Chairman, Druk Holdings & Investments, Bhutan

Chief Guest of Rector’s Day, St. Joseph’s School, North Point, Darjeeling

on 8 October 2010

Reverend Father Rector Kinley Tshering, thank you for giving me this honor and privilege. Our coming to North Point for this reunion and to attend the Sports and Rector’s Day is because of your kind invitation and encouragement. We thank you profusely for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to us ever since we stepped foot through the Twin Towers.

At the outset, may I convey the warm greetings and good wishes of His Majesty the King of Bhutan to you, Father, Father Van, the faculty, students and all those who are gathered here for this function. His Majesty is very interested in North Point and would like to strengthen Bhutan  bonds with this institute. We are discussing as to how this can be done with Father Kinley.

It is truly overwhelming to be here in North Point after passing out in 1965  forty five years ago. And it  awesome to be with some of my close friends and classmates coming from all parts of the globe. Let me also take this opportunity to mention at least some of them. We have with us today, Dr. Ban-An Khaw, known then in North Point as Chit Myne Cho and a Depelchen Gold Medal winner and his wife Sharon. Then we have Tony Lao, known then as San Tut Thein and his wife Leslie. We must thank San Tut for keeping the NP flag flying high in the United States. Thank you, Tony! We also have Kamlesh Jhaveri with us – a great North Pointer. I have had the good fortune to keep in touch with Kamlesh, Cho and San Tut throughout most of these years. And this has been largely due to Fr. Van getting us together in New York or other parts of the world. He has constantly endeavored to bring North Pointers together. Fr. Van for us today is an institution, embodying the spirit of North Point. Thank you Father.

We also have classmates who I had not met till this visit to Darjeeling. I was thrilled to meet Romesh Thapa and Anil Pradhan. Also joining us at this get-together, and for us, this is nothing short of a historic gathering is Owen Khoo, another Depelchin Gold medalist, and members of his family. And we are meeting so many others, and I ll have too long a list if I should attempt to mention them all. But you are in our hearts. We, who have come here for the reunion after so long, are simply overjoyed to be with you.

But today we can ‘t help but miss those who are not here with us and those who have left this world. We remember and greatly miss our friends from the 1965 batch on this day.

Coming after four and a half decades, we are overjoyed to see the tremendous progress that North Point has made under Father Kinley Tshering. North Point is ranked one of the ten best schools in India. Including those of us who are here, whenever we met North Pointers around the world they have been full of praise for your work, Father Rector. I emphasize this because there was a time when what we heard about developments in North Point were not that encouraging. Of course there were various factors including the turmoil in the hills. But Father Kinley, after you took charge, North Pointers could once again lift their hearts to the breeze and the glow. You make us proud to be North Pointers. Congratulations and thank you, Father!

After all these years I was recalling the principles and objectives on which the Society of Jesus founded North Point. It was very clear that the need was to promote the total development of the individual by striving for excellence at the level of every student’s potential.

Many countries, companies and above all families of North Pointers have benefitted from those who have exited through the Twin Towers. My country, Bhutan, has been especially fortunate. A North Pointer, our fourth King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck bequeathed the country with the unique development philosophy of Gross National Happiness  now being discussed all over the world and   put into practice in several countries as well. Relinquishing his own historic role he granted Bhutan’s democratic Constitution. As you would appreciate, it is rare in world history to find a leader who consciously plans and implements a process of democratization without the compulsions of some revolutionary movement or public demand. Earlier this year Father Van was in Thimphu to present the  Life-long Achievement Award” of the North Point Alumni Association to His Majesty.

Bhutan is lucky to have a most worthy successor  the present fifth King, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. His Majesty has implemented the Constitution brilliantly with a lot of fervor and is now renowned as the people King.  I must also mention here that North Pointers have and still occupy prominent positions in Bhutanese society, and our great institution can be proud with their achievements.

I was so glad to learn that the number of Bhutanese students in St. Joseph’s School has increased and now there are about eighty of them. I am confident that after passing out of here they will play important roles in various fields of human activity – in Bhutan or elsewhere in the world.

The true value of the wholesome education imparted by North Point can only be fully appreciated once one goes out into the world  to your respective countries, to other countries, to live and to work. Let me briefly share with you the qualities that I have noticed that distinguishes North Pointers and puts them above the others:

North Pointers have a well-rounded education, in academics, sports, and extra-curricular activities. (Yesterday we witnessed the opera performed by North Pointers, and the caliber was indeed very impressive.) Their English language is normally of a high caliber and internationally acceptable.  English is still the dominant international language and its knowledge helps! I was taught by the impeccable Frank Matthews and Jack Vaz, and Fr. Van who encouraged us to read and discover challenging texts and vocabulary, and maths and physics by Maurice Banerjee.  It  really wonderful to remember them today.

North Pointers very easily adapt to multiple cultural and social environments. This is obviously due to having such an environment here in North Point. NP has had students from all over the world and I hope this approach is given further emphasis. This will make a big difference to the attitude and approach of those who pass out from here.

North Pointers have a high degree of integrity in whatever field of human activity they may be in. For instance I truly value the Moral Science classes, which now I believe is referred to as Value Education, given during my time by dear Fr. Bauwens. I really miss him! The tolerant and secular atmosphere created by the Jesuits is highly praiseworthy.

North Pointers always lend a helping hand to a faltering brother, and we have seen this time and again.

There are many other good qualities of a North Pointer and I need not continue mentioning them here. The North Point website in fact says it all by recalling the values promoted by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It states that every graduate of North Point is to become an agent of change respecting all cultures, languages and religions and above all recognizing the unique image and likeness of the Creator in every individual. His task is to love and serve his neighbor at all times by upholding the dignity of all and in particular the needy. By committing himself to the service of faith and promotion of justice, he is to lift up his heart, live and work for a just society where every individual will be fully alive, living an upright and humane life.

Hence, those of you passing out can go out into the world and be assured that North Point will have equipped you with the foundation to face the world and to make a great success of your lives. You are now our future. It is all up to you to keep our flag flying high.

And, finally on this Rector’s Day, Father Kinley, may I warmly congratulate you and wish you the greatest successes in your laudable work!

SURSUM CORDA!

1.    “ Hurrah for our Home in the mountains !

Hurrah for the Monarchs of  Snow .”

For the land of the forests and fountains,

And the torrents that ever flow !

CHORUS

Toil up from the valley below ;

“Lift your heart” to the breeze and the glow ;

And our school on the hill

Here’s a cheer for it still ,

As onwards through life we go !

2.     From the sweltering South and the Islands ,

From  the plains where the hot winds blow .

We have met in the heart if the highlands

At fair India’s gates of snow .

As our school embraced the theme of “Nurturing Nature” as our annual theme for 2010  . I couldn’t help but connect the theme to the first two verses and the chorus of our school song that are reproduced above in italics .The song celebrates nature : the mountain ,the hill , the forests ,the fountains ,the torrents ,the valleys the breeze and the glow ,the South , the islands ,the plains and the highlands . Over the course of the year, as we mulled over global warming , pollution , deforestation ,recycling –reusing-reducing –refusing and all the attendant problems and possible solutions ,through our lessons and projects, to save our planet for the future generations ,the words of the “NP CHORUS”  kept playing themselves  back in my subconscious mind .

“Hurrah for our Home in the mountains!

Hurrah for the Monarchs of Snow.”

“Our school on the hill” and “Our Home in the Mountains” , I feel ,apart from evoking memories and nostalgic feelings in its scores of  former pupils , holds out valuable lessons and challenges for us all . The mountain ,Kanchenjunga , in whose shadow Fr. Depelchin chose to build the institution ,  calls each North Pointer to look ever upwards; to contemplate the majesty , grandeur , symmetry   and scale of  this Monarch of Snow . It is with profound respect and reverence a North Pointer is to look upon the Mountain . From such deep- seated worship Nature appeals to our best sensibilities  ,  causing all of us at N.P to  Nurture  Nature .We say,   “as eternal as the snows,” in the painted peaks at sunset  and in the drama of shadows, light and  colours on its icy slopes  one can see the immutability of the range .Unchanged from the dawn of time ,the constant face that greeted and bid adieu to over 120 years of North Pointers and more , reminds us of Him  that does not change , Him that transcends space and time as the Alpha and the Omega –God Himself . It is little wonder then, that we have people who worship Nature in its different avatars .At North Point too, this year, more than at any other time perhaps, this reverence became a tangible thing .This sense of awe and wonder awakens in each of us, that which ennobles us and edifies us, it puts us in touch with our Maker, it stirs our souls and ignites our spirituality.

“Sursum Corda,”  the motto of our school ,that is also subtly inserted in the Chorus in the words, “Lift your Heart” is another lesson of the mountain ,challenging all of us as we raise our eyes to the peaks ,to also raise our hopes , to strive for the higher , faster , stronger , better, in other words, to excel to the best of our potential to become winners surmounting our personal obstacles ,challenges or mountains . The mountain tells us too, to rise above the mundane , to supersede mediocrity ,to shun negativity to be enthusiastic , optimistic,courageous ,positive ,hopeful and to live life to the fullest, refusing to submit to things that belittle us or keep us from being all that we can be . It is a call to the Jesuit ideal of ‘Magis’ the more or the greater.

The mountain is a reality that is always there. In Darjeeling, many months of monsoon clouds often obscure the mountain from our view but we who know the vagaries of the weather, know without doubt, that the cloud will clear and the mountain will be there ever strong, serene, eternal . It is this faith of the North Pointer that enables him to take on all that life presents to him: the pain and the pleasure, the defeats and the victories, the failures and successes, the rain and the sunshine  because he has the unwavering  assurance that they have been ordained by Him who knows best .That the best is yet to come . That even when God seems invisible and absent in our lives ,He is there just behind that veil of cloud, which when it clears, will make the view all that  more wonderful ….like on an  October morning  when we can see the “Gates of Snow” in its pristine magnificence .  For us teachers of the Primary Department,  the phenomenon of the mountain’s beauty being hidden from view is a maxim by which we function : for us ,each child is beautiful and is a special gift sent to  us ,it is for us to see in the child the “Beauty Underneath”(as was so powerfully portrayed in the school major production this year, ‘Love Never Dies’)which is often not so easy to see at first . We therefore put the child at the centre of all we do .The child dictates the syllabus and the teaching methodology. The child urges us to meet his needs for love, security, socialization; also his physical, mental and psychological requirements. I am happy to say that the teachers of the Primary have really taken this calling to heart and have become second parents, in loco parentis , or adept mentors of their wards .In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is what sets education at North Point apart …it is the quality of individual care that enables each student to blossom to his full potential, to reveal, not unlike the Mountain, the beauty of the God within each of them.

It was with the best interests in the children’s all round growth and development that we undertook several activities to complement the regular teaching in the classroom. We wished at all times to foster growth in the four H’s ;namely the Head , the Heart , the Hand and the Holy and to see that they were adequately addressed and that opportunities were provided for their optimum development .If I could give another slant to the theme for the year then , “Nature” relates to the heredity or innate characteristics of the child which are endowed by his genes; “Nurture,”  on the other hand ,is how the child is taught ,brought up ,cared for ,loved and also  the environment he is exposed to ,at home and in school , for  children learn what they live . Every individual is the product of heredity and the environment. At North Point it has been our endeavour to bring to the fore the innate, inherent potential of the child through providing the best nurturing environment we can. We have ,apart from exemplary teachers in the Primary, some of the best facilities in infrastructure anywhere in Asia and a diverse student body that provides another arena of learning when this mixed student body come together to enrich one another through their several interactions .

To this end then, we had most successfully the Parent /Teacher meeting on the 6^th of March , thank you dear parents for making it a point to attend this meeting where we could share our expectations ,our vision and hopes for your sons and  also glean from you your expectations of us . To further this goal, we also had the Choral and Individual Elocution ,  the Singing Contest , the Primary Concert ,the Spelling Bee , the Quiz Contests ,the Art ,Science and Environment  Exhibitions ,the Carols and Christmas Pageant , the Drill Display and of course all the games: Athletics ,Swimming ,  Cricket  and Football….we even had a Mini World Cup Football tournament to match the World Cup 2010 in Africa …we had the wuwuzelas and a replica of the Jules Rimet  Trophy… .only Shakira was missing !!!

As I look back over the year that was lived in the shadow and embrace of the Mountain and on the Mountain’s terms, my heart is filled with a profound sense of gratitude for all that has transpired and for all the people that have contributed to making it what it was. I look with renewed hope and expectation to what the future holds, for the best is yet to come   . I wish to place on record my sincere gratitude and appreciation on behalf of the Primary Division Family to Fr. Rector , Fr. Prefect  and the Jesuit Community .Special thanks to Fr. Arun and the maintenance workers , Mr. Barua , Mr. Kevin and the kitchen staff  ,Miss .Gulapi Sahu  ,the P.D Matron, and Sister Binita our nurse, Br. Nelson , the office staff-Mr .Wangdi Sherpa , Mr. Julian Rudum , Mrs Helma Santiago and Mr Sajid Ahmed . Thank you   Mr. Suraj Tamang , Mr. Sajid Ahmed, Mr. Noel Rai , Mr. Dibakar Dewan and the Rotary Club of Darjeeling who helped with our quizzes . Thank you to Mrs. Vijaya Nicholas who directed our play “Splash” with Mr. Warwick Roberts and all the P.D staff. Thank you to Mr. Alan Lepcha for all the help rendered, so willingly, in designing programmes and painting wonderful backdrops for our concerts .My gratitude goes out to the Senior school teachers, the P.D teachers ,the P.D boys , parents and all the coworkers and well-wishers .Thank you ever so much for your support ,cooperation and unstinting belief in us and all that we do . My humble thanks to Almighty God who has held us by the hand and carried us through this year.

As I close , I wish  all the members of our North Point family and her extended family of parents, alumni, benefactors and well-wishers the constancy , strength , serenity, tranquility and endurance of the Mountain as  you negotiate the storms in your life .May God continue to bless you with Mountain-Top experiences ….yes, I wish you Life in abundance .

Thank you all once again.

Andre Le Fevre

(Headmaster Primary Division)

To write about North Point, is a task in itself as this House of Education can not be summed up in just a few lines.  As the Lower Division Coordinator these are my general impression regarding the education system at North Point under Jesuit Education of Ignatian Pedagogy, to educate the adolescent of present high tech consumerist culture.

Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood.  At this stage as Erikson noted that the chief conflict is one of identity versus identity confusion. Hence the task for adolescents is to develop individuality. Keeping this in mind St. Joseph’s School North Point has been successful in “bringing out” the best among the Students’ individuality by the Principle of Cura personalis – personal care and concern for the individual that has been a Hallmark of Jesuit education system.  The holistic development of a child depends upon the situation and circumstances provided around him at the time of his formative age. The centuries-old nature-versus-nurture debate concerns the relative degree to which heredity and learning affects individual’s development.  Both genetic traits and environmental circumstances are likely to be involved, although the amount each expresses depends on the individual and his circumstances.   Hence North Point provides over 100 years enriched tradition and culture as well as the Modern Educational Schemes to every individual irrespective of cast, creed or culture, equally but uniquely.

The true education does not consist merely or mainly in the training of the intellect or in the acquirement of knowledge as these words are generally used. “True education consists in the harmonious development and balancing of all the faculties”.  Weekly tests and semester examinations are familiar instruments to assess the degree of mastery of knowledge and skills achieved by an individual. Ignatian Pedagogy, however, aims at evaluation which goes beyond academic mastery to the learners’ well-rounded growth as man for others. Jesuit education is a call to human excellence, to the fullest possible development of all human qualities. It is a call to critical thinking and disciplined studies, a call to develop whole person, head and heart, intellect and feelings.

As per Howard Gardner the nine types of intelligence are – Naturalist, musical, logical-mathematical, existential, interpersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, intra-personal and spatial.  Therefore, I consider North Point as a Complete House of Education as I witness the amount of effort put into each of these spheres of intelligence where the introduction of Awarding “Blue Coat” in every field, apart from sports, encourage and challenge our students to shun mediocrity and strive for excellence (MAGIS).

“Morning Prayer for a North Pointer” – includes the following lines “Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may lend a hand to a faltering brother” and every North Pointer is expected to live up to the Motto of the school “SURSUM CORDA” (Lift up your hearts).

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our inspired Rector, Rev. Fr. Kinely Tshering sj for entrusting in me the responsibility of Lower Division Coordinator, the new post created to mentor the boys from classes 6 to 8.  It is my privilege to be with these young geniuses at their formative age.  With the Principle of Tantum Quantum (that which works better is adopted and assessed and proved ineffective is discarded), “our home in the mountains” endeavour to be better and better as a perfect Jesuit Institution. The galaxy of “Master Learners” is the pride of North Point under the able leadership of Rev. Fr. Rector.  For every individual, to shoulder responsibilities, at North Point, the School of Excellence and Competence, is really a great honour.

SURSUM CORDA

Suraj Tamang

My 24^th year is coming to completion at North Point.  I have seen North Point changing itself gradually in its effort to produce appropriate men for others.  ‘Follow the leader to assist him in bringing out the best from every individual’ has always been the way of life at North Point. We all work in harmony with one another and are a part of every change that takes place.  Therefore have been closely witnessing every change, development and achievement which is taking place here. In spite of that, when I sit back and reflect on the past few years at North Point, it feels amazing to feel the rapidity with which changes, developments and achievements have taken place. As has been said earlier – ‘North Point lives at present, as the past is a history and the future is a mystery’. If you were a part of North Point and involved yourself in it, you would definitely say that at present it is a winning school. This is something, which must be felt more than viewed. A winning school, not because it has won again the Burns Shield for swimming or Himalayan Aquatic Championship at Sikkim. Not because it won the Badminton Carnival for the 17^th time in a row or Volleyball, Table-tennis Carnival and ISC Football tournament. Not because it has bagged the N. M. Master’s shield for Elocution or the Governor’s Award for scouting, and did extremely well in inter-school athletics, music, art and many more activities this year. But it is defeating the attitude ‘I’ll give it a try but I don’t think it will work’. It is winning over the false idea that only supermen are successful people. As a result, many prestigious awards and titles have been won by students who had serious drawbacks in the beginning. Thanks to the Rector Fr. Kinley Tshering who right from the beginning had strongly believed that ‘Each child is equal to the best’ having ample knowledge talents and skills. The only thing they require is the right attitude towards everything and he has really worked hard at this. More opportunities, challenges and rewards were thus created. Many converted these opportunities and challenges into rewards. Parents must have noticed the number of students winning the awards on Rector’s Day this year. Fr. Rector believes that if a child is brought up in his pure consciousness, he will become the source of all possibilities and infinite creativity and he has proved it right. New talents have been surfacing in huge numbers day by day with the old ones raising the bar for themselves…as the best is yet to come.

I therefore strongly feel that ‘At North Point, Every Child Is A Winner, & We Continue The Winning School’.

SURSUM CORDA.

Mr. D. N. Pradhan

(Headmaster)

Fr. Gerald E. Leclaire, S.J.

(FORMER RECTOR)

July 21, 1928 – May 23, 2010

Fr. Gerald Leclaire died peacefully on May 23, 2010, at Rene Goupil House in Pickering, Ontario. He was in his 82nd year of life and 63rd year of Jesuit life.

Fr. Leclaire was born in Montreal, Quebec. After four years at D’Arcy McGee High School he entered the Society of Jesus at Guelph on September 7, 1947. After philosophy in Toronto, he. Studied history at the University of Toronto for three years. In 1957 he was missioned to Darjeeling, India. His ordination took place on March 22, 1961. Father’s priestly ministry began in Gayaganga as co-pastor. In 1965 he moved to St. Joseph’s College in Darjeeling to become Rector and Prefect of Studies. His teaching centred on history and theology.

In 1978 Fr. Leclaire accepted a posting to the Kingdom of Bhutan. He became principal of Sherubtse School in eastern Bhutan. For Eleven years Fr. Leclaire carried the burden of this school and then in 1989 returned to St. Joseph’s College as principal and lecturer. He was appointed Rector in 1997, a post he held for only two years before suffering a massive stroke while on a visit to Canada.

Fr. was never able to return to India.

Fr.E.P.Burns

Fr. Edgar Peter Burns S.J.

April 26,1925-May 17,2010

Fr. Burns was born in Montreal Canada, in 1925, but because Fr. Burns father worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Fr. Burns learnt early in life to adapt to new surroundings, a quality which has so helped him to adapt to India and to the Hills for the last fifty eight years, so much so that he considers Darjeeling his home.

Fr. Burns was educated in Jesuit schools in Canada, where he was an all-round student, till he entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1943. Even while he was in the Novitiate, his superiors recognized his ability to win friends and influence people, and his effectiveness as a popular preacher. In 1951 he came to India and Fr. Burns was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1958 in Kurseong.

After finishing theology, Fr. Burns joined St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, where he taught English for twenty five full years, and was also involved in football and dramatics.

Begun in 1969, Hayden Hall was the concrete realization of Fr. Burns dreams to have a centre in town where students and alumni of St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling  , could have hands-on  experience  of working with   and for their poorer brothers and sisters, for their development and for the development of the Hills; and in providing an opportunity for educated local lay people to become agents of change and men and women for others, by allowing them to express their concern, through loving service and skill for those  less fortunate than themselves. Since Fr. Burns believed that the poor should only get the best, in terms of education, medical care, skills training and income generating opportunities, a new Hayden Hall was built in 1972, where the old Albert Lodge used to be.

To conclude, Fr. Burns is a man of God, having a powerful witness of God’s love for man for the  last sixty five years; a prayerful man, a faithful companion of Jesus, having tried to live Christ gospel values of love and compassion through all his works, especially Hayden Hall; a man for others, however poor or wretched the other might be; teacher and a pioneer, since a number of ex-students are now on the Staff, the Managing Committee and the Governing Board of Hayden Hall Institute.

Winter Camp- once a vision, now a reality

The cold winter also seems to be desolate and depressing but on the 28^th of December 2009 a new dawn arrived for those avid hearts attending the winter camp. Every year there is an escalation in the numerical strength of the students, this year was no different with more than a thousand students attending the camp at the initiation of the winter camp.

An idle mind is the Devil workshop and most of the parents fear that their children might get into bad company and bad habits. However the winter camp comes as a savior and eradicates the fear of the parents. Not only is the winter camp a chance for acquiring knowledge but the students as receive other opportunities to express themselves.

At the start of the winter camp we find the inflow of students reaching to almost 1000 pupils but as the days elapsed, the volume of pupils decreased and remained static at around 700 to 800 students.

The first week felt a bit uneasy for the volunteers. We had to do a lot of hard work in settling the students into their respective classes. The second week brought a spell of calmness upon the winter camp. The mind of the Volunteers was finally at ease as the winter camp began to run smoothly and effectively.

Many teachers, students, parents and ex-North Pointers participated in the winter camp, knowing that they would be sacrificing their winter holidays in the process. Little did they know that this experience would be more enriching and satisfying than any vacation they could imagine. Teachers who require special mention are:

Sir Pravesh Pradhan, who with his dazzling personality stunned the winter camp students into silence and generated admiration for him and the school.

Fr. Alex Beck, with his iron hand maintained the discipline of the school and saw to it that everything fell in place like clockwork.

Other teachers like Mr. Ivan Gurung, Mr. Malcolm Chettri, Mr. Lawrence Neville, Mrs. J. K. Gurung and a special parent Mrs. Sushma Tamang also need to be thanked as they all played a big part in making the winter camp a success.

A normal day would see the students rush to the field anxious to take the opportunities given to them. They were provided with games such as football, basketball, badminton, etc and a stage to perform. It was a happy moment to the volunteers to see the students making full use of the opportunities being given to them. Along with the games and co-curricular activities planned for them we also focused on spoken English Computers and perhaps Maths too. They were served food every day after the classes.

The first major event that fell upon us was the winter camp marathon. Although it was voluntary to participate we saw a large turnout of the students. The marathon was a big success and much appreciated by all the participants. Through this large turnout we could see that the students were ready to grab any presented opportunity unlike some of our students who are presented opportunities at every nook and corner but yet shy away from all of them.

Republic day- a day of pride for all Indians, it was no less an honour for the students of the winter camp. They all showed their respect to this day by donning on their cultural attire. Their day was made joyful through various games and activities that took place that day.

Picnic a word that emanates with enjoyment and fun. The picnic to Tiger Hill on the 30^th of January was none the less different. The long hike from Chowrasta to the serene Tiger hill was very enjoyable. The day was delightful and students danced to the music and had the fun experience of laying housie. Intrigue also filled the day as we hid the gift items for the students to search which they thoroughly enjoyed.

The Cultural Event, Variety programme and Sports took place on alternate days and we saw a tremendous amount of hidden talent in the students which they displayed in full proficiency. Our judges were exhilarated by their performances and their performances were admired by all. Talent along with great character was seen on the field through the determination of the participants.

A day filled with tears and smiles, tears of parting and the joy of a new experience filled the heart of almost everyone. A beautiful parting gift in a form of a heart-touching programme awaited all. The programme even touched the heart of our Rector and he felt such talented students should be given the opportunity to show their talent in front of the North Point Family. We hope that our student body admired the performances as much as we enjoyed it.

Winter Camp the vision of one man six winters ago to “lend a hand to a faltering brother, to provide the underprivileged with an opportunity that we North Pointers enjoy the whole year. A vision which has manifested into reality and grown from strength to strength ever since. The Rector was a source of great motivation and inspiration not only for the students of the winter camp but also for the teachers and Volunteers of the Winter Camp. His kind and inspiring words would fire our hearts and soul for magis

Although this Winter Camp was the vision of our Rector it is equally being supported by our Prefect, Fr. Alex Beck. He has been standing tall as the backbone of the Winter Camp for the past few years and has done a great job to enhance the quality of the Winter Camp year after year.

Abhishek Rayamajhi & Praatik Tamding