In the most recent post by the School Alumni President, Rajiv Bhatia, he asks a couple of questions:
Isn't the 150th year significantly about the Alumni celebrating their educational institution?
Shouldn't the construction of the 150th year events give due recognition to the Alumni Association as the official representative body of the Alumni, rather than involving only select ex-Cathedralites?
In short, the answer to the first question is NO.
The second question may merit discussion, as it will depend on the attitude and relationship between the School Governing Body and the Alumni Association.
The Alumni Association obviously has no locus standing in the affairs of the School. I noted this in the sort of agreement that was made when the Association wanted to use the school premises for some of its affairs.
To me, that was a very sad document.
The reason for this is far reaching and depends on the members of the Alumni who represent us on the School Governing Body as well as the composition of the Governing Body.
I, however, do not care a damn whether the School Governing Body has its own agenda.
If the Alumni has a solid programme and agenda, then the School Governing Body will come running to it.
I was certainly personally disappointed when I wrote a detailed letter to the Principal already last year about my request to make a hi-tech multi-media presentation about the History of our school in time for the start of the celebrations of the 150th Year of the School. That would have coincided with the 50th Year Reunion of the 59ers, which will be the Mother of All Reunions, and for which I will be very much in Mumbai.
I was not even favoured with an acknowledgement to that email, written in the most friendliest of ways. It was very disappointing to see the Principal of our School, who is supposed to set the standards of behaviour, behave in this undiplomatic manner.
Almost every senior Alumni member that I had sent a blind copy of this email was excited and wanted me to prepare this presentation in the way of my dreams.
On the other hand I heard that a similar task was later given to some other people.
I certainly wish them well and hope they make a great presentation. In fact, I am sure they will as some great personalities well known to me are involved with that project.
In my opinion, they will go probably go the traditional way, putting together a nice coffee table book of some of the photographs depicting the history of the school.
That, however, is yesterday's technology.
My intention was something quite quite different. It would have brought our school to the forefront of multi-media technology, making our Alumni and the present students proud of what we could achieve as we move on into the next fifty years of the school history. It would have been what the Apple 3G iPhone is to the Nokia Mobile Phone!
There are wheels within wheels in the driving forces of the School Admnsistration.
Being 7000 km away, I am not privy to the daily ins-and-outs. However, knowing the personalities involved intimately almost 6 decades, I knew what to expect.
The question that the Cat Alumni President asks fits almost exactly with the characters of some of the primary players.
The way to break that mould is to do something the makes every student proud to be part of our Alumni. It is the students who are in school and it is their relationship to the Alumni which makes the difference.
The question posed by the Cat Alumni President may certainly be worth discussing.
However, I would not waste much time trying to flog a dead horse. Let us make the Alumni a galloping stallion straining to be ahead of everyone and everything else!
