New Head Mistress has Ideas

The Head Mistress who took charge in June 2010 at St Anthonys says she would like to bring the alumni, the students, the parents and the management together to celebrate the centenary in a special way.

She is making efforts in this direction. This seems to be a positive move after the school's centenary seemed to have been locked in the cold storage.

The HM mentions plans to have an event in February 2011.

More will be posted here as things roll.

Do email your ideas too - vincentsjottings@gmail.com is the ID.

This blog is a personal effort and is not managed on behalf of the school, the alumni or any group.
But it does communicate.

Alumni Assn Team steps down

The secretary of the Alumni Assn, in an email says that he and his team have stepped down after the annual alumni meet went through on Sunday, Jan 9.
It is not clear what prompted this move.

There has been criticism in the past in the manner in which this team ran its affairs.
There is now room for some freshness and a new beginning. Especially in a centenary year.

I have asked Benedict, the ex Secy to provide some pictures of the alumni show which we will post here.

Alumni meets on Jan.9

The men who run the Alumni Assn. of the school emailed - to say that the annual meet takes place this weekend.
I rcd this mail because I am a Life Member.
I replied - saying that as a mark of protest I would not attend. I protest against the school, its management and the illegal alumni group which runs this association for the manner in which it has treated the school centenary which runs into 2011.
All we got to hear last year was that a Mass was said in june 2010.

Is this the way an international congregation treats a centenary?

Charms Ashok tours Near East

Ashok is back from a tour of the near East and tells us that he had a great time, with his wife.

Vincent and Murali were at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

There are plans for the group to make it to Australia / Canada / UK. Watch out for more alerts.

Peter Thyreum visiting Madras

Peter was to have been here in December. Now, he plans to visit the city in mid January 2011.
Peter now runs his own business in Canada and wants to explore ties here in India.
Planning a party on Pongal eve.
Murali is the co ordinator.

Christmas Party!

We used the occasion of batchmate Mohanraj's visit from Canada to host a Christmas party at a club in Nungambakkam in early December.
It was a warm one, Thomeena and Isabel were the ladies who signed in.
Jaspal, Ashok, Murali, Vincent, Hari, James, Rex and Uday were there.

Mohan who was on a business tour seemed to have reconnected well. Also among us was Rex who had not made contact - he lives in Nanganallur now, close to Hari's.

The Christmas party will now be an annual affair and may become big in the years to come.

Benedict Devarajan, Secretary's statement

I had personally raised a few issues about the Alumni Assn. of the school after members of our batch found that there were holes in the way this Assn functioned.

Some key issues -

There is no official communication. Sketchy emails are resorted too.

Payments made in the past were not acknowledged with formal receipts.

The rules and bylaws are not provided to those who become members.

In response to my e-mails, here is what Benedict Devarajan, Secretary states ----------

Good to hear from you and to know that you are very much interested in crystallizing the Association. We need mature people like you in the framework of our Association.

Perhaps yes, you are right in saying that we need more crystallizing, but to say that we are only nominated heads is wrong. As the current Secretary of the Association, I would like to say that this current committee is a democratically elected body of past alumnus on 1.9.2007. As you desire to see the set of rules and by-laws, you are always welcome to school (on a working day) and know about it more from the management.

This current Committee has appointed a teacher of the school as a Treasurer, only to ensure that it would be easy for the school management to audit the accounts of the Alumni Association, when their school accounts are also audited simultaneously. And the current Treasurer is Mrs. Romila Fernando. Any queries regarding to "the gist of accounts" can be had from her.

You may also reach me at 9840671570