The Spirit of Adventure Story

THE “SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE” STORY
OF SAINT PATRICK’S HIGH SCHOOL, SECUNDERABAD

Poornachandra
Class of 1987 (Andrews / Akbar House)

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“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered”.
- G.K. Chesterton, "On Running After One's Hat," All Things Considered, 1908

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The Idea

It was an idea that emerged from my mind over years of outdoor life and after enjoying the pleasure of mountaineering. I wanted to share it with the future generations, and what better place was there to start, than my Alma Mater Saint Patrick’s High School? The objective was not merely to expose young boys to the great outdoors or trekking. The aim is primarily to develop a spirit of adventure and inculcate in each young mind the laudable qualities of team work, cohesiveness, espirit-de-corps, alertness, physical and mental agility, leadership qualities and the ability to face challenges with confidence,resoluteness and a positive attitude. Development of finer personality traits in the growing-up generation is the larger goal. It is important for the kids to go beyond the realm of books and exams and gain education from travelling, exploration and interacting with compatriots and contemporaries from other places. Growth cannot be one-dimensional. I felt it would be great if we could provide some of my successors at school with an opportunity to learn and grow. Inculcating a respect for Mother Nature and imbibing the right values in the context of conservation are only two of the many things learnt through outdoor life. In the words of Alan Alda, “You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will bewonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.” The “Spirit of Adventure” Program aimed to address this aspect, because the students of Saint Patrick’s are essentially elements of an urban environment. Most of us never got a chance to learn some things when we were boys. So it is to be our contribution to the School we cherish and to the future if you see it in a larger perspective.

The Platform

The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) runs a two-week long Adventure Course for boys several times a year. The course puts together a diverse group of youngsters from all over India, and sometimes abroad. They are put through thebasics of camping, trekking, rock-climbing and water sports at picturesque places and under the strict vigil of expert instructors. An element of military discipline is introduced in the institute, which is run by the Ministry of Defence, and administered by the Indian Army. This course is tailor-made for the goals intended to be achieved through our program. After some liaison and personal interaction, I worked out an arrangement whereby some of our boys could undergo this course every winter, from 01 December to 15 December.

The Program

After the concept was bounced around among our alumni and the school administration, the modalities were worked out. The alumni community pledged support in terms of finances to sponsor students, selecting the students and tying up the nitty-gritty. Our expatriate brethren from across the seas generously sent in dollars. Some who were close by in Hyderabad managed the action in terms of selecting suitable boys from the aspirants, arranging train reservations, etc. The Principal and staff of the School pitched in by helping out in every possible way. The parent / guardian community was apprehensive in the beginning, but overcame their fears eventually. The boys went toUttarkashi, trained there and gained valuable exposure and experience apart from love for nature and consciousness for conservation. The Program was launched in 2003, when five boys were sent. 2004 saw the momentum picking upand ten boys attended the course. The response in 2005 was overwhelming, and we succeeded in sponsoring fifteen boys. From 2006 through 2009, ten boys each wentthrough the adventure course. To sum up the statistics, a total number of seventy boys have benefited from this initiative and have returned from a life-changing experience in the outdoors. A great idea could be translated into action only due to the commitment and support from the larger Patrick’s family, especially the alumni. The immediatebeneficiaries were the seventy students who attended the course. Looking at the big picture, it was the entire community that gained from the Spirit of Adventure awakened in young minds.

Credits

Amongst all the sponsors, some names stand out amongst so many who made the Program successful so far, inspite of busy schedules and personal commitments. Master Lucas D Silva was the pathfinder from the School’s side, as he did most of the spade work. Master Rajendra took over the baton from Master Lucas and has made an invaluable contribution to the program. We are grateful for the support and encouragement provided by successive Principals at Saint Patrick’s High School, Reverend Fathers Gnanadevan, William and Alex for beingextremely cooperative in sending the boys for the course, even at a time of the year when half-yearly exams are conducted. Anil Challa shared my passion and helped me in translating thought to action and break the inertia when we began seven years ago. Subir Khushal and Srini Nagasundaram led from the front in sorting out the teething problemsand organizing the event during the genesis. Senthil Ramaswamy, Radhe Shyam Lenka, Jatavallabha Vishnubhatla, Paul Lobo, Niraj Keswani, Sohail Sikora, BJ Kiran Kymar Reddy, Ravi Upadhyayula and Anil Pai have been constant companions in mobilizing the required funds. Over the last seven years, an amount of close to Rupees Three Lakhs (INR 3,00,000) has been pumped into the program by alumni to pay for the course fees at NIM, travel costs of students and escorts, and incidental expenditure. As the man whothought up this entire program, I have tried everything including propping-up the budget at various times, just so that my brainchild did not die for want of care or nourishment. My poor memory and poorer maintenance of records (courtesy my wandering lifestyle in the Army and the ethereal nature of information stored on my computer), prevents me from mentioning the names of all those sponsors who contributed money that was the foundation on which our confidence and the execution of the Program was built. My sincere thanks to all my comrades who cheered me on when my spirit flagged in the face of disinterest from the side of students and more often their guardians, and indifference from alumni when it came to pulling their wallets out and showing me the money.

The Future

So far, we have had a great thing going. We have overcome initial problems and broken the inertia. The momentum has got us going for five years. There is a need to keep the Program alive and running so that the Spirit of Adventure is spread. I hope the unflaggingcommitment from our alumni will keep the flame burning. This venture has so far been aself-sustaining one, each year a fresh episode in terms of finances. Hopefully we will evolve in time, as SPAN, the Saint Patrick’s Alumni Network solidifies into a stronger structure. Even as the seventy beneficiaries grow up from boys to men, I sincerely hope they recall what they got and make an effort to give back in equal measure. Someday, it will become a cooperative venture with each one in the present reaching out to one more in the future. Maybe, sometime in the future, we are able to launch a trekking expedition in the Himalayas, involving both alumni and present students. Meanwhile, we hope to continue sending more students to NIM and continue with the Program. We dream, and so find the energy to go on and make it come true. But the key, my brothers, is the involvement and support of more and more alumni.

What We Need And What Needs To Be Done

This involves work, and hence enthusiastic volunteers who can maintain their energy levels in the interesting working environment of our “Saare Jahan Se Achha” India that is Hindustan. We need about Fifty Thousand Rupees (at the present rates) every year, if we wish to sponsor ten students from the school to undergo the adventure course, including their travel expenses. So I call out for committed alumni to stand with me and support the cause.

Please visit the website of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and check the info on the Adventure Course at http://nimindia.org/nim/courses/adventure_course.aspx

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“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
- John Muir

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"Spirit of Adventure 2009" at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering