'JOHNNY' ALWAYS CAME BACK:
At this moment I would like to share with the Hermonites something very personal. As I recall, in his 50+years in India Mr. Johnston left Mt. Hermon many times but always came back. I broke down when he and his family left us - I think in 1970. But he returned again.
1979 was my last year teaching in MH and 'Johnny' (many of us students referred to him as 'Johnny' on the quiet) was the Principal. Mr. Murray left for good at the end of 1978 and Sir was the natural choice to replace 'Bhuntay'. And that is why I got the attached letter from him when I left MH - after 16 years - at the end of 1979. It appears from the letter that he knew me quite well!
It is customary for the Principal to give a gift to the outgoing teachers at the end of the year during a staff meeting. I didn't get one as Mr. Johnston informed the staff at the farewell meet that I was taking a 2-year leave. I never went back to MH but MH never left me and I have never left MH!
Sir visited Gangtok in early 1990 or 1991 after he retired from MH. He again visited us during the centenary celeb in 1995. He may have come in between but we remember his visits in 2010 and 2011 (his last one) with Mrs. Johnston and we had a good time.
Now that he has left us his visits will be no more. But we shall cherish the memories that we shared together in MH and elsewhere. Thank you, Sir for sharing your life with us. Now you have become our Guardian Deity! Cheers! Hail Mt. Hermon!
At this moment I would like to share with the Hermonites something very personal. As I recall, in his 50+years in India Mr. Johnston left Mt. Hermon many times but always came back. I broke down when he and his family left us - I think in 1970. But he returned again.
1979 was my last year teaching in MH and 'Johnny' (many of us students referred to him as 'Johnny' on the quiet) was the Principal. Mr. Murray left for good at the end of 1978 and Sir was the natural choice to replace 'Bhuntay'. And that is why I got the attached letter from him when I left MH - after 16 years - at the end of 1979. It appears from the letter that he knew me quite well!
It is customary for the Principal to give a gift to the outgoing teachers at the end of the year during a staff meeting. I didn't get one as Mr. Johnston informed the staff at the farewell meet that I was taking a 2-year leave. I never went back to MH but MH never left me and I have never left MH!
Sir visited Gangtok in early 1990 or 1991 after he retired from MH. He again visited us during the centenary celeb in 1995. He may have come in between but we remember his visits in 2010 and 2011 (his last one) with Mrs. Johnston and we had a good time.
Now that he has left us his visits will be no more. But we shall cherish the memories that we shared together in MH and elsewhere. Thank you, Sir for sharing your life with us. Now you have become our Guardian Deity! Cheers! Hail Mt. Hermon!
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