Cute Bunnies Galore! Smiling Gonzagaites Shine at Investiture Ceremony of ‘Bunny Movement’ held at St Aloysius Gonzaga School, Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Before going further into the report of the Investiture Ceremony of Bunny Movement at St Aloysius Gonzaga School, Mangaluru let us know about this “Bunny Movement” started by Mrs. Lakshmi Mazumda, the Former National Commissioner, who thought of introducing a programme for the children between the age group of 3 to 6 years during the International Year of Child. A Committee was formed and the Bunny Programme was introduced. International Year of Child was the ideal period to launch this project and hence received a great response but later got neglected on account of various reasons.
The objective of this theme was to introduce an attractive programme for sub juniors and also to work it as the feeder to the Cub/Bulbul section. With the same objectives, this programme is being reintroduced in the present Boy/Girl programme. Suggested Age Group: 3 to 6 years both for Boys and Girls. With the Bunny Law: “I shall try to be good Boy/Girl”, the Movement has a motto- “Keep Smiling”. Regarding the Bunny Salute: The two fingers (middle & forefinger) of both hands should be raised along the side of the two ears depicting the ears of Bunny.
About the Uniform: An apron with Bunny symbol against the bright background to be worn over the school uniform or any other dress. The emblem is prepared by the National Headquarters in the form of a sticker badge. A Bunny holding up a carrot in the right hand with BSG emblem in the centre of Bunny patch. And the Uniform for Bunny Leader: The Leader will be known as-Bunny Aunty (Bunny Uncle only in exceptional cases). It is suggested that Bunny Leaders can be the privilege of females only, the uniform for the Bunny Leaders will be the same as those of the Adult Leaders of the regular group. Bunny programme is based on four signposts namely: (i) Love for God; (ii) Love for Nature; (iii) Creative Activities; and (iv) Learning to play together.
That was a little bit of history of the Bunny Movement, and locally, the cute little Gonzagaites of St Aloysius Gonzaga School, Mangaluru based on the rules and standards of the Bunny Movement participated in the Investiture Ceremony of Bunny Movement at their School on Tuesday, 27 August 2019 at 9.30 am. Following a prayer song, the welcome address was delivered by tiny Gonzagaite Miss Stuthi K P. The significance of the Bunny Movement was briefed by “tiny Angel” Miss Mehr Suzanne Noronha. The programme was inaugurated by lighting of the lamp by chief guest Ms Sandhya R Shenoy- the Flock Leader of Bharat Scouts and Guides District Association, along with Fr Melwyn Anil Lobo SJ, and Ms Jacintha D’costa, the Principal and Vice Principal respectively of St Aloysius Gonzaga School.
The Gonzagaites performed a drill to the drumbeat handled by Ms Agnes Saldanha, the Physical Education Teacher, which mesmerized the parents of the kids. Then it was time to distribute the Bunny Aprons by the dignitaries and teachers, which the Bunnies wore with pride and lots of smiles. After attired in a colorful dark blue apron, the chief guest administered the oath to the Bunnies, where everyone raised the right hand forward. Prizes were distributed to the children who won in various competitions.
In her inaugural speech, Ms Sandhya Shenoy said, “The motto of the Bunny Movement is to ‘Keep Smiling’, and I am happy to see many of you are happily smiling. And also that the Bunny programme is based on four signposts namely : (i) Love for God; (ii) Love for Nature; (iii) Creative Activities; and (iv) Learning to play together, the teachers and parents should inculcate these among the children. Parents should also see that the children remain active in the movement as per the guidelines, and involve them in various activities of the Bunny Movement. Activities for development of senses, Activities for Mental Development, Creative activities and Nature Observations should be encouraged among the Bunnies of this movement. And all activities should be done in a free formation. I compliment the management, teachers and staff of St Aloysius Gonzaga School for implementing the Bunny Movement and keeping it active year after year”.
In his presidential address, Fr Melwyn Lobo SJ said, “At St Aloysius Gonzaga School, we shape the future of many young minds that join our family here. The school has an excellent reputation and provides a vibrant and harmonious community for the students and staff alike. The school represents the transformation stage of education globally. Its vision is to educate young minds and foster ethical, social and moral values through holistic learning, for them to bloom into responsible global citizens. With its wonderful infrastructure and all modern amenities, we are now poised for an enviable growth in the field of education making itself the preferred choice for qualitative education. Our aim is to provide our school children with engaging, enriching and challenging curriculum along with the emphasis on extracurricular activities. And this Bunny Movement for the tiny tots is indeed a marvelous programme to engage the kids in various activities. Parents also need to play a vital role in the development and lifestyle while the child is growing”.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Master Virat R Rai, and the programme was compered by Master Sparsh G and Miss Anika G Kamath. And the programme was meticulously put together by Ms Aparna Suresh, the KG Coordinator. librarian Ms Samitha and other teachers of the respective KG classes also played a vital role in the Investiture ceremony proceedings.
