Tag Archives: BCS

Celebrating 165 years of Educational Excellence – October 18 & 19 2024

Bishop Cotton School Shimla (BCS), founded in 1859 by Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton, stands as one of the world’s oldest public schools in Asia for boys. Bishop Cotton School is high profile and has been ranked among the best boys-only residential schools of India by media such as The Times of India, Outlook, Education World and Education Today Magazine.

Our legendary boys boarding school is celebrating 165 glorious years of history as a heritage school in Shimla with a weekend of spectacular shows and sporting events Friday 18^th and Saturday 19^th October 2024. (program structure attached)

We are offering our Old Cottonians the chance to sponsor this event themselves, with their own companies before we go outside and look for sponsors pan India.

Please contact OC Praveen Dharma if this is something you would like to do. admofficer@bishopcotton.com, mobile contact: +91 981 663 4544

Our institution has played a significant role in the development and shaping of public schools and promotion of education in India and has produced a host of distinguished alumni and leaders.

As a prestigious school with eminent alumni, BCS continues to set high standards in education. Located in the heart of the Shimla hills, spread over an area of 35 acres, the charming school campus takes one away from the hustle and bustle of Shimla itself. A perfect learning environment for future generations of successful Cottonians.

As an ICSE and IGCSE Cambridge International accredited school we are strengthened by a proud history that goes back 165 years, yet our Cottonians have their eyes firmly set on a global legacy for producing leaders for the 21st century.

Bishop Cotton School is an institution rooted in history and tradition. Over decades, its alumni have included some of the most distinguished men in India and elsewhere. From the uniformed services to administrators, from businessmen and industrialists, to authors and actors, Bishop Cotton School has nurtured nascent talents and helped them come to fruition. This is a school that provides a child with a firm foundation to look capably and confidently to a global role in the years to come.

The School is organising a global gathering to unite all our School’s stakeholders: Celebrated Alumni, Current and past parents, VIPs and celebrities as well and honoured guests.

In its pursuit of celebrating our School’s unique and drama-filled history, we are bringing to life the BCS myths and legends of the past with a special Son et Lumiere drama, light and sound show 19^th of October, followed by our Director’s Dinner.

The weekend of special events highlights our school’s commitment as a partner in nation-building and producing Leaders of the future for India and the wider world for the next 100 years.

Old Cottonians Ticket link: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLScSwA…/viewform…

With a huge expected turnout of successful, global Old Cottonians, current school parents and our BCS community we also have the advantage of publicising our event across India and Shimla with a variety of Sponsorship opportunities. Our Facebook page covers the globe and is very active along with our Instagram and Twitter handles reaching out to all corners of the globe.

Our 150^th School celebrations held in 2009 attracted hundreds of Old Cottonians and celebrities from across the globe and was a big event that had coverage all over India and further afield.

In order to enable entities to showcase their products effectively, the School is extending a variety of sponsorship opportunities across the following categories:

Sponsor Category	GOLD Hoarding and Digital Screens, Adverts on roads, or shopping centres	SILVER Hoarding and Adverts within BCSCampus	Lunch/ Tea and Dinner Area Chipus Café, Marina Hotel, Golf event	Sign-in Desk Welcome	Kit Sponsor:Sportsand Man of the Match awards
Number of Opportunities	1	2	1+1	1+1	4
Sponsorship Amount (in Lakhs)	10 – 5L	5 – 3L	5	2	5
Company Logo on Music Event on 18^th Oct – stage banner	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Company Logo on Sponsor/ tickets and seating 19^th Oct	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Logo to be displayed flags Entrance to Shimla Campus, social media	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Company Logo Man of the Match Sporting Events ***	3	2	1	1	1
Sponsor Recognition in post event thankyou email to delegates	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

*Speaking opportunity whilst giving out the ‘Man of the Match’ prizes, after the sporting events.

Please see our program of events attached herewith for your reference.

We assure you of value for your investment and eagerly anticipate your positive and favourable response to support this event as a sponsor.

You may reach out to us here in Shimla if you have any further questions,

Sponsorship officer: 165 Event:

Praveen Dharma, Admin Officer, Bishop Cotton School. admofficer@bishopcotton.com, mobile contact: +91 981 663 4544

Or BCS landline: (0177) 262 0880

With all best wishes,

Praveen Dharma

Admin Officer

Bishop Cotton School, Shimla

The BCS 165 Celebrations

BCS Etchings / Jal Boga

1 Reply

Dear All,

Ms Meher Boga was kind enough to send a memento gifted to her father, Jal Boga, to my younger brother, Ajay Bhumitra (Maxy) who has sent it on to me. Thank you, again, Meher.

The memento is a reproduction of pen and ink sketches of different parts of the School, titled “A Unique Collection of Etchings on Bishop Cotton School” with a write up describing the history of each of these heritage structures. These sketches were then put to print. It is truly a keepsake and a lovely reminder of the architectural elegance that dots the campus. They have a history as well that certainly needs to be preserved when the byword is “modernisation” these days.

The whole series of sketches and their printing was sponsored by:

Subhash Goyal (Ibbetson), IS Bawa, HS Bawa and DS Bawa (Rivaz), Sukhinder Singh (Lefroy), KS Bhaia(Concord Travels). It would appear that this extravagantly printed piece was produced around 1986. I recall Jal Boga visiting India for an OCA lunch around that time. I had the privilege of collecting him from the airport !!

The entire presentation has been scanned into a PDF file and accompanies this mail as an attachment. The original piece is being couriered to Ms Deepa Kennedy for safe keeping since she is currently in charge of OCA matters at School.

Warmly

Vijay

Vijay Khurana

Etchings – Jal Boga collection

BCS Old Cottonians coordinator Ms Deepa Kennedy

Happy birthday, Mr Goss – 94th

May 3rd 2023

My dear Mr Goss,

Warm and sincere wishes on this your 94th (Ninety Fourth) birthday. My friends, I and our respective families wish you a wonderful day. May the years ahead, and may there be many, many more, continue to bring you good health, great happiness and tons of laughter.

Looking back and from my collection, I am sending as attachments to this mail a few photographs of the way we still remember you. The change, which has surely occurred over these long years, does not register in our mind’s eye. You are still the spritely young man we knew who walked in briskly into the class and went about the assignment without much ado. What was enormously enjoyable was your introducing us to Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. Those class sessions were inevitably the most enjoyable and certainly the most remembered. It certainly did inculcate the reading habit in so many of us. Sometimes I wish we had started with P G Wodehouse though Conan Doyle is a class apart in an entirely different genre. In those mostly quiet corridors, peals of laughter generated by a Jeeves incident may have had other consequences, I suspect !!

I will not recount your fearful and stern marking record but I think it was all well-meant. No blemishes ever attached to us but it was a good inkling, a warning lesson, perhaps, of how tough life can be. It all began with red ink in the classroom !!

Thank you, Mr Goss.

With great warmth and affectionate wishes from us all, once again

Vijay

Vijay Khurana

BCS Staff 1959

Mr & Mrs Goss with Ibbetson class of 1962

Mrs Yvonne Goss

Mr. Ronald Goss (1961)

RS with Chief Guest, Mr Goss in dinner jacket- RS Sodhi Collection

My dear Mr Goss,

A very Happy Birthday to you.
I recall our Geography lessons, 39 Steps, and your being our Housemaster !
Many Happy Returns !
Our best regards to your family.

Govinder Singh
Ibbetson 1952-1963

Hi Mr Goss: I wish you a very happy birthday. May all your wishes come true. Best regards also to your charming wife.
Joe Joshi 1
Rivaz 1954 – 1963
Commercial airline / combat pilot and war correspondent in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Senior editor of print and broadcast news with worldwide experience.

Joe Joshi

Dear Mr. Goss,
Wishing you a most wonderful and a very happy birthday with all my heart.
Respectfully yours,
NP Pawa

Dear Mr.Goss
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday.
May God give you good health and happiness.Warm regards to Mrs Goss.
With lots of love.
K.Vijay Singh
Lefroy.1958-’66.

OC Week 2022 – Info & Invite

Dear Old Cottonians

The Director, Head Master, Faculty, staff and young Cottonians take the greatest pleasure in inviting all of you back to your fabulous Alma mater to partake and enjoy the Old Cottonian Week from 28th October to the 30th October, 2022.

It has been a very difficult two years with Covid and we understand the extreme disappointment of many batches especially starting from the Class of 1970 through Class 1971 who were cruelly denied their golden jubilee celebrations in the appropriate year.

At this OC week you all should come together and celebrate the memories and experiences at your BCS; relive the moments and sing the school song loud and clear for all the world to hear!

Our programme is as follows; we must of course acknowledge Class of 1970,1971,1972,1973 for their golden jubilee and Class of 1997 for their silver jubilee:

Date & Timing
Events:

Friday, 28 th October 2022
9:30 a.m.  Campus Tour for the Batch of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 & 1997 (Escorted by the Prefectorial body)

11:00 a.m.  High Tea in the main School Dining Hall for The Batch of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1997, Staff – Main School & Junior School, Upper Sixth Form.

11:30 a.m  Soccer Match between the Batch of 1997 and School Team
1:30 p.m  Buffet Lunch in the Main School Dining Hall for the Batch of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 & 1997; Staff (Main School, Junior School, Administrative) & Upper Sixth Form.

2:30 p.m  Interaction with the Batch of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1997 with the Upper and Lower Sixth Form in the Irwin Hall.
4:30 p.m.  Arrival of the Car Rally: organised by OCA (Northern Chapter)

5:15 p.m onwards  High Tea and Prize Distribution in the Irwin Hall.
8:00 p.m.  Director’s Dinner for the Old Cottonian, Batch of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1997, Staff- (Academic, Administrative) and Live Music; Courtesy Mr. Jaspal Sawhney (Vice President – OCA India)
Venue: The Lodge
Dress Code:
Gents: Formals-Blazer & Tie
Ladies: Formal-Western/Indian

Saturday, 29 th October 2022
9:15 a.m.  Special Chapel Service in the Holy Trinity Chapel for the Old Cottonian, Batch of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1997 Main School Boys, Staff Main School & Junior School.
Dress Code:
Gents: Formals-Blazer & Tie
Ladies: Formal-Western/Indian

10:00 a.m.  High Tea in the Main School Dining Hall for Old Cottonian, Staff- Main School & Junior School, Upper Sixth Form.
10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Annual Cricket Match (T20) between OC Cricket XI v/s Staff

Team Cricket XI.

2:00 p.m  Lunch in the Director’s Lodge Side Lawn for the OC Cricket

Team, Guest, Staff Cricket XI, Staff- (Academic, Administrative) & Upper Sixth Form

8:00 p.m.  Annual OCA Dinner at Marina Hotel organised by OCA-Himachal Chapter.
Special Invitees-Director, Headmaster, Bursar, Admin
Officer, Second Master, House Masters-Curzon, Ibbetson, Lefroy, Rivaz.
Dress Code: Formals-Blazer & Tie

Sunday, 30 th October 2022
09:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m  Cricket Match (T20) between Batch of 1997 XI v/s School Cricket XI.

2:00 p.m.  Lunch (Main School Dining Hall); Batch of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1997, Old Cottonian, Staff (Main School, Junior School, Administrative) & Upper Sixth Form.

Guest of Honour: Batch of 1973
We would also appreciate very much an acknowledgment of attendance by those who will make it; we understand the dates are “open house” and many may just shoot up to Simla! The young Cottonians at School very much look forward to meeting all Old Cottonians and look up to you as Global Ambassadors mentors; we encourage you to interact with all the young “guys”. On another note, the Slater’s Debate is celebrating 25 Years. This again will be a fabulous event with 32 school across India from 16th October to 20 th October 2022.
All Old Cottonians are most welcome to attend!

Warmest Wishes
Praveen Dharma
Administrative Officer & Coordinator: OCA

Great interaction with BCS Directors

Sent in by Vivek Bhasin [1970 batch]:

Thank You OCA Delhi: Kuttu Singh, Ash, Sunny (Chetan) for making this small group invite, a lovely evening at Tonino’s yesterday ( Saturday 10th Sep 2022). Great interaction with Director Simon , Communication Director Rebecca on “ what’s happened, happening and will happen at BCS! ).

Click for larger view

Financial assistance sought

Dear OC,

Trust all of you are doing well.

We at OCA,India have received a communication from Mr.Simon Weale,Director,Bishop Cotton School requesting OCA, India to kindly come forward and help Mr. Rajiv Mehrotra,the Bursar at Bishop Cotton School.

Mr.Mehrotra has been diagnosed with Cancer the treatment for which is expected to cost approximately 40 lacs.This is creating an immense amount of financial stress on him, and as such he would end up exhausting his life savings. May I request you on behalf of the President and the Executive Committee of OCA,India to kindly make a generous contribution to help Mr. Mehrotra overcome this financial challenge.

Kindly make your deposit into the following account:

Old Cottonians Association India
HDFC Bank
Account No:SB-Institution-00921450000562
RTGS/NEFT IFSC:HDFC000092

Greatful if after making the deposit you could kindly intimate OC Dhiraj Berry,Treasurer,OCA,India by sending him a copy of the deposit slip at dhirajberry@gmail.com You can also avail income tax rebate under section 80 G of the Income Tax Act.

Thanking you in advance for your help and assistance. Wishing you a great week ahead.

Regards,

Ajay Thiara
Secretary OCA,India

Some OCs have consented to have their messages posted verbatim. These are being added below. The other messages remain unpublished – We respect the privacy and uphold confidentiality if so requested by any OC. Though they all reflect similar thoughts as are being quoted below.

In my opinion such costs should come from the group insurance that BCS should have in place for all BCS staff, or should be met from BCS funds.

BCS being predominantly responsible to have such measures in place for the welfare and wellbeing of its employees / staff.

Sincerely
Anil Advani [BCS 1960-70]

The financial crisis confronting a school teacher is not new. In the case of a teacher in service, the plight is “less” severe since there are colleagues and senior employees who will be sympathetic to his cause. They know him and this is just what has happened with the Director seeking funds from the Old Boys association.

Going back further, I recall Mr Roshan Lal, the former Hindi teacher at an OC lunch, literally hands outstretched, seeking any kind of relief. None was rendered. Besides, Hindi teaching ranked so much lower in “class” both with the boys, even his students, and his former peers. It was a pathetic sight. Some years later his condition and his poverty became so severe that pity finally overtook some students who built a shelter for him and provided for his mentally challenged son. The man and his son died under conditions that are indescribable. We showed no humanity.

About three years ago, I requested the OCA President for assistance for an OC in distress. The response was in all such cases the class to which the OC belonged should do crowd funding themselves since this is what the class of 1962 did for Umesh Dutta, one of their colleagues. I reminded him that the fund had been initiated by me and I had contributed as well though I passed out in the following year of 1963. The OCA did nothing

So, the OCA is not exactly sympathetic to either members of its association or giving and generous to staff members. The exception was Mrs Kabir Mustafi’s wife where the students who knew them gathered to collect funds and garnered a considerable amount even though most knew her condition to be a hopeless one.

In the case of an existing employee, he should, you rightly observe, be covered by a medical insurance scheme. That would operate to assist in just such a case without any burden or obligation on anyone else.

Secondly, the need for a benevolent fund has been raised ever so often both for the staff and former students, it is for the OCA to take this initiative. I have tried hard but got nowhere for a variety of reasons.

Finally, the OCA has forwarded funds to the School and it is important that purpose and utility of such amounts stand allocated to causes such as this one. We did that so well for Mrs DeMello, if you recall.

Given the above, I am not sure that there will be many willing to contribute unless they are or were his students but to send the hat around again and again is an effort with diminishing returns. We need a proper fund in place with its scope, purpose and method of collection and disbursement well established.

Warmly

Vijay Khurana

BCS 2022 Cricket : UK tour

Message from Mr. Simon Weale / BCS Director:

Dear Old Cottonians, Plans are now well advanced for a BCS U15 cricket tour to the UK this summer from 8th-21st June 2022. We are just waiting for our visas. We are hoping to bring 33 boys on tour and to play a series of matches against a number of the top independent schools in the South of England. Our current itinerary includes the following fixtures

9th June v Westminster School

10th June v Culford School

13th June v Merchant Taylors’ School

14th June v Eton College

16th June v Aldenham School

17th June v Forest School

20th June v Marlborough College

OCs will be welcome to come and watch matches (a full programme will be published closer to the time). On the evening of the 16th June we are hoping that an OC XI will play the Aldenham School Headmaster’s XI at Aldenham. If you are interested in playing in the match or in contributing towards tour funds please contact the school by email on director@bishopcotton.com

BTW, BCS just won the Cricket match against Lawrence School Sanawar. Congrats! Watch a video clip: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10533089619514 34

Full School photo after 78 years!

BCS full school photo 2022

Click here for : Link from BCS Instagram page

BCS full school photo 1944

Click here for : The 1944 photo and interesting comments

[Both these photos can be clicked for larger views]

The True Essence Of Nature Conservation by Bittu Sahgal [BCS class of 1963]

Let’s get BCS to take the lead to start a Nature-focused, India-wide, public Schools Initiative.

Sanctuary Nature Foundation could do this at no cost to the school, or to the kids.

We already run Kids for Tigers a one-million-strong network that looks upon tigers, elephants, leopards and what have you as metaphors for all of nature.

Essentially, we wish not just to leave a better world for our kids, but better kids for the planet too.

– Bittu Sahgal

https://youtu.be/GxAeLOcHgoc