3rd Alumni Reunion Day (2010) ...

We had our 3rd Alumni Reunion on 28th Dec 2010. The programme started at 11am. We had a site visit where the Alumni were shown all new developments that were taking place in school premises. The formal meeting started at 12am. Prakash sir said a few words greeting the Alumni. Followed by My speech (Abhijit Gope) and then our Principal Maam (Mrs. Sunita Sinha). Then all Alumni present there introduced themselves.

 After it we had a cake cutting ceremony, followed by refreshment.

On this occasion we also donated a Shield for the best All rounder of school which will be named as “AAG HONOUR ". There were some 30 people present, which included Alumni, Principal& few teachers.

It was a nice two hours event.

Next Year we will have a Grand Alumni Reunion and I hope that You all will be present there. And as the name suggest, it will surely be a big Gala event....

Below is my speech on the 3rd Reunion day, followed by Mr. Tanmoy Bhadra's speech (ICSE- 1986). He couldn't attend the meet as he was in USA. So we had a message from him which was read out on this reunion. 

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My Speech...

Good morning Everyone …

It’s glad to see you all on the 3rd Alumni Reunion Day. I receive congratulations and well-wishes from Fellow Alumni for the initiative taken. But, let me tell you all that it’s not my individual effort but the journey has been a team effort of a group of Alumni.

And the little work that has been done by me has not been from any inherent power that resides in me, but from the cheer, goodwill and blessings of my parents, teachers and fellow alumni.

  On this occasion, I would like to thank our school principal Mrs. Sunita Sinha for all the support she happily provided us. To our beloved Prakash Sir, without whose dedicated effort we couldn't grow to such level. To Mr. Kamran Ahmad& Mr. Nishant Prasad who helped me at each and every step in transforming the vision to reality.

  A special thanks to AAG website team. Mr. Ashok Nayak, Mr. Tanmoy Bhadra and Mr. Navin Dutta. Though I call it AAG website team, but they have continuously supported at every step and beyond the website development work. I would emphasize their work while I tell about our accomplishment of this year.

  Mr. Debjit Biswas and Mr. Saurabh Sharda also deserve special thanks for their help. Also to all AAG members who have helped in taking the AAG initiative further, by silently helping us.

  2010 has been a wonderful year for AAG. "Good times bring good people". We met good people, done good work and got good results... Rather great results.

  This year we got ourselves registered us as a Charitable Trust with Government of India. All the applause goes to Mr. Debjit Biswas (ICSE- 1986). He has been the person behind the whole process. He is presently a civil and criminal lawyer.

  We also have applied for tax waiver- which means that people donating AAG will get tax rebate as according to India Law. Behind this is Mr. Saurabh Sharda (a chartered accountant and Gulmohur Alumnus ISC- 2002). We have got clean chit from Deputy Commissioner and now we are headed towards the final stage as the documents are now with commissioner.

  Another great milestone that AAG achieved is the launch of school website. It’s been a rigorous effort of AAG website team. A complete dedicated effort of a whole year. I was checking my "Gulmohur" folder in my mail. And you won’t believe, as more than 1400 mails have already been exchanged between us in this year for website development.

  Mr. Ashok Nayak (ICSE- 1986) has been one of the important people who helped in crystallizing the dream. He is presently Head- Business Development, Middle East& South Africa, Elster- oil& gas division, Dubai. He will be joining us tomorrow morning all the way from Dubai.

  Mr. Tanmoy Bhadra (ICSE- 1986) has been the website project manager. He is presently Technical Project Manager for enterprise web based and infrastructure projects for fortune 500 clients in USA.

  Another important Alumnus who has been behind the website project is Mr. Navin Dutta (ISC- 2001). He is an entrepreneur- the founder of Edvanta Technologies Pvt. Ltd. He is between us today from all the way from Delhi. [Please have an applause for him]. He has done all the work from website creation to database management. And he will deal with Learning Management System, which will give our school website& school, an edge among all schools in Jamshedpur. He will deal with his presentation on it tomorrow morning.

Thanks to Prakash and Nishant Sir too. If they would have not supported from school side then this project would never have been accomplished. They are the person behind the whole of school content for website. Being core Gulmohurian at heart, they have worked, in and after, school working hours to accomplish this project. And now their role grows further, with the preparation and launch of Phase II- the learning management system.

  This year we also made our presence on Facebook, Picassa and bloggers.com. Overall, this year has been a great time for us.

[For specific details on Gulmohur School website features, please visit "School Website Launched " post on gulmohurschool.blogspot.com.]

  I would like to also add some points on improvement:

First- In year 2008, we had a dream to make the surrounding of Gulmohur School beautiful. The planning was to plant samplings at a stretch on the opposite side of the school main gate. We got permission from Telco authorities and planted 49trees. But due to some unexpected reasons, things couldn't materialize. If things would have been in our favour, you could see some beautiful pink flowers blossom this winter. A real delight to watch during this year reunion day. Still, we are not disheartened and would request principal maam to help and provide her extended support.

Second- We donated Water Filters to school in the year 2008 on request of some senior teachers. But still, it has been not installed in the manner as it was decided. We are ready to help with any effort (material or immaterial), but at the same time we require support from school authorities. We would glad to reinstall it properly in a month's time with school cooperation.

  There are many arenas where we would like to help our alma-mater. We will discuss things in details tomorrow morning from 10:30am. I invite all volunteers for tomorrow's meeting.

There is also a surprise to school on occasion of the 3rd Reunion.

  One of my batchmate (Mr. Rahul Ojha) has donated a shield to be given to the best all-rounder of the school. To tell about Rahul Ojha- he was the 2nd Topper of our batch including science, commerce and arts stream. He even scored 98% in pure mathematics even though he was from commerce stream.

I would like to handover the shield to our Principal….

.......

Thanks maam. Now I would like our Principal Maam to say few words on today's occasion.

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Mr. Tanmoy Bhadra's Speech...

My Dear Fellow Alums, Faculty and Principal

I have asked Abhijit to read this note as I will not be able to join you on this alumni day. This alumni day is more special for me as this is the first one since the launch of the school website portal earlier this year. I was actively involved along with Abhijit and a few others in this initiative.

  When I look back at the school where I spent a significant portion of my formative years I have a lot of good memories. My association with Gulmohur School goes back to when the primary section of the school was called Shishu Vidyalaya and had classes up to grade 3. I started in Lower KG and when in grade 3 Gulmohur school would merge with Shishu Vidyalaya and Shishu Vidyalaya will become Gulmohur Primary School. This was in 1979. I graduated from Gulmohur High School in 1986 and 24 years later remember the school very fondly.
  When I think back about the teachers what I remember is the love, caring and selfless sacrifices. Some of the teachers have since retired, moved on to do different things and some have passed away but their legacy remain in my heart and guide me like a beacon of light.
  Gulmohur High School will mean different things to different people but if you are here today I am pretty sure your association has been as pleasant as mine. And if you are alumni I hope you can commit yourself in giving back to the school as it has given to you with all its heart. I hope with our collective efforts we can make Gulmohur High School the best school in town. Thank you.

Tanmoy Bhadra (ICSE Batch of 1986)

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For Pics , please <<Click here>>

Alumni Reunion Day (2010)

The AAG board members cordially invites you on behalf of Gulmohur High School principal and executive members to celebrate Alumni Day on  Dec 28th 2010. Venue - Gulmohur high school, Telco Colony, Jamshedpur  Time - 11 am - 1 pm Activities - Speech by Principal, faculty and AAG President, Alums, Tour of School, Snacks and Refreshments. Also join us and the Gulmohur High School executive members to share ideas and volunteer your services to the alma mater on  Dec 29th 2010. Venue - Gulmohur high school, Telco Colony, Jamshedpur  Time - 10:30 am - 2:30 pm Activities - Presentation by Navin, Ashok, open discussions.

Annual Sports Day (2010)

The morning of 11th Dec was a different one. It was the first time I was going to visit our school Annual Athletic meet (better knwn as Annual Sports Day among Gulmohurians). Five years has passed since I completed my 12th but still I found that the eagerness to attend the event was more now, than it was when I was in school. After all its another event where I was getting the opportunity to rejuvenate my old sweet memories...

It was 38th Annual Athletic meet of school. Held at Telco stadium on a fine,sunny Saturday morning from 9am onwards. The meet was attended by Principal, teachers, Guest of honour, all the students and their parents.

As I was sitting in audience, the front view was spectacular-  students colourfully dressed to perform various activities. At far off was the four house students sitting in their respective house colour dresses (blue, yellow, green, red). I felt that everythng was same as we had in our days.

Sad to say that I went late so couldnt see the Marchpast. It was followed by oath taking ceremony and then the various activities. First the Primary section performed their colourful dances and activities.And then the performances of higher section students.. 

I really liked the Tiger dance..still smiling when i writing this..

It was followed by 100 m, 200 m & 400 m relay by senior students.

To me the whole event was wonderfully organised. The pain that our teachers &students took in preparing for it (specially PT teachers) could be well judged by the gracefulness of the activities and the smooth functioning of the event.

There was also events for the parents, teachers and lets not forget we Alumni..:-) We had a speed walking competion. Thanks to school to still treat us as a branch of the Old Big Gulmohur tree.

The Guest of Honour was Mr. Mr. Pradeep Srivastava (MD. ISWP)

Bhagat House bagged the winners prize followed by Raman House as 1st Runners up & Tata House as 2nd Runners up. Bhagat House also took the march past shield.

As all might know that AAG also encourage sports through a rotation shield for the Best Athlete male&female.These shields were bagged by:

Male - Satish Sai & Ashok Mahato

Female - Somya Suman & Amrit Kaur 

In the Alumni Event the prizes were as follows-

1st - Nishant

2nd- Avanish

3rd- Abhijit Gope..yupiee..even I got a prize :-) ..

People/Alumni who missed the Athletic Meet made a mistake by not attending it. Really worth watching.. May be next year we expect more Alumni to attend it..

Also well wishes for Christmas and the New Year..May with new year, new opportunities come to you &brings you happiness for the good works that you perform.. Enjoy life..

A visit to college..

Ramjas College, University of Delhi

Last month I had a visit to my college (Ramjas college, North Campus, University of Delhi.

As I stayed at Dwarka in a relative’s apartment, I took metro to North Campus (VishwaVidyalaya Station).. 1hr metro journey L ... The moment I left metro, I found lot many changes. Infrastructure, roads and lot many new faces. I felt like a stranger to the place where I spent 5 memorable years.

Then I went to my college. The college too had changes. Like, a new Sports building for the commonwealth practice (our college was the venue for baseball practice). In the process our college present batches have lost their sports ground.

There was much renovation in the college. One thing that didn’t change was our college office. Same typical government office J... Slow bureaucratic way of work and the office staff was also same notorious. They made me wait some 1 and half hrs for a mere 5min work.

The sad part of the whole visit was that I didn’t find a single old batch-mate or acquaintance in the North Campus area.

I have found a lot many differences between school and college after the visit.

Still find the warmth of the school though some new teachers have joined. It’s a rejuvenating, happy feeling when I visit school. But I was a total stranger in college.. :-/ 

colors....

This piece had been originally written in the month of  june,2010 for my other blog.........but since it has some very special references to our alma mater,I decided to share it here as well......do read and comment............

After the initial euphoria of being back home I find myself treading on similar lines 2 what col.karuna datta had predicted almost one nd a half yrs ago..."being an AFMCite(AFMC=ARMED FORCES MEDICAL COLLEGE),i can very well say that after the 1st 2 vacations u'll start missing college sooner than you expect to do now"....I remember seeing many expressions of disbelief then.... i myself was a part of that bunch...

In hindsight I realise she might have been right..

5 days at home and i'm done...a lack of things to do coupled with some savage weather has ensured that I do not venture out of home....
yesterday being no different,i was biding my time by watching some basketball vDEOS....the NBA finals b/w the LAKERS nd the CELTICS....

engrossed in the match,i failed to notice my 7 year old neice who had snuggled up beside me in bed,her object of interest being my laptop and not the game....
one kobe bryant dunk and she suddenly started chirping with glee"yellow house won!!...yellow house won!!"....

Irritated,I gave her a shouting..

On the verge of crying,she hugged her teddy and walked out of the room cursing me"no wonder green house never wins...its because u behave dis way 2 me"

"Hold on!..whats she saying??"the innocence of what she had spoken struck me....
a 7 year old had been comparing her school's house colours to that of the biggest basketball teams on the planet...
not 2 be blamed....her loyalties lay with the colour...

-colours that had taught her to compete..
-colours that had taught her to savour a win..
-colours that had taught her to accept loss sportingly..
-colours that had taught her loyalty..


suddenly,i felt nostalgic...wasn't it school that gave me my first experience of all this??

yes..!..I remembered my days as a proud Tagorian...green was my colour in school
nd my neice ws a Bhagat house gal...yellow being her colour...

I called her back...after much cajoling and a cadbury five star she finally agreed .....i made her sit in my lap and watched the entire match with her....

I was grateful 2 her...

today...I visited school....after a full 6 years.....
A smile played on my lips as I passed the school playground,it being a mish-mash of red,green,blue and yellow shirts enjoying themselves to the hilt....

P.S-my niece's curse did affect me in more ways than one......
YELLOW DID WIN FINALLY......
(LAKERS(yellow jersey in pic) finally beat CELTICS(green jersey in pic) 4-3 in one of the most closely contested NBA finals in recent history)....nt that i'm complaining,me being a LAKERS fan...

-Hitesh Mahato
 ICSE 2004
 3rd year MBBS,
 AFMC,Pune