By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 7 Dec: The three-day 85th Founder’s Day celebrations at Welham Boys’ School commenced with a Book Fair inaugurated by Moni and Sandeep Goel, parents of the School Captain, Arnav Goel. Another highlight of the first day was the much-awaited release of Padma Shri recipient and renowned interior designer, Sunita Kohli’s book, Kala – an anthology of essays on modern design aesthetics. The much-awaited Annual Athletics Meet was declared open by Manish Singh Rawat, a walker and an Olympian who represented India at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The meet saw the top sportsmen of Welham giving their best for the glory of their respective houses. The most coveted Marching Trophy this year was jointly won by Krishna and Cauvery Houses.
The first day concluded with the enchanting Junior School Production based on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain directed by Harinder Sandhu.
Day two started with the inauguration of the Exhibitions by Usha Kandhari. The talent of the students was on display in every nook and corner of the School and was appreciated by one and all.
The Founder’s Assembly had the honour of hosting Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Tarlochan S Kler, Chairman, Fortis Heart and Vascular Institute, as the Chief Guest. In his address, Dr Kler emphasised the importance of education and the integral role of teachers in one’s life. The Chairman, Board of Governors, WBS, Darshan Singh, congratulated Principal Sangeeta Kain, and the entire Welham staff, for steering the school through challenging times during the pandemic. He shared the school’s collective vision for a techno-ready future. The assembly also saw the screening of the Welham Newz, which has become a chronicle of life at Welham over the years.
The Principal presented the Annual Report in which she outlined the various achievements of the school. Viraj Lohia, School Captain 2021-2022 was awarded the Dr Anil Wilson award, for his outstanding academic performance. Sankalp Gupta of Grade X was conferred the Principal’s Award for scoring 99% in the Grade X board exams. ‘Long Service’ awards were presented to three teachers and two support staff for completing 25 years of dedicated service to the school.
The School Captain, Arnav Goel, proposed the vote of thanks on behalf of his batch, recalling the time spent at Welham. The Yearbook 2022 was also released by the Chief Guest and the Chairman, WBS.
The celebrations continued with The Ensemble- a melodious musical extravaganza with 128 singers and instrumentalists singing and playing various instruments from the saxophone to the table to the sitar, guitar, and many more. The Ensemble was followed by the Middle and Senior School Production, The Lion King, directed by Stephen Marazzi, which reiterated the take it easy philosophy of Hakuna Matata along with highlighting the ‘delicate balance’ in the Circle of Life which must be maintained at all costs.
The curtain came down on a highly appreciated and successful Founder’s celebration with a carnival on day three, at which students, parents, and staff bonded as one family over fun games, food, music, and more.
