standing distinctly between the Santhome Cathedral on the left and the Russian embassy on the right, the school has nurtured in true Anglo-Indian style the growth and education of countless number of students since its inception in 1907, and its boarding has been home to thousands of Anglo-Indian boys over the last century.

A century.that's right! Soon after Lord Curzon announced the new scheme of European education for the whole of India in 1906-07, the Bishop of Mylapore, Dr. Theotinius Vieira de Castro opened a school separate from the San Thome High school for the benefit of Anglo-Indian children. It opened with 55 pupils in a rented building on the premises of the present school for the deaf and dumb on Santhome High Road. The first Batch of High School candidates from St. Bede's appeared for the European High School examination in 1909, and one of its students emerged topper in the Presidency. In 1914 the school shifted to a nearby location, and the new St. Bede's boarding was started with just three inmates. However, it was not until 1934 that the school was able to move to its permanent premises.

The story of the Boarding though goes back much further as it traces its roots to the Santhome Orphanage which was started sometime in the 1820s by a Portuguese Augustinian friar Manuel de Ave Maria for poor children of European parentage and Anglo-Indians. It is one of the oldest orphanages of its kind in India, and back then it marked the first step towards a great dream - an institution for Anglo-Indian children. In 1909, the Orphanage with 35 boys was handed over to the Salesians by Bishop Theotinius, and the incomparable Fr. Tomatis set about reforming the Boarding's precursor giving it its distinctive culture that is visible until today. He built a chapel, a stage, a new kitchen and organized a brass band that is even now the pride of the school. He ensured that the boys received Holy Communion and provided them with better food, clothes and books thereby boosting their morale like never before. Shortly after his death, the Salesians handed over the institution back to the Diocese of Mylapore in 1928, but by then the number of boys in the orphanage had grown to 280.

The Salesians were however back in 1956 as caretakers of the school (with its new buildings) and the boarding (now merged with the orphanage) thanks to Archbishop Louis Mathias, a Salesian himself and known for his daring and foresight. The team led by Fr. Tuena as rector and Fr. John Mallon as principal took the school to newer heights. Fr. Tuena even started a preparatory school opposite St. Bede's (with Fr. Charles Restelli as its first principal) that is now the St. Dominic Savio Matriculation School, and is celebrating its golden jubilee this year.

Thereafter, St. Bede's has been growing from strength to strength thanks to the watchful care of succeeding rectors and principals (both missionary and Indian), each of whom contributed significantly towards the development of the school. In July 1978 the school adopted the higher secondary pattern of education, offering the students three groups. To accommodate the additional classrooms and laboratories new extension blocks were added in the years 1980 and 1990. The Rinaldi Block inaugurated in 1990 also housed a mini-chapel and the boarders' dormitories. Today the school has 1517 students and 46 staff members on its roll, and the boarding has 100 Anglo-Indian boys.

Succeeding generations of Boarders have in fact lent the school its distinct Anglo-Indian flavour that is almost unmatched elsewhere. The excellence in sports and games, the passion for song and dance, music and drama, the camaraderie and the natural zest for life had always been a royal banquet that every Bedean contributed to and partook of. The showcasing of this talent during the School Annual Days was a feature only to be seen to be believed. The cornucopia of music, melody, costume, dance, prop and stage set-up made for a wonderful pageantry and brought alive the plays of Shakespeare too hauntingly to be forgotten by any Bedean, old or new.

And yet what has endeared St. Bede's to the country has been the sporting talent that it has nurtured over the years. Right from the time the school won the Coronation Sports held in 1911, through being crowned European school champions from 1923 to 1930 to all the inter-school titles it has been winning post-Independence, St. Bede's has dominated other teams in the field of athletics, hockey, football, basketball and volleyball thanks in main to the natural skills of its Anglo-Indian players and sportsmen. The sporting torch of St. Bede's, though less scorching, is still kept aflame even as other games such as cricket and tennis have been added to its illustrious kitty. The school not only has a spacious campus with all sporting amenities, but also boasts of a huge playground near the lighthouse (allotted by the Government in 1916) that can accommodate several matches at a time. Residents of Santhome would be familiar with the daily march of the Anglo-Indian boarders in league shirts and shorts from the school to the playground and back.

Indeed, talking of league, the students of the school are still grouped into four 'houses' called Lions, Tigers, Eagles and Hawks so as to promote healthy competition in academics, sports, culturals and other extra-curricular activities. Although excellence in sports has hogged the limelight, it is also a fact that the school has been doing well in academics, emerging on most occasions with a cent percent success rate in the Board exams, with some students also obtaining ranks of distinction in the State. Credit should be given not only to the teachers, several of whom have been Anglo-Indian, but also to the Salesian priests and brothers who have been rendering sterling service to the Anglo-Indian boys although they themselves do not belong to the community. Boarders will not forget their lovely abode by the sea: arising every morning at six to the sound of their dorm bell refusing to curtsey to the first rays of the Bengal sun, rushing to the chapel for the morning mass, grace at the refectory, buns and dog-biscuits for tea, digging into Iodex canisters for massaging sprained ankles or bruised shins, choral singing at the Cathedral, parental visits, beach swimming and projector movies on Sundays, dreaming of better tomorrows in the study hall with its forlorn views of couples sojourning under catamarans, 'Napoleon' and band practice, music after dinner and of course, night prayers and recitations of the rosary. The Salesians deserve three cheers not only for providing free care and education to the Anglo-Indian boarders, but also for having kept up the Anglo-Indian spirit of the institution. Guided by St. Don Bosco's threefold motto of reason, religion and kindness, they have been faithful to the task they have commended themselves to.

This being the centenary year, plans and celebrations spearheaded by Fr. Joe Andrew, Rector and Fr. Michael, Principal are already in swing. Besides the inaugural mass at the Santhome Cathedral on Jan 31st, the feast of St. Don Bosco, the school has held a cultural programme, a fancy fete (in aid of St. Dominic Savio School) and also a sports meet for Corporation schools. The administration has also come up with a three-point objective called the triangular proposition (see Box), a cursory reading of which shows clearly the presence of foresight and vision.

Centenary Celebrations

As part of the centenary year, the administration of St. Bede's has drawn out the following plan:

• Online school management to be put in place that would include curriculum, administration, students' progress and parent-student-teacher interface, library management, general announcements, etc.
• Social thrust that would include educational adoption of villages apart from the evening school for slum children and outreach to Corporation schools presently in vogue.
• Centenary memorial auditorium that would be state-of-art and would seat 2500 persons to be launched during a 3-day festival to be held during Jan 24-26, 2008.

Indeed it is this admixture of a Salesian vision with an Anglo-Indian spirit that has always been at the heart of the magic that has been associated with St. Bede's. But then even magic needs grace and guidance from the Lord to really take wings. Perhaps that is why the founding fathers insured the school with the motto 'Doce Nos Viam Bonam' meaning 'Teach us the right way' so that Bedeans wherever they are, or whatever they do, may always remain humble enough to keep on learning in this journey called life.

[Those wishing to get in touch with their alma mater or contribute to the development of the school may contact Fr. Joe Andrew at joeandrewsdb@hotmail.com. The author Richard O'Connor, a Superintendent of Customs at Chennai, had been a student of St. Bede's during 1978-86, including six years in the boarding. He can be contacted at disquiet_99@yahoo.com.]