T h e B l o s s o m i n g
The big question that everyone kept
asking was SO WHAT? What if an association came up? Now we started to
diversify, but our primary aim was still the same, to network all the old
students wherever they are and achieve a collective goal. We framed our dual
aim of being useful to the current students by assisting the school in its
development, and striving towards a positive change in the lives of the needy.
Activities were hence divided into those towards school assistance and those
for service. Although the will and spirit to initiate and conduct regular
service activities was there, by then, the old students were too scattered to
manage a program on a regular basis. However, the message spread to other
students and many old students began to participate actively in the ongoing
service activities at the Mental Hospital, King George Hospital and other
Samiti events. Since most of them made it to the mental
hospital regularly, at one time there was a dominant thought that we should make
the mental hospital as the place to convene and discuss the activities (But
that was given up because of some good advice!).
As
days rolled by and as we began to think what else we could do to help the
current students, it struck to us that we need to prepare them for the world
that begins after matriculating from school. The real world! “It’s a jungle out
there” was the adage when we left school and it is no surprise that every tenth
batch that passes out of school feels the same way. To address this very
important issue, we arranged a Career Guidance Drive for all the then tenth
class students. Old students from all walks of life came forth with their own
experiences in choosing their careers and provided a comprehensive outlook of
how 'the jungle could be & how we can best maneuver through it'! It was a
tremendous success and clearly has become the first connection for the current
students to the ‘after school’ scenario. No wonder, the school requests such
Career guidance initiatives to be organized more often and to even lower
classes. It clearly became the second major activity that was totally conceived
and presented as the SOS activity, the first being the school day function.
We marched ahead and decided that
we need a stronger voice and a firm platform to discuss and decide our future
steps. This led to the first anniversary function of the SOS that was organized
as an independent function, which included lots of fun and value games. But,
most importantly, decisions were taken to shape a more organized and
constructive functioning. The decision to provide Internet facility to the
school was agreed upon and the
logistics were worked out to make that possible. With generous contributions by
our Sai brothers and sisters, we could materialize the idea.
We
had always been an integral part of the Samiti activities and when the call
came for the First Yuva Jaagrithi at Visakhapatnam, we, the old students have
played a major role in making the Youth Festival a great success. SOS has been
an active participant in the numerous Sai Samithi projects and its members work for all sai activities
whether it be a medical camp, or mental hospital service, a bhajan session at
the mandir or a spiritual picnic. Whenever an old student is involved an
activity, it becomes an SOS activity and whenever it is done with other
members, within the scope of the rules and regulations of the Sathya Sai Seva
Samithi, it becomes a Samithi activity. Hence, we are all part of the noble
fabric.
The
Inauguration of the Internet Facility was done on the evening of the Teachers’ day of 1999. In the presence
of all distinguished Samithi members, the service was inaugurated and dedicated
to the school. We expected a huge response from the school seeing the
enthusiasm of the students, but unfortunately, that was not how the way things
worked out. The service could not be fully utilized. This project is still
being pursued and being pressed forward to make the best use of the facility.
Finally,
the day arrived when our beloved Principal madam Prameela Abburi was retiring
and a grand function was organized. The function was grand not because of the
settings, but because all our hearts were filled with love, affection and
gratitude for our madam which was manifested in the poem that we, the SOS, presented
to her as a laminated picture. Days of hard work gave fruit to the most
cherished SOS magazine, which we lovingly named as Spandhana. This project has
been in the pipeline for so many years and could not have been possible without
the support of some wonderful literary brains that worked day and night into
what should go in and how should it look. We went headed for this activity
without any clue as to what and how the final product would look like. But, it
was all Swami’s grace that it was a huge success.
Just
like the saying "the best always come the last", two major activities were done
recently. Why we call them major is because the amount of team effort that it
takes to create them is just enormous. The first was the play by the old
students "Vidya Vinayae Sampannae" for the School day of 2000. It was practiced
for days together and everyone attended the rehearsal sessions with such
adorable commitment, despite their busy schedules. Also, the song 'Tera pyaar
paaa kar' was presented by the old students, followed by a skit about the power
of human values.
The second is the SOS website.
Over the past few years, a web site with some information was hosted by a
couple of old students. But, a comprehensive site specially dedicated for the
activities of SOS was increasingly realized to be a necessity. With the
expertise of a few professionals who are alumni of the school, the site was
built in a wonderful fashion in a short period of time and now we can all
proudly announce the launch of our very own official website www.studentsofsai.com - The one stop
portal for information and news of all SOS activities, where, your friend who
is miles away would be virtually a click away. The task took huge amounts of
coordinated efforts and commitment on the part of a select group of old
students who spared no efforts into making this a wonderful one, since all that
they had in their minds was that this is Sai’s work and it has to be just
perfect.
A Sanskrit Prayer
LOOK TO THIS DAY
Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!
Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course, lies all its verities
And realities of our existence:
The Bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today well lived makes every
Yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day!
Such is the salutation of the dawn.
We must all pray to Swami that this blossoming flower must perpetuate its brilliance and fragrance forever and ever and ever.
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