MAYO COLLEGE
SPEECH GIVEN AT 128TH PRIZE GIVING ON 03 DEC 11
BY THE CHIEF GUEST
GEN VK SINGH, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF
His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji, President Mayo College General Council, Members of the General Council, Principal, parents, dignitaries who are present here, dear students, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great pleasure to be here and to be watching this beautiful setting of 106 years old Pavilion filled with the colours of the houses and the Silver Jubilee Batch on one side. I dare say that such a setting is not available in whole of the world!
Mayo has had a name for itself and what this Pavilion signifies is what I would like to say in few words. One, it tells the School that you have a history. It tells the School that you have foundations which are extremely strong. And it tells you that when you are sitting here in a world of today you need to take these foundations in a manner that you are able to do extremely well and make a name for yourself.
A residential school is known by what it does for its students. It is known for how it shapes its students. It’s my personal belief that education is not just academics; education is development of the all round personality of a student which allows the student to step into the world with confidence, with pride, with knowledge and with the know how that will take the student forward and to success. I am quite sure your School does that. And I say this with confidence because I have been part of a residential school and I have known Mayo for a very long time. The way your School has come up, the way the former royalty and nobles and founding fathers have nurtured your School and the way your Principals have shaped the School, I have no doubt that each one of you is being well equipped to do extremely well when you go out of the School into the world.
The Principal just read out the names of few Alumni who made a mark last year. I’m quite sure some day there will be many more names added from amongst the students who are present today. Your School has had a great defence mooring if I can call it that way. You have had strong connections with the military. Both, Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji and Gen Lalotra highlighted this. All I can say is that with the type of curriculum you follow, with the type of things that you do and learn here, you won’t find any other profession better than the Defence Services to choose. You will find that it will be a natural extension of what you are doing here when you enter the Defence Services and I have no doubts that some of you who choose to make the Defence Services as a career will do extremely well and will do Mayo proud.
Any institution is known to excel by the team it has on the top. It includes the Principal and the faculty. And it is this team that makes the School and takes it forward. Having been here and interacted with you all and of course, having known Gen Lalotra your Principal for a very long time, I have no doubt that with him and the faculty that is present here, you are getting the best and you will be able to ensure that your School is counted as ‘the Best’ and not ‘one of the best’.
Just a message for the proud parents who are here to witness this event. We as parents, when we send our children to a residential school have a couple of thoughts in our mind. There are some parents amongst us who feel that they are putting their child in a residential school so that the child is groomed and does well, there are a few parents who feel that ‘it is a good riddance’ because, they don’t have to bother about the child any more. I am quite sure that majority of the parents who are present here fall in the first category. This is why you have come here today to see how your child is doing. You would now be extremely proud of your decision and their achievements which you would have witnessed over the last two days. The School constantly needs your support in all possible affairs. It is this interaction between you and the faculty and your wards who are studying here that will make the School even shine much better.
Whenever one comes to a residential school it brings a lot of nostalgia because you transport yourself back to your own school. I feel extremely happy to see you all in your house safas with a smile on your face, cheering all the award winners and ensuring that you take a vow to do extremely well when the time comes.
Thank you.
Jai Hind!
Mayo has had a name for itself and what this Pavilion signifies is what I would like to say in few words. One, it tells the School that you have a history. It tells the School that you have foundations which are extremely strong. And it tells you that when you are sitting here in a world of today you need to take these foundations in a manner that you are able to do extremely well and make a name for yourself.
A residential school is known by what it does for its students. It is known for how it shapes its students. It’s my personal belief that education is not just academics; education is development of the all round personality of a student which allows the student to step into the world with confidence, with pride, with knowledge and with the know how that will take the student forward and to success. I am quite sure your School does that. And I say this with confidence because I have been part of a residential school and I have known Mayo for a very long time. The way your School has come up, the way the former royalty and nobles and founding fathers have nurtured your School and the way your Principals have shaped the School, I have no doubt that each one of you is being well equipped to do extremely well when you go out of the School into the world.
The Principal just read out the names of few Alumni who made a mark last year. I’m quite sure some day there will be many more names added from amongst the students who are present today. Your School has had a great defence mooring if I can call it that way. You have had strong connections with the military. Both, Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji and Gen Lalotra highlighted this. All I can say is that with the type of curriculum you follow, with the type of things that you do and learn here, you won’t find any other profession better than the Defence Services to choose. You will find that it will be a natural extension of what you are doing here when you enter the Defence Services and I have no doubts that some of you who choose to make the Defence Services as a career will do extremely well and will do Mayo proud.
Any institution is known to excel by the team it has on the top. It includes the Principal and the faculty. And it is this team that makes the School and takes it forward. Having been here and interacted with you all and of course, having known Gen Lalotra your Principal for a very long time, I have no doubt that with him and the faculty that is present here, you are getting the best and you will be able to ensure that your School is counted as ‘the Best’ and not ‘one of the best’.
Just a message for the proud parents who are here to witness this event. We as parents, when we send our children to a residential school have a couple of thoughts in our mind. There are some parents amongst us who feel that they are putting their child in a residential school so that the child is groomed and does well, there are a few parents who feel that ‘it is a good riddance’ because, they don’t have to bother about the child any more. I am quite sure that majority of the parents who are present here fall in the first category. This is why you have come here today to see how your child is doing. You would now be extremely proud of your decision and their achievements which you would have witnessed over the last two days. The School constantly needs your support in all possible affairs. It is this interaction between you and the faculty and your wards who are studying here that will make the School even shine much better.
Whenever one comes to a residential school it brings a lot of nostalgia because you transport yourself back to your own school. I feel extremely happy to see you all in your house safas with a smile on your face, cheering all the award winners and ensuring that you take a vow to do extremely well when the time comes.
Thank you.
Jai Hind!