Top to Bottom People

Leadership is exercised by people from the top to bottom of most organisations.

Leadership may be defined as the process of giving meaningful direction to collective effort and causing willing effort to be expended to achieve collective goals.

Let’s look at Elijah, the most famous and most dramatic of all the prophets of ancient Israel, whose leadership was characterised by fire. Elijah’s life was also characterised by magnetism. He attracted people who were like himself, like-minded, with the same attitude and those who complemented him in his goals.

“People who walk with the wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed” Proverbs 13:20

Today, Mr. VP has an important assignment to be accomplished. Who does he assign it to? Are you the person he will call? Are you the man he will entrust it to?

Let’s take a look into Mr. VP’s mind: I’m looking for

1. 1. A person with a positive attitude who ‘Never says Never’.

2. A person already busy with something, not someone waiting for a job.

3. Someone who can seize common occasions and make them great.
   “Weak people wait for opportunities,
   Strong people make them”.

4. Someone who can think up possibilities.
   “There are no limitations, the only ‘limitation’ is in the mind”.

5. Someone with good perception and vision.
   “Many don’t actually plan to fail, they just fail to plan”.

6. Someone who isn’t a ‘caretaker’ but a ‘risk-taker’.
   “Mistakes are steps up the ladder”.

7. Someone who has a history that spells success.
   ‘S’ — Start with a dream/goal
   ‘U’ — Unlock negative thinking
   ‘C’ — Courage of conviction
   ‘C’ — Commitment (no question of choice)
   ‘E’ — Enthusiasm (practice makes perfect)
   ‘S’ — Spiritualise (keep the Lord in focus)
   ‘S’ — Stick with it (be consistent)

Remember, Success doesn’t come to you, You go to it.

(This is the fourth part of the series on Leadership)

Evangeline Ranjan
Udayachal High School

Every year, the Commonwealth Essay Competition inspires thousands of young writers from all over the world. Organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, London, the competition has been running for over hundred years and is firmly established as a highly regarded and popular international education project.

The 2002 competition received over 5,000 essays from more than 1,000 schools in 51 countries. Twelve Udayachal High School students had participated in this competition. Essays were written in the School itself and were sent to the Royal Commonwealth Society. Four of our students received certificates of merit:

• Shruti Murali — Std. VIEA was certified as “Commended”.
• Shweta Pandey — Std. VIED was certified as “Commended”.
• Hanoz Chhoga — Std. VIIIEB was certified as “Commended”.
• Noel Sequeira — Std. XEA was certified as “Highly Commended”.

The Udayachal High School believes in encouraging students to take part in such competitions as, irrespective of their social or scholastic background, students compete on equal terms with their peers from around the world. Students are thus encouraged to aspire to high standards of academic scholarship and creative writing.

R.D. Uchil
Udayachal High School

Brain Waves 2002

The Young Men Christian’s Association (YMCA) conducts Inter-School Competitions called “Brain Waves” every year. In the year 2002, 700 students from 31 schools participated in various competitions. Udayachal High School students walked away with five first prizes and the School was adjudged overall runners-up.

1. (L-R): Noel Sequeira (Standard X EA), Shireen Havewalla (Standard X EC) and Rohit Achari (Standard IX EA) won the first prize of Rs. 1,000 for the YMCA Inter-School Workshop on “Thinking Skills”.

2. Udayachal students bagged the second prize in the Inter-School Indian Folk Dance Competition organised by the Lions Club of Vidyavihar. Seen on the extreme right is the jubiliant Remadevi, Teacher, Udayachal High School, who had choreographed the dance. In the background are dignitaries of the Lions Club of Vidyavihar.

3. Noel Sequeira, Standard X EA, won the first prize of Rs. 500 for Essay Writing.

4. Swati Rajendran, Standard VIII E, won the first prize of Rs. 500 in a Poster Painting Competition.

5. Prajakta Dalvi, Standard VII MA won the first prize of Rs. 500 for Essay Writing Competition (Juniors).

6. Vidya Thombre, Standard VIII MB won the first prize of Rs. 500 for Essay Writing Competition (Seniors).

Congratulations!

Abhishek Bhattacharjee (Std. X English, Udayachal High School), son of Asesh Bhattacharjee, Locks Division, Plant - 18, has won the First Prize in the Inter-School Aviation Quiz Contest organised by the Aeronautical Society of India and Nehru Science Centre, on 5 October, 2002 on the occasion of JRD Tata Day to commemorate his historic flight between Karachi and Mumbai.

The Aviation Quiz is for students of Standards IX and X of various schools. Approximately 45 schools had participated from Mumbai. There is a written test — two per team. Top five participants are selected for the oral round where students then have to interact with aviation experts.

Abhishek has won the Boeing Rotating Shield and a joy flight at Juhu Flying Club to visit important aviation facilities in and around Mumbai. Keep it up!

Bounteous Nature

“In the lap of nature, lay the creations which need our love and appreciation…”

These lines are part of a song sung by the blooming buds of Udayachal Pre-Primary School to spread the message of preserving and protecting nature. The children and teachers worked in unison to convert the music hall into an evergreen forest, wherein cutouts of trees, flowers, birds, butterflies and animals were made from recycled paper. Gunnysacks were used to create a cave. Stuffed toys of animals such as the gorilla, monkey, tiger, lion, etc. were displayed in and around the cave. Beside the cave, a dense forest was created where models of wild animals such as giraffe, zebra, deer and elephant were displayed.

The Wildlife Week, from 2nd October to 8th October, 2002, was celebrated in this novel way. The teachers enacted stories on animals through a musical tableau. The values of life — sharing, caring, love, togetherness and kindness were imparted. The tiny tots in their own little way, made and wore headbands of their favourite animals and flowers, and promised to love them and protect them well.

It is our duty as human beings, who occupy the higher planes of knowledge, to protect and preserve the other beautiful creations of nature. This wonderful earth inhabited by a variety of flora and fauna needs our love and appreciation.

Every little heart of Udayachal pledges:
“We with our loving hands,
Will preserve and protect this land,
So let’s all come here together,
And make this earth far better”.

Tanuja Kantak
Udayachal Pre-Primary School

The tortoise and the swans

A pair of swans lived in a pond,
With a tortoise for a friend
One hot summer when the
pond went dry
They thought it was the end
The wise tortoise looked up and said
“If we stay here we’ll die
Better look for a pond ahead
Both of you can fly.”
A pond which we can swim in
With water to the brim
The swans they took their friend’s advice
And said goodbye to him.

They went in search of a cooler pool
They kept on flying high
The swans came back with a happy heart
They found a pool nearby.

Uncle Pai:
Now the tortoise was a very clever fellow. He had thought of a great plan to get out of the dry pond and escape safely to another. Can you guess what he did?

He told the swans to get a stick.
And he clenched it in his mouth

He asked them both to hold the ends
And then go flying south.

Villages passed beneath them.
The villagers were amazed
At this sight
the people cried
“The clever swans be praised.”

The tortoise wanted all to know
It was his own idea
So he opened his mouth to speak out loud,
And fell right down, Oh dear!

(Reproduced from the audio book series Story Time with Uncle Pai
Copyright: Universal Music India Pvt Ltd)

Turning our Dreams into Reality

‘My high school was small,’ said Dolly Parton. ‘So during the passing out ceremony, each of us got a chance to stand up and announce our plans for the future. ‘I’m going to University,’ one boy would say. ‘I’m getting married,’ a girl would follow. When my turn came, I said, ‘I’m going to become a star.’ The entire place erupted in laughter. I was stunned. Somehow, though, that laughter instilled in me an even greater determination to realise my dream. Sometimes it is funny the way we find inspiration. I might have crumbled under the weight of the hardships that were to come, had it not been for the response of the crowd that day.

Dolly Parton in ‘Dolly’
Courtesy: “Chhoti Chhoti Batein”, August 2000, Vol. 2, No. 5, Published by Shoaib Ranalvi, Source Publishers Pvt. Ltd.