TRAY Dear friends,
I referred Google for translation ofword tray in Malayalam language. The translations are not suited to exactmeaning of Tray mostly used only in offices at One time. At least three decades back traybecame an item in homes also. Present days trays are used in homes, shops,medical shops, hospital etc. Indifferent sizes and materials for different purposes. This is in addition towide use of trays in offices. The slightly different tray is ashtray, verycommon at one time. Ashtray has not disappeared even today. A nostalgic look into trays. Gopalakrishnan 6-9-2023. 1. Tray on head master’s table My first remembrance of wooden tray isthe one on my primary school head master’s table. The tray rectangular, above 1.5 feet length, one foot width andabout 4 inches height with two cuttings on the width side to hold was kept on head master’s table. During myadmission to the first class, even now I recollect, keeping the schooladmission form kept inside tray after head master made the note of admission. Apaper weight was placed over the papers, not to fly on the wind. Later I could see the same tray wasused to keep attendance register of teachers and students, letters ofcorrespondence etc. before filing. All files, registers, papers kept safelyinside the wooden almirah inside the school hall after classes are over. Headmaster had no separate room other than a separation. The same tray was used to keepvaccination items when health inspector visited for small pox vaccination. Thevaccination mark remained for decades on the body. 2. Devaswam office and tray. My next experience of tray was in theDevaswam office of native temple. All the registers, receipt books etc. werekept in tray. Letters to be sent to Devaswam board was prepared and put inanother tray, inside cover with address written. The watcher will paste andtake the covers to drop in the nearest post box. 3. Tray for keeping teaching materials When I went to middle school, in the teacher’sroom separate trays were there to keep chalk box, duster cloth/duster. It wasthe duty of class monitor to take new chalk, duster, clean the board, writestandard and division on the black board. Teacher after taking attendancemarked the attendance on the board. Attendance register was kept in headmaster’s room. Normally homework books were kept on teacher’s table only. The same arrangement continued in highschool also. 4. Chemistry lab and tray. While I was in high school trays withmetallic holders also started appearing. While for 11th standardchemistry class was mostly conducted in the laboratory room, with teachersitting or standing on a platform, for lower classes the chemistry class wastaken in the class room itself. The teacher will write the items required in a paperand monitor with assistant monitor if required, will bring the practical items intray/trays. Laboratory had about 10-12 trays on those daysto take things to class rooms. In addition the Lab teacher’s large table alsohad two trays. The lab was fully equipped even while I was studying in 1960’sin the high school. Head master had trays on either sideof table. Assisting clerk had a partition and table, chair and tray. Peon had atable and tray to keep things for despatch of letters etc. A chair was providedfor his sitting also. Even in middle school, the same arrangementwas there for peon. It was the peon’s duty to open covers,keep the letters in a clip file and keep on head master’s table in the morning,after collecting from post office. 5.Trays in Experiment table. While studying in college, professorshad separate room, lecturers had cabin in the same room, and lab had trays onexperiment tables. Peons were there separately for lab, professor and Lecturers. Even when I was studying in college white board had not appeared.Peon will clean all class room boards with duster before each session,irrespective of the rooms. Colour chalks were used by alllecturers. Class rooms were changed each hour, a new experience incollege. However in thefinal year, there was no change of rooms. All professors had trays in their table;lecturers too had to keep their books. Many books are referred to teach thesubject. Even now I recollect questions asked by Annamalai University and Alagappa University werediscussed and taught in the class. Lab had two trays before lab lecturersto keep record books, and reviewed and signed record books. Each experiment tablehad trays to keep items. For experiments items were kept as per guidance oflecturer by peons in the trays. After experiments it was the duty of the peonto keep things safely in specific almirahs. By the time I left college metal trayshave started appearing; Wooden furniture had replacement by steel items,including tray. In the next part I will continue with metal trays and plastic trays, andwider use of plastic trays. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/2002340548.3563501.1693996771198%40mail.yahoo.com.
