Colonel Brown Cambridge School

Coordinates: 30°19′18.75″N 78°3′28.99″E / 30.321875°N 78.0580528°E / 30.321875; 78.0580528

Colonel Brown's Cambridge School, Dehradun
Location
Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
Information
Motto	Magna est Veritas (Truth is Great)
Established	1926
Founder	Col. William Brown
Medium of language	English
Houses	Principal, Bursar & Headmaster
Color(s)	Green, yellow and red
Slogan	Eat Well, Sleep Well, Work Hard, Play Hard and Above All, Be a Gentleman!
Nickname	CBS / CBCS / Brownians
Affiliation	ISC
Website	http://www.colbrownschool.com

Colonel Brown Cambridge School is an English medium residential school located in Dehradun, India. It was founded in 1926 with five students. It was the 1st all boys residential school in Dehradun.

The campus is in the town of Dehradun on the foothills of Mussoorie - Queen of Hills in India, with 500 students and nine hostel buildings.

The school is secular and admits boys from all parts of the world representing all religions, castes and creeds. It provides no religious instruction, but secular prayers and congregational singing of secular and patriotic hymns are a part of the daily morning assembly.

Some of the leading people to graduate from the school are Raj Kapoor actor, director V.P. Singh (former PM of India) Virbhadra Singh (former CM of Himachal Pradesh) Akram Khan (Deputy Seaker of Haryana) Fateh Bahadur Singh (Cabinet Minister in Govt. of Uttar Pradesh) and Meiyang Chаng ( actor, television host and singer).

History

The Founding

Colonel Brown Cambridge School was founded on 17 March 1926, by Col. and Mrs. William Brown. It was the 1st all boys residential school in Dehradun. Col. William Brown was an Irishman with a record of distinguished service in the sphere of education and in the British Army. He retired from the Army but did not want to leave India, the country he had loved passionately. A man of vision, he decided to devote his life to his country of adoption in the field of education.

Col. Brown, along with five students, moved into Dick House at number 5 Dick Road. Dick, who was the owner of the Tea Garden, had died leaving behind a wife who was unable to manage gardens. The area where the school is situated and all the surrounding area of Dalanwala as well as the area across the Rispana River in those days produced tea.

The motto of the school is "Magna Est Veritas". Translated from Latin it means Truth Is Great. The crest of the school has the initials of the school on the right hand corner with a lion for courage, a shamrock (the national symbol for Ireland), and a torch representing the torch of learning.

The beginning

The school began with five students.

Col. William Brown realized that just educating Indian boys would not serve the purpose of education because they needed to be prepared for employment. His vision of vocational training was implemented by him in 1926

Col.Brown used his contacts and good will with the Indian Army and persuaded them to allow him to hold Pre-IMA classes in the school. As the movement for Independence was coming to a boil, farsighted parents wanted to encourage their children to join the Army and the civil administration.

Over the Years

After Col. William Brown, the school has seen three Principals.

Col. T. F. O' Donnell

Tenure: 1942-1958
Within a year or so Col.T.F.O' Donnell took over the school and the Cleaves left for Ireland. Col.T.F.O' Donnell carried on the good work. He was an erudite scholar and was partial towards literary writing which consumed most of his time. He wrote and published books, some of which were taught in schools around the country. Two of his well-known works, "The Adventures of an SP" and "Cockpit of the East" are major literary works. The original manuscripts are preserved and kept in the library.

With the end of Second World War the political climate of the country started changing rapidly with the partition in 1947.The school suffered a major blow as friends were ripped apart becasuse 40% of the boys left to become the citizens of the newly formed State of Pakistan. By 1960 Mrs. 0' Donnell, Mr. McIntosh the Vice-Principal and Col.0'Donnell died. By 1965 none of the European staff was left.

Great contribution to the school was made by Kenneth Henry McIntosh, the Vice-Principal and in charge of senior classes. After his death his sister Dora McIntosh, Head Mistress of the Preparatory Department, migrated and settled down in Surrey, England. In 1958 Col. T.F.O'Donnell and the managing committee of the school appointed Mr. Narendra Singh as the Vice-Principal. Mr. Narendra Singh had joined school in 1937. Earlier Subedar Bhagwat Singh had joined in 1935 as assistant to Cleave and became the Bursar in the forties after Major Cleave left, and remained so till his death in August 1960.

Mr. Narendra Singh

Tenure:1958-1975
With the death of Col.O'Donnell on 26th Jan 1960 the administration of the school was held by an Indian since Mr. Narendra Singh had already taken over as the Principal because of the Colonel's failing health. Both Subedar Bhagwat Singh and Narendra Singh had served in the Army together and were keen sportsmen. Mr. Narendra Singh studied at BHU from where he took his Masters in English. An excellent player and a fan of hockey, he promoted the sport in school and in U.P.

Mr. Abhai Singh

Tenure:1975-2003
For reasons beyond comprehension the school, over the next fifteen years, witnessed a slide backwards. The school went through trying times from 1969 to 1976, when the process of regeneration was set in motion.

In 1976, Mr. Abhai Singh took over the reins of C.B.S on his return from Canada after the death of Mr.Narendra Singh. An ex-Brownian, well travelled, a keen sportsman, and voracious reader, Abhai Singh’s task was not an easy one.

He modernised living facilities for the boys and staff, restructured the Dining Hall, constructed new and better hostels like Ireland House, Patel House, Col.House, White House, Kitchner Block, McIntosh House. Library, the Computer Lab, the Tamarind Open Air Theatre, Tennis and Basket ball courts and underground water tanks to resolve the perennial water shortages have been added.

The boys now wear a different uniform not because the old one had anything wrong with it but that every primary, secondary school in town had copied the old combination of blues.

Academics

The Academic session is in two sessions - 15 July to 15 November (first term) and 15 January to 15 May (second term).

A trophy is awarded to the House that performs the best in Academics. The Principal and the House Masters decides the "Best All Rounder". They also a second in line for "Best All Rounder" for a Principal's Commendation.

Admission

The school holds a very rigid policy as far as admission tests to the entrance classes are concerned. A child is admitted to the school purely on the basis of merit and recommendations of any kind debars him from admission to the school.

Management

The school is run by the "N.S. Educational Society" registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 and is recognized for the purpose of sending up students for the I.C.S.E.

Co-Curricular Activities

Hobby classes such as Painting, Woodwork, Drama, Photography, Music are held in the evening. This helps in bringing out the innate talents of the child, be it Vocal/ Instrumental or otherwise.

All school activities are organised through the "House" system. The students are divided into three Houses - Principal, Headmaster and Bursar. InterHouse Competitions are run in the field of Sports: Hockey, Soccer, Cricket, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Badminton and other indoor games. The same format is maintained in co-curricular activities: Dramatics,Music, Art, Debates, Elocutions, Quiz and Essay Competitions etc. In the Senior School the boys reside in the House they belong to under the supervision of a House Master, but in the Prep. Section no such division is made and a Matron is incharge of all the boys.

All boys, unless excused on medical grounds, are required to play games.Excellent facilities are provided for Hockey, Foot ball, Cricket ,Tennis ,Basket ball, Badmintonand Yoga and Taekwondo. There are nine playing fields,two Tennis Courts, Basket ball Courts, Volleyball Courts, etc, one boxing ring and two Tennis and two Badminton Courts. Provision for indoor games like Table Tennis,Carrom and Chess are also made.

Founder's Day

Founder's Day is celebrated each year on March 17. There is an Art and Crafts exhibition, projects, plays, Taekwondo or Yoga.

Tradition

Since the founder of the school was a keen sportsman and trained the future IMA Cadets, the school maintains a set of rifles to train the boys in rifle drill. On 26 January every year the rifle squad is a part of the school's parade. The school sends the boys for air pistol shooting and rifle shooting to a proper club.

Notable Alumni

The students studying at CBS are also called brownians and the ex. students are called ex-brownians or simply Old Boys. Colonel Brown Cambridge School(CBS) has produced many prominent and notable persons which include the following :-

V.P. Singh- Prime Minister Of India

Raj Kapoor- Actor, Director, Producer

Virbhadra Singh- Former Chief Misnister of Himachal Pradesh

Akram Khan- Deputy Speaker of Haryana

Fateh Bahadur Singh- Cabinet Minister in Govt. of Uttar Pradesh

Meiyang Chang- Actor, Singer, T.V Host

External links

• Official website