Class Social

Miss Pamela who was our fourth standard (1977-1978) class teacher introduced 'Class Social' in our school. It was a small gathering of the whole class outside the classroom, most probably, under a tree were students along with their class teacher sat relaxed and without the chains of the textbooks or homework or other classroom restrictions  singing songs, sharing experiences, telling stories and so on and sharing the food they had brought. Class Social was a catharsis from the strict environment of studies.

It all began when one day, Miss Pamela told us that on the next day we would conduct 'Class Social' and for the same we all had to bring some snacks to share it with all the others in the class. We had to bring snacks or fruits or some eatables to eat and share it with others. That was all what Miss told us.

For this very first 'Class Social', majority in my class had brought big packets containing lots of chips, mixture etc or biscuit or laddu or jilebi or lots of bananas etc. enough for the whole class to savour. As for me, my parents had given me only a little bit of many things... like a few (4 or 5) biscuits... or a few laddus... a small quantity of chips/mixture.... All what I brought was not enough for the whole class. To my dismay, I found that I was the only one in the class who had brought food like that. Unlike all others who brought a big packet of any one item enough for the whole class, I had brought a little bit of many items in small different packets. (Years later, I came to know that Miss Pamela had politely sent back one student's mother who had brought an autorickshaw full of eatables for the whole class. But that happened before I reached school that day and I was then unaware of it.)

I was sitting there scared, under the tree, where we all had gathered, thinking that Miss Pamela would scold me for not bringing enough for the whole class to share. We sat under a tree and some of them sang songs and we talked about many little things. One by one all started distributing the snacks they had brought. When Miss Pamela called out a name, that student had to hand over the food packet to her and she then passed it around for all of us to share. Almost everyone had brought more than what was needed for the whole class.

I was trying to hide behind others hoping Miss wouldn't notice me. But alas! She soon called my name and asked me to hand over my snacks for distribution. I handed over my small packets in great apprehension. And then, on seeing the different items I had brought in small quantities, to my relief, she said that, that was what she intended with this 'Class Social' program, to bring few things to eat and share it with all. She broke the snacks I'd brought into small pieces and shared it with all. It seems that was the actual message or purpose of the gathering. It was meant to inculcate, in us, a tendency to share whatever small quantity of food we had; and also share our belongings, thoughts, fears, joys, sorrows etc. with others and enjoy together thus building a strong and everlasting bond of friendship with each other.

Our class was the first to have conducted a 'Class Social' in the School and then slowly other classes also followed suit and started taking half a day off every year for the conduct of such a 'Class Social'.

This bond of friendship has travelled through the ages and still exists brightly and after around 47 years, on 1st November 2025, the same classmates / friends along with Miss Pamela celebrated the long lasting friendship by assembling together at Fort Kochi and sharing memories and having food together thus mirroring the old 'Class Social' program in another way.