AFVOA Newletters of Year 2008

Page 39 of 56 AVSM, SM, VSM, Former Vice Chief of Army Staff and Wg Cdr V Nautiyal of IAF. More lectures would be organized as and when opportunities permit. 9. He stated that many important projects were at hand. The first was a compendium for retired officers and NOK which was in its advanced stage of publication and the other was the publication of our Directory, Hello Veterans 2009. 10. He wished members and their families all happiness and good health. Secretary’s Report 11. The Secretary recounted that the present Committee had been elected on 07 May 2007. 12. At the outset he recognized the stupendous efforts and uncommon selflessness of all such committees which had worn the mantle of responsibilities in the years gone by without which our association could not have grown to this stature which is appreciated all over the country and which is now considered as the bench mark for a Veteran’s association. Of particular mention he named the previous committee which so ably led by Maj Gen R Karthikeyan, with Air Cmde SK Jeyarajan AVSM, VSM as his Vice President, Brig SP Balachandran and in the closing days Col A Krishnaswamy, VrC, VSM** as the dynamic Secretaries and Col P Samuel Raj as the able Treasurer. They set the trend and showed the way as to how we could compress numerous activities with in a year. 13. In the weeks following the assumption of office by the new Committee our President often mused over the shape and future growth of our great assemblage. He views our association as a grand monument under creation. We are lucky that this monument had in the first place been sited on the high grounds of superlative principles from where it has been possible for us to look at the world around us with perceptive indulgence. It has given us strength to be supportively tolerant with insightful awareness of the torrents of revolutionary change that we are witnessing in our every day life. 14. On this high ground of principles the plans had been laid out to bring us all together and that’s how we are here. The earth work in terms of our ground rules has already been completed and clear to all of us. Strong unshakable foundations are here. Yes, and today we stand on as strong a foundation as any well thought out organization. 15. The time has now come for us to build on it. Pillars strong, strengthened by nothing more than the will power of all the members have to rise above the foundation already built. And each pillar of this monument has to be intricately carved. The pillar for unity has to embellished with harmony, agreement and unison. The pillar for advancement will have to be embroidered with velocity and swiftness. That pillar for growth will be garnished with intensification and escalation. That other pillar for service will be beautified by beneficent selflessness and that pillar out there standing for care for the elderly and those without company shall be tempered With empathy, understanding and humaneness of sharing. 16. In our monumental AFVOA there shall be pillars for the upliftment of the individual be it in arts, sciences, culture or fine arts. This pillar shall be cast in refined enlightenment. And there shall be pillars for the elevation of the sprit decorated with the essence of vitality and intrepiditious gallantry mixed with a liberal dose enthusiasm. 17. Thus our monument shall have many pillars; a multitude of pillars. I dare say it shall have 300 pillars, one for each member. Each one a pillar of his chosen characteristics from among the gamut excellence from among all that is noble. Each member a living pillar– supportive and supporting. 18. Over these pillars shall be a roof. Not a flat nondescript roof just to keep the sun and rain away under which we can cozy ourselves against the breeze. It shall be a hemispherical