A SUNKEN SHIP…?

 

1970 – 2003.  A glorious period of my life. I worked in a “heaven”. Our American College staff, compared to so many other colleges, were a gifted lot. So many nice things we enjoyed unlike other college faculty. To quote one single example, in my early days we never have to sign any daily attendance register. When you have work, do it. That’s all. In all other colleges, most of the managements had this as a shackle to keep faculty under their duress.  Our college had to go for it only after the insistence of the government after giving direct salary payment.

Freedom was so much for both to the students and staff. We enjoyed it with our own set standards. Staff-student relationship was admirable. Especially the testimony of graduate students who go for other colleges for post graduation always tend to say what a great life they had in our college.

Then came a struggle in the college in the years after 2008. A long and bitter journey for people who loved this college. During this period thru this blog and by direct contact,  alumni who were in higher echelons were even approached. Unluckily people thought that it was just an internal politics. None realised the biggest danger the college would be facing if the unruly elements took the reins.

Had all the faculty come together or if the student community stood with the fighting faculty, things would have been different. Only the non-teaching staff who stood so strongly with the fighting people are to be always remembered with great gratitude.

Government rule says that the principalship is only for 5 to 10 years and principals should relieve the post for the next senior. Ha.. this rule is not for those who are so power mongering like the present principal. Who cares for government rules and regulations.  Powerful people have powerful tools!

Who cares for the all India ranking of colleges. Their only aim is to have the “college industry” to mint money. More students ... more money! The days when our college worked so hard for such glories were all over.

So goes the story….

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A MUST READ FOR THE ALUMNI: https://americancoll.blogspot.com/search/label/MUST%20READ

Rev. Dr. Sidney D.  Fowler 
First Congregational  United Church of Christ 
309 E Street,  NW 
Washington, DC  20001. 

Reverend Dr. Richard B. Griffis, United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor and 
former  national staff member, died in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday morning, December  6.  Through his long ministry, Richard served the church through a remarkable variety of settings – as a pastor of local churches, with both the  conference and national settings of the UCC, and through justice and  inter-religious activism. He was 77.  
Richard had standing in the Connecticut Conference  serving as senior 
minister of Immanuel Congregational UCC, Hartford, for  thirteen years. He also served as an interim minister at Round Hill  Church in Greenwich, at 
Congregational Church of Union, and as Interim  Minister of Stewardship and Mission Interpretation for the Connecticut  Conference. For the Capitol Region Conference of Churches, Richard was  co-director of Breakthrough to the Aging. He also served Plymouth  Congregational Church in Minneapolis, First Congregational UCC of Minnesota in  Minneapolis, and First Congregational UCC in Grand Marais MN. In 1965, while  serving First Congregational UCC of Minnesota, Richard marched with Martin  Luther King, Jr. at Selma, Alabama. Richard was the founder of the Connecticut Committee for Interreligious Understanding Along with his wife, Anne Hungerford Griffis, they  served with the American Friends Service Committee in Nigeria in assisting  with relief and reconstruction after the Biafra civil war.  From  1972-1977, Richard served on the 
staff of the former UCC Office for Church  Life and Leadership in New York City and as assistant to Robert Moss,  President of the UCC. 
Since 2002, Richard and Anne have been living in  Washington DC near their sons, Geoffrey and Roger, and their families  including 5 grandchildren.  In DC, Richard was an active member of First Congregational UCC – serving on the Church Council, Social Action and  Awareness Commission, and as a frequent preacher and worship leader.  He  was a Board member of the United Nations Association of the National Capital  Area, member of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, member  of the Steering Committee of the Unity Walk, and trustee of the Endowment Fund  of the American College in 
Madurai, India.

 
A memorial service will  celebrate Richard’s life and faith on Sunday, 
January 15, at 4:00 pm at First  Congregational UCC in Washington, DC. The service will be only the third  worship service in the new downtown building that Richard was instrumental in  supporting its construction.   
In lieu of flowers, the  family kindly suggests donations to the United 
Nations Association, National  Capitol Area (UNA 2000 P Street NW Suite 630, Washington DC 20036) and First  Congregational UCC (309 E Street NW, 
Washington DC,  20001).