6th January 2009 - The Scindia School

Fort Fables
Morning
Assembly
The morning assembly is an important event with the entire school gathering at the
Seksaria Hall for prayers, announcements and commendations. The students and faculty
congregate first and wait for the Principal, who arrives accompanied with a school prefect
and invests the occasion with solemn dignity in his ceremonial black gown.
Earlier the assembly was held at the NG
Thakar Reading Room ( now changed to two
classrooms) and the students sat on the
floor while the masters and prefects sat in
chairs along the wall between the doors. The
venue was shifted to the present assembly
Hall, after it was constructed in 1955. The
earlier routine was a brief period of silence
observed, followed by a choral song of nonsectarian
character-usually a Tagore song- and
occasionally a short address by the Principal.
Incidentally even before the song became the
national anthem,The Scindia School students
were singing Jana Gana Mana in the 1930’s
and 1940’s. The other oft quoted words at
The School being “Where the mind is without
fear………”
Two new features were added to the morning
assembly in the Diwali term of the year 1970.
These were the recitation of Sanskrit shloka
followed by a translation of the same in
English. On Tuesdays a short talk on the life of
some great spiritual leader was given after the
assembly song.
When Mr. Dar took over the reins of the
Scindia School he believed in adding colour
to various aspects of school life so as to break
the monotony of the routine. He brought a
lot of innovation and novelty to the morning
assembly. A new version of the school song was
introduced in 1997. The singing of the song
was accompanied not only with the piano but
also with a variety of other Indian instruments,
such as sitar, tabla etc.
A lot of upgradation of the infrastructure
and renovation work was also planned
during that time in keeping with the upbeat
mood of the centenary celebrations. With
all such renovations Mr. Dar feared that the
assembly could be a casualty so he shifted
the New Boy Assembly to SMOAT first so as
to accommodate the entire school - students
and staff - together with the new boys and
their families. Till then this Assembly was held
in the Auditorium with just a few students and
teachers.
This worked so he was inspired to shift one of
the Assemblies outside the hall. What could
be better than around the oval lawn in front
of the academic block. Such a move would
allow an opportunity to use this space while
the hall would be under renovation. Impressed
with the new brass band he wanted them to
play a tune. He also wanted them to hoist the
school flag and bring it down with ceremony
on the same evening. As envisioned by Mr.
Dar even today every Monday morning the
assembly is held in the open where one of
the prefects gives the command and the band
boys march to the flag post. As the bugle is
being blown the prefect hoists the flag. Such
an open air assembly, exposes the students
to the warm sun, bright blue sky, chirping of
the birds and a pleasant beginning to the day.
In such a setting the prayer and the music
have a most refreshing touch. Moreover this
provides an opportunity for the entire school
to assemble together as on the other days the
Junior assembly is held in the corridor on the
first floor.
With a view to improving the public speaking
skills of the students and also to instill in
them a sense of ownership, former principal
Mr N.K. Tewari vested the students with the
responsibility of conducting the Saturday
Assembly. On 27th September 2008 Rishabh
Agarwal of Jayaji House became the first
student to conduct the assembly, something he
takes great pride in. Another initiative with the
same objective was the star speak programme,
so that more students get an opportunity to
speak in the assembly.
Soon after assuming charge as the Principal of
Scindia School Mr Samik Ghosh felt that since
the assembly began on a solemn note with the
recitation of Sanskrit Shlokas it should end
also on a solemn and harmonious note with
the singing of the School songs. Hence now
after the prayer, announcements and speeches
we conclude the assembly on a musical note
unlike earlier when the song followed the
prayer.
There have also been some not so solemn
assemblies, such as the one in which Nalin
Mehta(Ex Rn ’96) who was hidden in an alcove
above, came tumbling down the ceiling! The
assembly which the students conduct on
the morning of the teacher’s day is keenly
awaited as the students impersonate the staff
members and there are numerous humorous
announcements making subtle digs at teachers
which leave the students bemused while the
teachers are sporting enough to enjoy them.
22 FORT
FABLES
VOL 6 | Jan 2010