Reports from various annual camps
31 October 2015
The students of class VIII along with five teacher escorts attended an adventure camp at Pachmarhi. It was organized by the National Adventure Institute of Pacmarhi. Upon reaching Pachmarhi the boys were told about the rules and the regulations of the camp. There were schools from Ahemdabad and Northern as well as southern railway scouts for adventure. On the second day they went on a trek of 12 kilometers to Bee Fall and later they did rock climbing, valley crossing, and rappelling which was quite adventurous. The next day after a sumptuous breakfast the boys trekked for 7 kms till Jatashankar temple. As part of lessons learnt from cleanliness drive at school the boys collected all the wrappers in a gunny bag. The next adventure activity was obstacle crossing in which there were various activities like Chimney climbing, Russian wall, Ladder climbing etc. After this they were taken to the lake side field and the boys did horse-riding, archery and pistol and riffle shooting. Even the teachers had a lot of fun. There was a trek to Lod Shrug in the evening which is considered as the midpoint of India before Independence. The next day the trekked for 20 km to Choragarh and they had to climb 1600 stairs to reach the temple. On the way to Choragarh they visited Gupt Mahadev temple. It was indeed an incredible experience. On the last day Mrs M Manchma, the Deputy Director and leader trainer of the Bharat Scouts and Guides was invited as a chief guest. In all it was an enjoyable outing and everyone returned with fond memories.
Labour Camp:
The students of Class 10 visited Dodan Pura Village (Bhind District) for a Labour Camp from 23rd to 30th October 2015. The task assigned to them this year was to construct a wall and the dimensions were 100X4 ft. They successfully managed to accomplish the given task successfully. They also held a feast for the villagers and cleaned the roads of Bhind city in an effort to support the Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan.The entertainment programme presented by them was witnessed by the Collector of Bhind District and other dignitaries from the school. In all it was indeed an enjoyable experience for one an all.
Educational Tour of Rajasthan:
A group of 44 students of Class VI and VII from Nimaji and Kanerkhed House along with four teachers went on an educational tour to Rajasthan from 22nd to 30th October 2015. Despite a cumbersome train journey the boys were all set to explore the incredible state.
At Jaipur they visited places of historical interest such as Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, City Palace, Albert Hall Museum and Satyanarayan Mandir. Moreover Choki Dhani was unique that captured the rustic spirit of Rajasthan and they relished the Rajasthani cuisine. Then they visited Brahma Temple at Pushkar and Dargah at Ajmer.
It was followed by Jodhpur and the young Scindians were spellbound by the awe inspiring Merangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada and above all the fascinating Umaid Bhavan. The visit to Bishnoi village was thrilling as they got a glimpse of the famous Black Buck and a variety of cranes. The visit to Osian Desert was spectacular and grand in its own way. They thoroughly enjoyed the camel ride and it was a treat to watch them slip and slide in the sand.
The trip culminated at Udaipur; the enchanting city of lakes. The visit to the City Palace Museum, Jagdish Temple and Pratap Memorial was quite educative. They thoroughly enjoyed exploring Sahelio Ki Bari and boating at Fateh Sagar Lake. The trip lasted seven days and turned out to be an unforgettable educational trip and they were fully prepared to answer a questionnaire based of the visit.
IPSC Service Project:
The Scindia School, Fort, Gwalior, (1897) has a long standing commitment towards service to society. In continuance with our obligation towards the less privileged members of the society the social service project under the aegis of IPSC, was organised at Nathon Ka Pura, for the fourth year in succession. Through our involvement over the past three years we have been instrumental in bringing about a considerable positive change in Nathon ka pura.
The duration of the IPSC Social Service Project was 24th October to 29th Oct.2015. The participating schools were Maharani Gayatri Devi (Jaipur), Scindia Kanya Vidyalya (Gwalior), The Doon school (Dehradun), Raj Kumar College (Rajkot), Daly College (Indore), The Lawrence School(Sanawar), Vidya Devi Jindal School (Hisar), Punjab Public School (Nabha), Delhi Public School RK Puram (New Delhi) and the host school. The total student participants were 38 girls and 25 boys. 17 teachers were also a part of this project. The enthusiastic team of students and teachers did commendable work in the village over six days.
In our previous three editions we had built toilet facilities for the women, developed the village school and provided facilities for drinking water. The villagers whose lives have been touched so beautifully by us extended a warm welcome to the IPSC Team this year. A marked improvement was noticed in terms of cleanliness and attendance at school over these three years since the first project.
This year the target was to construct approximately 35 meters of concrete path outside the village and 50 meters of brick and cement paths inside the village. Also, the floors of two classrooms were plastered. The students, teacher escorts and the workers joined hands and worked with loads of enthusiasm and finished the work of construction in two days.
On the third day the teachers and students painted the walls of the houses and taught them about cleanliness. They also wrote several slogans on social issues on the walls of school and the houses. After lunch all the groups presented skits which they had prepared for the villagers. Group 1- The Tagore Group, prepared a skit for encouraging Women Empowerment; Group 2, The Lokendra Group prepared the skit on the topic Anti-Alcoholism; Group 3, The Gandhi Group prepared a skit on the topic ‘The need of Education’. Group 4, The Teresa Group prepared their skit on the topic of ‘Health and Hygiene’. The close observations of the students were evident in the presentation of the skits. All the skits were presented in the Nukkad Natak style. Apart from this, the closing ceremony consisted of the distribution of money to the girls who were the part of the Kamna Project started by our Principal, Shri Madhav Deo Saraswat, the distribution of certificates to the students and teachers and the speeches by Principal Dr Saraswat and the honourable Chief Guest Mr. Tony Hyde. The ceremony ended with a musical performance by Aayush Jain of The Scindia School which was appreciated by all.
The senior citizens of the village reiterated the fact that hard work is the key to success. They acknowledged that the support and contribution of The Scindia School has helped them to achieve a lot of progress in just four years. They urged the villagers to give up bad habits and work sincerely for the upliftment of the village.
The delegates returned with a sense of accomplishment. Most importantly, they felt that it was a great learning experience which made them more sensitive towards their less fortunate brethren and instilled in them a feeling of responsibility towards the society. Every evening the delegates would return to the host school tired but contented and talking about the village and people only to get up in the morning to return to the village with renewed enthusiasm. The entire project was conducted under the guidance of Dr B. S. Bhakuni, Dean of Discipline and Head of the Middle School.
The Scindia School is determined to continue to work at Nathon ka pura and try to address issues such as improvement of the village school, regular health check-ups, awareness about education and hygiene, construction of community hall and imparting vocational training to villagers.
Cycling Expedition, Gwalior to Jodhpur- 685 kms:
14 students (Aditya Banka, Arjun Mehrotra, Mayank Girdhar, Ayush Arora, Urdesh Thakur, Sarvesh Arya, Katyayini Saraswat, Ribraj Bhuyan, Harsh Devprakash Gupta, Shivam, Harsimar Singh, Daksh Jain,Charchitraj and Yashasvi Parsai ) along with five teachers( Mr Dhirendra Sharma, Mr Manoj Mishra, Mrs Raksha Siriah, Mrs Puja Pant and Ms Jasmanpreet Randhawa) went on a cycling expedition from Gwalior to Jodhpur covering a distance of 685kms in eight days. The various halts on the way were Dholpur, Bharatpur, Mehandipur Balaji, Jaipur, Dudu, Beawar , Bilara and finally the destination Jodhpur.
The expedition started on the 22nd of October with an enthusiastic flag off by Principal Dr Saraswat. Equipped with modest cycles, minimal luggage, tool kit, first aid kit and loads of confidence the bravehearts set out to achieve the formidable target. The entire ride had been meticulously planned and the details had been shared with all the members. However they had also been forewarned to be prepared for any sudden changes that might crop up due to unforeseen circumstances. The entire expedition went on very smoothly as per the plan with just a few minor hiccups due to cycle breakdowns and slight health issues.
The expedition had us ride for eight to ten hours at a stretch each day with short water breaks and breaks for meals. We traversed through a wide variety of roads with some being pothole riddled to some super smooth flyovers, from serene scenic highways to traffic congested roads which were extremely difficult to maneuver through. One particular stretch was so breathtaking that we were almost compelled to stop there for clicking pictures. We also met a number of Old Boys at different places all along the way, some by a happy coincidence and some as per plan.
The food at the roadside dhabhas was another major attraction for all of us. With so much physical activity our appetites were ravenous and almost everyday we gorged on parathas with generous dollops of butter. We also enjoyed the traditional rajasthani fare like sev tamatar sabzi and spicy chutneys. At all times we kept ourselves properly hydrated by having lots of water. Though at most places we did manage bottled water but at times our RO water accustomed bodies very nicely took to handpump water also. Another fascinating thing was how we managed to snatch a wink whenever and wherever we got an opportunity be it at a dhabha while we waited for food, under a tree or even on the road while punctured tyres were getting fixed.
It was impressive how each day after a tiring ride the boys would quickly freshen up, wash their clothes for the next day, explore the town and still be ready on time the next morning with their bags nicely strapped to their cycle carriers. Though one must admit that quite a few times the prospect of an interesting outing at the destination of the day was what added an extra zing to our pedaling. Cycling under the scorching heat of the sun could be quite a torture had it not been for the exchange of playful banter between the boys which kept us all recharged and entertained. It was amazing to see how we worked beautifully as a team as every time a member got left behind, felt tired or unwell the entire group stood by him. If at all we fell short of our target one day we covered it with a vengeance the very next day.
The team reached Jodhpur on the evening of 29th of October. The cycles were parcelled back to Gwalior and the jubilant delegation enjoyed a day of rest, sightseeing and sumptuous Rajasthani food at Jodhpur. Apart from a great sense of fulfillment at having achieved our target we returned with stronger bonds and a lifetime of memories.
ADVENTURE CUM EDUCATIONAL TRIP TO RISHIKESH:
The students of Grade IX got the thrilling opportunity to visit Rishikesh from 22nd to 30th October,2015.They were escorted by five faculty members. Despite the weary journey which was followed by the Founder’s Day fervour; the boys were all pepped up for a host of activities.
River rafting in the mystique environs of the sacred Ganges was an unusual experience . The cold waters of the river did not dampen the spirit of the thrill seekers. They encountered various enthralling rapids named Roller Coaster, Golf Course, Sweet Sixteen, Double Trouble, Body Surfing, Return to Sender etc. it gave an instant adrenaline rush and was considered as a favoured activity by the team.
Apart from rafting, trekking through Nandgaon village to Singhthali was both challenging and enjoyable. The scenic view of the Himalayan hilltops, waterfalls, sunset was captivating and a delight to the photographers. In the midst of nature, children pitched tents and cooked scrumptious food. The short trek to the ancient ‘Arundhati Cave’ was interesting as it comprised of artefacts and inscriptions.
The students also enjoyed and learned the skills involved in rock climbing, rappelling and river crossing. Unwinding every night under a moonlit sky by the bonfire, singing songs to the strumming of the guitar, laughter and merrymaking made the trip truly memorable. The group surely has cherished memories and enriching experiences to narrate.
Class XI Rafting Experience at Shivpuri:
38 students along with 4 teacher escorts were a part of the Rafting Expedition to Shivpuri. The team left Gwalior on 22nd October and reached Shivpuri on 23rd morning. The day was spent at Bulls Retreat where the students were divided into teams and given instructions on various aspects of rafting, raft, safety drill, setting camps, toilets, dismantling camps etc. Next morning the team travelled to Bagwan by bus where the starting camp was set. The students had lunch and the teams were taken to water for the rafting safety drills and practices. In the evening, there was a de-brief and reflection session.
The actual expedition began on 25th from Bagwan to Byas Ghat via Dev Prayag. It was the first day and everyone was apprehensive but as rafting began everyone forgot the anxiety and enjoyed the exhilarating experience. The day ended at Byas Ghat where they camped for the night.
Next day ie on 26th October the teams started from Byas Ghat to Mahadevchatti. On the way they took a break at a waterfall where everyone was overjoyed standing under the fall and splashing in the water pool. They camped at Mahadevhatti at night and next morning started for Malakhunti. It was the most exciting day as they had to cross the WALL. Only a good swimmer and a strong hearted individual would try to cross it. About 20 odd students in four rafts with guides attempted the daring act. One of the rafts flipped over and everyone went overboard. The WALK course was about 6 seconds but it gave the thrill of a lifetime. The 4th day was the most enjoyable and exciting day of rafting with a lot of rapids. To name a few- Three Blind Mice, Golf course, Roller Coaster, Sudden death, Shivpuri rapid etc.
The expedition ended at Rishikesh and everyone reached Bulls Retreat in the afternoon and took rest. In the evening there was a bonfire and get together wherein everyone shared his experience. It was a tiring yet an unforgettable trip. Next day after breakfast, they went for hiking and all the students wrote a letter about their experiences. After lunch, it was a day out to Rishikesh where the students got ample time to explore the city. They visited Ram Jhoola, Laxman Jhoola and were also fortunate to witness the Ganga Aarti. The students had a great day as no eating joint was left and everyone relished the sumptuous food to his heart’s content.
After dinner they left for New Delhi by bus where they boarded the train for Gwalior. The team reached school on 30th morning. It was indeed an exciting trip which not only gave everyone them an opportunity to avail the bounty of Mother nature but also to know each other.
Click here to see photographs of various camps.
