Winter Camp- once a vision, now a reality
The cold winter also seems to be desolate and depressing but on the 28th 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 30th 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
