Welham Boys School

Infobox School


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name = Welham Boys School
motto = From Strength to Strength
established = 1937
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type = Public School
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staff = 70
students = 550
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free_label = Founder
free_text = Hersille Susie Oliphant
free_label2 = Houses
free_text2 = Krishna, Cauvery, Ganga and Jamuna
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location = Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
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website = [http://www.welhamboys.org/ welhamboys.org]

Welham Boys School is a prestigious boarding school in Dehradun, India. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas over an area of 30 acres, the school lies amidst the hills and rivers of the Doon valley. Students from varying backgrounds and from many different parts of the sub-continent and beyond attend the school. The school is a Residential School for Boys, is a member of Round Square and is also affiliated with IPSC. It provides an environment that encourages a questioning mind and gives students many avenues for expressing their creativity and building their skills.

Welham was founded in 1937 as a preparatory school for boarding schools in England and India by Ms Oliphant, a distinguished English lady, with a humble capital of £1000, the School, true to its motto, has grown into a full fledged institution preparing boys for the ICSE and ISC examinations. Miss Oliphant was also struck by the lack of schools of similar quality for the sisters of boys studying at Welham. Fired by the desire to create an equal educational platform for young Indian women in a newly independent India, she acquired a palatial estate called Nasreen adjacent to Welham Boys School to start a small boarding school for girls.

There were no funds or staff, and certainly no school buildings. Miss Oliphant recruited another retired English lady, Miss Grace Mary Linnell to run the boarding school for girls. Miss Linnell became the Founder- Principal of Welham Girls School. Under Miss Linnell’s able guidance Welham Girls High School, as it was known then, established itself as a full fledged boarding school. From its initial crop of 10 students, it has grown to a strength of over 600 students.

In 1956 Ms Oliphant donated all her assets to the Welham Boys School which presently is administered by a distinguished Board of Trustees. Thanks to Ms Oliphant's vision and the efforts of the Principals who succeeded her, the School has carved a niche for itself in the world of school education. Mr. S. K. Kandhari who took over as principal in January 1983 raised the school to international prominence. He was the principal for almost 18 years, and helped raise the school from preparatory to Class XII and gave the school its own identity. The vintage buildings and the large playing fields have been the training grounds where generations of youth have learned, played, cheered, won and lost many a game.

Alumni

Some of the more famous Old Boys of Welham are:
* Rajiv Gandhi (Politician, Ex-Prime Minister of India),
* Sanjay Gandhi (Politician),
* Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (Cricketer, Ex-Captain of Indian Cricket Team),
* Vikram Seth (Writer),
* Mani Shankar Aiyar (Politician, Cabinet Minister),
* Naveen Patnaik (Chief Minister of Orissa),
* Shaad Ali (Film Director),
* Zayed Khan (Actor),
* Chandrachur Singh (Actor)and several royal heirs to princely states across the Indian Sub Continent;Civil Servants;High Ranking Defence Personnel;Notable Entrepreneurs, Businessmen and Industrialists.

Some of the older ex-welhamites are also ex-doscos(Old Boys of the Doon School). This is due to the fact that Welham was a preparatory school to the Doon School in its earlier years and most of its students went on to Doon after Class 6.

History

Welham was named after the little Welsh village from which its founder, Miss H. Oliphant, hailed. A lady from the English Aristocracy, Miss Oliphant started Welham Boys School (or Welham Boys Preparatory School as it was then known). Miss Oliphant had earlier served in the British Army in World War I in Egypt and came to India because of some profound experiences she had there. She was closely attached to many Royal Families in India who urged her to start a school for their children.

Welham Boys was formed in 1937, two years after the Doon School on Circular Road. From its initial crop of 10 students, it has grown to a strength of over 550 students.

Houses

OverviewWelham follows the House System, with four houses for the seniors (9-12) namely Ganga, Cauvery, Krishna and Jamuna. Each house is run by a housemaster, who is assisted by a senior boy known as the House Captain. There is one senior boy who serves as School Captain, and he is assisted by School Prefects from each of the houses. In addition, there are three houses, White House, Sutlej House and Indus House, where students typically live for two years before they move into the main houses. The junior houses include Oliphant House, Narmada and Rispana

Academic Sessions

The Welham academic year starts at the beginning of February. The first term, called Spring Term lasts four months and runs through the end of May. Halfway through the Term the boys take a one-week Midterm - a rugged trip and/or adventure often through the Siwalik Hills or Himalayas - which senior boys take unaccompanied and which they plan entirely on their own. This includes camping out in tents, cooking their own food and trekking for hours everyday.

The Autumn Term starts at the beginning of August, and lasts till the end of November, once again with a Midterm break halfway through the semester.

The school awards, among other honors: School Colours, various sports Colours, the Games Blazer, and the Scholar's Blazer.

ports and Extra Curricular Activities

Like all boarding schools, Welham has a rich tradition in sports. Hockey, Cricket, Football, Athletics, Basketball, Tennis, Swimming and Diving are a few games that boys at Welham enjoy. Welham has produced many champions in these sports. Welham's Hockey and Basketball teams are considered very competitive across India. During the cricket season, you will find young aspiring cricketers, practicing with the leather and the willow. The whole school will be swarming with the boys in 'Whites'.

Welham Girls

Miss Oliphant was struck by the lack of schools of similar quality for the sisters of boys studying at Welham. Fired by the desire to create an equal educational platform for young Indian women in a newly independent India, she acquired a palatial estate called Nasreen adjacent to Welham Boys School to start a small boarding school for girls. . Under Miss Linnell’s able guidance Welham Girls’ High School, as it was known then, established itself as a full fledged boarding school. From its initial crop of 10 students, it has grown to a strength of over 600 students.

Other Schools

Some other prestigious Indian schools that compete with Welham in every arena include The Doon School in Dehra Dun, The Scindia School in Gwalior, The Lawrence School in Sanawar, Mayo College in Ajmer, La Martiniere Colleges at Lucknow and Calcutta, Bishop Cotton`s in Shimla and Sherwood College in Nainital.Membership of the Round Square International Service gives X1th Class children an opportunity to take part in a student exchange program with other member schools throughout the world. During a visit of two months duration, they study at the host school, staying either with families or in the school's dormitory facilities, playing a full part in the life of the school and community which they are visiting.

Publications and Media

A monthly magazine, called The Oliphant (named after the founder of Welham, Miss H. S. Oliphant), is a highly sought after magazine by all concerned with the school. It is edited by students and has sections like the Editorial, Lampoon, Through the Keyhole (jokes) etc. This year (2008), Oliphant will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

A new feature is the Welham News (Welham Newz). It is a video recap of the past month, participated in by a few selected members of the school. It has grown popular because of the graphical effects, creativity, and the 'Sneek Peak' section.

"Sankalp", a bimonthly magazine in Hindi is also published by the school. It is edited by the students.

External links

* [http://www.welhamboys.org/ School homepage]
* [http://www.wobs.in/ Welham Old Boys Society Website (Main)]
* [http://www.welhamoldboys.com/ Welham Old Boys Society Website]