A prize distribution ceremony was also organised to felicitate meritorious students.

Workshop on career development

Bal Bhavan Public School, Mayur Vihar, organised a workshop on career development and guidance. The workshop conducted by a counsellor of the Parent Teacher Association of India, Mr A. K. Sahani, was aimed at providing the necessary inputs to students appearing for the board exams.

Mr Sahani spoke on time management and the ways to prepare for the exams. He stressed on the need for recognising the weak areas and working on them to enhance the learning skills.

‘Art of Serving’ session

Kids at Children’s Valley School try their hand at the dholak prior to the summer break.

Before closing for the summer beak, the students and staff of Children’s Valley School, Preet Vihar, organised a day full of activities. A music and dance session was followed by a session, ‘Art of Serving,’ wherein the students were taught how to serve food. The senior students were made to serve their juniors.

Clay sculpting was taught to the students in the art room and visits to places of historical importance was to help them understand history. The day came to an end with the students spending time listening to stories and gazing at the stars through a telescope. A night over in school was also organised so that the students could spend time with each other before they got separated for the vacation.

L-G felicitates students

The Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, Mr Vijai Kapoor, giving a trophy to a student of Ganga International School.

Aanga International School organised its annual prize distribution function to honour meritorious students. The Lt-Gen of Delhi, Mr Vijai Kapoor, gave away the prizes to students with outstanding performance in the field of sports and academics.

As many as 181 students were felicitated for their achievements at various state and national level competitions in sports activities.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kapoor admired the school’s endeavour in bringing about overall development. He said educational institutions played a vital role in moulding the citizens. The students also presented a cultural extravaganza on the occasion.

Swamiji pointed out that it was the receiver who obliged the giver by accepting and not the other way round. Since men are images of the super consciousness, one must be able to see in the receiver an image of God.

Giving does not refer to giving alms out of pity for the needy, it refers to spontaneous service in response to the dictates of the heart. You don’t need to be an eminent person to serve, all you need is a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. In fact, we should be grateful to God for being in a position where we can serve others because by helping others we are helping ourselves too.

A world renowned psychiatrist was once asked, “What would you advise someone if you know that person was going to have a nervous breakdown?” He replied, “I would advise that person to find someone in need and help that person. This will help in getting out of your own way.”

Being kind and helping others brings a sense of gratification. It raises one’s self–worth and makes one feel good. An act of kindness is always returned and it comes back to you in a greater measure. There is a beautiful story I would like to narrate:

Two boys were working their way through Stanford University. Their funds got desperately low, so they decided to engage the eminent musician Paderewski for a piano recital. They would use the funds to help pay their board and tuition. The pianist’s manager asked for a guarantee of $ 2000. The boys agreed and worked hard. Unfortunately, they grossed only $ 1600. They were deeply disappointed but they gave him the $ 1600, along with a promissory note for $ 400, explaining that they would earn the money and return it at the earliest.

However, Paderewski said, “That won’t do…. Take out of this $ 1600 all your expenses and keep for each of you 10 per cent of the balance for your work. Let me have the rest.” Years rolled by and World War I came and went. Paderewski, who was then the Premier of Poland, was striving to feed thousands of starving people in his native land. He requested Herbert Hoover, in-charge of the US Food and Relief Bureau, for help. Hoover responded readily and thousands of tonnes of food were sent to Poland. Paderewski went to Paris to thank Hoover in person.

Hoover said, “ That’s all right Mr Paderewski. You don’t remember it, but you helped me once when I was a student at college and I was in trouble.”

The message is clear. Kindness and goodness keep coming back to you, in fact, in greater measure than you gave. So we should extend a helping hand without seeking rewards. They follow automatically. We must remember that ‘service’ is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.