AFVOA Newletters of Year 2003

Page 133 of 170 Our Association has just completed nine years. Accordingly, it has been decided to register the Association under the Tamil Nadu Societies Act. Relevant papers in this regard have been filed, and very shortly the Association will be a registered body. This should help us play a greater role and be more effective for the benefit of the retired Defence Service officers in Chennai. In these nine years, the Association has been functioning from the residences of various officers. There is a dire need to have a permanent office address and staff for the office to be able to play a better role for the plans that are in mind. In this respect, it is hoped that our serving brethren and those of our members who are in the corporate sector, will be able to help us out. In order to make this organization more visible and effective, there is a need to create a PR Cell. Their responsibility will be to ensure that our existence is felt, initially in Chennai and then gradually extends to Tamil Nadu, India and the entire World. This will help achieve the vision that we have set for ourselves. The projects in the immediate future, include the following: a) Library to house books with emphasis on defence matters as well as military authors. b) Conduct seminars, symposiums, workshops on defence and allied matters c) Land to house Old Age Home for defence personnel. d) In addition, a hospital and support facilities to cater for their requirements. e) Educational Institutions for the children of tomorrow so that they will build a better India. The invitees - Maj Gen Awasthy and Cmde Vasan then offered their felicitations on the successful completion of the nine years of the association, and offered to help out whenever needed. Lt Gen C Sundara Rao, the Patron said that he had completed 30 years of retired life. This reminded one of the famous quote of an American Drill Sergeant, who told the newly arrived recruits, that “I was in uniform even before you were in liquid form”. The General had watched the Association grow from strength to strength with presidents being rotated from among the services. The sale of application forms for enrolling into the ECHS was quite brisk. The Association offered to get the Affidavits notarized, providing details of the same were given to Brig VA Subramanyam, who would co-ordinate this activity. ECHS For the benefit of our members, we have requested the authorities to collect the completed forms during the course of our next Meeting. This has been agreed to, and Lt Col AS Rao, with his staff will be available at the Youth Hostel from 1500 hours on Sunday the 19 th October to collect the forms. Members are requested to utilise this opportunity to hand over the forms to him. Members who had given the details for preparation of the Affidavits, and having it notarized, may collect the same on that day itself, in case they have not already collected it.