The idea of Best Boy of the School came from Fr. Aloysius George Rego SJ, who toyed with it even before the tradition of electing the Best Boy was started. In 1951-52 he made Mr. K.B. Kulkarni draw a portrait of Chagas Fernandes of Std XI, which was printed in the school magazine. Under the name of Chagas is the following caption: “Voted Best Boy”. The name of Fulchand Jain, who came first in the SSC examination of March 1954, is mentioned in the June issue of the SEVAK that year. However, no mention of any one being chosen ‘Best Boy’ from the 1952-53 & 1953-54 batches is made in any records.
On 19th October 1954, when Bishop Michael Rodrigues of Belgaum was feted on his feast day by the school boys, at the end of his speech he offered the school boys a scholarship each year for the Best All Round Boy of the School. With this gesture was started the selection of the ‘Best Boy’ each year as it was initially called.
So, in February 1955 Reynold D’Souza of Std XI was voted the 1st Best Boy and got the Bishop Michael Rodrigues Scholarship. From that year on the tradition been carried on, except for 1980 when the boys of the SSLC decided not to have either the election for the Boy of the Year or the Passing Out Parade because it was not on their terms.
However in the late 1970s the term used was changed. It was pointed out that there is no single boy who is a ‘Best Boy’ because each boy has his own talents. So, it is not possible to compare two boys with different talents. It was decided that the SSLC boys would select the “Boy of the Year” who was an all round person. Studies, sports, co-curricular activities and service to companions & others should all be taken into consideration for the selection.
As years went by, the practice became for the SSLC staff to choose a panel of a few boys and all the boys of the High School vote for the one ‘Boy of the Year’.
Click here to see the list of the Best Boys of their Years.