AFVOA Newletters of Year 2006

Page 23 of 77 19. With this issue of the newsletter the term of the present Managing Committee comes to an end. We have tried to keep a balanced equation between us veterans and the serving officers of the respective service HQ. They have been very supportive to our requirements. We had been interacting with the GOC and the staff during both these years of our tenure. They have been very happy to see the atmosphere of bonhomie that prevails among us veterans and have been appreciative of the manner in which our meets are conducted. The last one in which they were our guests evoked excellent compliments from them. 20. In the latest meeting with the GOC held in the last week of April at the Area HQ, our Managing Committee had also with us our venerable senior member from the Air Force, Air Marshal S Raghavan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, President of the Air Force Association. Firstly, we raised with him the need for taking up of exemption of property tax for veterans, in the next civil military liaison conference. The copies of GOs from our neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala were also handed over to him alongwith the statement of case prepared and projected by us to the Chief Secretary during our recent meeting. The GOC was also briefed about this meeting and the helpful and inquiring attitude displayed by the Chief Secretary towards Ex-servicemen’s welfare. 21. Secondly, the need for admitting all members of AFVOA as Institutional members of the Palm Grove Institute, through a block membership, was mooted. The GOC agreed to examine this proposal. Lastly, our requirement for a permanent location where we could conduct all our activities was discussed. The GOC had already given considerable thought to this request. He put forth a couple of alternative proposals, one for a new building at the PGI near the library, and the other an existing more spacious hall, the ground floor of the medical ward at the old MH, inside the area of the present Recruiting HQ, which is moving out shortly. He mentioned that he would do up the hall and the office rooms and any other requirements that may be projected by us. We are very happy with the offer of the GOC as it is the first time that the local Service HQ has sympathetically and actively considered a permanent location for the AFVOA!! We consider this as a feather in the cap of the present managing committee, as we feel that a permanent address for our Association will come to fruition soon, given the genuinely helpful nature of Maj Gen B Sivasankar, VSM and his staff. 22. As I sign off, on behalf of the Managing Committee, I would like to thank each and everyone of our members and their families for the support extended to us during our two year tenure. We have enjoyed working and interacting with you and wish all of you and the AFVOA the very best in the future. “Whenever one has anything unpleasant to say, one should always be quite candid.” - Oscar Wilde Meeting Gone By – A Resume 23. The sixth bi-monthly meeting for the year 2005-06 was held on 05 Mar 2006 at the Island grounds from 1030 hrs. The change in timings for the meet from the usual evening to daytime was to cater for the Senior Veterans who found it difficult driving back home at night. As planned earlier we could not have the usual starter, the ‘Tambola’ due to a talk by Dr. KP Mishra which had to be accommodated. 24. The Secretary regretted for the last minute change especially to the Tambola enthusiasts promising them a better deal during the next meet. He then took on the routine items details of which are given in the succeeding paragraphs.