Looking Back Detail Page

03 Apr

- THE EDITORIAL BOARD

One term will roll into the other in majestic procession, one class will replace another, and in five years time the school giants of today will be buried in the universal and musty graveyard of Old Boys. Perhaps five years from now the new Seventh’s voices will ring clearly through the class room and happy laughter rise up to the ceiling, as our descendents speak of the cricketers of 1950. Perhaps one, older in the immemorial ways of the school than the rest, will recall some memory of our cricket powers; David Joseph, his face ruddy from a long innings coming in; the fine sweeps of Pratap Dund’s bat all resonant with one majestic hit. But nobody will recall the scholarly powers of the boys of 1950. Nobody will recall clearly the quiet character of Pratap Dundh; the steady yet quick tempered personality that was Kamal Sajdesh. Nobody will bring to memory the ease with which Pratap Dundh handled sums that lesser boys stumbled over. But perhaps if in 1955 some boy of the seventh reads a fusty faded copy of the Mag. He may call before his eyes a picture of the personality of each writer; the flamboyant style of composition writing common to all who get high narks in that subject nowadays, will call before him a shade of a boy who laughed and talked and ran and batted as he runs and bats and talks…. If we, the writers of this magazine , manage to enable later generations to conjure a picture of the writer through his writings …. And if, encouraged and warmed by our example, they carry on what we hope will be a tradition ….. we shall have failed.
He two principal reasons for a school magazine to be perpetuated nowadays are; Because it is fashionable and because by common effort it demands it unifies the boys into cohesive unit. We have not produced this magazine to cater to the many headed hydra of fashion. We have created it because it was fun to nurture a weak hope into a reality; and a better reason because we wanted to do something for the school that has been our home for these many golden years. We were enabled to get our contributions because we had the will to work together, not as members of the Seventh and the Fifth and Third but as boys of Campion School.
The magazine has been the central cause of much heartache and headache. All of us in this school like to think of it as our own brain child carefully nurtured and reared from infancy. And now that it is wrenched from the lovingly respectful eyes of its parents, and thrust rudely before the critical eyes of the world, we cannot but feel a solicitous anxiety. You cannot we have repeatedly said expect boys of 10 and 11 the average age of our contributors be pocket Shakespeare in the mould. Therefore read carefully before launching the bitter vials of your criticism and if you still think hardly of our efforts judge not by he outside criterion but by a boy’s standard. We have as we say, not catered to fashion; we have tried to mould this magazine into something for he boys of Campion School to read and enjoy and perhaps in later years to re-read in more nostalgic sprit.
Think reader of the toil and trouble the queries the hopeful inquiries the anxiety that has gone into each lovingly penned article. There were many who gave their writings in good faith but he sub editors blue pencil did not let them past but we thank them. They worked that the magazine would not fail. Therefore they contributed as much as any amongst us. Their work was not quite good enough but it is the thought that counts. We have been lucky enough to get Bobby Talyarkhan India’s most famous sportswriter to contribute to us. All our contributions alas were not the same street: would they were half as good!    
Next year if our tradition is not carried on we who slaved and sweated blood for our ideal will be disappointed for it will show that the school sprit id decreasing.
Few boys in India have the School Sprit as represented by the English Public Schools. A School Magazine helps t develop this sprit and if our successors to the imperial throne of the highest class bring out their efforts we of the generation that is passing wish them and the school the best of luck.