Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A shock for St. Bede's alumni

R. Sujatha

Former students, arriving for get-together, find school gates locked

CHENNAI : Former students of St. Bede's Higher Secondary School on Santhome High Road who came from near and far for their usual annual get-together were in for a rude surprise on Thursday morning.

The school gates were locked and a watchman and a few others posted at the gate told them that the meeting would not be held at the school.

The alumni, called the Old Boys Association, have been meeting at the school for some 70 years on January 26 every year.

The association does not send out letters but members time their vacation and arrive in the city for the meet, said one alumnus. "They come from Australia and other places just for this meet," said D. Devarajan, who had come from Bangalore for the meet.

Disappointed

Many students returned disappointed but some waited in the church hoping to conduct the meeting.

A former student, M. Balasubramanian, said: "Usually around 11 a.m. there is a meeting and the boys get together. The school Father talks about the school's performance in class X and XII examinations that year. I have been attending for 25 years now. I passed out of the school in 1980. I don't know what is wrong."

Robert David, vice president of the association for 35 years and an elected committee member of the school said: "We built the association with a donation of Rs. 2 and it has been difficult. You send letters or not they (alumni) come to the city (for meeting)."

Under strain

According to Mr. David, relations with the school have been under strain ever since the association instituted a rolling trophy for the best performing school in the board examinations.

The school authorities allegedly disassociated themselves the move.

The association has been helping the school by providing uniforms and food to boarders and poor day scholars besides setting up a night school.

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