KODAIKANAL AND KODAI SCHOOL

Kodaikanal Reunion-Colorado August 2001

.The Banquet was a magnificent spread. The caterers were from the "Star of India" in Fort Collins , a nearby town.There was rice ,tandoori goodies, a wide variety of curries, pickles, chutneys, raita, and all the accompaniments, there was a DELICIOUS mango dessert and there was real Chai! My son, who has never been to India but has eaten in many Indian restaurants in England and has had meals in the home of Indian friends, declared it the best Indian food he had ever had.

We had an auction of Indian items. There were T-shirts, Batik, ornaments and all sorts if wonderful things. The auctioneer, Wayne Beckwith was lively and a lot of money was raised.This was followed by a Kodai Style Variety Show with Sam Scmitthenner as the Master of Ceremonies.Jane Cumming went through the history of Kodai, asking various people like the Phelps' son to reminisce out loud about those early days. Then Sam Schmitthener also did the history of Kodai bringing in various people in the audience. One of those was Mary Coleman Lowry's daughter Lisa who made a short speech about mher grandfather being in the earliest graduation ceremony from high school (1932). Steve . Root did his hunting tigers story.Jim Dunham, a Kodai spouse spoke of the fifty years of self -glorification he had to put up with by being marrried to a Kodai Kid.

We had wonderful singing from Keith De Jong and a barber shop quartet as well as other musical contributions and Kathy Beckwith read out a poem by Sam Silverstein that went like this..

Small as a peanut
Big as a Giant
we're all the same size
When we turn off the light

Rich as a sultan
Poor as a mite
We're all worth the same
When we turn off the light

Red , black or orange
Yellow or white
We all look the same
When we turn off the light

So maybe the way
To make everything right
is for God just to reach out
And turn off the light.

Kathy Beckwith added some more lines

. .

But people kept bumping
and crashing afright
Grasping and clunking
Without any light

So God thought it over
how to make this world right
Without people in darknesst
needing the light

And suddenly a light bulb
went off in His head
He had an idea
And here's what he said.
I'll make me a school
That's just what I'll do
They'll learn and they'll play
They'll be orange white and blue

And when they have mixed
On that hill all together
Go where they may
My world will be better

No need for the lights off
I now switcheroo
I've turned the lights on
In people like you.

This original poem was called "No Difference " and comes form a book called "where the Sidewalk Ends" After the concert , the evening finally ended and we walked or drove back to our lodges to sleep. The next morning we had a full Sunday Service of Worship.

After the service many had to leave, those who had to get back to work on the Monday and had a long way to go. But others were either retired or still on vacation from school or college, so we had a session of continued conversations with Paul, Jane, Tiku,Sara Ann, Rocky, Jerry and Sandy.The story continues on the next page |