同窓会
今週２１日の日曜日、隠岐島前高等学校の同窓会が、肥後橋の徐園（中国料理店）で盛会裡に開催された。
同窓会の名称は「家督会」（アトドカイ）。名前の由来は詳しくは知らないが、学校が家督山（アトドサン）の麓に所在する所から来たものと思う。
エッ隠岐にも山があるの・・・等とのたまう人も居るかも知れないが、大雑把に言えば、隠岐は海と山だけ。特に我が母校がある島前地区は、海と山で、人が住んでいるのは山裾の海岸端。それも１００軒もある所は少なく、５０軒程の集落が点在する長閑な地域である。
田舎の集まりは大体そうであるが、会が始まる１時間半くらい前から、ぞろぞろと集まって来る・・・。最近は、それにも少し慣れてきたが、僕は、会と名がつくものには基本１分を前後してしか行かない方で、それが普通と思っていたが、世話役をする様になって、初めてこの事を知った。そして、参加者が如何に楽しみに参集するかを実感することとなった。
開会の冒頭、島前高校の教頭先生から、学校の現況について話があったが、何と今年教員が９名も一挙に増員したと云う。勿論、生徒数も増えてはいるが、こんな田舎の学校で先生が一挙に９名も増員となるなんて有り得ないこと。県の教育委員会もよくぞ決断したと思うが、それだけ地元、島前３ヶ町村が結束し、熱心に訴えた結果の賜物であろう。しかも、県立高校なのに県外からの生徒を多数受け入れ、寮の他に島親制度なるものを立ち上げ、親元を離れて学ぶ生徒の親代わりとして、土日には家に招いて一緒に食事をしたり、授業参観に顔を出したりなどして、島を挙げて応援態勢をとっていると云う。
廃校寸前であった我が母校、島根県立隠岐島前高等学校が、今や全国的に注目の的。学力も急激にアップしている様で、国公立、有名市立大にも数多く入っていると聞く。
「成せばなる 成さねばならぬ 何事も」、そう・・何でもそうなのだ。成さなければ、何事も絶対にならい。成しさえすれば何とかなるのだ。これは真理ですぞ・・・・。
冒頭こんな嬉しい話を聞いた為、小生の頭はヒートアップ。一次会が終わりかけると誰言うとなく二次会の雰囲気がプンプン。夏の太陽が燦燦と輝く真昼間の３時、仕方なく飲み屋のママに電話。急遽、店を開けて貰い、同級生１２名が尽きることなき歌と喋くりに時間を忘れた。
そして翌日はボーとした頭で「奈良の杜ゴルフクラブ」でナイスチョット。一番ホールでＯＢ連発・・・・トホホ・・・。でもトータル８０代でしたぞ。
久しぶりに御歳６５歳の壮年が高校生に帰った、それはそれは楽しい２日間であった。
The reunion of the Okijimae High School was held this Sunday, the 21st, at Xu Yuan, a Chinese restaurant in Higobashi.
The name of the alumni association is the “family governing board” (Atodokai). I don’t know the origin of the name, but I think it comes from the place where the school is located at the foot of Atodosan.
Some people may say that there are mountains in Oki too, but roughly speaking, Oki is only sea and mountains. Especially in Shimamae area where my alma mater is located, there is a sea and a mountain, and people live in the coastal edge of the mountain. There are not many places with 100 houses, and it is a quiet area dotted with about 50 villages.
As is usually the case in the countryside, they all came here from about an hour and a half before the start of the meeting. I’ve gotten used to it a little recently, but I used to think it was normal for me to only go back and forth for a minute at a time for anything that could be called a meeting, but it was only when I became a caretaker that I learned about it. And it made me realize how much the participants were looking forward to attending.
At the beginning of the opening of the meeting, the principal of Shimamae High School talked about the current state of the school, and he said that the number of teachers had been increased by nine at once this year. Of course, the number of students has increased, but it is impossible for a school in the country to have nine more teachers at once. I think the prefectural board of education also made a good decision, and this is the result of the unity of the three local towns and villages in Shimamae, and their enthusiastic appeal. Furthermore, although it is a prefectural high school, it accepts many students from outside of the prefecture, and in addition to the dormitory, it has set up an island parent system to act as a parent for students who have left their parents’ homes, inviting them to have meals with them on Saturdays and Sundays and visiting their classes.
Our alma mater, Okijimae High School in Shimane Prefecture, which was on the verge of being closed, is now attracting national attention. The academic ability seems to be improving rapidly, and I hear that many students have entered national and public universities as well as famous city universities.
“If you do, you will become, you must become.” That’s right…it’s just like anything. If you don’t do it, nothing will ever happen. It’s just a matter of getting it done. This is the truth…..
Because I heard such a happy story at the beginning, my head was heated up. When the first party was coming to an end, the atmosphere of the second party seemed to go on without anyone saying anything. At three o’clock in the middle of the day when the summer sun was shining brightly, I had no choice but to call the mother of the tavern. I was asked to open the restaurant in a hurry, and I lost track of time with 12 of my classmates singing and talking endlessly.
The next day, I played “Nara no Mori Golf Club” with a dazed head. A series of OBs in the first hole…………………. But I was in my 80s in total.
It had been a long time since the age of 65 returned to high school, and it was a pleasant two days.
