My school just turned 140, and I was asked to write a piece reminiscing the wonderful decade I spent at that fine institution.
Here it is in “Lauding The Legacy”, the commemorating magazine for the 140th anniversary of St. Gregory’s High School & College.
Saint Gregory’s is home to many prestigious clubs with remarkable achievements. Science Club, Debating Club, Quiz Club, Cultural Club, Basketball Team, Handball Team—these are all extremely accomplished groups in their own fields with outstanding achievements in inter-school and national events. I was lucky enough to be a part of some of these talented bunch from time to time. But there is one specific group that holds a special place in my memories when I recall the days in my alma mater.
I’m talking about perhaps Gregory’s most exclusive club, the Gregorian Scout troop.
There is a good reason why I called it exclusive.
When I first joined Gregorian Scouts as a young Cub. I had just been promoted to class two. And at that year’s annual camp, there were about 30 of us from my class alone. But as we progressed to class three, the count reduced to 20 and gradually kept decreasing. By the time I was in class 10, there were only two of us from my batch.
It wasn’t a surprise to us because the batches before me had 2-3 scouts from each as well. As far as I know, this has been a norm even after I graduated from there.
The reason for quitting the troop is obvious. Unlike other clubs in school, Gregorian Scouts demanded more from its members. While the science club, debating club, and other groups will be mostly busy before a big annual event, we were engaged throughout the year with school events and on-campus, outdoor, and overseas
camps.
Besides, we had a compulsory troop meeting every Tuesday after class. And we were also responsible for the guest’s guard of honor and holding the disciplined line at any school event.
And when we went to these camps, we would live in tents that we put up. We had to build our own shelves to store our bags, shoes, and clothes. We even had to cook for ourselves. Basically, we would do everything our mothers used to do for us, but in a tent in the middle of a Shalbon or a Char or at an empty field.
Needless to say, not everyone was cut out to handle the pressure, and eventually, people quit. But the ones who
plowed through the rough camp days, know how much fun we used to have during the late nights on the campsite.
Eventually, this small group of people had made each other their second family, and to us, our home was the
Scout Den.
When I started as a cub in 2005, the Den used to be in the old building. But later, it was moved behind the book-and-note store in the new main building. The sports team had their office and storage right beside our Den, and the school equipment storage was on the opposite side of the corridor. But we were the main occupants of that part of the building, and no one has a fonder memory of that place than us.
As a Cub Scout, I had the privilege to enter the Scout’s Den a few times. But it was explicitly assigned to the Boy Scouts. So, as soon as I started the day shift in class five, I was excited to join the Boys in Blue-Ash.
Up until then, scouting was all fun and games to me. We didn’t have to live in tents, didn’t have to cook for ourselves, didn’t have to make gadgets in the open field to store our baggage and clothes. We were just hanging around with Bimalendu Sarker sir to play fun games and prepare drama to present at the annual campfire night.
Even though I had been to several camps by then, it wasn’t until I joined the Boy Scouts that I realized what it
actually meant to be a Scout. The chain of command, the late-night events, the outdoor camp stays, the after-
school meetings, the school event management, these were all new to me, and I couldn’t have been more excited to embark on that new journey. My first day in the Den as an official Boy Scout was right before the sports day function of 2008.
We went inside the Den and stood there while the seniors explained how the event literally depended on our shoulders. From helping with decoration to holding the line outside the field and assisting teachers in running the games, we were everywhere.
As a newbie, I was on the line duty. But my eyes were on the drums. I wanted to play the marching symphony as athletes sprinted across the field or slow-drum while students tried to throw the sphere. Unfortunately, I was yet
to learn the drums. So, I made do with the line duty for that year. But I started to secretly and silently practice
drumming that Den.
After any event, we used to form a line and go to the canteen for snacks before returning to the Den for a formal briefing and, more importantly, an informal hangout.
Post-event, the senior-junior line is usually blurred. Everyone joked around with everyone, discussed their day, and overall had a wonderful time in that quaint Den, which was somehow spacious enough to accommodate all our equipment, drums, and us. In my early days as a boy scout, I saw several regime changes in that Den. Reza bhai, Gerald bhai, Jitu bhai, Pulock bhai, Manik bhai, Tarek bhai, Shakil bhai, Promi bhai, Mayeem bhai, Saif bhai, Sukesh bhai, Rabby bhai they all held the Den at one point in time and then passed on the keys to the next batch.
I saw Pulock bhai and Manik bhai groom Promi bhai in the den to take on the mantle the following year and adore Saif bhai, Sukesh bhai as the future leaders. I saw the same thing from Promi bhai for Saif bhai and Sukesh bhai and his affection towards Rabby bhai, Ratul bhai, and Navid bhai.
Saif bhai, Sukesh bhai also prepared Rabby bhai when the time to pass up the responsibilities came. This was an ineluctable circle, and we knew it all too well.
Even though the responsibilities were formally handed over in a troop meeting with Shakawat Sir present, the actual swap of duties, the sweet and sour stories of one’s regime, the disappointment of leaving the second family, and the excitement of taking up the new role for the next batch-all happened in that Den.
Besides being our official stamping ground, the Den was also an informal meeting place for everyone in the circle. When we entered the school, we used to take the staircase beside the Den, hoping to meet a fellow Scout and have a chat before class. During tiffin break, when everyone rushed to the field or the canteen, we met in the
Den and hung out to discuss what we would do in the next camp. In that Den, I grew close to all the seniors that came before me.
The Den was also where I met the incredibly talented juniors who later went on to pursue the Presidents’ Scouts award and more. Tawfiq, Sakib, Omeo, Alauddin, Ratul, Rafi, Akib, Dipto-they were all very close to me, and I grew fond of them in that very Den. My heart fills with pride when I talk about them.
It was also where I used to practice lashing, knots, first aid, pioneering, and compete with my comrades Samio, Rahat, Tanvir, and many more who had been part of this faction. Our circle was small but very close.
In my last days in school, and in the Scout troop, I had been in the guard of honor crew, played drums like I wanted, excelled in the art of knots, lashing, and pioneering, and led the boys to excellent results in camp competitions. We had been to the farthest corner of Bangladesh as well as attended international camps overseas. It was truly an experience of a lifetime, which was only aided by the wonderful troop I had accompanying me,
and it all originated in that Den.
When I think of my days in school, this Den comes to mind in vibrant colors. I consider myself lucky not only because I was a part of this elite and exclusive crew, but also because I had the experience of a lifetime in both our school and outdoors. I grew closer to my school because of these boys and the responsibilities that came with the title.
While many saw school as a cell to prepare for the exam and looked for any excuse to miss a day, I woke up every morning excited to go to my alma mater because of this group.
Due to my affiliation with Gregorian Scouts, I experienced our school like anyone else. I knew how it looked in the morning. I knew how many guard dogs were there at night. I knew where Alam bhai, Nazmul bhai, Maidul bhai stayed. I knew what Brother Robi did after school hours. I knew what was on the 5th floor.
I also had a unique insight on Shakawat Hossain sir. While everyone else saw Shakawat sir as a disciplinarian and feared him to death, we saw his humorous side when we spent the cold nights in tents sharing stories and anecdotes.
I miss my friends, the classroom, my teachers, and the staff for sure. But nothing will ever come close to the comradery and experiences we had in that Den as a troop.
Even though I continued scouting as a Sea Rover in college, it is my memories and experience with Gregorian
Scouts that I will cherish the most.
I look forward to revisiting the Scout Den when I come to visit my old stomping ground for its 140th anniversary: celebration this year.
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The piece is about my days as a Gregorian Scout in the infamous Scout Den of St. Gregory's High School & College
Read “Lauding The Legacy” Magazine Online
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My school just turned 140, and I was asked to write a piece reminiscing the wonderful decade I spent at that fine institution.
Here it is in the commemorating magazine for the 140th anniversary of St. Gregory’s High School & College.Gregorian Scout pic.twitter.com/sSkLpEQZDt
— Rifat Ahmed (@Rifat5670) December 10, 2022