Fete the Founder!

The magician waves a wand, and miraculously, the sedate, calm, tranquil, serenely quiet confines of a school are transfigured into a blaze of colour, a whirlwind of activity and a mélange of conflicting sounds. A nightmare come to life? A rebellion in the making? Absolutely not! 

This is St John’s annual fete!

The day begins with the traditional assembly depicting the life of the Founder, Blessed Edmund Rice. The children sit calmly through it, participating in the prayers, listening keenly to the stories – the picture of discipline. 

The scene shifts dramatically, however, the minute they get back to their classes and immediately begin setting up their stalls. Suddenly, the peace disappears as from all corners of the school ring out the cries of the young entrepreneurs,” Auction! Auction!” counterpointed by, “Ice-creams! Cool off with lovely iced lollies!”, further offset by’ “Dance to the DJ! Choose your own song!” 

In the middle of this delightful cacophony, the face-painting stall thrives quietly – its advertising done quite spectacularly by the Principal who wanders around with her face completely unrecognizable because it is decorated with a colourful dragonfly or some equally exotic creature!

The “Ring the Bottle” stall, “Gifted Golfers”, “Race Around the Track”, “Lucky Dip” and other stalls are equally crowded. Lines of young boys stand before each one, patiently awaiting their turn. The food court is abuzz with the hungry hordes refueling before launching themselves back into the fray. The air hums with the vibrant energy of the moment. 

The stalls’ are works of art in themselves – beautifully decorated – each one designed to draw the attention of the passersby. Complimenting them are the young lads dressed in the trendiest outfits, with their hair arranged in the latest styles, further accessorized with the ‘coolest’ bands, sun-glasses, bags etc. 

And wandering through the crowd are the ‘Bouncers” – the Class Twelve’s, looking completely macho in their specially designed Tee Shirts with their names emblazoned across their backs. With calm, studied insouciance, they move among their juniors, fully conscious of the fact that they are the cynosure of all the admiring eyes that are following their every move, but with a studied indifference that comes from being one of the ‘chosen’ few who are the ‘law keepers’ for the moment!

As the day gradually comes to an end and the vitality levels dip, a comfortable calm re-descends upon the lawns and corridors of the school. The children can be seen sitting in groups, quietly chatting, waiting for the grand finale – the much anticipated Lucky Draw! As each slip is drawn and the names announced, a collective shout-cum-sigh goes up. The winners whoop jubilantly while the others await the next draw – one final burst of energy before they depart for home. A happy, contented set of boys.

If you have not been a part of this yearly ritual, I truly pity you. For you have missed out on a rare opportunity to have a truckload of fun whilst doing a world of good. For the St John’s annual fete is a celebration of the birth of our Founder, a truly spiritual, self-sacrificing, God-fearing man who gave up every iota of his fabulous wealth to dedicate his life to the education and upliftment of those at the margins of society. 

Therefore, in keeping with the vision of this holy man, the school dedicates the fete to him and every bit of the proceeds goes towards its outreach programmes.

And what a day it is! Creativity, opportunity, salesmanship and dogged determination at its best! Why? The answer is simple – the boys believe in the call and vision of the school. And, oh yes – did I forget to mention it? – the best class gets to go for a movie! 

The fun never stops in St. John’s!