Happy Birthday HeadGirl!

A birthday in London!

Happy Birthday, Madhu!

Trio in London

Just a short note to inform you that I met Nimisha and Madhulika for drinks (at a bar) dinner (at an italian chain restaurant called Strada on the South Bank) and finally for coffee (at Waterloo station)...


we wandered from location to location on a bitter winter night, (7th December) and it was surprisingly a delightful evening despite the fact that the girls hadn't met since school and I had met both of them a grand total of TWICE in the last 35 years.

Nimisha was brought up-to-date about the reunion by Madhu and myself and it was just amazing how three people who barely knew each other could be so relaxed and informal in each other's company!

Another indictment of how strong the bonds of our schooldays really are! ...Behram.

The first birthday of the year!

Kicking off the new year with the first birthday is ......

Shernaz!

Sending warm wishes your way from around the globe and look forward to seeing you in Mumbai.

- from all your classmates

The Ice Breaker

Headboy still directing . . .

MP & Rungta

Ruia & Tiku

Manu & Sheetal

Dancing in style....

Special Moments at BF

It's never too late to share these special moments from that memorable weekend - so here's the first installment:

Annahita in perfect form with the school song

Jo & Rash dressed to party

What a ride!


























Naazli & Hussain groovin' to the band

sharad's debut on stage

Viks & Pawan can't let go....

Jo's warm welcome!

Geeta & Sandhya catching up over the years.

Bonnes fetes de fin d'annee

may the magic of the holidays last through out your new year

The band rocks on!

A short hiatus and recovery after the mother of all weekends - what a blur! To get back on track, here's the band kicking things off at BF :)

Padman last seen in Singapore buying a 12 string electric fender stratacaster...

Neville reported to have indulged in a new mapex m series drum set and his family is in a state of shock...

and yours truly has dusted off his electric fender stratocaster and taylor electro-acoustic guitars...

Catch Paddy and Neville at Opus in bangalore, dates to be announced!

Please send in your comments about special moments and surprises from the reunion.

More memories to follow, stay tuned.

Yearbook: Errata & Addendum

(photo courtesy munna/ved/anu)

When we published our class digital yearbook, several errors cropped up due to digital translation problems from mac to pc (don't even ask). In a couple of cases, comments were mis-attributed and we apologize.

Since we live in a digital and virtual world, this is easy to fix - please send me any corrections you would like to make to your profile.

For those who missed the window (out of sheer laziness), here's your chance to be immortalized.

Lastly, can we track down the last of the few missing classmates? Anyone up to the challenge?

salams.

Kyaa masti...

THEN: Anna definitely up to some masti, Jo pretending not to know, and Neville enjoying it...

(click on the images to enlarge)

NOW: Masti over, peace rules....

A league of Bombay's Best

The making and history of one of India’s finest schools, Mumbai’s The Cathedral & John Connon School:

http://www.livemint.com/2010/11/18192922/A-league-of-Bombay8217s-bes.html?h=B

click on the above link or cut and paste in your browser - way to go, Munna!

Social Initiatives - A Proposal

Hello Classmates,

I feel that our batch could consider taking up one initiative for the benefit of underprivileged/ deprived/ disadvantaged. My thoughts are shared below in two sections: a) Possible Guidelines and b) Possible Options. This is more to stimulate our thoughts than to chart a path. It is my personal opinion that having a common goal would do a lot to sustain the momentum of our coming together.

POSSIBLE GUIDELINES

The target group should be people who are physically/mentally/financially/emotionally deprived or disadvantaged.

The initiative should be such that anyone from our batch who wants to get involved can do so. Those from our batch who have the time(or are motivated to make time) can get personally involved. Those who can't should be able to contribute by way of their finances and contacts if they are so inclined.

While there is a big vision in the minds of the core team we start small and aim to show a tangible result within a reasonable time. This would motivate more people to get involved. We can also consolidate our learning to decide on how to best to move forward based on the experience.

We start with one single initiative and work in a focused way rather than dissipate our resources on multiple initiatives. We should consider the sustainability factor while deciding on the initaitive - unless it is a limited period specific objective project.

Regular communication to the class members (at least once in a quarter) to sustain a sense of involvement and keep them informed. Also to motivate more of them to get involved. Photos should be used to highlight what is happening and the physical involvement of class members.

One of the goals could be to aim to be a model of excellence in service so that other Cathedral batches would want to emulate us. Our efforts would then have a multiplier effect.

POSSIBLE INITIATIVES

INITIATIVE 1 - Counseling of Children below 5 years

We could look at an initiative that develops skills or is involved in Counseling and meeting the problems of children below 5 that are manifested in their behavior. This is something I have been thinking of for a long time. I understand that most of a child's make-up is set by the age of five. Resolving issues at this stage is much easier. With the passing of years it becomes increasingly difficult - though not impossible.

Suketu Doshi's wife who is running a school of about 125 children shared her concerns about the difficulties faced by children in this age group when we had a chat at Viks place last Friday.

INITIATIVE 2 - UPLIFTING A GROUP OF UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUTH/CHILDREN

We could take a batch of 6 to 12 underprivileged youngsters with potential for growth in a specific area and groom them to become independent, self-supporting adults who are contributing to society.

For example, using Manju's talents, a batch of girls from the slums could be developed to become Fitness Trainers. Probably we would need to give them training in other areas like English speaking, social etiquette etc.

What would be more satisfying than a couple of years down the line having them present at one of our get-togethers - performing and then sharing with the class how we have played a role in transforming their lives. How they have moved from living in the slums to living in a flat whose loan instalments are being paid from their own earnings.
They and their children living with dignity instead of in an environment of filth, poverty and physical/sexual/emotional abuse.

Would appreciate knowing whether you feel it is worth exploring this idea further. Please feel free to be absolutely frank. Warm regards,

Sharad Kanga

Mr. Pande: RIP

Mr. Pande passed away last night. His funeral is tentatively at around 11 a.m. on Mon 22nd Nov at Chandanwadi, Mumbai.

Turf Club Fiasco

Call for letters - Kiran has penned a brilliant letter below. We encourage those who attended to send an email to Mrs. Isaacs sharing their sentiments, both positive and negative:

To: principal@cathedral-school.com

Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 8:41 AM

Subject: 150 years

Dear Mrs Isaacs

We have just returned to Bangalore after attending the 150th anniversary of the school. It was an event that was eagerly awaited and anticipated. We timed our class reunion to coincide with those dates even though this was inconvenient for those coming from overseas.

Our class reunion was fantastic and all of us felt that the church service evoked the feelings that all of us had for the school - feelings of loyalty and passion. It was an uplifting service and completely fitting for the occasion. The open house at the school was fabulous - once again, bringing back memories of 37 years ago, when we ourselves were there as students. It was a great idea to open up the school to sentimental and nostalgic old boys and girls - who were all heard talking about "their" time in school, even as the current batches wandered around in school uniforms.

Sadly, the event at the Turf Club was a huge let down. We had come there in anticipation of meeting other batches - a couple of years on either side of our year. We had come to meet our old teachers - many of them retired - whom we have not met forever. We came to be acknowledged as old boys and girls who were and still are a part of the school - or at least its history, and we came, because Mridula Sood Malusthe is from our batch, and we wanted to cheer her and hear her speak. The area where we were located was not where the stage was. We were located right at the back of the other enclosure. There was only one screen right in front and no speakers that would allow us to at least hear, if not see the proceedings. We had no idea where the teachers were located. We did not hear Mridula speak - we did not even know when she came on stage. We felt alienated from the proceedings - our batch was on separate tables because the tables seated only 6. We had no idea that there was even a dance floor!!!! If the idea was only for our batch to meet - we could have met elsewhere - as we did.

As far as we were concerned, the Turf Club event had absolutely no significance for us. And this, when we came full of enthusiasm and committment as old boys and girls. As an old student, I felt that it was important for me to give you feedback. Most of my batch felt this way, and you may hear separately from some of them.

With regards,

sincerely

Kiran (Prakash) Chainani

Batch of 1973.

State of the Reunion

(click on image to enlarge - courtesy Times of India)

I know you're all anxiously awaiting the BF photographs and memories which will be posted shortly ..... in the meantime, for all those of you who did take photos, please send hi-res copies to me via email and I will post them.

Merchi - hope you had a great birthday celebration in goa!

The Ice-Breaker

Click on the link below or copy and paste it in your browser

http://www.pbase.com/cyguy/ice_breaker_12nov2010

Courtesy of Cyrus!

The definitive history of Cathedral

(click on image to enlarge)

Kudos to Munna!

(Published 13 Nov 2010 - on sale at school: Rs. 3000/-).

School Jocks!

The girls are going to enjoy this....

cricket team

boxing team

soccer team

Place your orders!

To the Mumbai out-of-towners:

As part of the 150 Years Celebration, our School is bringing out a book – “An Undefiled Heritage”. This is a 350 pages glossy, hard cover book, painstakingly written over the past 2 years. Mridula Sood, our class mate is co-author of this masterpiece – indeed an honor for the Class of 73. The book is priced at Rs. 3000/-.

A rather complicated procedure has been put in place by the school to procure copies of this book, such as advance orders to be placed at school along with only cash payment; and books to be collected at Turf Club on 13^th etc etc.

Our good friend, Cyrus Shroff, has extended himself and spent all day trying to figure how best we could make it available to all our classmates from out of Bombay. Please see his mail below and write to him immediately, should you be interested in getting your copy.

Thanks Cyrus, on behalf of the Class of 73… for coming forward so spontaneously, to help with this and your generous offer with the courier. Much appreciated!

Jo

-----------------------

Hi Folks,

1. You can send me an email or call no later than 10.00 am IST on Friday 12^th November. I will confirm individually by return email/SMS.

2. I will go and pay for XX no. of copies at the school office in my name based on response. There is no receipt being issued at the time of making payment so I guess there is some sign-off or trust factor involved.

3. Will report status at Viks’ place on 12th on what has happened so far. People who have registered can pay me on the 12th, 13th or 14th.

5. At the Turf Club on 13th will assist at the booth/stall (for the price of a small drink) for our long lost buddies to get the book for whoever has their names with me. In case of insufficient copies available at the Turf Club I will pick up and post/courier and that tab is on me.

6. For people who are not attending, but would still like the book, I will post/courier as soon as I receive copies, ditto again on the expenses. As long as books are available at the school office, I will pick them up and work out individually how the reimbursement will take place. They will have to be patient but it will be done. Cheers,

Cyrus

Himalayan Trek '72

Some of the Cathedral School boys and girls went Himalaya trekking this holiday, under a program organized by the Youth Hostels Association of India. The co-sponsors were the National Council of YMCAs and the Western Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali. The route covered stretched right across from Manikaran and Pulga to Rohtang Pass and Bhrigu Lake. And now they are back - filled with nostalgic memories of tramping in the snow and of being cradled to sleep in the lap of nature, the mountain air and spirit very much a part of them and a posy of memories.

It was a Babel of voices at a tea party hosted by Eva Shah, one of the team. "Remember," began one - and the game was soon on, Voices and words had kept floating around creating a series of pictures - of being caught in the flurry of snow, so soft and fun to make balls with; of pleasant warmth around a roaring blaze and heart bursting forib into a song, of nights in the open, under the starry sky and nature communicating through a thousand tongues...

I listen ,fascinated. A boy, his face glowing, recounts the adventure of being lost, and climbing up and down the slopes all day _ 'but one had only felt exhilarated at the breathtaking scenery. It was as though we were protected in the warm embrace of nature. . !' and ..saying this he blushes, surprised at his own poetic stirrings.

Rajeev M was wont to frequently disappear with pen and pad in an attempt to imprison his fleeting impression in the form of verse. And this is what came out:

you spoke to me of history

our footsteps muffled by mountains

you did most of the talking

hinting at emotions unknown

resting at sherpa huts

carved into the sides of the earth

drinking thick hot tea and rice

brewed under charcoal sky shivering stars

we made a hundred separate plans

that took us miles apart

the river where we splashed our feet

rushed through our hearts

we drank played sang

our way past the shadow mountains

into the kulu-manali valley

where snow dust gathers and settles

where forests are forever green

the air trembles still

with the echoes of our voices

and the silences we made

For effervescent Geetu Watumull it was all an exciting adventure, Throughout tea, she had kept smiling widely (deliciously unselfconscious of the braces on her teeth) and chattering,

"Geetu was our Queen of the Blisters," pipes in one pupil. "There she was, one day, with her shoes dangling from her hands and crying out, "But I have blisters, I have blisters, I can hardly walk.”

Vijay Vora, who was as unpleasantly affected had a suggestion that some serious research ought to be carried out on blisters and the possible remedies. But this was just by the way, nothing really mattered in the exciting fun, neither the cold, hard stone floor on which they had often slept, nor the routine paaratha meal dished out every other day,

Out there in the open, amidst the mountains rising proud and high from the earth, the environment had taken over. It was feeling free and elemental and humble and also somewhat immortal as part of a continuing chain of manifested universe. There were no separating 'lines, nothing, except the overwhelming fact of being alive, of being human.

In the city group was sparked the forgotten flavor for the simple pleasures of life. Diana Sadler grows wild at the abundance and exuberance of flowers on the hillsides and carefully brings some of them back to preserve their dry forms in frames. And as Miss Hallegua goes on recalling incident after incident, the memories of those present keep going back to the mountains and dales left behind.

For Mr. John Tesseyman, the English teacher, "the taste of Espresso coffee, surprisingly had at a wayside mountain cafe still lingers on," while Miss Hallegua becomes literary describing the fairy-like hut discovered nestling amongst the surrounding tall pines.

Das who is fond of food cannot forget the keema and noodles dish mixed with a little sauce and the small tea shops, dirty and lacking glamour "but where everything was served with a smile."

Being a curious lad he even tried the local brew 'lugdi' - "rather queer-tasting, which farmers keep drinking all' day and so mild that one can rarely get drunk."

The girls found handicrafts attractive, bold, bright and colorful, inspired by nature.

For the many in the group, this was a side of India, the rural profile, which they were seeing for the first time. But it was a facet that will 'be long remembered as was obvious from the way everyone had talked. As one girl-student put it. "I want to become a doctor and go back to those hilly regions and serve them."

There were some practical suggestions made for the benefit of future trekkers - the need for easy-to-carry tents, proper sanitary facilities and a chance for hiring camping equipment buying which could be so expensive.

These are easy-to-implement suggestions and ought to be carried out, not only in the interest of promoting the camping habit among students but also making it a popular holiday idea for everyone else too. Our country has a scenic kaleidoscope to offer and camping may be the best possible way to explore it.

This was the Third National Himalayan Trekking program organised by the YHA of India. The requirements to join it are simple - just a pack on the back, enthusiasm in the heart and age anywhere between 15 and 25. The program is open to institutions as well as individuals. The objective explained in many words in the booklet, in fact, is simple - to kindle in the young a love for adventure and a will to rise to any challenge. And the cost - roughly Rs. 175 - considering the facilities offered and that covers accommodation and food is not much. The amount, however, does not include travel fare.

Tenzing, Mihir Sen they have given the lead today, but even past history is replete with sagas of pioneering spirits. Adventuring is the story of mankind's progress, but is there any need to say all this? To be born is to be alive, and to be alive is to accept the challenge of life.

By Jyotsna Sheth

(Bharat Sheth's mother)

22 July 1972

(first published in a local Bombay weekly magazine)

Let the good times roll

who are these stars? (click on the photo to enlarge)

Here's the latest stats on our way to success:

• Over 100+ coming to the BF party on 14 Nov including our one and only Stanford professor from calif, investment guru from Boston, cancer specialist from NYC, research scientist from Hyderabad, entrepreneur from Bangalore, hoteliers from Delhi, the docs from NH, UK, Canada...
• Revival of the Band who plan to rocknroll for one sold-out peformaance only!
• Almost 50+ (no reference to age) kicking off the tamasha at Viks' on 12 Nov for the ice-breaker and home-coming reception party
• Half-a-dozen class tables at the formal turf club school dinner on 13 Nov

Can't wait to see you all at the end of the week!

Safe journeys.

P.S. School Turf Club dinner program (formal affair - saris and dhotis welcome):

7 p.m. Guests arrive

7.30 p.m. welcome by Master of Ceremonies

Address by Principal Meera Isaacs

Film on 150 yrs of the school

Audio-visual of the Stamp release

8. p.m. Book launch

8.30 p.m. Cocktails and dinner

Girls' Prefects Solemn Induction

(click on photo to enlarge)
From L-R: Anna, Eva, Archie, Kiran, Amrita, Kasturi, Serene, Annahita, Manju, Geetu, Punam
Anjini next to Mr. Jacob

Shine on...

... all you crazy diamonds during this festival of lights.

Shanti

Take a deep breath...

Of course, you are already on a diet. Whether you are caught in a reflection of a store window or peering in a mirror in a room in Mumbai, the class of '73 is sucking in their stomachs, flexing their chins, and wondering if a dark three piece suit or a fancy, vertical-striped dress would help. We all gloomily know in our well-padded bones that no change in years registers as dramatically as an added fifteen pounds. No one that we've been able to track down has yet been reluctant to attend on account of this though some have had their doubts.

Some were skeptical about being able to pull this off - "aare yaar, no one will want to come so far and spend the money" or "I'll come if she comes" was the usual story. Some were in shock that we had tracked them down; some were struggling to remember all the names posted on the blog. Others - who shall remain anonymous - who aren't coming are trying to juggle the same balls we all have in the air - kids, jobs, spouses, daily grind, and reality. But hey, we haven't seen each other in 37 years this mela of almost 100 of our classmates together in one place is not going to happen again. Ever. And so I wouldn't miss our reunion for the world.

The diet probably won't work. At first the reunion seemed impossibly far away and plenty of time to go on a diet. When confronted with a slice of double chocolate cheesecake, you will have a hard time holding between you and the plate the picture of your high-school sweetheart. Maybe she or he has gotten plump, you think hopefully. As the weeks have suddenly shrink, and you don't, a kind of passive resistance sets in.

This is me, you tell yourself defensively. I've finally found myself. I know who I am. No problems of self-identity here. And I don't look bad either, especially not from this angle, if I stand with my shoulders back. If I don't get on the scale, you tell yourself, nobody will have to know. Maybe five years from now, for our next reunion. . . the moral is: diet, or don't diet.

Decide: what are you going to wear? This has nothing to do with the weather, hot or humid, or rainy. No, this has to do with image. What kind of person do you want your old classmates to think you have become? Glamorous in leather jeans and spaghetti-strap top? Domestic in madras wraparound skirt? Businesslike in dark blue that noone will notice? Funky in bright green sweater studded with rhinestones? Maybe what you wear will say something about who you have become. . . or will noone really care? Do you really care?

Wear a tie and chances are you'll take it off. Wear jeans and go barefoot and you may still hold on to those good old days. Wear a halter and you may have to hold on to it! The trick is to look comfortable, feel comfortable, something you can relax in just in case you get the jitters and sweat a lot.

Stay cool, collected, calm. Smile. A lot.

Pull out your high-school photos and memorize them. The class picture, the '73 "cock-house" shoot (it was Palmer House!) - all these help. The next best thing is to close your eyes, turn back the clock, remember those magic moments, and the faces that went them, and their names. It helped, especially in planning this reunion, and in beginning to track down people, creating a list of names. Amazingly, with your help, we actually a confirmed list of over one hundred names coming for the grand November weekend and over 140 names across the four classes! Now if we can just find them all . . . How will we recognize anyone? Will you remember the names? Staring at a picture of a familiar face long forgotten, I tried to recall how long we had known each other. There are several names and faces that I've known since first grade - over 40 years ago! Were we in the same class? Didn't we dance together at the social? Some names brought back blurred or buried memories. Long ago emotions sweep over me like dark waves from a hidden sea.

What will we talk about? Our lives. What had we done with them so far? What did we still hope to do? Maybe you need to decide what to tell about yourself. That means you have to know what is important. Not just bare facts. I'm a teacher, I'm a mom, I'm going back to school, I got divorced, I never married, I'm still searching, when I grow up I will. . . , my kids are in school. Yeah, right, and you also have to know how you feel about yourself and your life. Sooner or later, someone will ask you: so, are you happy? Well, life has been interesting, complex, hiccups here and there, diversions. . . life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans, na?

What surprises me about you, my friends, is how easy it is most times to talk to one another and connect and pick up from where we left off oh so long ago when life was simpler and sweeter and infinitely less complicated. After years of separation and silence and distance, we come together with intense curiosity, and probably talk less about careers than about changing relationships with lovers, spouses, children, parents. Who remembers whom. Where is so-and-so. What is happening in Mumbai? How life has taken us by the hand and led us there. Mostly we want to know how we all have struggled, together and apart, how we've survived, and what we've learned. At our reunion, we learn to summarize our lives.

So take photographs, lots of them - and bring your camera. You'll want to hold on to these photographs and memories. This is history - yours and mine. For some, it's the stuff that dreams are made of. Also bring pictures with you. This is not for the reason you think. You won't need to flash snapshots of your significant other or your home on the range though this helps. Sometimes you might need to glance at these pictures to remind yourself that you do have another life back home. A few hours into the reunion and you're caught up with former alliances, emotional entanglements, uncertain friendships, and I'm fifteen and vulnerable again. I wonder if I will ever hear from him or her again.

I worry if my friends are having a good time, is anyone feeling left out? You temporarily forget that any other place exists; all that matters is old friends, shared memories, lost opportunities, and the strangeness of parting again. In the bright sunshine, the years melt away.

When you return home, you can hardly remember you ever if you ever left in the first place. You lay down and rewind and rehearse and play back the movie, the soundtrack, the emotions. You can smell the old familiar smells, feel the old familiar pain, the tugging at the heartstrings. During the long seasons of growing up, we usually laid back and remembered, as we do now, best friends, first loves, broken hearts, and the others, who said what to whom, what they thought of you, what I secretly thought of them, what I am thinking of them now.

Maybe the only way really to prepare for your high-school reunion is to give yourself plenty of credit for the intervening years. Write your own report card, the kind you always deserved, with the grades: 5 for generally satisfied, E for extraordinary, I for improvement, B for the best that you could do, Inc for incomplete because it's not over yet. Keep this hidden in your mental pocket, next to your pictures, and then, when the reunion is over, hang on to your report card, smile at everyone, promise to keep in touch, and go home. Happy in the warm afterglow of friends and a new found treasure of memories.

-rm

President of India Speech on Cathedral Stamp Issue

Mumbai , October 27,2010 19:13 IST

Dear students, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very happy to be here to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Cathedral and John Connon School, and to release a commemorative postage stamp on this occasion. I convey my warm greetings to all teachers, students, alumni, staff, management and all those associated with this reputed educational institution. The school was pioneered and funded by a city philanthropist, barrister and editor, John Connon and posthumously, named after him. This school and the city of Mumbai through a Century and a half, have shared a history of remarkable growth. I wish the school many, many more years of success and excellence in the field of education.

Education is one of the most potent instruments for empowering a population, and therefore, rightly education is a priority sector for any nation. As has been famously said, without education one is like a ship without compass, with no way of knowing how near the harbour is. An effective education system is one that prepares the youth to navigate the journey of life meaningfully. Schools constitute the basic pillars of an education edifice of a nation. Hence, the stronger a system of school education, greater the prospects of progress of a country. Therefore, it is very necessary for schools to impart good education and make students understand the worthiness of discipline, integrity and doing their work with dedication.

As our country is developing and moving towards becoming one of the leading nations of the world, it would need in large measure, the energy, drive and contribution of its people. Every generation looks to its youth with expectation and hope. You are the new generation that can take India to its destiny of a developed nation and for this, I believe your holistic development must receive foremost attention.

Dear Students, the time that you spend in school, which are your formative years, is valuable. It is here, that your first friendships are formed and as you learn about sharing, you develop a sense of camaraderie. It is here, that the process of imparting knowledge begins, and children acquire skills and values, that will help them in fulfilling responsibilities towards families, society and the nation. You begin with learning alphabets and numbers and through the years in school, get an understanding about a range of subjects. By the time you leave school you are ready to look at options for your future career. Hence, you must use your time in school to learn as much as possible. You should develop a habit of reading, not only textbooks, but also newspapers and literature.

India is a storehouse of knowledge. I would encourage you to learn about the diversity of our country in culture, languages, customs, ethos and traditions. It is this richness and multiplicity, which makes India a unique and a great nation of the world. Moreover, we are a democratic nation, in fact the world's largest democratic nation. The students, representing the coming generation, must avoid narrow creeds and seek to build a path for the betterment of society.

Your objective should be to become intellectually competent and technically skilled - your talents are required by the nation. Young students and the youth of the country, therefore, must channelize their skills in developing balanced personalities with positive attitudes. You should participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities, as you are doing. Playing, as a member of a team, develops the ability to work with others to achieve targets and goals. It is sports that can teach you to put in your best and to accept both victory and defeat in the true spirit of a sportsperson.

Like our nation, we must also respect our planet Earth. Nature has been generous to us. Mountains, deserts, valleys, rivers, oceans and forests are important habitats that support ecosystems with diverse life forms. For example, forests host a wide range of fauna and flora, providing us a wide range of products and also giving green coverage. We should teach our children to respect nature for our own good. We must sensibly use its resources, work to conserve its rich flora and fauna, as well as adopt environment friendly approaches.

Teachers have a great responsibility as they create citizens of the future, conscious of their duties towards the nation, the planet and fellow human beings. You should encourage growth, foster a spirit of exploration and discovery, and construct a strong sense of integrity, compassion and generosity. I urge all the teachers present here to promote high moral and cultural values among our children.

I am told that the Cathedral and John Connon School has been promoting quality education with focus on the core values of integrity and responsibility. Its staff and its teachers have demonstrated deep dedication to the development of their students. Teachers must interact with the parents of the students. This dialogue on the various aspects of the welfare of the students, can contribute immensely to their improvement. I am glad that this school has a supportive Parent Teacher Association.

The Cathedral and John Connon School has since its inception worked to provide an atmosphere for academic excellence, as well as encourage sports and extra-curricular activities for promoting the overall development of its students. The reputation of any educational institutions is measured through the success and talent exhibited by its students and alumni. This school has been the alma mater of Industrialist JRD Tata - Bharat Ratna awardee and Scientist Dr. Homi Bhabha, men who have been among the distinguished citizens of this country. In addition, a number of alumni have rendered service to the nation and have achieved distinction in various fields. Students of the school have gone to many parts of the world and carried with them the values learnt in school of putting service before self and made their mark, ever conscious of lessons learnt here. I know some of the old boys of the school who were very keen to invite me here - Avinash Naik and Niranjan Naik are among them.

I conclude by conveying my good wishes, once again, to all - the Principal, Mrs. Meera Isaacs, who is the first lady principal of the school, the teachers, students, staff, management and all those associated with this great institution. I wish the school all success and hope it reaches Olympian heights.

Thank You. Jai Hind!

An Undefiled Heritage

(click on image to enlarge)

Kudos to Munna for this massive effort! Books can be purchased for Rs. 3000/- from the School Bursar's Office after 15 Nov or from the Turf Club dinner on 13 Nov.

Reunion Weekend Schedule

(click on photo to enlarge - Ranjit on top of the world!)

From the CATS Alumni:

Dear Cathedral Alumnus,

We are delighted to inform you that we now have all the information you need to have a marvelous 150th Founders’ Day week.

School Play – 9th and 10th November 2010: The School Play will be held at the Tata Theatre on November 9th and 10th. (No details as yet :(

Note: The play and Celebratory Dinner are being organized by the School (not the Alumni Association) and will post info as soon as we have more details about these events.

“Back to School” – 10th November 2010: To kick start this exciting week, the Alumni Association will have a fun-filled “social” at the Olive Bar and Kitchen at Mahalaxmi from 8.30 p.m. onwards. Olive is exclusively for us, but, of course, you can bring your partner or your old school flame. Entry is free and you pay for whatever you consume. The O.live Opus Jukeboxers will bring you a ‘retro’ evening of over 400 hits, across genres and decades, on demand, performed live by some of the best voices around. All you need to do is find yourself a seat, order a drink, some food and request as many songs as you like.

Cricket Festival – 12th November 2010: The Alumni Association is organizing a seven- a-side cricket festival with the alumni and school at the Police Gymkhana, Marine Drive from six p.m. onwards. Contact Sanjay Shah, ’82, on 98210 15871 for registration. The evening will be full of cricket, music and great food. Bring your schoolmates and cheer your side.

Golf Tournament – 13th November 2010: A gala golf tournament is being organized at the Willingdon Club beginning at 8.00 a.m. on this Saturday morning. Plenty of prizes. Register early to avoid disappointment. For registration please click here or contact Akshay Kilachand ’87 at 9821027000.

Celebratory Dinner – 13th November 2010: The School is organizing a dinner marking the culmination of a year full of events to celebrate turning 150. This will be held at the Turf Club, Mahalaxmi, Enclosures 1 and 2, at 7 p.m. Donor passes and table bookings are available at the Senior School from October 26th, onwards between 10 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. We look forward to alumni from every corner of the globe joining us to celebrate this historic event. A coffee table book on the History of the School will also be launched that evening.

(NOTE: Those requiring tickets to the turf club dinner - which is Rs 3500 - please notify Mr. Rungta via email ASAP! For the out-of-towners, we are reserving a couple of tables).

Church Service – 14th November 2010: There will be an evening Church Service at St. Thomas’ Cathedral at 5.30 p.m. This will be followed by a high tea in the Senior School.

The idea of this e-mail is to inform you in advance so that you can plan your lives around these events.

We really look forward to seeing you at the above celebrations. Let’s make this 150th year, one to remember!

Please do visit the alumni website – www.catalumni.com for regular updates.

Shyla Boga Patel and Viral Doshi
Co-Presidents

P.S. Remember - the most important event for the Class of 1973 event is at BF :) It will rock!

Tug-O-War '73

Wally meets his match!

Straight from the heart

Jo and Nimisha

What a wonderful trip this was to Mumbai - on day 2 I called Rupande and within an hour Rashmi, Rupande and I were at the Crossroads Coffee Shop, no small talk, just do you remember amongst giggles and laughter.

The following Sunday the Merchant of Singapore (Ronita's nom de plume for Rajeev) had remotely persuaded Vik Ahuja to host a lavish lunch where the out-of-towners - Rajeev, Nina and I were made to feel very welcome. Behram had us all in stitches with his fictional anecdotes. Rajeev was the envy of the guys with his 6-pack and constant messages from all his flames. Thanks again, Viks!

The following Saturday, my last day in Mumbai, was a continuation of the trip down memory lane. This time it was a Ladies Only Luncheon hosted by a very gracious Rashmi. There was a lot of rewinding to the seventies and then fast-forwarding to the present. The pics say it all...

Indira and Nimisha

Rashmi, Jo, Geetu

Nina and Rupande

Annahita and Nina

Rashmi, Nina, Divyaa

Tiku, Rupande, Geetu

Once again I toast all those who have been so active in getting this reunion going and keeping the momentum. Old friends - Ronita, Dhaval, Khurshid, Achinta, Rupande, Rashmi, Viks, Rajeev have come back into my life and I have also made new ones - Jo, Nina, Behram to name a few. We may have lost 37 years but definitely am not going to lose anymore!

My heart will be in Mumbai on the Mother of all Weekends.
Have a tequila shot on me...
- Nimisha