25 years

An unfortunate snag the flag got stuck at half-mast

The Principal Christanand Vase's closing speech

St.Joseph's with Cock House shield

Gymnastic Team Drill

Cliffy Dragwidge, the school anchor drummer

The mixed bag of Ex-students

Batch of 83

Batch of 83

St.Joseph's Cock House Winners

Prize Distribution

Mohan School's Chief Announcer

Stick Drill

Ivo the Anchor Man of the Show

Umbrella Drill

Tug of War

The batch of 83 at the back

Brother Ward awarding prizes

St Mary's High School Sports Day 

The Main Building

This year I reached the sports venue late as the march past had finished, and no band accompanied the marchers like in previous years. Last year the army Sikh regiment had sent their bagpipers to play for the school march past. I’m glad the school used its own resources and did not spend thousands on pomp and show. Innovations by the school organization this year were commendable. The school recognizes the efforts of students who excel. This year the students were given certificates and also garlanded with either the bronze, silver or gold-plated medals, just like in the Olympics. Drill displays by the various classes received thunderous applause from the parents. The track and field events and the relays had the parents going gaga, snapping their own kids with their latest hi-tech digital cameras. To my surprise, some parents who never go to boarding school sports days found the boy's displays dull. I casually asked some whiners why they were here, to which they replied: “Oh we pick up our son after the meet so we can rush off with him for his holidays”. I felt like punching these guys but refrained, and only retorted, “I’m sure it will disappoint your son with you. After all, he’s been through to prove himself on the field so that you, as a parent, could compliment him.”

This year, there was a big reunion of ex-students from the 1983 batch, marking their 25th anniversary since leaving school. It's expected to be the best event unless the 1984 batch can top it next year.. In my brief conversation with some of them, we talked about various topics, including bygone days. Yep! We were like a bunch of old fogies remembering old teachers and brothers who were our mentors. The boys told me that they, along with some of their wives and kids, had made it to the top of Plummy. Imagine over thirty-odd climbers atop the hill! Whew! It must have been exhilarating for all the thick-set and paunchy guys. It must have been exciting for this reunion of schoolmates to see each other after a lapse of 25 years.

Man of Man imagine former classmates now grown men seizing each other; some pretty bald, others grossly overweight and maybe just a few in pretty good shape. The victory lap put on by them was just a trot as probably Plummy had drained them of all their reserve strength the previous day. My hats off to these guys they were a fabulous bunch; and they had come with positive vibes. There were quite a few other ex-students from different years also present for the sports day.

In tote the meeting went off with a bang, no there were no fireworks like those of the Olympics. The most memorable part was when we sang the school anthem and the National Anthem with wholeheartedness and fervour.

79th Annual Athletic Meet St.Mary’s School Abu

79th Annual Athletic Meet - St. Mary’s School

To catch everyone up to speed, let me start by revisiting what I wrote about last year’s School Sports on the St. Mary’s School site before we jump into this year’s exciting events.

Hello everyone!

As you know, St. Mary’s celebrated its 79th Annual Athletic Meet yesterday. As always, it was an incredible and inspiring event filled with excitement, school spirit, and athletic excellence.

This year, we had the honour of welcoming back some of our “real” old alumni—our “Old Boys.” Among them was the remarkable Father Lesser, a cherished name who graduated before passing away in 1944. Even in spirit, his presence serves as a reminder of the rich legacy of St. Mary’s and the thriving community it has fostered.

The photo shows old boys from Front Row L to R Fr Lesser '44/ Bob Amore '57 /Duncan Collie 53/ Trevor Steverson(a guest)/Dach Aloysns D'souza '57 / Pat Kelly.

Today, I take this opportunity to “salute” these fine young men who have traversed the globe to return to their beloved Alma Mater—no minor achievement! Hats off to Bob and Trevor, two exceptional achievers. On the 6th of October 2007, these two legends scaled the back of Flaggy, making it all the way to Plummy. Their determination and spirit were unmatched, and they’ve set an incredible example for the younger generation to aspire to.

Congratulations once again, Seniors—you’ve laid down a challenge for the next wave to surpass!

Bob, “The Flying Eagle,” has done it again! (See the attached photo.) He finished second in the 200m race—a fantastic accomplishment that earned him a well-deserved standing ovation. What an inspiration! Don’t you think we need more folks like Bob around?

Whoops! Before my dial-up connection gives up on me, let me send this out. I’ll share more photos later if the connection allows. For now, to all of you who couldn’t make it to the Mount this year, I hope you enjoy reminiscing about the good old days.

 Regards,

Ains

Cheers, mates! I’m off for a binge, but I’ll post updates on today’s events as soon as I can. Don’t forget to click on “Newer Post” at the bottom to check out the following updates!