On 18 February, 2006, students of St.Britto High School, Mapusa, staged an impressive "Passing Out Parade" worthy of a Military School and having cultural items never seen in the Military Schools. It was a sight to see and sounds to capture for an eternity.
The SSC students in "civvies" [black trousers, white shirts and black ties] walked down the steps from the Assembly Hall to the football-cum-parade ground. A hundred and thirty four well turned out boys fit to be "Gentlemen Cadets", with the foreguards carrying the two numbers 2006 and 60, trooped down to a thunderous applause. The fact that there are 134 students in SSC in the 60th year of the school is no mean achievement when birth rates are already on the decline in Goa. The Head boy or Chief Minister of the School, Omar Nunes from Guirim, unfurled the school flag. He was at hand when the 'Principal' or Head Master, Fr.Apollo Cardoz s.j., lit the torch that was then presented to each "house" the Red, Blue, Green and Gold house one by one to represent the passing of knowledge to all the four houses of students in the school. The outgoing 'house commanders' then presented the 'house standards' to the newly elected house commanders fron Standard IX. The school flag then was transferred by Omar Nunes to the CM-elect Sudesh Pillai. From then on the SSC students were the guests of the display. The house-wise troops in their mass PT uniforms of black shorts and house colour shirts marched smartly and in unision behind the new house commanders in Navy white trousers and shirts with the shoulder bars and all. The grey shorts and sky blue shirts of the school uniform were conspicuous by their absence. Times have changed, so have the colours. The only consolation was that the 'right markers' of each house had grey trousers. The turn out was smart. The Brittoites band played the music for the march past, the school and national anthem and for the cultural fiesta. The primary section presented a cross between Hawaii and Maldives in a tribal dance. Large jack leaves for the men and hoola skirts of coconut leaves and red cloth bikini tops for the "girls". In true Polynesian style, the 'girls' carried on dancing with gay abandon ....even then their bikini tops slid down their topless chests. ;-)) I did hear a few gasps and see jaws drop among some in the audience. Well, boys will be boys! Zee-Bras move over, the middle school students did better as cheer leaders than the Mumbai girls at the football finals earlier this year. "Iss duniya mein do tarah ke log hote hain. Ek tarah ke log sari zindagi mein ek hi kaam karte hain. Dusre tarah ke log ek hi zindagi mein sareh kaam karte hain" goes the dialogue of the Big B Amitabh Bacchan in Abhishek Bacchan -Rani Mukherji box office hit movie "Bunty and Bubbly". The hit song "Dhaddak, dhaddak" was picturised and presented by the boys to their seniors, perhaps as an inspiration. We have just one life...and many things to do in it. Pawan means wind. Physical Eduction teacher, Pawan Kumar, has been a breath of fresh air in the St.Britto High School. If proof was wanted, he showed it off like the Pharoahs of Egypt...with live "Pyramids". I have studied for nine years in Brittos and have taken my sons to that school for the last dozen years. Never have I seen such intricate and well executed pyradid in any school. The older boys were even trained to act as 'hydraulic lifts' for the younger ones whom they carried on their shoulders and delivered directly to the third floor of the 'pyramid'. The best part was that the entire exercise was conducted by a student. The grand master, Pawan, had melted into the crowd of spectators. Fantastic delegation of responsibility and capacity building in the students. This is literally learnin-by-doing...and doing it well the first time and everytime! After the inspiring address by the Principal calling upon the students to live up to the school mooto "Deeds, not Words" [Facta non Verba] and to serve God and Country, the National Anthem was sung. Then, it was a solemn and dignified march by the SSC batch of 2006 out of the school gate. It is nice that the school organises this passing out parade, a fitting finale to a dozen years in the school. Most of us on this list were not among the fortunate ones to have a passing out parade. Some made do with a 'farewell party', some others may have not had even that. An event like this is bound to strengthen the emotional ties to the institution. Something that can help create a Old Boys Association once again. Viva Brittos Miguel