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St Andrews crowned Asian Beach
Polo Junior Champions
The Asian Beach Polo Junior
Champions: Damion Sudhirak (aged 10), Ben Harcourt-Harrison (aged 9) and
Richard van Oosteyen (aged 10) from the St. Andrew’s junior polo team.
Andy Harrison -
Principal of St. Andrews International School
On a magnificent white sandy beach, in front of the very grand
Intercontinental Hotel, with the sparkling blue sea of the Gulf of Thailand
behind, the stage was set for the Asian Beach Polo Championships 2014 in Hua
Hin. The teams and crowd had travelled from far afield to watch this
spectacular annual event, which showcases the best beach polo in the whole
of Asia.
 Ben
Harcourt-Harrison being interviewed after the game.
The first final of the afternoon was the Junior Polo Championship, contested
by the Thai Polo Club and the newly formed St Andrew’s Polo team. It was a
hard fought game, where defensive strategies dominated and in the end the
game was settled by just a single goal. That goal was scored by the
outstanding player of the final, Richard van Oosteyen for St Andrew’s Polo
and they were crowned Asian Beach Polo Junior Champions at their first
attempt!
Representing St Andrews Polo were: Damion Sudhirak (aged 10), Ben
Harcourt-Harrison (aged 9) and Richard van Oosteyen (aged 10). Ben told
reporters afterwards, “It was a very tough match and incredibly hot! Our
ponies took a while to get used to the large crowd and all the flags flying,
but in the end we are all very happy that we won!”
All three boys looked very proud in their brand new green shirts, as they
then watched France beating Thailand to 3rd place before Macau were crowned
champions beating Hong Kong in the final.
The Beach Polo Championship signals the end of the polo season in Thailand,
but I am sure the St Andrews Polo Junior team will be eager for the new
season to start again in November.
The junior teams entering the
pitch.
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Super Soggy Songkran at GIS
GIS students demonstrate the meaning of Songkran.
Mark Beales
Photos by Ritche Guisona
Students from Garden International School (GIS) had a wet and wonderful Songkran
- with help from some special guests.
Children from the Camillian Centre in Ban Chang, which cares for people with
HIV, made their annual visit to GIS. Students collected bags-full of gifts to
hand over to the children and held special parties in their form rooms to make
them welcome. Money was also donated by GIS students to help pay for new school
uniforms for the Camillian children, raising more than 50,000 baht.
Everyone then joined in either Songkran activities or a special assembly where
the tradition of Songkran was explained.
GIS is based in Ban Chang, near Pattaya. For more, visit
www.gardenrayong.com.
The true meaning of Songkran was
present at GIS.
Primary students also joined in
with their own activities.
GIS Principal Dr Stuart Tasker
presents a donation to the Camillian Centre.
Students pour water over teachers’
hands as a mark of respect.
Happy New Year! GIS teachers have
fun with the students.
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108 youths ordained as novices to welcome AEC
“Dhmmakaya naga” (people about to be ordained as a
Buddhist monk) bow to pay respect to their families.
Students participating in the ceremony march in to
receive monk robes from guardians and parents.
Students receive robes from their
proud parents and guardians.
Urasin Khantaraphan
More than 108 area spent part of their school vacations as Buddhist novices
after being ordained to prepare youths for the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community.
Deputy Monks Committee chief Ratchasittiwimol and Abbot Vichit Siripunno and 8
monks Phra Dhammakaya Temple ordained the 108 high school students at Pattaya
School No. 7 April 3. Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho and Pattaya
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay presented monks robes to 22 of the most-outstanding
students.
The nationwide March 26-April 24 ordination was called as a “welcome” to the AEC
and, in Chonburi, was seen as an opportunity to bless the eastern region with
good luck.
Before the ceremony, trainees were educated on the foundations of happiness
within students, families and communities; and how to repay the kindness of a
mother. Plus they youths were educated on discipline, good, bad, karma, avoiding
drugs and to promote constructive thinking amongst youths.
After the training, the parents of the youths presented saffron robes to the
“dhmmakaya naga” (the person about to be ordained as a Buddhist monk) followed
by a naga parade around Pattaya to preserve Buddhism and make merit.
Jirayu Panraksa, 17, a student at Chonradsadornumrung School, said that he
didn’t choose to ordain because he wanted to avoid Janthaburi Jidsodsai Borisut
Buddha Punya Camp (Buddhism camp for youths) and tutoring classes, but because
he is interested dharma and chose to ordain immediately. “I don’t know when I
will receive this opportunity again and decided to ordain to repay my mother’s
kindness.”
Jirayu is graduating to Mattayom 6 and believes that he will not receive any
other chances. “I am happy that I have the opportunity to ordain, which will
preserve Buddhism. I hold on to the phrase: ‘Doing good is difficult, birth
itself is much more difficult since one does not know when one will be reborn
and where one will be reborn’. I urge others to ordain when there is a chance.”
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Buddhists line streets for
Naklua novice parade
A father leads his daughter to
offer alms.
Surasak Huasoon
Naklua-area Buddhists lined the streets as 32 newly ordained novices paraded
through the community seeking alms.
Ordained by Chonglom Temple for summer, the novices walked from the Thummada
three-way intersection past the Mum Aroi restaurant and to the Lan Po Market
under the supervision and assistance of Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan officers.
Devotees prepared food to offer to the novices and monks. The route was filled
with Buddhists offering alms, with traffic blocked off for everyone’s safety.
One Naklua fisherman said he is educated on the origin of each temple in
Pattaya, but he and his family are always interested in monks and novices from
Chonglom Temple as that is his favorite.
He and his family made merit in honor of his father who recently had passed away
as gratitude for raising him. His family and himself felt much better after
having offered alms, even though they did not make it to the temple.
Novice Art receives alms from his
sister.
Buddhists offer alms to novices in
Naklua.
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Jesters Care For Kids Charity Drive 2014:
How you cared in 2013
All the children you have helped
say thank you.
Lewis Underwood
Due to your benevolence this past year, we were able to
distribute 5,123,301 baht, or 97.9% of the net raised for our 2013
fiscal year, which ended recently on March 31st 2014.
Below are the needy children charities you are supporting,
primarily on the Eastern Seaboard. However, we also have projects outside of our
traditional region and have responded to national calamities, when children have
been adversely affected. Examples of the latter are when the tsunami devastated
the south and we funded orphans’ education starting from 2005. In 2011, we also
renovated a school in Nakon Pathom after the floods inundated many areas in
Thailand.
Our Target Charity:
(Registered Charity No. Tor 460/2543)
The Fountain of Life Center in Pattaya (2,990,139 baht):
Under the auspices of the Good Shepherd Foundation,
they provide children with documentation, education, life skills, meals,
medical/dental care, and ultimately, scholarships for entering gov’t schools. In
2013, 63 children received scholarships for gov’t schools.
Next Step Program: Provides young adults with
scholarships for vocational colleges and universities. Since 2009, there have
been 9 graduates, including one who completed his Masters in Law. All are now
gainfully employed.
Five university students are currently being supported
through funds given to the Fountain of Life Center, including 3 students poised
to graduate imminently.
Public Schools: (96,560 baht)
1. Ban Chang School in Rayong (20,060 baht): Provided
school uniforms to local students in cooperation with Pattaya International
Ladies Club (PILC) and Ban Chang Hospital Outreach Program.
2. Ban Thong Noi School in Chonburi 45,000 baht):
Provided drinking water system in cooperation with the YWCA.
3. Nikom Ku School in Rayong (31,500 baht): Provided
prescription eyeglasses to the students in cooperation with Pattaya Sports Club
(PSC) and YWCA.
Special Schools: (300,140
baht)
1. Khao Baisri Special Education for the Disabled in
Sattahip, Rayong (200,140 baht): Provided a monthly stipend for basic
necessities, in addition to two training sessions for the autistic with the
Women With a Mission (WWM); a roof with Joe and Oi St. Laurent and sheep for
interaction with the children.
2. Special Olympics Thailand (SOT) in Pattaya (100,000
baht): Sponsored the 6th Eastern Region Athletics Championship at School #7
for 300 handicapped children competing in track and field, and this year a new
sport for them, cricket.
Shelters and Special Cases:
(1,505,402 baht)
1. Camillian Home in Lat Krabang in Bangkok (700,000
baht): In a joint venture with the Canadian Jackalope Open (CJO), we
continued to provide the 24/7 care for two severely disabled HIV-infected
children, and now a third child with cerebral palsy.
2. Camillian Social Center in Rayong (43,142 baht):
Along with CJO organizers, we sponsored 70 children to go Christmas shopping at
Big C and 50 children for a day trip to Siam Park amusement park in Bangkok.
3. Ban Jing Jai Foundation in Nong Prue (360,000 baht):
Continued to provide a monthly stipend for the food costs for 84 orphans.
4. Kharma Foundation in Mae Hong Song (50,000 baht):
In a joint project with Ray Matti, we helped build a kindergarten, frog/fish
pond and chicken/pig farm and playground equipment in Mae Sariang.
5. Share Love with Friends Project in Nong Prue (259,260
baht): Provided monthly distributions of rice and milk to poor families with
disabled children together with the Pattaya Street Kids Support Project (PSKS);
we also supply wheelchairs and modifications to motorbikes with sidecars to
facilitate family travel and eking out a living.
6. Anti-Trafficking and Child Abuse Center (ATCC) in Nong
Prue (33,000 baht): Provided funds for a girls’ bungalow and also sports
equipment together with the PSC and TFI.
7. Ban Chang Hospital Food Drops (20,000 baht):
Provided school uniforms and assistance to poor children from broken families
with PILC.
8. Atidthan Kindergarten School in U-Tapao in Rayong
Province (40,000 baht): Provided drinking water system and mattresses in
cooperation with PSC and YWCA.
Day Care Centers: (115,360
baht)
Hand to Hand Foundation in Pattaya:
Steven Kleeb has benefited this center greatly and continues
to do so. Though we have also assisted this project, in the past year we were
mostly the conduit for Steven’s donations.
Miscellaneous: (115,700 baht)
1. Fair event shirts (110,700 baht): 369 event shirts
were donated to children from our projects at cost.
2. YWCA (5000 baht): Provided for one of their fund-raisers
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