ICEU, CHENNAI-I PRESENTS RS.1.05 LAKH TO FLOOD-AFFECTED  SCHOOL

As part of an eventful celebration of the of the 70th Independence Day of the country by the Lions Club of GuindyLabour Colony High School located at Guindy, Chennai, the Insurance Corporation Employees’ Union (ICEU), Chennai Division-I, contributed for Rs.1.05 lakh to meet part of the charges for repairing the damages caused to the school buildings by the extensive havoc wrought by the last December floods. Lion Shri S.M.Sundaram, Dist. Convener, Lions Club, was the Chief Guest of the function, who besides distributing prizes and even cash to the students who performed excellently in various subjects and examinations, felicitated the leaders and members of the Lions Club present on the occasion, the leaders of the ICEU and some teaching staff of the school, in a brief address, advised the students to always keep in mind the guidance provided by the teachers which would make them come up in their lives. He also hoisted the National Flag, following which there was a March Past by the students.

Earlier, lion Shri Jeyakumar administered an oath to the audience and a minute’s silence was observed for ‘World Peace’. A welcome song was sung by the Headmistress and two of her colleagues. Lion Shri M.Gunasekaran, Correspondent of the school, welcomed the Chief Guest, other dignitaries and leaders, teachers, students and parents present.

The highlights of the celebrations were the speeches made in Tamil by some little girls without any notes, including one Ms.Amirthadevi whose mother tongue was not Tami and Ms.Anu, eulogizing the roles played by the immortals like Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi, Annie Besant, V.O.Chidambaram Pillai and other leaders in the freedom movement and a group of boys physically forming various types of Pyramids manually, which was lauded by the audience. Lion Shri Ramamuthy spoke greeting the students and the teachers.

The cheque for Rs.1.05 lakh was presented to the school authorities by Com.S.Rameshkumar, General Secretary, ICEU, who in his brief speech, referred to the protection given to the people by the LIC and the role of the All India Insurance Employees’ Association and its Units in social welfare activities, especially the relief measures undertaken for flood-affected students by presenting them Books, Note Books and other school implements. He praised the role of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and also explained the role of the government in the education sector, particularly in the Govt. Schools. Of the sum of Rs.1.05 lakh, Rs.55,000-00 was contributed with the help and efforts of Com.L.Palaniappan, President, ICEU. Comrades G,Jayaraman, Joint Secretary and K.Sridhar, Treasurer respectively of ICEU, were present on the occasion.

While Shri M.Gnanasekaran Correspondent and Mrs.M.S.Shanthi Mary, the Headmistress of the school coordinated the multifarious activities of the day’s events, Lion Shri R.Elango and Mrs. K,Karpagam, an Assistant Teacher of the school, compered the programmes in an excellent manner. The school, which is run partly with financial help by the Lions Club and partly by the Government,  has 350 students and 12 teachers, but it appeared that the students, both boys and girls, were taught not only the lessons but were made specialists in various cultural activities.

Shri M.Chandrasekar, Secretary of the school, delivered a vote of thanks.

When one finds himself in the midst of children, he or she forgets everything including, hunger, thirst, tiredness, physical strain, etc. But being in the midst of songs, dances, speeches and cultural programmes by the little students and that too presented in an extra-ordinarily enjoyable manner, one is tended to forget himself as well.