e 7 SPSA AGBM 5. p.m. Thursday, August (Page 4) 9 Annual School Sports 9. a.m. Friday, 6 August... 9 years ofs.p.s.a... Echoes From SHY ANNUAL NEWSLETTER From, SPSA Sacred Heart Anglo-Indian Girls' High School, Yercaud - 66 6. Salem District, Tamilnadu, Sou INDIA. Phone : 48 - Email : spsa_yercaud@rediffmail.com Website : www.shyalumni.com
From e President s desk... st March Dear Members, "The happiness of life is made up of little ings - a smile, a helping hand, a caring heart, a word of praise, a moment of shared laughter. We are most alive in ose moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. -Thornton Wilder How I wish I had stayed in touch wi my school friends! is one recurring eme among e many regrets I often hear being expressed by past students when ey visit S.H.Y. They say is, not only wi a sense of loss of not being able to reconnect wi e past but also wi a tinge of envy on ose blessed ones who take time to chat, to meet, to visit and us keep in touch wi and benefit from ose 'loving relationships' of eir younger days. Today more an ever, in our busy, stressful world we feel e need to claim e time and e space to care for ourselves. More and more ere is a conscious awareness at it is only from having a right relationship wi ourselves at we can form right relationships wi oers, wi society, wi e universe. And rough forming right relationships wi our Creator God and wi e rest of creation, we come back again to a new sense of ourselves and of our own beauty and preciousness... For everying flowers from wiin, of self blessing (Galway Kinnel). Memories are always special Sometimes you laugh by remembering e days you cried; at oer times you cry by remembering e days you laughed!!! Having a variety of friends who are all so different in character, wi each one helping to bring out a "different" part of you, friends are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When completed, ey form a treasure box- a treasure of friends who understand you better an yourself, who support you rough good days and bad days. Real Age doctors tell us at friends are good for our heal. Dr. Oz calls em 'Vitamin F'( 'F' for Friends) and counts e benefits of friends as essential to our well being. Research shows at people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes; if you enjoy 'Vitamin F' constantly you can be up to years younger an your real age. The warm of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments it decreases e chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 5%. Having a stock of 'Vitamin F', valuing your friends and keeping in touch wi em, you can see e funny side of ings and laugh togeer, and pray for each oer in e tough moments. To all ose who keep emselves away from school or school friends, due to some adverse experiences ey had while ey were in S.H.Y., I like to say: when you look back on your school days, you may see pain, mistakes, heart aches along wi friendship, fun and joy. But now when you look at yourself in e mirror, if you are able to see streng, confidence, freedom, self esteem and pride in yourself, en S.H.Y. has done its part of nurturing and assisting in your grow, moulding you to become who you are In Life you will realize at ere is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But e most important are e ones from whom you learn life's lessons, who inspire you, bring out e best in you, respect you and accept you for who you are. Many of ese persons have been like shade trees and canteens for you along e journey. Those are e ones wor keeping around. To smile wiout condition, to walk wiout intention, to give wiout expectation ese are e beauties of any relationship. Learn to let go break e cycle of pain wi e healing power of forgiveness.. enjoy a lighter heart and experience more freedom and joy.
You have a great beauty hidden wiin you, waiting to be explored!! Every person who touches your life, helps shape it. Basic trust is e way of smoo living. You may not be good to everyone, but you will be e best person to e one who trusts you. You certainly listen to ose whom you trust more. If you are a good listener, you would hear music even in a shopping complex, in a market place and from e waves of e sea. We all need to fail a few times. Only en we will understand at people are going to love us, even when we are less an perfect. Forgiveness means allowing oers to make mistakes while allowing yourself and oers to keep moving forward. Our service at S.H.Y. and rough S.P.S.A. is a small effort by a few to connect e dots in life; to show at in e midst of all e variety of life and e 'bitter sweet' events at occur, ere is a read of meaning holding us togeer. To trace at web of meaning and e pattern of significance in moments great and small, we need to look at 'WHO stands behind and beside us'. Because when we believe at God is at e heart of em, we labour to bring blessing and encouragement to all in our journeys of life. Our prayer for you is at your lives are full of confidence in God at you realize He is closer to you an you are to yourselves and at He knows noing apart from an enduring love of you, whatever mistakes you may make or dead ends you might enter. Taking time to reflect on who you are, you rise above being just a doing, rushing person and instead fill your lives wi peace, joy and positive energy. Pearls lie not on e seashore. If you desire one, you must dive for it. We live in a world in which ere is so much scarcity in e midst of plenty. We can encourage scarcity by keeping our gifts and possessions to ourselves and not sharing em. Even when we share em, we may do it for fame and name or for greater reward and honour. As educated elite, earning well, having weekends free, it is our bounden duty to use our time and resources well, by engaging ourselves in social justice. Compassion to oers especially e poor, e elderly and e infirm becomes offering, first to whom we feel wi, en to God. It becomes an act of reverence, of worship and of gratitude, for God sees e heart, not e weal we possess or give away. To him who loves best, a gift from heaven comes unawares, as a surprise. The pace of life has speeded up enormously creating a whole set of problems not known or imagined before. New problems need new solutions and new solutions require creativity and imagination. It is aptly said at an ordinary person tries million times; but only a person of ambition tries once in million ways. A Jewish grandmoer was giving directions to her grown grandson who was coming to visit wi his wife. "You come to e front door of e apartment #. Wi your elbow, push button on e big panel at e front door. It will buzz you in. Come inside, get in e elevator on e right and wi your elbow push. When you get out, wi your elbow hit my doorbell on e left." "Grandma, at sounds easy, but, why am I hitting all ese buttons wi my elbow?... "What....... Are you coming empty handed? Wi e assurance of my prayerful remembrance and affectionate wish to each of you for a fruitful life, Sr. Caerine President S.P.S.A.
Office Bearers & Committee members... for e year - A True story titled... Office Bearers President Vice President (Non - Resident) Vice President (Resident) Treasurer Secretary Assistant Secretary - Sr.Caerine - Mr.Suresh Kamak - Mr.Vishu Kaliappa - Mrs.T.Kokila - Mrs.Sheila Abraham - Mr.Richard Gomes Committee Members. Sr. Nancy. Mr. S. M. Shabeer Ahamed. Mr. Natesan Ganesh 4. Mrs. Prashani Praveenkumar 5. Mrs. K. Arylakshmi 6. Mrs. Rajshree Pradeep 7. Mrs. Sumi Nagalakshmi 8. Mrs. Shobana Senilnaan
Invitation to e 7 AGBM... My Dear SHYians, There is a saying Time waits for no one. This is a absolutely true as we can all see at e year is just whizzing past and it is almost time, once again, for us to meet at e 7 Annual General Body Meeting has been scheduled to be held on Thursday 5 August.Venue S.H.Y. Old Concert Hall. 7 ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING OF THE S.P.S.A Date: Time: Venue: Thursday 5 August. p.m. S.H.Y. Old Concert Hall We welcome suggestions, ways and means of improvement and new ideas. Please, erefore, come prepared. After e Meeting let us all gaer to make it an evening filled wi laughter, music, fun and games; of course, ere will be prizes to be won. After all e excitement, please do share wi us some SNACKS and TEA specially prepared for e occasion. The much awaited event - S.H.Y. ANNUAL SPORTS DAY is scheduled to be held on Friday 6 August commencing at 9.am. You ve got to be ere too! All you have to do is to mark ese dates 5 and 6 August on your calendar and simultaneously make your travel plans. Wi my best wishes and see you soon. Yours in S.P.S.A. Sheila Abraham SECRETARY AGENDA. Prayer. Welcome. Minutes of e 6 Annual General Body Meeting to be read and passed. 4. Messages from Members unable to attend. 5. Consideration of e Annual Report of e working of e Association for e year -. 6. Adoption of e Annual Statement of Receipts & Payments for e year -. 7. Presenting e Budget for e year - 4. 8. Any oer matters wi e permission of e Chair. 9. Election of e Working Committee for e year - 4. 4
Message from e Secretary... My dear SHYians, There is a saying Times waits for no man. This is absolutely true, because before we knew it, was like a whirlwind, just whizzing rough wiout a break. Before we even realized what was happening, e whole world was ushering in e New Year. Every New Year brings wi it a lot of hope, resolutions, planning, expectations and happiness. The way e world is evolving we need to take a look at a clearer picture of what tomorrow has in store. It is now at we turn to e Good Lord for his protection and guidance in whatever we ink, say or do. The above guidelines should take us rough is year wi zeal and confidence in our lives. Looking back at : The Annual General Body Meeting was attended by 4 Members. The games organised by S.H.Y. Staff members Marie D' Cruz, Sudha Gunasekar, Uma Nagarajan and Marie Gomes were unique and very interesting. I would like to place on record e culinary expertise of Mrs. and Mr. Vishu Kaliappa who spared no pains in serving a very delightfully tasty dinner. Thank you Vishu and Malar. It was a good year for Batch 987 as ey celebrated eir Silver Jubilee amidst e fun and frolic ey always cherished. Their love for e Sisters and Teachers was pronounced, when ey organised a Luncheon in Yercaud. This was just eir way of saying Thank You. Kudos to all of you. Membership: As on date e streng of our Association has reached a figure of 8 Members. I may be repeating myself; nevereless, it is due to e untiring efforts of our dear President, Sr. Caerine, who leaves no stone unturned in getting as many Members into e fold. S.P.S.A. Committee: I would not be doing full justice if I did not mention at I am extremely grateful to each one of you for your spirit, enusiasm, sincerity and love for your Alma Mater, which makes is Committee 'tick'!! Looking forward to : At is juncture, I would request all of you to try your best to attend e Annual General Body Meeting. You can make your travel bookings now. We normally hold is Meet during e Independence Day weekend. I promise at you will return home wiout any regret. We will give you a wonderful time, which you will always remember!! On is note, I would like to wish each SHYian and your loved ones e best of everying in life. Sincerely, SHEILAABARAHAM Secretary 5
Echoes from S.H.Y... February - March from e fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after anoer. (John : 6) From all of us in S.H.Y.: Anoer fresh new year is here.. anoer year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, to love and laugh and give! This bright New Year is given me to live each day wi zest... To daily grow and try to be my highest and my best! I have e opportunity once more to right some wrongs, To pray for peace, to plant a tree, and sing more joyful songs! JOYS: We rejoice wi all e newly weds, ose blessed wi babies and grandchildren, ose emselves or eir children fare well in eir studies and secure good jobs, ose 'achievers' in eir respective fields, whose business flourish bringing along financial security, ose who engage in uplifting e weak, bringing solace to e needy, smiles to e lonely and comfort to e sorrowing by eir philanropic and oer enterprising projects making S.H.Y. feel proud of her children of yester years. Hearty congratulations and hats off to all of you!!! On 5 June, we were delighted to receive e news of e election of Sr. Claire Houareau in Paris as our new Superior General replacing Sr. Morag Collins whom we ank sincerely for her generous and devoted service during e past years. SORROWS: Ramesh: On 9 March, we were shocked to receive e news of e sudden demise of Ramesh, one of our past boys in Yercaud who met an untimely end in a tragic accident while picnicking along wi his friends. His sisters Jayashree and Rama Devi too were S.H.Y. students. The Sisters, teachers and past students visited eir parents and condoled e family members. Raju Vengu (959-96): On 7 August we were shattered and deeply saddened at e loss of our very dear past student Raju Vengu due to a massive heart attack at Mayavaram where he had visited e temples and offered prayers as he was stepping into his 6 Birday. He was e beloved husband of anoer past student Sumai Raju (968 975) and parent of Dhivya Raju (99 ) whom ey lost in 9.As a resident of Yercaud at Chencaud Estate, he was well known for his warm and cheerful disposition, hospitality, generous availability, hard work and dedication. He was a loyal friend to all of us in S.H.Y. Sisters, Teachers and Children alike were always welcomed into his house and estate for picnics or a tea out. He served S.P.S.A. from its inception at various capacities and in recent years as a vibrant Committee member. Whenever we wished, his house was open to us for committee meetings which offer we made use of liberally. Raju, come, Raju, come back to our world.. in your inimitable humour, spinning stories and yarns to tell us of e wonders of life up ere at luminous light you see wi your eyes and soak in at blissful vision. The trade mark of your lasting affection stubbornly refuses to go into oblivion despite your absence in is material world. A beacon of light, a ray of hope you were in your better half's life. Now she is left alone to fend for herself, her days and nights drowned in sorrow. Let your glowing steadfast fai and radiant pristine smile, framed in grace and charm cast e gloom away st Dinky Xavier (97-94): We were saddened by e passing away of Dinky Xavier in Australia on September. We offer our heartiest condolences to e families of all ose who have lost eir dear ones and assure you of our affectionate support. You are in our prayers. There were a lot of visits - ose visiting school after many or a few years, first time after leaving school, first time wi 6