OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION ST. JOSEPH’S BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL BENGALURU ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 27, MUSEUM ROAD, BANGALORE - 560 001 Office phone: +91 80 2229 1711 (Mon-Fri: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Email: [email protected] / [email protected] www.sjbhsoba.net 1 NOTICE MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL The 101st Annual General Meeting of the Old Boys’ Association will be held at the Xavier Auditorium, St. Joseph’s Dear Alumni/Old Boys, Boys’ High School on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. to transact the following business: For the last one hundred years, the OBA has served as the pillar of St. Joseph’s, shouldering great responsibility AGENDA towards your alma mater. The Management, Staff and students deeply appreciate your initiatives in multiple areas. It is because of your generosity and caring, your commitment and steadfastness, that this school continues to be rated 101.1 Prayer and observance of a minute’s silence in memory of the Old Boys who passed away during the last year among the best schools in India. 101.2 Special welcome to outstationed Old Boys 101.3 Messages received from Old Boys I admire your well-organised network based purely on brotherhood, loyalty and friendship. Despite your varied 101.4 Presentation of the OBA Lifetime Achievement Awards careers and interests, it is the love for your school and the values and teachings you imbibed here which hold you 101.5 Presentation of the OBA Awards for Significant Achievement together, and I salute that spirit. 101.6 Presentation of the Staff Appreciation Award Your interest and participation in school activities and service to the school are reminders of the Jesuit traditions of 101.7 The Presidential Address ‘men for others’. Our boys see you as role models and hope to emulate you in your chosen fields. 101.8 Principal’s Address Congratulations on finishing the first one hundred years of your Association. Your commitment to nation building, 101.9 To confirm the Minutes and proceedings of the 100th Annual General Meeting held on September 2, 2018 public service, defence and sports, medicine and entrepreneurship is widely acknowledged. We are blessed to have 101.10 Matters arising out of the Minutes your love. 101.11 To Adopt & Pass the proposal of the Governance Committee 101.12 To consider and if approved, to adopt the Committee’s report on the working of the association for the year 2018-19 Thank you, 101.13 To consider and pass the Statement of Accounts for the period April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 101.14 To consider and adopt resolutions proposed by the Managing Committee or from any individual member Fr. Sunil Fernandes, SJ after providing sufficient notice, with permission of the Chair Principal 101.15 To appoint an auditor for the year 2019-2020 101.16 To consider any other business, with the permission of the Chair 101.17 Vote of Thanks 101.18 To elect the Office Bearers and Managing Committee for the year 2019-20 Bangalore BRIAN D’LIMA August 18, 2019 Secretary PLEASE NOTE: 1. Questions pertaining to the report and accounts should reach the Secretary by Wednesday, August 28, 2019 for consideration of the Managing Committee. No questions will be taken up after this date. 2. Members desirous of contesting the election to the Managing Committee may collect nomination forms from the Secretary from Monday, August 19, 2019 during the working hours of the OBA office (Mon-Fri: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Nomination forms are also available on the website of the OBA (www.sjbhsoba.net -> Downloads -> Forms). 3. Please drop your completed Nomination Form in the sealed box placed in the OBA office between Monday, August 19, 09:30 a.m. and Saturday, August 24, 4:00 p.m. 4. The list of valid nominations received will be published on Saturday, August 24 at 5:00 pm. 5. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is Friday, August 30, by 4:00 p.m. via a letter handed over at the OBA office. 6. The Final List of nominees will be published thereafter on Friday, August 30. 7. Members of the MC and those who have filed nominations are invited to be present at the OBA Office on Saturday, August 24 at 4:00 p.m. when the sealed box will be opened and the nominations received will be validated. 2 3 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT REV. FR. HEDWIG DA COSTA - A TRIBUTE Dear Josephite The sun has set and the shadows have lengthened. Darkness envelopes members of the BJES, our school, the staff, Greetings! This year commenced with a memorable Centenary OBA Day very well attended and appreciated by students, Old Josephites and his family as we bid adieu to our beloved Fr. Hedwig. Tomorrow, the sun will rise and Old Boys and families from all over the world. It culminated in a memorable fellowship dinner with entertainment, brightness shall return as we celebrate the life of this outstanding Old Boy, a Principal par excellence, a servant of the live music and an auction, the surplus generated of Rs 17 lakhs augmented our corpus which now stands at Rs 480 Jesuit Order and a mentor to so many of us. lakhs-an increase of Rs 60 lakhs this year Fr. Hedwig was more than an educator. He was a person who inspired a spirit of confidence and self-belief amongst In recent years the OBA, has, initiated by Shashi Lewis, my predecessor, ushered in a wide range of well organized events for Old Boys, using the sports platform. Enthusiastic Josephites, young and old, have turned out in their those with whom he interacted. I first met him at his ordination at St. Patrick’s Church in 1966 when I was a 10-year- hundreds to participate, met with friends and competed for prizes. These events have been organised in successive old in Small Dorm. Even then, I was mesmerized by that booming voice, that unbelievable intellect, that stoic editions and, with enthusiastic volunteers helping out, resulting in large numbers of Josephites, reconnecting with personality. Six years later he returned as our last Principal for the Class of 1972. During those six years the school their Alma Mater much earlier than otherwise. had seen off four Principals and badly needed a steady hand at the wheel. And, a steady hand we got. Perhaps, initially, it was hard to adjust to the strict discipline, especially for us seniors. We now had to wear school uniforms In addition, the Delhi OBA Chapter has, after its inaugural Connect in February, grown from strength to strength, every day. Teachers were held accountable. Not once could it be said that this was done with anything but the best and has five army Generals, two Brigadiers, three IAF pilots among others in it. The Josephite the US West Coast community had the first meeting in June also looks good to grow, with participation by George and Thomas Kurian, intention and for the betterment of us as individuals and the school in general. Jimmy Anklesaria, Sabeer Bhatia, Joy Thomas, Navin Pothan and others. The Jesuit Order has produced several visionaries and Fr. Hedwig was certainly one of them. He realized the Every event requires significant commitment, time and effort, not immediately visible to participants My thanks immense value of the M.G. Road property and personally managed the construction of the Centenary Building. In to all those who helped behind the scenes for each event. I also thank all our sponsors, donors, and supporters 1998 when I floated the idea of rebuilding the School due to the precarious structures, there was a lot of opposition for their encouragement and support. Our flagship event the Prestige SJBHS Golf Tournament on January 25th as this was an historic building. It was Fr. Hedwig who got engineers to inspect and certify that the old structure netted us Rs..-our Josephite Sports Fund, started in 2015 now stands at Rs 40L. Our fundraising efforts through the posed a risk to students and staff. This paved the way for Fr. Michael John and a bunch of dedicated Jesuits, parents Endowment Concept has been quite productive net additions to our corpus last year though donations and activities and Old Boys to construct the new school buildings, including this beautiful chapel that you are seated in today. was Rs lakhs, or %. A unique OBA event in May was the Memorial service to honour four Josephites who laid down their lives in The last time I spoke with Fr. Hedwig was exactly 3 weeks ago. Via WhatsApp video, I saw a man paralyzed below the protecting the freedom of our country, some of you would have seen the War Memorial and the plaques with the neck, fighting a battle with cancer, yet able to look so serene and confident. None of his ailments seemed to matter additions. This very well organized event, was carefully planned by a team of highly committed Josephites, garnering to him. He was more interested in hearing about me and my family; about the countries Jennifer and I visited on our favourable national media coverage for the school and was very well received by serving and retired defence officers. recent trip to Europe. Always thinking of others, always so articulate, always so calm and in control. Until the Lord My thanks to Chris Rego, Francis Machado, Gregory De Nazareth, Shailendra Gupta, Ravi Somaiah ,Narendra Baliga decided that it was time to come home on the feast of St.