“Arcadia”, Queen’s Hill School, Mt. Hermon School

When Mt. Hermon School was first founded by an American missionary, Miss Emma Knowles, in Darjeeling in 1895 it was known as “Arcadia”. Three years after its founding a devastating landslide in 1898 not only killed many of its students but destroyed the school building.

“Arcadia” was supposed to have been located on the Lebong side of Darjeeling’s Chowrasta. The old photo of the area of 1880 shows a similar cottage (zoomed) on this side of the hill. Take a look at this cottage and the one taken by our Founder-Principal, Miss CJ Stahl after the tragic incident.

In 1978 I edited the school’s annual ‘Hermonite’ magazine and Hermonite Ved Agarwal (‘71 batch) and I traced the school history of this era with articles and photographs on Queen’s Hill School, located above the main road near the railway station. However, we could not locate the exact spot of the old school – Arcadia.

In the 1920s the school (QHS) was expanding and needed more space and the present school area was purchased the school was renamed Mt. Hermon School in 1929.

Folks, we must all try to locate the exact spot of “Arcadia”. 

Mr. Murray, HAPPY BIRTHDAY  Aug 24, 2014

Jigme Kazi <jigmekazi@gmail.com>

Dear Mr and Mrs Murray,

Firstly, let me and my family wish a very Happy Birthday to Mr. Murray. We remember you and your family most of the time and today I did a special prayer and puja for your good health, long life and success.

Through Facebook we get to know how life has been with you and Mrs. Murray. I was particularly pleased to see Mrs. Murray in good health and spirit in the photos. I have always had you in my prayers.

Yesterday, I sent a word through Facebook reminding all of your birthday today. The Mt Hermon Family has grown but is intact. Presently, Calcutta, Nepal and Sikkim chapters have been revived and are active. In early October there will be a 1978 batch reunion in Thimphu. I will be there with Verongthip from Thailand and some from Sikkim. As I recall 1978 was my best year in MH as a  teacher. It was also the year Mr. Murray left towards the end of the year. I left MH at the end of 1979.

Last week we formed the much-awaited Good Old Days Club (GODc) for alumni of missionary schools of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. Altogether there are 11 schools. See my blog: jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com on this.  Sikkim Hermonites had floated the idea a few years back. During the launch of the body over dinner one of the North Pointers confessed, "Actually we remember Mr. Murray more than our teachers!"

I'm still a journalist and love being one. My wife is still teaching in Tashi Namgyal Academy in the junior school. My eldest son Tashi (26) and daughter Yangchen (23) are still in Japan. Tashi is working there temporarily after finishing his 4-year course in international relations. Yangchen, too, did the same course and has just completed. Tashi wants to come back home now. Its a good thing. He has been there fore 8 years.

My twin daughters Kunga and Sonam are doing three-year hotel management course in Sikkim. Kunga  tops the class  and Sonam comes 5th. They are into their 3rd and last year. Recently, Kunga and her friend Lhaden, also from Sikkim, took part in a national chef competition in Kerala and they came first and got Rs 50,000, a cup and citation.

The attached pix are of my family. Once again we wish Mr. Murray a very Happy Birthday and good health and peace and joy to all.

With love and Greetings from Sikkim,

Jigs, Tsering, Tashi, Yangchen, Sonam and Kunga

Thursday, March 11, 2016

Birthday message for MH: ‘RIDE THROUGH THE STORM’

    In his last message to me and my situation, Rev. David G. Stewart, our beloved Principal who passed away in December 2014, advised me:  “Ride Through The Storm.”

    I believe that his advice is not only applicable to me but also to our beloved alma mater, which is passing through perhaps the worst period ever since its birth on March 11, 1895.

    So, my fellow Hermonites, and to our beloved MH:  no matter what you are facing and the situation you are in just remember what Mr. Stewart said, “Ride through the storm.”

    Mrs. Welthy Honsinger Fisher, wife of one of our Founders, Bishop Frederick Bohn Fisher, during her Speech Day address in MH in mid-’60s reminded us: “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”

Junior School Dewey House captains, Soni Lama and Jigme N Kazi, receiving Dr. Master's shield from Chief Guest  Mrs. Welthy Honsinger Fisher on Speech Day function at Mt. Hermon School, Darjeeling, in 1965-66.

    MH’s history right from the very beginning was a tough one. Just a few years after it began in a cottage near Chowrasta in Darjeeling on March 11, 1895 a number of its students died when the school building collapsed in the 1898’s disastrous earthquake. The school was then called ‘Arcadia’.

But our Founder Miss Emma Knowles did not give up. With God on her side and with a firm determination to continue her mission she began the Queen’s Hill School just above the railway station in Darjeeling.

    By 1920s the school was growing and expanding and needed a bigger place. Miss Knowles, assisted by Miss CJ Stahl, shifted the school to the present location. In 1929 the school was renamed Mount Hermon School.

    Mt. Hermon went through a difficult phase after the 1935 earthquake and during the IInd World War. But somehow MH pulled through and it was Rev. Stewart (Principal 1953-1963), who made MH one of the top boarding schools in India.

    Mr. GA Murray, Rev. JA Johnston and later Mr. Jeff Gardner, assisted by loyal, able and dedicated staff, kept MH’s flag flying high.

    Hermonites all over the world know that our school is passing through a tough time. When the going gets tough the tough gets going. MH was born tough. On its 121st birthday let us all wish her the very best and remind her to “Ride through the storm.”

  Inch by inch,

   Step by step,

   One day at a time,

 We Shall Overcome!

   Hail Mt. Hermon!

Jigme N Kazi

School – 1963-1972

TTC – 1974-1975

Staff – 1976-1979

President: Hermonites International (Hi!), Estb. 2005.

(NB: The above message was posted by Jigme N Kazi in Facebook on the occasion of the school birthday on March 11, 2016. The only addition made is the lost part of the message and some photographs)

G.A. MURRAY: “I’ll keep your memories warm in my heart”

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

                                                                             -   Lao Tzu

    Mt. Hermon School staff, 1963

    In honour and fond memory of our beloved Principal Mr. G. A. Murray (August 24, 1931 – April 7, 2015), who passed away at this time last year on April 7, 2015, I have decided to begin recording and documenting the rich and unique heritage of our alma mater, Mount Hermon School.

    Introducing “HERMONITE Archives” is our first ‘single step’ towards a thousand miles journey. I hope Hermonites from  all over the world, particularly the older ones, will take this initiative seriously and begin setting  aside some time for themselves and MH and start using this page to record  their time spent around the ‘old and friendly walls’ of Mt. Hermon School.

   I’m honoured and delighted to formally begin a serious attempt to document our school’s history and its rich tradition and renown personalities.  I joined MH as a Class 2 student in 1963, finished Senior Cambridge in 1972, joined Mt. Hermon’s  Teacher’s  Training College (TTC) for two years in 1974-75, and finally taught in MH between 1976-1979.  Therefore, I’m perhaps one of the very few fortunate ones who worked under Mr. Murray for such a long time.

   Mr. Graeme Armstrong Murray began his teaching career in MH in mid-1950s when Rev David G. Stewart was the school Principal. He later became the Senior Master and finally the Principal in 1964. Before he left MH at the end of 1978, MH was one of the best boarding schools in India.

   Most Hermonites of my generation last saw Mr. Murray in 1995 during the school’s centenary celebrations. Some of us last saw Mr. and Mrs. Murray in Darjeeling a few years after 1995. I had hoped to visit him and his family in New Zealand thereafter but sadly that was not to be.

   When Mr. Murray passed away at this time last year a part of each one of who knew him so dearly and fondly also died. But a part of him also lives in each one of us and we rejoice in knowing this.  Hail Mt. Hermon!

Jigme N.  Kazi

MH – 1963-1979, Gangtok, Sikkim