AFVOA Newletters of Year 2011

Page 24 of 44 As for the post of President, nomination forms from Maj Gen. CT Chari AVSM, and Lt Col. R Subramanian were received and as such a voting was warranted. The printed ballot papers were issued to the 43 eligible members present and to the nominated 10 proxy voters. These were deposited in the ballot box and were counted by the outgoing committee members and the result intimated to the Returning Officer. Maj Gen. CT Chari AVSM was declared elected with a vote of 43 members and Lt Col. R. Subramanian secured 10 votes. The Returning Officer thanked Col. A. Krishnaswami for assisting him in the conduct of the election and the members for their cooperation. There was an Electric power failure in the venue for a short while. Improvisation is our FORTE in the Armed Forces. Cdr. D.S. Rao, who had joined as a member that day, spontaneously rushed to beam his car headlights to enable the dinner to commence. This fine gesture was appreciated by one and all. The Patron Lt Gen. Sundara Rao addressed the gathering to uphold the traditions of the Association. Long live our AFVOA and the spirit of camaraderie. “Men are often capable of greater things than they perform. They are sent into the world with bills of credit, and seldom draw to their full extent.” ~ (Morace) Walpole FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK My fellow members of AFVOA, Greetings. I send out this message as the President-elect of our Association with great pride and some trepidation. Pride because of the exclusive nature of the Association and the great achievements of the members, trepidation because of the high standards of dedication and service set by the members in the past to build the Association to what it is now. You have put in place a new team. We will all strive to give our best, bring in fresh ideas and new energies to make the AFVOA live up to your expectations. The outgoing team deserves our applause; they have done well and raised the bar so that we have a challenge ahead of us. The incoming team recognizes the yeoman service rendered by many a veteran in keeping this Institution ticking and their wise counsel will be depended upon in substantial measure. I have no doubt each one of us recognize the fact that ours is an organization where people with a high sense of patriotism, a strong commitment to duty and a clear understanding of the word ‘sacrifice’, get together from time for fellowship and friendship. We have an opportunity to discuss our shared accomplishments. We have a forum to project our perspectives and concerns. We find colleagues willing to hear and help. We find opportunities to give a helping hand and provide relief. This makes us an unmatched organization. Most of all, let us remember with pride that we place ethical behaviour as a foundation for all our activities. Everything that we are and will be, depends entirely on each one of us. My team will succeed with your shoulders applied to the wheel, willingly and with enthusiasm. Every member is valuable not only as a member but also as a person attending our meetings. In numbers we rejoice, not just on the rolls, but in the fact that we have a large percentage showing up. The future of AFVOA cannot be the exclusive concern of a handful; it is in fact safely in the hands of each one of you. We recognize this fact and