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クラス毎に交代で日曜日の礼拝に参列するクランレー教会。訪れるたびに笑顔で迎えられ、学校と地元の人々との繋がりを肌で感じる事ができる機会でもあります。

その教会関係の方々も７月７日の創立４０周年記念式典に参列して下さいました。そしてその教会の会報「St Nicolas Cranleigh Parish Church Magazine」に式典の記事が掲載されましたのでご紹介します。

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Rikkyo School

At the same time as our Rectory Fete,  the Rikkyo School celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a service and concert, followed by a magnificent lunch. Many friends of the school joined in the happy throng, and professors and past students from Japan or here in England came along to celebrate.

One such person recalled his being driven down the A281 by his parents, to begin his boarding school education. He had never been parted from them and had no idea what to expect. He knew no-one, the evening meal left him hungry and he cried himself to sleep. However, he soon found a warmth and a welcome from staff and fellow students, and he told the assembled audience how foundational and memorable his school life became.

He had tears in his eyes, as he told our present-day students to accept every challenge and to live life to the full, making the most of every moment of their school career.

We here at St. Nicolas love to see the students and staff of the School at our Sunday worship, and we send them all many congratulations and good wishes at this Anniversary time, and for success in the future.

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７月７日（土）創立４０周年記念感謝礼拝が行われました。

その中で、地元の町 ホーシャムの市議会議長 Cllr Leonard Crosbieさんから頂いたご祝辞をご紹介致します。

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祝辞

Cllr Leonard Crosbie

I am delighted and honoured to be here at the RIKKYO School on the 40th anniversary of its foundation.

Over that time the School has sought to ensure the physical, intellectual and spiritual wellbeing of the students in an environment which one parent has described as “providing a family like atmosphere and in which the School never stops improving”. I admire the parents and the students who decide to seek education in England…a land so far from Japan.

In these days of globalization, the internet, Google, ets., and with ENGLISH becoming the common language of commerce, aviation, communications and medicine, the School under your Headmaster Mr. Munechika and staff, offer the ideal environment to prepare students for today’s challenging and competitive world.

The School’s work with local communities is greatly admired and Horsham would be delighted to engage with you in any such activities.

Thank you for your invitation and I wish the School and the students every success in the future.

７月７日（土）創立４０周年記念感謝礼拝が行われました。

その中で、本校の理事であり卒業生でもある須藤達哉さんから頂いたご祝辞をご紹介致します。

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祝辞

理事兼卒業生代表　8期生 須藤達哉（欧州三井住友海上英国支店長）

Thank you very much for your introduction.

My name is Tatsuya Sudo. I am a graduate of this School. I am also one of the School’s Trustees representing all the graduates who now live in the UK. I have been kindly asked by the Headmaster, Mr. Munechika, to make a short speech in English during Rikkyo’s 40th anniversary celebration.

When I first joined Rikkyo, this School had just celebrated its 10th anniversary. At that time I gave no thought to what this School might look like 30 years later, and absolutely no idea that I would be standing here saying a few words at its celebration.

It was back in April 1983 when my father drove me to this lovely School for the first time. We had moved from Tokyo to London that year due to my father’s new assignment. I was 15 years old and I wore the exact same uniform you are all wearing today. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon with bright sunshine; a perfect day to go for a drive. However, the purpose of this drive was not for sightseeing but taking me to a boarding school called Rikkyo. As we covered many miles down the A281, I saw the sheep, horses and cows in the lovely peaceful countryside. But I remember

also having a concern; “What kind of school exists in such a peaceful place?”

First impressions were not good. That first evening at Rikkyo, the dinner served to each pupil was a bowl of soup, 2 slices of ham with lettuce, a bag of potato crisps, followed by one green apple for dessert. For 15 years old boy that was still growing, it was obviously not enough to satisfy my hunger and I remember I was starving all night. The dormitory was not a private room as I had hoped; it was populated by 12 pupils. The time you sleep and the time you wake up was dictated by the school. Was this the lifestyle that I would suffer for the next 3 years until graduation? On that first night I remember lying in my bed, hungry and with tears in my eyes, fearing that I would not last for a week before I called my parents to bring me back home.

Three years later, on the very last day at Rikkyo before graduation, I was crying again. However, this time I was crying because I had fallen in love with this School and did not wish to leave. Contrary to my first impression, the lifestyle at this School was a perfect fit for me.

During my three years at Rikkyo, I learnt how to work effectively in teams, how to integrate into the community, how to be a leader, and the importance of complying to rules. These are just a few of the skills I learned at this wonderful School, all of which contributed towards making me the person who I am now. And of course the friends I made here are still one of the most precious treasures I have earned in my life. Rikkyo has been a hugely positive influence to my life, for which I will be eternally grateful.

Of course it was my parents’ decision, not my own, to choose this exceptional school.  My father, who drove me down the A281 all those years ago, is now 77 years old. He has retired and enjoys playing tennis every day. My mother sadly passed away 2 years ago at the age of 67. I do not recall having ever thanked them properly for making such a good decision about my education. Taking this opportunity I would like to say to my parents “Thank you so much. Your decision was absolutely right. You gave me the most precious educational experience I could ever have.”

So, to the current generation of students studying at Rikkyo, I would like to say this; “It is a privilege to spend your school life in such a wonderful environment.” Whilst you may not realize that now, I can assure you that when you’ve grown up and look back on your school days, you’ll agree to that statement. I urge you to treasure the experience of studying at Rikkyo, and try to enjoy yourselves during the special years you study here.

As a graduate and one of the Trustees of this school, I feel it is part of my responsibility to be an advocate for the School and inform other people about how wonderful this School is. I hope you will share the same feeling with me when you become graduates of Rikkyo.

My loving school Rikkyo, congratulations on your 40th anniversary. I am extremely proud of being a graduate of this school, and it is truly a great honour to be given this opportunity to congratulate you on this special anniversary.

Thank you very much!

７月７日（土）創立４０周年記念感謝礼拝が行われました。

その中で、本校の理事でもある立教大学総長 吉岡知哉さんから頂いたご祝辞をご紹介致します。

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祝辞

「私たちは源を同じくしている」

立教大学総長　立教英国学院理事　吉岡　知哉

私たちは本日、立教英国学院の創立40周年を祝うためにこの地に集っています。立教大学そして立教学院を代表して、お祝いの言葉を述べさせていただきます。

　歴史を遡ると、立教英国学院と立教大学は共に、1874年、アメリカ聖公会宣教師のチャニング・ムーア・ウィリアムズ師が東京築地に建てた小さな私塾「立教学校」をその起源としています。元号で言うと明治七年。当時は近代日本の建設期にあたり、後に東京六大学と呼ばれる大学をはじめ、多くの大学がこの時期にその基礎を作っています。これらの大学は、近代日本建設のために直接役に立つ教育を行いました。例えば、大隈重信の早稲田大学は政治家、福澤諭吉の慶応義塾大学は実業家の育成をめざしました。明治大学、法政大学、中央大学の前身は法律学校です。東京帝国大学は、官僚と医者、技術者の育成のために明治国家によって作られました。

　「立身出世」「富国強兵」の世の中にあって、立教大学は少し変わった存在であったと言えるでしょう。聖書と欧米の文化を学ぶ学校として始まった立教大学は、「リベラルアーツ」を中心とした教養教育に力を注ぎました。「キリスト教に基づく教育」を建学の精神とする立教大学は、何よりも、人間の全人格的な陶冶をめざしたのです。私は立教の精神の中で、現在最も重要なものとして、3つの要素をとりあげたいと思います。

　１番目は、「謙虚さ」です。これは、被造物としての人間の限界を知るということであり、絶対的なるものの前で人間存在の意味を考えるということです。「謙虚」という日本語からは、やや消極的な姿勢を思い浮かべるかもしれません。しかし、人間の作り出したもの、既存の制度や価値を相対化するという意味で、それは強さでもあります。ローマ時代、キリスト教が迫害に耐えたのは、まさにその歴史的な例でしょう。

　２番目は、一人ひとりの人間、一つひとつの存在の「かけがえのなさ」を大切にする精神です。

　そして３番目に、他者への働きかけの意志、ミッションの自覚をあげたいと思います。立教英国学院も立教大学も、まさにミッションの強い意志に支えられて誕生しました。この精神は現在でも、さまざまな課外活動、ボランティアなどの自発的活動として受け継がれています。

　昨年、日本は、東日本大震災とそれに続く原発事故によって深く大きな傷を受けました。人間存在の意味、文明のあり方、自然と人間の関係があらためて根本から問われています。私は立教の伝統が培ってきた精神が今こそ大切であると考えています。

　歴史を振り返って気付くことをもう一つ申し上げたいと思います。ウィリアムズ主教が日本に布教に訪れたのは、１９世紀の半ば過ぎ。このとき世界は文字通り激動期でした。中国では太平天国の乱、アメリカでは南北戦争が起こりました。ウィリアムズ主教の故郷ヴァージニア州リッチモンドは、南部連合の中心地となり、戦火に見舞われています。ヨーロッパでも戦争が相次ぎ、イタリアやドイツが統一されることになります。

　立教英国学院は1972年に創設されました。この時期もまた、激動の時代でした。中国の文化大革命があり、ベトナム戦争とそれに対する反戦運動、学生運動が世界的に拡大したのです。

今、私たちの時代も、情報技術の急速な発達とグローバル化の進展によって、世界の様相が急激に変化しており、その速度は誰も追いついていけないほどです。リーマンショックからまだ４年も経っていないということに、誰もが驚かざるをえません。このような歴史の転換期だからこそ、未来を担う人間を育てることが何よりも大切です。立教大学も皆さまと力を合わせていきたいと思います。立教英国学院の生徒の皆さん、立教の精神を受け継ぎ発展させてきた立教英国学院で学んでいることに自信と誇りを持ち、志高く、歩みを進めてください。私たちは皆さんを心から応援しています。

７月７日（土）創立４０周年記念感謝礼拝が行われました。

その中で、地元クランレーの牧師 Nigel Nicholsonさんから頂いたお話と40周年感謝祈祷をご紹介致します。

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Collect for 40th Anniversary

Rev’d Canon Nigel Nicholson

I say to the young people here, I speak as one of your ex-chaplains. I was chaplain at this school for 18 months and I well remember Bishop Paul Saito and Mary, his lovely wife. Now you’re all going off on holiday and you come back on September the 9th and I won’t be here, because I retire on September the 2nd. Whoopee! And I came to this parish when this school was 17 years old, I have been in Cranleigh for 23 years and one of the most special parts of my ministry has been here, in this school and seen you at Cranleigh and I take with me when I go into retirement wonderful memories of a superb school, wonderful staff, great children who work far too hard but are really industrious in what you do. Many memories of seeing you in church. The girls giggling, laughing and taking photographs with the usual ‘V’.

Thinking of the two flags of Japan and England, we did beat you in World Cup at football, but red and white, the sun and the cross, the son of God Jesus who died for you and me, wherever we come from and that’s a wonderful thing. We are bound together on a journey of faith, of goodness and love. And when we sing the school hymn, I’m proud to sing it too, here in Southern England stands midst the hills our school. Day by day it’s girding us with the precepts of love, binding us in friendship with the name of all lands to search out together the way we should go. If when we work together and above all when we pray together we will listen to God and he will help us to understand each other better.

As I say when I go into retirement I shall remember you and I will continue to pray for you: the governors, the teachers and the children of this lovely school. And so a prayer of thanksgiving, for forty wonderful flowering years of this school, let’s bow our head.

‘Heavenly father we bless you for the vision for those who saw this school taking (  ????   ) in the land of England, for those who had the vision to teach and to encourage young minds, to broaden their horizon and to share your gifts with us all. We thank you for the teachers who have shown the children the best way to live and have given them a grounding and a foundation of faith and goodness and love. We thank you Lord for the governors who have supported and cared for the school and the many visitors who have been part of it’s journey. Bless each and every one of us as we continue our journeys from this day onwards. Bless this school, that it may continue to grow and flourish and produce upright men and women to serve you in this world today and may the Lord bless you, this school in all that it does in the name of the Father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen’.

７月７日（土）創立４０周年記念感謝礼拝が行われました。

以下、本校校長の式辞をご紹介致します。

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式辞

立教英国学院校長　棟近　稔

Mr Akira Imamura, Minister, Embassy of Japan

Cllr Leonard Crosbie, Chairman of Horsham District Council

Honoured Guests, teachers, parents, students and friends of Rikkyo School

I should like to thank you all for joining us today to help celebrate this important milestone in Rikkyo School’s history. I should especially like to thank those who have flown from Japan for this occasion. It is lovely to see so many familiar faces, including old friends, old boys and former colleagues.

We are honoured to have the presence of the Consul General from the Embassy of Japan, the Chairman of Horsham District Council, both the President and Vice President of Rikkyo University, President of Rikkyo Womens College, Rev Martin King and Rev Canon Nigel Nicholson, Headmasters of Rikkyo Ikebukuro, Koran Jogakuin, Teikyo School, and Japanese School in London, representatives from St Catherine’s and Millais Schools among others.

This has been a year for celebration: Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic Games in London.  And today we celebrate our School’s 40th Anniversary.

Rikkyo School was founded in 1972 by the first headmaster, Yasushi Agata, with the idea of educating the children of Japanese parents working abroad, in both Christian and Japanese traditions.

It was the very first Japanese private school outside Japan. At that time, nobody dreamt of starting such a school outside of Japan. I cannot help but admire Mr Agata’s foresight, courage and determination. When the School opened its doors in 1972, there were just 19 primary school children. At that time, the School looked very different to today – with only the current girls dormitory (we still call it the main building) which had to be used for accommodation, classrooms, dining room as well as staffroom and office!

I first came here in 1977 – the year when the School celebrated its 5th Anniversary, and the Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee! I used to live in that main building next to students, and was often woken up by the smell of frying bacon wafting from the old kitchen! Over the years, the School has had its ups and downs. While Mr.Usuki was the headmaster, the School expanded and the many buildings we can see

today were built through generous donation from many Japanese companies. Now we have well over 2000 alumni working all over the world.

Last month, we welcomed a former graduate who visited the School from Japan. He is now a representative of a Japanese cosmetic company and was visiting the UK to oversee his company’s European expansion. He told me that one of his long-standing ambitions was to see his product displayed in Debenhams in Guildford – and he had just fulfilled that ambition!

Today we have 147 students, and I am happy to add that two of them are second generation Rikkyo School students.

Last year we experienced the terrible disaster in Japan. I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for the kindness of the local community who contacted the School with messages of sympathy and many who gave their support following the disaster.

It reminds me quite vividly not only how much this School has been supported by the English people for these 40 years but also the importance of our school’s existence in England being a bridge between English and Japanese people – a legacy from its founder who declared the School as being for the “mutual friendship and understanding of our two nations, Great Britain and Japan”.

Today, the importance of the bond between nations, the bond between people is far greater than 40 years ago.

As we move into the next decade of the School’s history, Rikkyo School must continue to act as a bridge between two nations and two nationals. I am proud that our

School is firmly established within the local community: our annual Open Day is always well attended; and we hold an annual Japanese Evening for pupils and parents from local schools as well as Friends of the School. Our students also help with local fundraising activities. Many of our students also have the opportunity of staying with local families, giving them the chance to experience English life and to practice their English. Just some examples of how our School is working to develop cultural awareness and understanding between our two nations.

In a world of increasing globalization, I believe it is our mission to produce the next generation who can work in harmony together, in a future world.

Our School’s achievements are due to its dedicated teachers and staff, and in no small measure, to the strong support of its Trustees, parents and friends, many of whom are here today.

I am confident that Rikkyo School will continue to grow from strength to strength, and I should like, once again, to thank you all for joining our service of thanks and celebration today, and for your continued support.