Area II, Round Table India

Will India be a SuperPower?

2008-08-30T10:48:00.000+05:30

Education alone can help India become a superpowerAugust 26, 2008 at 3:13 pm · Filed under Education, India, India(2020)

2008 is poised to be another year of high economic growth. As we enter the last quarter of FY 2008, the fourth consecutive fiscal when India has witnessed over 8% growth, we find India’s manpower shortages aggravate even further. Just as growth has been multi-sectoral, so have the manpower deficiencies.

There is scarcity of skilled manpower in every industry, from good carpenters and plumbers to factory workers, doctors and scientists. The banking industry, which employs 900,000 people, is expected to add 600,000 more over the next three to four years.

Similarly, the IT and ITeS industry will need around 850,000 additional skilled manpower by 2010. And, the retail industry will need nearly 2.5 million skilled professionals by 2012. Not only are jobs within India on the rise, the developed world too is facing manpower shortages, which are expected to rise to 40 million by 2020.

This shortfall can be met by India, where both educated unemployment and the number of people joining the workforce are on the rise. In short, the opportunities beforeIndia are huge, provided our education sector gears up to take these on.

The good news is that the government is paying heed to this challenge. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is geared towards achieving useful and relevant elementary education for all children by 2010. This movement is showing results. The number of out-of-school children in the 6-14 years age group has dropped from 13.4 million in 2005 to 7.06 million in March-end 2006. Similarly, the Universities Grant Commission has announced a new budget with promising initiatives and better funds for universities.

While these initiatives are welcome, they are unlikely to solve the sheer magnitude of the problem. Manpower shortages are both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The task is a lot bigger. We need to take a fresh look at the education sector.

It’s time we encourage, engage and motivate both not-for-profit and profit-making institutions to set up educational institutions. Whoever wants to contribute to this sector must be encouraged to do so. There is a role for everyone. There is too much to be done.

In 1991, India opened up several sectors to foreign investment. The liberalisation policy unleashed enormous energy in India’s corporate sector. Since then, several Indian companies have gone global and earned a name in the global marketplace.

We need similar type of ‘policy reforms’ in the education sector. Players in this sector must be given the freedom to enter, operate and exit. India needs more universities. WhileJapan has 4,000 universities for its 127 million people and the US has 3,650 universities for its 301 million, India has only 348 universities for its 1.2 billion people.

India can’t afford to lose more time on debates. In Japan, 75% of all higher education institutions are private. We need to pass the Private Universities Bill that has been pending in Parliament since 1995.

India needs ‘curricular reforms’. In today’s world, where technological knowhow is evolving with each day, educational institutions need to be granted the freedom to engage with the industry and change the curricula as and when required. Educational institutions must teach what the industry needs.

And finally, the education sector also needs ‘financial reforms’, especially in higher education. The government should provide scholarships and loans to those who need it the most, and leave academic fee to be determined by market forces. That’s what will make our Educational institutions relevant and self-sustaining. The need of the hour, therefore, is to rapidly implement this three-pronged reform process, policy reforms, curricular reforms and financial reforms.

A knowledge economy like India runs on the back of its educated workforce. Today, our chances of emerging as a super power squarely rest on our education system and how well it responds to meeting domestic and global requirements for talent. It is an opportunity India just cannot afford to lose.

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RT 95 - HR Report - Tr. R R SriRam

2008-08-30T09:58:00.002+05:30

Madras Metro Round Table 95

HR Program at Adventure Zone on August 23rd and 24th, 2008.

Eighteen tablers of MMRT 95 attended a HR Program at Adventure Zone, Madhuranthakam
(http://www.adventurezone.8k.com/) over the weekend on August 23rd and August 24th, 2008.
The HR session was designed as a Boys Night Out for bonding and team building among the tablers.
This was the flow of events: ‐
1. The idea of outdoor HR session had been discussed at many meetings at MMRT 95 after
Chairman Punit attended a similar session last year. After some dicussion and checking the
availability of tablers we blocked the weekend of 23rd and 24th August.
2. Tablers meet at Tr. Nilesh apartment on the ECR at 3:30PM on Saturday August 23rd. Tr.
Nilesh graciously served beer and Guju snacks and the afternoon was off to a great start.
3. We left for the venue by 5PM and stopped at Golden Sun Resort again for some snacks and
to pick up Tr. Vishal Jain. We finally reached the venue at 8:30PM.
4. We were alloted 4 air conditioned tents with 5 tablers to a tent in bunker style beds. So it
was a combo of roughing it out and comfort.
5. After freshening up the tablers were breifed by Major Roy who runs the facility on the
actiivties for the next day. He indicated we would have to be up at 7AM for tea followed by
breakfast. All the activities would start by 9AM sharp.
6. The fellowship then started off in full swing. Chairman Punit proposed that every tabler talk
for 2 mins about “My First Time” – it could be any first time. This was a time tablers could
bare their hearts to others in the group and share their deepest experiences. The
experiences shared varied from funny to life threating to paranormal.
a. A tabler shared shared how he was almost killed by sharks and started at death in
the eye. After much discussion we reached the conclusion that the shark was
probaly scared of the tabler and backed away.
b. A tabler shared a experience of how he was able to communicate to God in a
profound way.
c. Many tablers shared experiences about their first girlfriends
d. Overall it was true male bonding and anything could be discussed and we got much
closer as a group.
e. The 2 min time frame was insufficent for many tablers and many tablers even shared
2 experiences.
f. Dinner and drinks was on as part of this activity and we wound by 4AM for the tents
to get some sleep.
7. Some snaps of the “My First Time”
(Tablers listening to an experience)
(IPC Amit Kalra shares his experience)
8. The next morning we were up by 7AM as the shone right through the tents and it was bright
(no way we could sleep more). We had our tea and breakfast and got ready for the activities
for the day by 9AM.
9. Major Roy briefed us on the first 2 activities – Rappelling and Rock‐climbing. A 51 foot wall
had to be rappelled down and climbed up. We were broken up into 2 teams of nine each.
a. Each team chose their names – one was called “Death Sharks” and the other “Super
Kings”. The “Death Sharks” was named after the sharks we talked about in the
previous night.
b. Each of the activities had a scoring system and the idea was to manage your team
well (resources and time) to score the maximum points. For example in the
Rappelling each team member got 50 points for the first time, 10 for the second
time and 3 points for the third time. So it was imperative for all team members to do
it once and not just the athletic or adventurous ones.
c. Teams also had to coordinate safety ropes, the harness so a lot of teamwork and
planning was required to get the formula right. Here are some snaps of these two
activities.
(Tr. Summet climbs up a 50 foot wall!)
(Tr. Rajesh Sayani rappells down a 50 foot wall).
(Tr. Manikandan and Tr. Arun get the harness on for IPC Amit Kalra – teamwork)
10. In the first session the Death Sharks completed the Rock Climbing and the Super Kings
completed the Rapelling. Major Roy then had a meeting of the teams and had them discuss
as to what worked and what did not. Each time had to describe the problems they faced and
how they overcame them. They also had to advice the other team how to do the task better.
The teams then swapped activities – Death Sharks did rapelling and Super Kings Rock
Climbing.
11. After these two sessions we had one more HR session from Major Roy and introspection on
how we accomplished our goals. At this points the scores were totaled and the Super Kings
were up by a large margin. We took a 30 min break and had some snacks and drinks to get
back into the groove.
12. The next activity was the Obstacle Course which had 9 obstacles. Each team was given 14
mins to complete the obstacles. Each team also had a new 10th member called “Paplu” –
basically a long stick which three members of the team had to carry at all times. “Paplu”
would score an additional 50 pts for a team for navigating obstacle if done correctly. So this
required more planning, coordination and time management as the time of 14 mins was
very short. Here are some snaps of the obstacle course.
(Tr. Nilesh fits into a tyre and is helped by Chairman Punit)
(Tr. Dr. Amit Saiya negotiates the mosquito net and crawls across it).
(Tr. Vishal and Tr. Naresh cross a makeshift bridge).
13. At the end of the obstacle course Major Roy again did an introspection on how the teams
performed. The points were totaled and Death Sharks won the Obstacle course. The overall
winners were the Super Kings.
14. After this we had lunch and took to Pistol Shooting. We then had a shower and returned
home by Sunday evening.
Valuable HR Lessons we picked up
• Teams are more than the sum of the individual abilities. An individual who is part of a team
can perform better than alone (when not part of a team). The team should encourage and
help an individual do more that way they can normally accomplish alone. This can be done
with the right encouragement, resources and time planning. We saw this happen in many
activities. For example Tr.Deepak gave up on the rock climb midway. With the support of his
team members and got use of the safety rope by his team he was able to complete and
garner valuable points for his team.
• Look for intangible assets in your team. A team member can bring intangible assets and you
have to look for them. In the Obstace course the “Paplu” was an intangible asset if used
properly could actually help the team do the obstacle course much faster (the stick could
have been used to make the ladder easier to climb for example). The team which saw him as
a liability did not score many points. The team which used him well would have gained a lot
(in addition to points).
• Always set benchmarks – preferably relative. People function better when there is a
benchmark or standard. Benchmarks should be set by the team leaders – for example in 3
mins we should complete 2 obstacles and the next 15 mins these 3 obstacles. Leaders need
to set benchmarks for the overall team and measure implementation so things go per plan.
A relative benchmark compares the prior period performance to current. An absolute
benchmark sets a target to achieve based on a number the team needs to achieve. Major
Roy pointed out the importance of benchmarks by saying that what does not measured does
not get done.
Overall it was GREAT FUN and an experience all of will cherish.

RT 181's Dance-O-Drama - Tr. H Sampat

2008-08-22T18:49:00.001+05:30

BRA our fellowship convener has started covering the dance practice fellowships on camera. Last year we had seventeen of them with almost 20 people everyday. What will happen this time. Will Bravesh Beat SUNIL r will Sunil Maintain His record.
Here some of the pics of yesterdays fellowship and Dance practice.

http://mkrt181.blogspot.com/2008/08/start-of-dance-practice.html

Politics - UN Style

2008-08-22T14:46:00.000+05:30

An ingenious example of speech and politics.

Occurred recently in the United Nations Assembly and made the world community smile. A representative from Israel began: 'Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Moses. When he struck the rock and it brought forth water, he thought, 'What a good opportunity to have a bath!'

He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water. When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Palestinian had stolen them.'

The Palestinian representative jumped up furiously and shouted, 'What are you talking about? The Palestinians weren't there then.'

The Israeli representative smiled and said 'And now that we have made that clear, I will begin my speech.'

Jai Hind - MMRT 95 - Tr. R R SriRam

2008-08-21T18:10:00.003+05:30

Project Title
“JAI HIND”
Project Executed by
MMRT # 95
Project Location
“Perambur Girls School “
Project Date
15thAugust ‘2008
Estimated Project cost
Rs. 24000/‐
Actual Project cost
Rs. 23,850/‐
INDEPENDENCE DAY @ Chennai's LARGEST Girls School 4000 Children
•
Tablers & Circlers present for the project ,
o
Chairman Tr. Punit Sampat
o
Treasurer Tr. Vishal Jain
o
Tr. Raj & Cr. Rashmi & Twinkler Tushar
o
Tr. Govind
o
Tr. Ram
o
Tr. Nilesh Kapadia
o
Prospective Tr. Nahar
o
TOTAL members preset : 09
•
List of Things donated
S.no.
Item Description
Worth in Rs.
1
Indoor Public Address system
􀀹
150 Watts Amplifier
􀀹
6 speakers
􀀹
3 cordless mike
􀀹
Installation
Rs. 22,000/‐
2
Nestle Chocolates ‐ 4000 nos
Rs. 1850/‐
TOTAL Project cost in Rs.
Rs. 23850/‐
•
Summary of Funds
IPC Tr. AMit Kalra
Rs. 11,000/‐
Tr. Deepak Bhatia
Rs. 10,850/‐
Tr. Nilesh Kapadia
Rs. 2000/‐
•
Report
All the tablers reached the school at 0845 hrs , function got over at 1100 hrs . The tablers spent almost 2 hrs with the school children.
It was a huge gathering wherein 70% of the school strength was present, close to 3000 odd students for Independence Day Celebration.
The Chief guest for the event was Mr. Durairaj , Local Councilor
The school had organized various cultural programmes, Road Safety shows in addition to the distribution of dictionary for the school toppers.
All the events were very well organized.
The flag was hoisted by the local Councilor Mr. Durairaj.
Chairman Tr. Punit handed over the Indoor Public Address system to the Head mistress of the school alongwith Chocolates for the all the students.
The Table has also arranged to install the PA system for the school.
Refreshment was offered by the Headmistress for all the Tablers present .
The Head mistress put forward his request for a RO water purification unit for the school . The cost of the equipment was estimated @ Rs. 1,50,000/‐
•
Vote of Thanks
Special Thanks to Donors IPC Tr. Amit Kalra, Tr, Deepak Bhatia and Tr. Nilesh Kapadia for sponsoring the project “ JAI HIND.
I would also like to thank Tr. Govind for referring this project .
Reported by:
Tr. Nilesh Kapadia
XXX Project Convenor
2008‐2009
•
Snipets:

Subsidised Cycles - Cr Anjali Wadhwa - LC 100

2008-08-21T17:52:00.000+05:30

From: Dr Sameer Hariani
Subject: Fw: Bicycles at Rs.1000 only for needy women
To: "kajol bhatia" , "Sunil Bhatia Bhatia"
Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 3:58 AM

Dear friends,

Our district has a surplus of 100 bicycles available to needy women at Rs.1000.00 each (regular cost Rs.2800.00 each). This is a part of the matching grant project (Project Streevahini) done during the year 2007-08 under the governorship of Rtn. Rajendra Rai.

Our Rtn. C.N. Kumar has come forward to donate Rs.10,000.00 towards ten bicycles on behalf of Rotary Bangalore Southwest. I commend this fine gesture.

I am reproducing the mail received from the district in this regard for your perusal.

We need to identify ten needy women who can benefit from this benevolence. I request you to recommend the names of suitable beneficiaries to me or Rtn. Vijay Tadimalla before 1st September, 2008.

With regards,
- Vasuki
09341252719

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Dear Rotary Presidents and Community Service Directors,

THERE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE UP THIS LOW BUDGET PROJECT THIS YEAR ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.

UNDER THE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT SCHEME IN THE LAST ROTARY YEAR, DG RAI AND CHAIRMAN LATE MAHALINGA BHAT SUCCESSFULLY ARRANGED TO DISTRIBUTE HUNDREDS OF WELL EQUIPED BICYCLES TO THE POOR & NEEDY WOMEN FOLK . THIS WOULD ENABLE THEM TO INDEPENDENTLY PURSUE SOME PETTY TRADES AND EARN THEIR LIVING WITH DIGNITY. FOR OTHERS , IT WOULD BE HANDY TO REACH TO THEIR WORKPLACE S IN TIME.

UNDER THE ABOVE SCHEME, WE ARE LEFT WITH ABOUT 100 BICYCLES MORE.

COST OF THE BICYCLE WITH CARRIER AND EXTRA ATTACHMENT IS RS. 2800/=

CLUBS HAVE TO PAY ONLY RS. 1000.

PROCEEDINGS WILL GO TO ROTARY FOUNDATION KITTY OF THIS ROTARY YEAR.

WISHING YOU A GREAT ROTARY YEAR

MANJUNATH SHETTY

DIST.DIRECTOR- YOUTH SERVICES

Performance Appraisal

2008-08-21T17:47:00.001+05:30

India

2008-08-21T17:44:00.001+05:30

RT 30 - Fellowship - Tr. Sanjay Goel

2008-08-19T12:20:00.004+05:30

30 Twinkler Olympics and Bandanna Night fellowship

15th August a very happy day for India and very proud movement for all of us,at 30 we
decided to celebrate the 61st Year of independence with a big 30 fellowship with all the members of 30 family being a part of it.

Theme was a bandanna night with bit of colour in it, it was a night planned with the
twinkler's to come and have good time. Venue was terrace of my house.,It was a joint
fellowship along with our very own LC 100. We had Cr. Jutika who planned the complete activity for the evening. We totally had 31 twinklers, 18 tablers / hon. tablers and 19 circlers in all for the fellowship.

Evening started at around 730 pm among the first to arrive was LC fellowship convener Cr. Jutika who came in early and set up the place for 30 twinklers Olympics believe me the place was no less than Beijing(Difficult to digest I know). But the planning which she had put in for the games and the way it was executed is to be appreciated.

We totally had 4 games for the Kids

PILLOW GAME
5-9yrs VIDHI ANSH
10-15yrs SHREYA SHIVAY

SUMO WRESTLING 5-9yrs
PRANAY & SAHIL

10-15yrs
ROHAN & AKHIL
SHOOTING
ROHAN & RAJIV
KRITIKA & PRANAV
SHIVAY & KAUSHIK
PRANAY & PRANAV
AKHIL & CHETAN
SIMRAN & VISHAL
PRANAV & SIDDHARTH

OBSTACLE RACE
KAUSHIK & TEAM
MANOJ & TEAM

I guess all the twinkler's had a ball of a time. At the end of the gaming session we had a price distribution for the first and second place which added to the excitement. With kids having a good time , beautiful evening under the moonlight, lots of starters, good friends around that what in 30 we call fellowship.

YIT
Tr.Sanjay-Fellowship Convener –MER3T0

Art Show - RT 1 - Tr. Sethu

2008-08-19T12:08:00.001+05:30

Kalam Speak.

2008-08-17T18:04:00.001+05:30

Capacity Building
27/Jun/2008 : -
When I visualize the five minds of the future(1. Disciplinary mind, 2. Synthesizing mind, 3. Creative mind, 4. Respectful mind, 5. Ethical mind), I have a message for the all the teachers and students. Nurturing all the five minds is possible, if you build the following five capacities among the youth. What are those five capacities? The five capacities are: research and inquiry, creativity and innovation, use of high technology, entrepreneurial and moral leadership are the five capacities required to be built through the education process.
Research and enquiry: The 21st century is about the management of all the knowledge and information we have generated and the value addition we bring to it. We must give our students the skills with which they find a way through the sea of knowledge that we have created and continue with life long learning. Today, we have the ability, through technology, to really and truly teach ourselves to become the life-long learners. This is required for sustained economic development Creativity and innovation: The management of knowledge in the 21st century is beyond the capacity of a single individual. The amount of information that we have around is overwhelming. The management of knowledge therefore must move out of the realm of the individual and shift into the realm of the networked groups. The students must learn how to manage knowledge collectively. When the information is networked the power and utility of the information grows as square as stated by Metcalfe's law. Information that is static does not grow. In the new digital economy information that is circulated creates innovation and contributes to national wealth.
Capacity to use high technology: Every student in our colleges should learn to know how to use the latest technologies for aiding their learning process. Colleges should equip themselves with adequate computing equipment, laboratory equipment, and Internet facilities and provide an environment for the students to enhance their learning ability. In the midst of all of the technological innovations and revolutions we cannot think that the role of the teachers will be diminished. In fact the teacher will become even more important and the whole world of education will become teacher assisted and would help in “tele-porting” the best teacher to every nook and corner of the country and propagate the knowledge. There is a great opportunity and need for content generation in many fields of education which can be used all over the country.
Entrepreneurship: The aptitude for entrepreneurship should be cultivated right from the beginning and in the University environment. We must teach our students to take calculated risks for the sake of larger gain, but within the ethos of good business. They should also cultivate a disposition to do things right. This capacity will enable them to take up challenging tasks later.
Moral leadership: Moral leadership involves two aspects. First it requires the ability to have compelling and powerful dreams or visions of human betterment. Moral leadership requires a disposition to do the right thing and influence others also to do right things. In sum, inquiry, creativity, technology, entrepreneurial and moral leadership are the five capacities required to be built through the education process. I would suggest, all the educational institutions to consider carving out a six months programme from the overall time available for the graduate and post-graduate programme. In this period the students should be equipped with knowledge on subjects like leadership, finance, marketing, inter-personal relationship, negotiation, entrepreneurship and ethical values. The students should be provided a certificate or a diploma along with the professional degree. This type of education will equip the youth with employable skills needed by the industry and also give the confidence to the youth to take up entrepreneurship as an independent venture.
If we develop in all our students these five capacities, we will produce “Autonomous Learner” a self-directed, self controlled, lifelong learner who will have the capacity to both, respect authority and at the same time is capable of questioning authority, in an appropriate manner. These are the leaders who would work together as a “Self-organizing Network” and transform any nation into a prosperous nation. The most important part of the education is to imbibe the confidence among the student is the spirit of “we can do it”.

RT 181 - Blood Donation Camp

2008-08-16T12:32:00.002+05:30

Knights at Fellowship - Tr. H Sampat

2008-08-16T12:24:00.002+05:30

Knights

We had a wonderfull time at our fellowship attended by 18 Trs Circlers & Twinklers, at Bar-B-Que Nation today followed up with chill out session at Tr Sam's house. It was quite difficult for some to leave the restaurant as it was unlimited food, so they hogged on till kingdom come. Some people had to be dragged away (read Rahul as he was not hungry till he came there... as usual). Are naughty HT Sanjay & Ham tried quite hard to convert IPC to become a Non-V but alas even Viagara could not persuade him with his armfull tactics...... All those who missed out on this fellowship please make to the next. There will be more exiting things happening around the corner. Hope to see you all.

Regards
Sam & his Bra.
Fellowship Convenors
08-09

RT 181 - Community Service Project - Tr. K Singh

2008-08-13T19:39:00.002+05:30

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT - BLOOD DONATION CAMP, GURUNANAK COLLEGE.

A Pan India Initiative of Round Table India in association with Indian Red Cross Society to mark the
“International Day for Youth”
We at Madras Knights Round Table 181 kicked off Project Jiwan, to mark the International Day for Youth, at Gurunanak College Velachery today.
We collected 323 units of blood from 12pm to 5.30pm today with the help of Indian Red Cross Society & GH. 250 units were collected by the Indian Red Cross and 73 units were collected by GH. We had to turn away approximately 150 donors due to lack of storing capacity of the Blood Banks present.
The Event was attended by Area Chairman Tr. Rajesh Gupta, Area Vice Chairman Tr. Shaktivel Raja apart from other tablers from Area 2. We are extremely thankful to Tr. Rajesh Gupta and Tr. Ashish Modi (159) for donating blood on t h i s day and supporting the cause.

Tr. Amit Mehta was the first donor from MKRT 181 to start the blood donation camp.
We w o u l d l i k e t o acknowledge the presence of Cr. Mona Lulla from Ladies Circle 2 representing Ladies Circle India.
As seen in the pictures blood was donated by Our IPC Tr. Rajiv Shah and Treasurer Tr.
Hamir Sampat also. The event was publicized on 106.4 Hello FM on the 11th and 12th and 98.3 Radio Mirchi on the 12th.
The event was covered by Jaya TV and Raj TV also and would be aired on the 12th and
13th of August 08 as per available slots. There was tremendous participation from the NSS of
Gurunanak College headed by their co-ordinators Prof. Sanjeev Babu and Prof. Jaykumar. They helped us organise the camp and also the donors.

THANK YOU
YOUR’S IN TABLING
TR. KAVALPREET SINGH SETHI
SECRETARY 08-09

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam's Speech - Tr. Manoj Bhaiya

2008-08-12T16:18:00.000+05:30

DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's Speech in Hyderabad . *Why is the media here so negative?Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our Achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success Stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat.We are the second largest producer of rice.Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a Self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements But our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. IWas in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the DayAfter a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. TheHamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of aJewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid And a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The Gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in theNewspaper, buried among other news.In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreignThings? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign Technology.Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that Self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this Lecture,When a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal In life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, You and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. IndiaIs not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you Have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice isYours.YOU say that our government is inefficient.YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him aFace - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International Best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in The stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of MahimCauseway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking Lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or A shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore youDon't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head coveredIn Jeddah . YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange In London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD Calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell Anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and NewZealand .Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use Examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still Talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system In other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be thesame here in India ?Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr.Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame theauthorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage allover the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food andtoiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related towomen, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego mysons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and thegovernment. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run toEngland . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a greatdeal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians..... 'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIAAND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY' Lets do what India needs from us.Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.Thank you,Dr. Abdul Kalaam

Special Publicity and Social Awareness Drive by MMRT 95 - Tr. R R Sriram

2008-08-09T15:16:00.003+05:30

On the 3rd of August, with the support of MMRT 95, ExNoRa International inaugurated its ‘88888 Lights Out’ campaign on Global Warming. The campaign was inaugurated by Mr. M.B.Nirmal,
founder chairman of ExNoRa International in the presence of Actress Devyani and members of
MMRT 95 – Chairman Tr. Punit, Publicity Convener Tr. Ram and coordinator ExNoRa Round Table Tr.Amit Saiya. During the inauguration Mr. M.B.Nirmal released the first poster of ‘88888 Lights Out’ campaign organized by MMRT 95.
On 5th August, ExNoRa International organized a rally participated by ICFAI management college students. Over 150 students participated in this rally and went door to door, canvassed people and distributed the posters organized by MMRT 95 to various business establishments.
Mr. Venkat Krishnamachari of IT ExNoRa had this to say about the posters – “The poster was a super
hit – people have been asking us for more”. He also thanked MMRT 95 for the overwhelming
support.
The campaign by MMRT 95 was then sent to the entire National and Area board. The Area 2
Chairman Tr. Rajesh Gupta adopted this campaign and the National board also extended its support.
Various tables across the country responded to this initiative by MMRT 95 by participating in this
campaign by switching off lights on the 8th of August, 2008 at 8 PM for 8 minutes.
The efforts of MMRT 95 on this campaign was highly appreciated by the National President, NEX
Board and Conveners, Area 2 Chairman and Area 2 Board and Conveners, all chairman of Area 2.
The posters that were designed for this purpose, were distributed amongst the participants for the
campaign and all of them proudly displayed it. The image on Hindu dated 9th August has the image
of the poster designed for the campaign.
The campaign was covered by NDTV, Sun TV, K TV, Headlines Today and other major TV Channels
across India. The signature campaign was also initiated at all the major Malls around India. The
petition was sent to all Tablers all over India and hundreds of Tablers have signed on the online
petition. More than 5000 SMS’s sent by MMRT95 to Tablers and general public to support the
cause. Students formed Human chain across High Traffic routes and explained the cause of Global
Warming to the general public.
For the record, similar campaigns held in Sydney, London and more recently, Mumbai, have proved
effective in lowering power consumption. In fact, if the greenhouse reduction achieved in Sydney
when 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses turned off their lights for an hour was sustained for a
year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road. ‐ The economic Times 8th August
Article in The Hindu on the 88888 Campaign
Days of campaign culminate in eight minutes’ lights‐out, waking people up to global warming
SHEDDING LIGHT: Mayor M. Subramanian and celebrities after eight minutes of silence at 8 a.m. on
Friday in support of the ‘88888 lights‐out campaign’ against global warming. —
CHENNAI: All the 280 houses of Arihant Towers at Koyembedu switched off their lights at 8 p.m. for 8
minutes in the presence of Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy and Mayor M. Subramanian to signal the
culmination of ‘88888 lights‐out campaign’ against global warming by ExNoRa International on
Friday.
Mr. Tripathy stressed the need for conservation of power in government offices.
Governor Surjit Singh Barnala ordered the lights to be put off in Raj Bhavan at 8 p.m. for 8 minutes to
stress the need for creation of awareness of global warming and its effects. The Governor said that
an awakening should be created among the people of all walks of life on the root cause of Global
Warming. We should contribute towards reduction of carbon emissions, he said.
Earlier in the morning a quiet and still Mahatma Gandhi by the Bay of Bengal at the Marina beach
got emulated for eight minutes at 8 a.m. as Mayor M.Subramanian and other celebrities from the
city silently expressed solidarity with the ‘88888 lights out campaign’ to contain the menace of global
warming. This ‘power of silence campaign’ by celebrities who had proved their vocal power to the
world was a prelude to the grand finale of the ‘88888 lights out campaign’ at 8 p.m. at Arihant
Towers in Koyembedu.
“The corporation of Chennai will continue to work with NGOs in the fight against global warming,”
said Mr.Subramanian.
Many students and IT professionals enthusiastically participated in the campaign by switching off the
lights in their houses.
“My friends and I switched off lights in our houses at 8 p.m.,” said Harry Martins, a student of Class V
of Spartan school Mogappair.
“This is an excellent opportunity for people to contribute towards containing global warming. This
campaign for a social cause will certainly create greater awareness about global warming,” said
Mayor M. Subramaniam.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of around 2500 scientists from many
countries, convened in Paris in February 2007 stressed the gravity of global warming and the
possibility of mass destruction in the world. The IPCC also said that world temperatures may rise by
1.8‐4 degree Celsius and subsequently lead to rise of sea level by 28‐43 cm.
Global warming is said to cause melting of ice caps in Polar Regions and the subsequent inundation
of low lying coastal areas. Increasing frequency of floods and drought may occur due to global
warming, say scientists.
“This is a way of conveying to the world the importance of the small, silent ways of controlling global
warming by every human being,” said Carnatic musician Sudha Raghunathan earlier during the
‘Power of silence campaign’ at 8 a.m.
“The promotion of simple eco‐friendly practices and concepts to reduce carbon foot print and
pollution will help control global warming,” said M.B.Nirmal, founder of ExNoRa International.
The awareness about global warming should be converted into action, said film producer AVM
Saravanan.
“Small actions such as checking air pressure of vehicles by individuals will create huge impact as a
whole. Every action of individuals count in global warming,” said film director Vasanth.
“We want to create total awareness of global warming and school children are the target group,”
said M.Murali proprietor of Sri Krishna Sweets.
After successful completion of the ‘88888’ campaign, Mayor M.Subramanian started the new ‘99999’
wave of campaign by ExNoRa. “This consistent struggle is needed to save our planet,” he said.
© Copyright 2000 ‐ 2008 The Hindu
Post Campaign Pledges
􀂾 Whether it be from your home/ office or car, you can challenge yourself to adopt an
environment friendly lifestyle. The good news is that if you take up these practices for 30
days, they become engrained and a matter of habit. So let us begin this journey together!
􀂾 Circulate stickers for car pledges.
􀂾 circulate better waste managment and ,compost managment.
􀂾 Promote hygenic waste and compost management at Schools thru FTE.
􀂾 manage a better carbon footprint thru school children under the ROUND TABLE EXNORA TIE
up
􀂾 A carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in
terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon
dioxide".[1] It is meant to be useful for individuals, nations and organizations to
conceptualize their personal (or organizational) impact in contributing to global warming.
􀂾 We all contribute to global warming when we do things like heat and cool our homes, drive
our cars, and fly on airplanes. The good news? BeGreen empowers you to take an active role
in neutralizing your carbon emissions and reducing your impact on global warming. Simply
follow our tips to begin decreasing the energy you use each day.
􀂾 our easy‐to‐use carbon calculator and BeGreen Carbon Offsets. Once you do, tell the planet
(or at least a few friends). Together we can make a world of difference, but we need your
help. So go ahead and be green, now

MERT 30 - Publicity Effort

2008-08-09T14:51:00.004+05:30

MADRAS ESPLANADE ROUND TABLE 30

Launches its first Publicity

for the year 2008-09.

It was a great kickstart for our fundraising programme for the year. The joint event between Chennai Event Management Services & MMRT-42 was flagged off on Sunday the 3rd August'08 .

The Ceat Mumbai Xpress 2008 flagged off from our very own, St. Georges Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School at 10.30am. The honours were done by Vishal Pawar, Senior Product Manager, CEAT & our Area Chairman, Tr.Rajesh Gupta and also present with us was our Area Vice-Chairman,Tr. Shaktivel, Chairman of MMRT 42, Tr.Sandy & Director of Chennai Event Management Services Mr. Aravind Bremanandam.

This 3 wheeler Auto rickshaw rally had participants from 10 countries. The overall international contestants were 39 in number from Norway, New Zealand, USA, UK, Germany, Hungary, Australia, Canada, Spain etc... Our Area Chairman, Tr. Rajesh Gupta, briefed the participants of the auto rally about RTI, its movement Freedom to Education & about its achievements & how this rally would benefit to the various schools they would be visiting during its bumpy & long ride all over to Mumbai. He said every penny contributed towards RTI goes a long way in helping to build schools for the under priviledged children in India, because if we can make a change in our society then its only by educating our poor & needy children.

The event flagged off and proceeded to our very own RT- 30 VES AGARMEL SCHOOL. This school has been the baby of MERT-30. Here the participants were greeted warmly with garlands & tilak by our little school children, The Correspondent, School Principal who had been waiting since morning for their arrival. This was one of the first schools that this rally visited. They were offered light refreshments & snacks. School was shown around, to each & every participant, school photographs were highlighted, the growth & achievements of the school was spelled by our correspondent. They were really amazed with the fact that from a mere 74 children in the year 2000, today the school has around 439 students & next year the numbers would swell over 600 children & the very fact that every year they pass with 100% results.

They also saw our science lab, Yi-Akshara -the learning centre for kids & enjoyed some lighter moments by playing volleyball with our kids. Hon.Tr.Rajesh Nichani stuck the first poster on the participating vehicle. We had stuck stickers & posters in the front & back of all the 24 participating rickshaws. As such, each participating 3- wheeler carried the message of Freedom through Education, all its way to Mumbai.

Posters and Banners were put up all over the route from flag off venue upto VES by MERT-30. This could all be possible only with the support of all our Tablers, Circlers & Twinklers of MERT-30 present at both the venues. The rally will be covering 2000 km spanning over 12 days making its way through Vellore, Bangalore, Hassan, Mangalore, Bhatkal, Panaji,Tarkali, Ratnagiri, Mahad, & Alibag all the way upto Mumbai conveying our message & inspiring more people to come forward & join hands in this movement

The Ceat Mumbai Xpress 2008 was a fantastic combination of showcasing the Wonders of India to the international based participants. Our focus on Charity & the sheer bonkers of rickshaw racing knotted up very well. Kudos to all our Tablers,Circlers & Twinklers.

YIT

Tr. Satya Rao-Publicity Convener

Tr. Vishal Jindal- Secretary.

MERT 30

Publicity Drive - MMRT 95 - Tr. Punit Sampat

2008-08-09T13:16:00.003+05:30

Report on the Special Publicity Drive by MMRT 95
Madras Metro Round Table 95 forged an association with Exnora International. This association helps both MMRT95 and Exnora to leverage each others reach for social service, publicity and other related matters. On 3rd August 2008, Exnora International has inaugurated its ‘88888 Lights Out’ campaign on Global Warming. The purpose of this campaign is to create awareness how everyday human activities can pollute the environment, the land, the air and the water. It also looks to impart a sense of individual responsibility amongst the people towards their surroundings. The campaign urges everyone to switch off the lights at 8:00 PM on August 8th, 2008, for 8 minutes. Hence ‘88888 Lights Out’. The 8888 Lights Out campaign was inaugurated by Mr.M.B.Nirmal, founder chairman of Exnora International, at Spencers Plaza, Chennai, in the presence of Actress Devyani, office bearers of Exnora International, IT Exnora members and members of Madras Metro Round Table 95 – Chairman Tr. Punit Sampat, Publicity Convenor Tr. Ram and coordinator Exnora Round Table Tr. Amit Saiya. The press and media were also present during the inauguration. Mr. Nirmal explained to the crowd of 2000 people the need to arrest global warming by switching off lights on 8th August 2008 at 8:00 PM for 8 minutes. The IT Exnora office bearers collected 2000 petitions on site in support of the campaign. MMRT 95 supports this cause and has organized publicity posters of the same to be displayed at prominent public friendly locations in Chennai, Kolkatta and Pondicherry. This is part of the huge publicity campaign taken by MMRT 95 for this year. It should be noted that for the month of July, MMT 95 took Road Safety as the theme and released posters on the same.
The first publicity poster on ‘8888 Lights Out’ campaign was released by Mr.M.B.Nirmal during the inauguration function.
Madras Metro Round Table 95 also undertook the responsibility of spreading the message of the day through videos, presentations and mails to all 220 tables and 2350 tablers in India in the coming days leading to 88888. Chairman T. Punit promised on behalf of MMRT 95 to support this Global Warming campaign. Tr. Amit Saiya spoke of furthering the cause of Global Warming.
MMRT 95 wishes to circulate the posters and support the cause of Global Warming through RTI and seeks the support and co-operation of its fellow tablers across the country by logging on to the website and sign the online petition at www.petitiononline.com/exnora08/petition.html. MMRT 95 requests the tablers to use the title "Tr." while signing the online petition. MMRT 95 extends its sincere thanks to all the tablers for supporting this cause.
MMRT 95 and Exnora has also arrived at an understanding to utilize the network of these organizations to further promote and publicize the cause of "Freedom Through Education" through the various wings of Exnora International.

181 - Blood Donation Camp

2008-08-09T13:14:00.001+05:30

MKRT 181 - Blood Donation Camp - Aug 12 2008

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BLOOD DONATION:

Take light refreshment / food before blood donation (2 hours before
Any healthy person, form the age of 18 years with a weight of 45 kgs. and above can donate blood.
18 years completed person can donate blood.
Women should avoid blood donation during their menstrual bleeding.
Person who had consumed alcohol should avoid giving blood for next 24 hours.
Person who had recent attack of infection like Jaundice, Typhoid, Malria, Rubella etc., should not give blood.
Person who had undergone major surgery should avoid blood donation for 6 months.
Pregnancy, lactating women should avoid blood donation

RT 100 - Classtoom Inauguration

2008-08-02T11:02:00.001+05:30

RT 100 - Classtoom Inauguration

2008-08-02T11:02:00.000+05:30

RT 100 - School Inauguration

2008-08-02T11:01:00.001+05:30

MART 100 - Calssroom Inauguration - Tr. Prabhat S

2008-08-02T10:58:00.002+05:30

After Successful Inaugurations of 13 Classrooms, we are pleased to inform you that we have Inaugurated further 9 Classrooms on Wednesday the 30th of July 2008. Area Chairman Tr. Rajesh Gupta and AST Tr. Praveen will be doing the honours in the presence of Area Project Convenor Tr. Senthil. Please find the details appended below.

Kundrathur Panchayat Union Middle School – Karaisangal - 7 Classrooms -
PUPS Thundal Kazhini School – Thundal Kazhini - 2 Classrooms -

YIT,

Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav
Chairman – MART 100.

Publicity Report – MMRT95 – July 2008. - Tr. R R Sriram - RT 95

2008-08-01T15:19:00.002+05:30

People know Round Tabling and Tablers across the country for many things some Good some bad.We at Madras Metro Round Table 95 wanted to look at opportunities to ensure that In whatever small manner we will try and reach out to the people of the society so that they can make better efforts to better themselves in effect all of us around.

We have taken a call and to support our endeavor for the same we will be sending out appealing messages to the public every way possible .We made a humble beginning towards a better tomorrow in the month of July. With hoardings being taken out of Chennai roads, the publicity using hoardings was out of question. Secondly, most of the newspapers, magazines, newsletters hardly publicize any ad for public awareness.

At the beginning of the year, Chairman Punit came up with an idea of publicizing Round Table through Social and Public Awareness. Few of the publicity posters that we thought of were Anti Mobile while driving, don’t drink and drive, speed kills and stuff and decided that Anti Speed would be the first publicity campaign by MMRT95.

The first publicity poster of the year was released by Area Chairman Tr. Rajesh Gupta. The theme of the poster is on Road Safety and sends an important message of safe driving. The discussion that followed resulted in some thoughtful ideas from the Tablers to further help the publicity of the table, area and RTI.

Sincere thanks to Tr. Govind for sponsoring the posters.
The posters were pasted in Landmark, Zara, Mocha, Mangaram, Oxford Bookstore,Land mark Book stores,famous eateries and high end fashion and Lifestyle stores. and other prominent locations across Chennai and now we are in the process of pasting the same posters in the city of KOLKATTA also.If any table across RTI wishes to join us in this attempt to publicize we welcome you with folded hands. You are most welcome to contact us Tr.Punit Sampat
– punit@mmrt95.in,. Sriram R.R., rrsriram@mmrt95.in or Tr Ram the publicity convenor ‐ rammkp@gmail.com

Further to the above we also held a car rally and all the cars of the rally stuck these posters at prominent locations and also carried FTE stickers and went around the city of Chennai .In fact few strangers stopped our cars and asked –What is FTE and what was tabling all about.Our tablers took this opportunity to educate and publicize the cause of RTI and FTE.

The Days That Were - Tr. Ashish Mehta, RT 30

2008-07-24T16:05:00.000+05:30

>
>Istanbul
>
>Days That Were
>
>October 6, 2003
>
>
>In the late Sixties the main path for the young gripped by wanderlust
>ran from India, where it picked up a lot of Aussies, across Asia to
>Istanbul. There it forked. One branch went to Egypt and the Middle
>East, the other to Europe. Istanbul was the hub. In jeans and boots,
>with backpacks and shoulder bags, kids arrived from Bombay and
>Katmandu, from Sydney and Brindisi and New York. Most were between
>eighteen and twenty-five. They wanted to see far places and astonishing
>things, and simply did it, as kids will. They had little money. They didn't care.
>They pooled to buy decomposing minibuses and casually set off across
>Persia.
>
>In Istanbul their-our-habitat was the Sultan Ahmet district, in the
>shadow of the grand domed mosque that loomed against, when I was there,
>grey wintry skies. Dirty ice squeezed from between stones of winding
>streets and a whiff of wood smoke hung in the air. Dark-faced and
>vaguely dangerous looking men who in fact weren't hurried by in thick
>coats. You were Somewhere Else. It was magic.
>
>Many of the wanderers wore beards. These were the freak years, and
>anyway shaving is a nuisance on the road. They were motley: college
>girls from Barnard, a black smooth-talking DJ out of Jersey, drugged-up
>spindrift from the hippie havens of Europe and North Africa, a guy from
>somewhere east with a parrot. Some were truth-seeking tumbleweeds
>pursuing enlightenment, others just adventurers. There was an artist
>from Ohio who showed us photographs of a blue fiberglass sculpture he
>had made of his ex-wife's backside. It wasn't obscene, just rounded.
>All of us were caught in the craving for new things that besets late
>adolescents if they're worth a damn.
>
>I was a bit of an oddity--pretty much out of the Marines by then and
>traveling with a shot-up squid named Len Vanderwood who had been in
>PBRs in the delta and gotten ambushed. He did all sorts of heroic
>things, like chopping the paravanes and using a Browning .30 like a
>fire hose, which only happens in the movies but Len didn't know it.
>We were exotics among hippies, poets, and seekers. On the other hand
>they had crossed Afghanistan in VW buses, passing through towns where
>both you and your girlfriend could get raped and sometimes were.
>
>Most were just kids with an itch, and stayed at the Yucel Hostel,
>pretty much the standard European gig: a buck-fifty if you had a sheet
>bag in a bunkroom with five other people. They would travel for a year,
>remember it forever, and go back to Belgium to be doctors. A few were different.
>
>These stayed at the Gulhane Hotel. The Gulhane was for the lost, the
>doomed, for people too low-caste to sleep under bridges. You went up
>narrow dark stairs and came out on the roof where sheet plastic covered
>a two-by-four framework to form a skeletal barn in the January cold.
>You could stay there for twenty-five cents a night. It was a good price
>for kids who had sold their passports to buy drugs and had nowhere to go.
>Len and I went to see it in a spirit of anthropological curiosity. Your
>two bits bought you squatter's rights to a decomposing grass mat on the
>floor, on which to lay a sleeping bag. Maybe a dozen people stayed
>there. There was no electricity. From a crossbeam at either end a hash
>pipe dangled on a cord. At night the inmates sat in circles beneath the
>hash pipes, jacketed against the chill, staring at what appeared to be
>pie pans of bluely burning alcohol.
>
>The pipe went around. When it burned out, etiquette was that whoever
>then held it filled it from his stash. The flames danced, shadows leapt
>strangely, especially after a while in the circle, and some freak from
>North Africa tweedled on a soprano recorder. He didn't quite play it,
>but neither was it unmelodic. The camaraderie of those who knew it was
>cold outside gripped us, a conspiracy of warmth. We told stories of Goa
>and Marikesh, of mortar flares hanging ghastly in clouds over the ugly
>thumb that was Marble Mountain.
>
>From time to time, so help me, a Turk from the hotel came through and
>called, "Hasheeshkabab, twenty-five cents." Lamb, dog, road kill,
>morgue meat, I don't know. It was well spiked with the herb.
>The lost too had their place in the order of things. I wished them well.
>
>We were the first drug generation. Ritalin was the preferred
>amphetamine, not yet being used to subdue schoolboys. Kids gobbled it
>and for a couple of days were very intense. If you got close to them
>you heard a faint "bzzzzzzzz" and smelled hot insulation. A plaque of
>hash the size of a Heath bar cost three bucks. Most of us experimented
>for a few years, enjoyed the sense of shared misbehavior, got bored, and quit.
>A few ended up at the Gulhane.
>
>The scam of the times was selling traveler's checks. You sold them to a
>South African for forty percent of their face value, unsigned. His
>operatives then forged them for face value. You went to the American
>Express office and said that you had lost your checks. They replaced
>them. A long line of kids waited at the Amex office to report lost
>checks. It was no more moral than shading your deductions, cheating on
>your wife, or downloading music.
>Yenner's, if memory doesn't lie, was the roasted-meat den near the
>Pudding Shop. It was dark and blackened by smoke, like a medieval
>torture chamber but without the cheer. You knew immediately that it
>wasn't Kansas. The roasts were savory, greasy, and smoky. A clothesline
>ran diagonally across the room. On it in those pre-internet days
>travelers left notes to each other, held by clothespins. One I remember:
>"Will the girl in the green dress I met on the bank of the Ganges ask
>for me at the Youth Hostel? Mike."
>
>That's how it was. Wherever you were going, somebody had been there,
>and knew what to do. Calcutta? Sure, try the hostel on Sutter Street.
>(I did. Coming out one day, I saw a naked man with no feet rolling down
>the sidewalk to beg from me.) Israel? Ask them not to stamp your
>passport because then you can go to Arab countries. In Delhi the Pahar
>Gange section is really cheap, the Venus hotel is fifty cents a night.
>You won't find it in a tourist guide.
>
>I don't know where kids go today. I just hope it is as good.
>
>

>

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Free Heart Surgery for Children - Tr. Sumit Kalra - RT 124

2008-07-20T11:20:00.000+05:30

P.J. Gupta School, Ambattur - Classrooms Inauguration, Tr. Rajesh Sundrani

2008-07-18T19:39:00.001+05:30

Dear Tablers:Greetings from MMRT 42!

I am happy to inform you that 2 classroom at the P.J. Gupta School, Ambattur were officially inaugrated on Thursday, July 17th at 3.30 pm by our Area Chairman, Area II Tr. Rajesh Gupta.

Tabler Sandy, Alok, Suman, Ravi, & Chetan from 42, past Area Chairman Sq Lg. Ashish Gupta, staff, PTA members, school management, principal, and students were present in good numbers.

I would like to thank our Area Chairman for his support and for taking time out to attend this function.

I would like to recognize the efforts put in by our Project convenor Tr. Chetan who worked on a war footing to complete this project before our AGM next week. Also, would like reconize the effort of Tr. Hari & Tr. Prasana who raised funds for this project thru the funds raiser "Chocholate Krishna" and "Dasavatharam".

Thanks & Rgds,

"Ignite your passion"

Tr. Rajesh Sundrani
Chairman MMRT 42

Dance in the Rain - Tr. Gautm Garg - RT 30

2008-07-15T17:05:00.000+05:30

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see himI saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years nowI was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.With all the jokes and fun that is in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This one I thought I could share with you.The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.I hope you share this with someone you care about. I just did.'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

Snapshots from COB

2008-07-15T16:56:00.002+05:30

COB Snapshots - LMF H Tr Satish Jupiter

2008-07-15T16:52:00.000+05:30

Area II at COB, Hyderabad

2008-07-15T16:49:00.000+05:30

The glittering Change over Banquet in the City of the Nizams was held on the 12th July 2008 where the Tablers and Circlers had a memorable time. Each one of us who participated reveled and rejoiced in the COB ROCKED ...AND ROCKED BIG TIME !! Area 2 took the COB by storm with 47 heads participating in this grand event. The COB was hosted by SMART 118 & SMLC 49 of Secunderabad which saw the change of guards of Round Table India and the Ladies Circle India.

The first day’s business session which was the last NEX meeting of 2007-2008 commenced around 11 A.M on Saturday, 12th July 2008 and ended at around 4 P.M. The President and the Head table acknowledged and praised the efforts of Tr Rajesh Gupta Area Chairman and lauded the perfomance of Area 2 in all facets of Tabling. Tr Punit was the Sergant for the meeting and AHT Sandeep Somani was appointed as the Marshall. NST Tr Himanshu Gupta presented the activities of all Areas for the year gone by. There was a special mention made to Tr Sakthivel Raja’s contribution to projects and Tr Satish Kumar's (MMRT 3) contribution to the renovation of the Conference Hall at the RTI Secretariat. The Tablers and Circlers were soon back, dressed in the wine red shirts, lounge suits for the formal Presidents Banquet at the Convention Center of the Mariott. This was truly a grand affair with superb settings and ambience.

The President of Round Table, Tr. Ajay Handa and the President of Ladies Circle, Cr. Mona Sanghavi were brought inside the venue amidst pomp and gaiety. After a very touching and thought provoking speech by Tr Ajay Handa and Cr Mona the formal jewel change took place amidst thunderous applause. The mantle was passed on to the new National President of RTI Tr Pranay Trivedi and to President LCI Cr Uma Raghuram. The all new look minus 13 Kilos Tr Himanshu Gupta took charge as the new National Vice President. Cr Manila Jain took over as the new National Vice President Ladies Circle India.

Tr Pranay went on to invite his team to the diaz. Followed by this he released his theme for the year "We make the difference" with a nice presentation. He released his pin, the honours was done by his parents which was a great and proud moment to watch. The first pin was received by the National Honorary Tabler HT Inder of Area 9. Cr Uma Raghuram released her theme "Circle of Life" after a melodius presentation. Her pin was released by Cr Rama Devi Past President LCI.

Soon after the formal programme, the evening’s programme began with a dazzling dance performance. After that, the stage was taken over by DJ, the dance floor was swarmed by the Tablers, Circlers and Twinklers to dance to the tune of the DJ. The night never seemed to end and the dance floor was occupied till early morning 6 am of 13th July 2008.

Area 2 Tablers had a blast of a time right from the train journey which started off with Shoot the Kitty and 3 cards. The next day lunch was at the famous Paradise Briyani which saw many Tablers and Circlers in small bunches enjoying the delicious Briyani. Evening prior to the COB was again the Cards session at AHT Satish Jupiter’s room where there was a huge bunch of Tablers from Area 2 enjoying the game.

The National fellowship awards were presented to Table 3 Chairman Tr Satish and Table 95 Chairman Tr Punit in the NEX meeting by the National Fellowship Convenor Tr Manmohan Kothari. Tr Sakthivel Raja Area Chairman Elect of Area 2 was called on to the diaz by the new National President to join the team. The new Chairperson of Ladies Circle Area 2 Cr Yamini (W/o Deepak of Table 82) took over at the formal Banquet in the evening. The new National Secretariat Convenor (NSC) Tr Prasanna of Table 42 and National Greeting Cards Convenor Tr Senthil of Table 94 & National Honorary Tabler HT Sesha Sai joined the National Board 2008-2009.

The Tablers and Circlers departed on 13th July Sunday evening after the first NEX meet of the new team with refreshed ‘spirits’, renewed friendship and with memories of a happy week-end etched in their mind to begin the New Year afresh setting their own resolutions and smart goals.

Kudos to the RTI COB Convenor Tr Siddarth Karan and LCI COB Convenor Cr Madhavi Rao for a splendid COB.

We wish the new Teams all the very best and a fantastic new Tabling year ahead !!!!

Let us show to the world that "We can make the difference in the Circle of Life by taking the Road to Friendship".

LMF HT Satish Jupiter (RT 162)
Area Honorary Tabler,
Area 2, Round Table India

PRRT 104 - AGM - Tr. S K Soni

2008-07-08T19:29:00.000+05:30

From: sureshkumarsoni@gmail.comTo: rtiarea2@yahoogroups.comDear Friends,Yesterday, Pondicherry Rivage Round Table had conducted its19th AGM at GRT Sunway (06.07.08. Past Area Chairman Sq.Leg. B.B.Vengatesh presided the functions as the chief Guest and Area Chairman Tr.Rajesh Gupta was the Guest of honour.Tr.Srikant handed over the jewel to Tr.Anand and we have AVC Sakthi, AST Praveen and Chairmen, Tablers Circlers attend the meet. The pictures taken during the AGM have been uploaded and please do view them at your leisure.Happy Viewing. RegardsSuresh Kumar Soni.
http://cards.webshots.com/invite/pickup/141685166XkmY/album/564020031kLBIkx

Vollet at St. George's - Tr. Bbby - RT 30

2008-07-08T19:23:00.002+05:30

When Fitness Leads to Fellowship at
And MERT 30 leads the way

Guys
Using the beaten, bruised adage – At 30 we don’t let things happen, we make them happen.

Almost 60 heads - 32 guys, 12 ladies 15 kids came together with for one reason. The passion
to play, cheer and have good time at the 1st Inter Table – Inter Group Volley tournament.
This was held on the 6th of July at the St Georges AIHS School, Chennai.
What started off as a week end volley game, grew to be a daily morning affair for 25 plus
tablers (3,10,30,95,100,124,159,162,181) of Area 2 . The way forward was to judge our
game and the tournament was planned to be played against a team called the
“Sledgehammers of Egmore”.

One week of planning lead to setting up 2 courts, 4 teams, short eats, refreshments, fruits
and fun. We even had in house Doc – a Sports Injury Specialist, just to ensure an injury free
evening. A total of 4 teams were formed (3 of tablers). A round robin league had each team
playing 3 games and the top 2 playing a best of 3 finals. The tablers team D had a good run
to the finals winning 5 games in a row. The team D gave a good fight and lost 2 to 1 in the
finals to the Sledgehammers.

The event was full of fun and fellowship but the games weren’t to be that way. The decibel
levels went up every time there was a disputed line call. Every point won was loudly
celebrated and every long rally was appreciated. If it weren’t for the non intoxicating
beverages, we might have had a real situation!

Not to forget the support given by the wives and children of the players. The ladies had a
good time too and the children made use of the vast ground playing volley, basket and
football and made new friends.

Thanks to all the guys who made this event possible by being there dot at 3pm on Sunday.
And special thanks to guys who helped in organizing the event. Our thanks to Mr. Paul
Victor Samuel, Headmaster of St Georges School, for his help too.
For the 12 + guys who meet up at the School every morning to play the game they love, it’s
been a satisfying weekend and am sure our resolve to maintain fitness and enhance
fellowship has grown stronger.
YIT
Varindar Singh “Bobby”
MERT30

Sales Talk - Tr. Niraj

2008-07-04T10:37:00.001+05:30

RT 42 - School Inauguration

2008-07-04T10:34:00.001+05:30

RT 42 - School Inauguration

2008-07-04T10:34:00.000+05:30

Pictures of MMRT 42 school inaugration - Tr. Rajesh Sundrani - MMRT 42

2008-07-04T10:31:00.003+05:30

Dear Tablers:I happy to inform you that our classroom/computer lab (2 classrooms) at the Government higher secondary school, Arumbakkam was officially inaugrated on Monday, June 30th by IPL Chennai Superkings Cricketer Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan and our Area Chairman, Area II Tr. Rajesh Gupta.

Tabler Sandy, Prasanna, Ravi, & Chetan, students, staff, principal, and press reporters were present in good numbers. Pls find attached clippings of the articles which were published in the various newspapers. As you can see from the clippings that having a Cricketer for the inaugration gives fantastic public for our movement particularly for a school project where kids look up to Cricketers more than film stars.

I would like to thank our Area Chairman for his support and for taking time out to attend this function.

Kudos to our Table Project convenor Tr. Chetan who is done a fantastic job of executing this project. A big thank you to our friends in Coimbatore Table 62 for donating Rs. 50000 towards this project in memory of the good times we have had in the past, present and future. Also, would like reconize the effort of our Fund Raising convenor Tr. George, Tr. Prasanna for raising funds from "Om shanti om" and Tr. Ravi & Anu for the press coverage we got both pre and post event.

In conclusion this is the result of our tables TEAM effort.

"Ignite your passion"

Tr. Rajesh Sundrani
Chairman MMRT 42
SBS Paper Recycling (P) Ltd.No. 57 Arathoon RoadRoyapuram, Chennai - 600013Tel. 91-44-42175522, 42175533Fax. 91-44-25982797Email: sbsrecycling@eth.net

Last Sam Standing - A Tribute to Sam Manekshaw

2008-07-04T10:28:00.004+05:30

SORRY SAM, WE INDIANS NEED TO HANG OUR HEADS IN SHAME
The passing away of the only Indian to be appointed Field Marshal when in active service has been remarkable for the warmth of the ordinary men and women, who queued up to say meebeenamet to the adorable dikra who put his life on the line for them.It has also been remarkable for the complete lack of grace and gratitude, civility and courtesy, decency and decorum on the part of the bold-faced names rapaciously grazing the lawns of power in Delhi and elsewhere, for the brain behind India's only decisive military victory.Sam, the Bahadur, had been unwell for a while now. From about 1000 hours on June 26, reports of his being 'critically ill' had appeared in the media. Yet, when the 'expected tocsin' sounded at 0030 hours till the guns were fired in salute around 1500 hours on June 27, 'civil society' chose to show its incivility.
Pratibha Patil, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces with all the time in the world: Absent
Hamid Ansari: Vice-president releasing books and writing reviews of books by fellow-travellers: Absent
Manmohan Singh, the prime minister who could do with a bit of the field marshal's charisma and heroism: Absent
Sonia Gandhi: daughter-in-law of the woman the field marshal called 'sweetie': Absent
L K Advani: prime minister in waiting of the party which would like to do to Pakistan what Manekshaw did: Absent
M Karunanidhi and Surjit Singh Barnala: chief minister and governor of the state which Manekshaw had made his home for 35 years: AbsentPoliticians may have their reasons. They always do. Maybe, there are issues like protocol. Maybe, this is one way in which 'civil India' shows the armed forces its place. Maybe, this is why we are not as militaristic as Pakistan. Maybe, the knees are just too old to climb the hills.But what about the armed forces itself?
A K Antony: the defence minister 'now behaving like the chairman of the confederation of the armed forces' trade unions: absent 'due to prior political engagements'.
The chief of army staff: absent (away in Russia)
The chief of navy staff: absent
The chief of air staff (incidentally, a Parsi): absentThe fact that the defence minister was represented by his deputy Pallam Raju, the fact that the navy and air staff sent two-star general rank officers, shows that however high or mighty, however rich or powerful, civilian or military, if you should die as you must, you should do so somewhere in the vicinity of New Delhi -- or Bombay. Or else, they must have some use for you.Or else, too bad.As he rightly surmised once: 'I wonder whether those of our political masters who have been put in charge of the defence of the country can distinguish a mortar from a motor; a gun from a howitzer; a guerrilla from a gorilla -- although a great many of them in the past have resembled the latter.'The contrast couldn't be starker:
When Amitabh Bachchan was ill after being socked in the stomach during the shooting of Coolie, Indira Gandhi flew down to Bombay to show her concern.
When Dhirubhai Ambani died, L K Advani cut short his Gujarat tour to pay his respects to an 'embodiment of initiative, enterprise and determination'.
When Pramod Mahajan was shot dead by his brother, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekawat had the time to attend the funeral.Our VIPs and VVIPs have time for dead and dying celebrities, charlatans, fixers. Not for a field marshal?In his biography, K M Cariappa, the only other field marshal India has had (and who too died at age 94), writes of his father's cremation in May 1993:'Honouring him in death as they did in life were Field Marshal Manekshaw, the three service chiefs all of whom belonged to the same course and at whose passing out parade from the joint services wing father had presided, the gracious chief minister M Veerappa Moily and C K Jaffer Sharief, Minister for Railways representing the President as the supreme commanded of the armed forces.'Somebody should have told the geniuses in Delhi that Sam, the Bahadur, passed away in Wellington, Ooty, not Wellington, New Zealand. The nearest civil airport is Coimbatore, just 80 km away.If this is how we say goodbye to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, any wonder why Rang de Basanti could successfully tap into the angst of an entire generation?

Area II - Text - Tr. P Sampat, RT 95

2008-07-04T10:24:00.002+05:30

WHOA! it has taken nearly a week to recover from the AREA 2 TEXT 2008-09.

The set of incoming chairmen and secretaries had as it is been well primed by the suggestive mails of the incoming area chairman .These mails were not only thought provoking but also went in to record and welcome a amazing set of new leaders taking up responsibalities in RTI.

The Text had so been arrainged that all the chairman and the secretaries travel together from Chennai to Pondicherry in a van to the luxorious resort.Tablers being tablers had some awesome fellowship and really creative discussions enroute to Pondy.Some gyan was really shared and exchanged on the style and manner of function of tables within our area itself.Some really surprising new styles were learnt .

We reached Pondicherry to be joined by the 3 set of table leaders from pondy tables and meet our trainers for the TEXT Tr.Sanjay Kondaas and Sq Leg Sivabal with the assistance of your truly Punit Sampat Area Hr Convenor AREA 2 .

The session kicked of with a different style of introduction of the participants much to the reluctance of Sanjay but extremly enjoyable and hilarious session.The ice breaker was infact one of the highlights of the evnt and kept the whole weekend on a different note.After this we jumped into serious working immdiatly despite the groaning stomachs and the long road journey just completed.We screened the motivator and the thought provoking movoe"even eagles need a pus".The movie was of course run in parts ,with we taking up discussions every now and then on the important aspects such as self appreciation,vision,goal setting ,contribution etc.,
Post this we broke for a quick lunch i guess aroun 3 p.m.The quick lunch continued in to the secretary and the chairman's module and these intresting sessions had the new leaders involved and we did not realise the speed at which time flew to 8.30 p.m.
Here we broke up to freshen up and before the same case studies were given for the various groups along with some rib tickling and crazy topic for the fellowship informal evening ,rather night session of team building and relaxtion exercises.These specially designed exercises had the participants at thier fun loving and creative best.They partying and the fellowship went late into the night,i guess the last people to leave the lawn were around 3 a.m. in the morning.

Much to our delight and surprise we had the whole group up and ready to go by 9.45 a.m.
The 2 nd morning session we had lined along with the case study presentation a huge line of eminent speakers from
Pacart president -Tr.Shivkumar Eshwaran,President elect RTI - Tr.Pranay Trivedi,AC.Tr.Rajesh Gupta,Ast Praveen and the tele confrence with RTI president Tr.Ajay Handa .And with all these we had some indetail discussion on topics of case study and also were witness to the plans of the AC elect - Tr.Sakthivel Raja.Some path breaking ideas were generated,discussed and some amazing feedback was taken back home by all ,i.e.Nex,Aex and the table leaders.
The huge morning session lasted nearly the full day to conclude the event with a Pep talk from the Trainers at 3 p.m.
Thanks to
Pacart president -Tr.Shivkumar Eshwaran,President elect RTI - Tr.Pranay Trivedi,AC.Tr.Rajesh Gupta,Ast Praveen,present in spirits RTI president Tr.Ajay Handa,Ac elect Tr.sakthi vel Raja and the trainer for the TEXT.Tr.Sanjay Kondaas and Sq Leg Sivabal.

Thanks and Rgds.,
Punit Sampat.,
Area Hr Convenor -07-08.
Chairman Elect MMRT 95-08-09.
08.06.29.,

p.s. -The above report does not go into intense detailing as the Text programme is a common set of systems,but in case any body wants details on any of the specific activities carried out do not hesitate in shooting out questions.

Effort St. George - Visuals

2008-06-30T13:34:00.002+05:30

Artist’s Depiction of the School The Result - Amazing Facade!

2008-06-30T13:11:00.002+05:30

Inauguration of the RTI - Tsunami Commemorative Block at St Georges AIHS School. On the 25th of June Actor & Brand Ambassador Mr Madhavan made his presence felt for the Tiny
Tots and most of the Tablers of our table and many other members of Area 2 participated in the
simple inaugural program. Rt Rev Devasahayam blessed the Building and the plaque was unveiled by Madhavan and the ribbon for the 4 classrooms were cut by Madhavan,Rev Devasahayam,Trs Shiv & Sakthi and Trs of MERT30 respectively. On behalf of T 30, Madhavan handed over Note Books, Pencils, Erasers, Sharpeners and Chocolate of which the kids were ready to take only the last one.! Then Madhavan went on to plant a sapling and Rt Rev too did the same in front of the block.

A little walk across to the assembly stage got us going for the formal program. The welcome
address was give by Tr Varindar. Madhavan then gave a very impressive speech and exhorted the teachers to "make a day" for one student every day. He commended the great work carried out by the young entrepreneurs - the Tablers of Round Table. He requested the teachers and
students to take good care of the building handed over to them.

Dr Francis, Hon Correspondent of the School thanked the Tablers of Round Table and of Table
30 in particular for taking an active part in the development of the school. He thanked Tr
Varindar - an old student of the school, for being instrumental in bringing about the good efforts
of Round Table India to St Georges. The Rt Rev then gave his inspiring speech and even more
impressive was our IPP Tr Shiv. Giving a short but effective account of the community services
carried out by RTI across the country and in particular the aftermath of the Tsunami, Tr Shiv
mentioned that education was the long term objective of RTI. Tr Rajesh Gupta placed on record
the good work carried out by the contractor Mr Murugan and appealed to the students to build a
better future for themselves by studying well.

The meeting was called to a close with a prayer and blessing to ROUND TABLE INDIA by the Rt
Rev., My sincere thanks to all those who have been associated with the conception-execution and completion of the project. I had been handed out this project by the Area 2 and the members of Table 30 and am glad that i have been successful in fulfilling my promise and putting MERT 30 up on the high mast of Round Table India.

Tr. Bobby – Varindar Singh
MERT 30, Round Table India

RT 1 - Table Tennis Tournament - Tr. Sethu

2008-06-26T15:03:00.001+05:30

RT 39 - Publicity Effort - Tr. D Pandia

2008-06-24T19:06:00.002+05:30

TEXT @ Pondy

2008-06-24T12:26:00.001+05:30

TEXT & the City - Tr. Sakthi Vel

2008-06-23T16:12:00.002+05:30

The Text Program held at Pondicherry. Area II 08.09 - Men at Work

St. Geroge's School - An Area II Highlight for RTI

2008-06-22T18:57:00.001+05:30

Greetings from MERT 30. A few months back MERT30 was asked to execute a prestigious model school for Round Table India by the then President Tr Shiv. With the expert guidance of National Project Convener Tr Sakthi the project got underway at St Goerge's AIHS School, Asia Oldest School ( going back to 1715).

Come Wednesday,25th June 2008, we shall have the privilege of handing over the building to the benefit of 200 tiny tots of the Nursery School there. We welcome you to share the joy on their faces when they enter their NEW LOOK ABODE.

The invite has been enclosed with this mail, kindly spare a few seconds to read the invite and take time off on Wednesday and be with us.

With a touch of friendship.

Tr. Varindar Singh Sahney

RT 39 - Community Service Acitivities - Tr. Dharampal

2008-06-16T19:36:00.001+05:30

Text - A Flyer

2008-06-16T19:33:00.001+05:30

Gupta Speak - Life Begins @ Area II

2008-06-15T12:22:00.002+05:30

TEXT Programme - Tr. Sakthi - Area Vice CHairman, Area II

2008-06-14T13:32:00.001+05:30

181 - Community Service Report - Tr. Rajiv Shah

2008-06-10T18:43:00.002+05:30

4th Community Service Report
We had our 4th community service EYE and Dental camp conducted on the 9th of
June 2006 at a Corporation office in Kodambakkam. We had organized the camp
along with UMA eye clinic where we provided free medical check up for 110
patients and also offered free cataract operation to 22 needy people. A good number
of tablers attended the camp.
We also for the second time had volunteers from the United States of America who
came down to help assist the under privileged. They were from an organisation
called Unite for Sight which is a charitable organisation in the U.S. we had this
day also distributed free food for 500 people.
As the function was held on the 9th of June which happened to coincide with the
birthday of our very own Honble Chief Minister we had dignitaries from the
political background come to felicitate the same. The same function was well
covered by the media like SUN TV and Press.
Regards,
Rajiv Shah
Chairman
Madras Knights Round Table 181

200th Blog - Area II Knocks a Doube Century

2008-06-10T18:35:00.000+05:30

Dear Tablers,

Warm greetings from the Area 2 Board !!

It is fantastic that we have now a 200write ups,uploads and reports since its opening in December.

I wish to congratulate my Convenor Tr Kaushik who has done such an outstanding job in getting to put up this most effective Area Blog of Round Table India. Let me tell you guys the other Area Blogs are yet to reach over 125 reportings.Toast to TrKaushik.

This shows how are tables are keen on giving their internal publicity to the Blog and also it shows how active our Area has been in my nine months as Area Chairman of Area 2.

It is hard to believe that there is so much happening in Area 2 when one goes through the the Blog.This clearly shows Area 2 is rocking on the Road to Friendship.All Tables are doing their Best and Making this a memorable year.

Guys this has been such an effective way of sending out activities in your Table that it has even motivated a few Tables/Tablers to work better after they go through the articles.Not to forget the jokes and fun articles has always given a a lighter moment.

Tablers please carry on on reorting and sending in articles,suggestions ,jokes anything you feel is good for the forus. You can be sure it will come up on it and lets continue this very effective way of communication which adds choice to us.

ENJOY THE ROAD TO FRIENDSHIP

Regards,

Rajesh Gupta
Area Chairman - Area 2

162's Malaysia Majaa - H Tr. Sat Jupes

2008-06-07T10:41:00.001+05:30

A write up on the fellowship is expected short from the Jupiter.

HR Session - RT 181 - Tr. Vinay Grandhi

2008-06-07T10:37:00.002+05:30

Manage Ur Time and Lead with good team work
The evening hours of 4th June 2008 at Court Yard Marriott, MKRT 181 experienced
an excellent insight by Tr.Prabhat, the current Chairman of MART 100 and one of the
RTI Trainers, covering two topics -Time Management & Team Work. Chairman
Rajiv opened the business meet and passed on the floor to me for the HR session
planned.
The session started with a small exercise and the Chairman had to give each and every
floor member a pet name. As he started naming the people, Prabhat asked each and
every participant this question “Were you here on time today for this HR session?”
and if the person said “Yes” he then asked them why were they on time, and in case
the answer was “No” he made that participant stand on the chair and just give the
reason why he was late and sit down again. This whole process was really very
entertaining and funny. Prabhat really got the floor energised by this exercise and
ready for a session on the topic “Time Management- The True Key to Success”. This
PPT was sent to me by our Area 2 HR convenor Tr.Punit who actually this year put
together some brilliant such PPT’s all on a CD and passed it on to each and every
table of Area2.
This PPT which was pretty self explanatory, where I facilitated the discussions and
Prabhat clarified the doubts. This session took about 45 minutes and was very
interesting because of the interaction within the floor and this in turn gave us an
insight on new methods/thoughts on Time Management. We discussed in depth some
dos and don’ts relating to this very important topic like -
Spend time on planning and organizing, Set goals, Prioritize, Use to do lists/
calendars/ task lists, Be flexible, Consider your biological prime time, Learn to
delegate the un-important tasks, Do the right thing right, Eliminate the urgent,
Practice the art of intelligent neglect, Avoid being a perfectionist, Conquer
procrastination, Learn to say “No” and Rewarding ones self for finishing on time.
As the session on this topic was coming to an end, Prabhat scribbled a few
mathematical sums on the white board having some simple additions, subtractions,
multiplications and divisions out of which many were wrong for eg- 6 * 5 = 35 and
then told the floor to point out their observations. Corrections and observations were
coming from all directions and Prabhat let this happen for about 5 minutes without
speaking a word and then finally told the floor a thing which was an awesome Point
Maker and it was –Imagine that the white board with all these sums as a single
individual and carried on saying that –
Why does one always first point out only mistakes and not the rights? That he asked
us to give your observations and all of us started only with negatives and not the
positives. Not one individual pointed out the correct sums on the board. ? The whole
floor was awe struck for a moment and understood that this is a common human
phenomenon, and hence we should accept them for all their positives and jointly work
on changing their negatives. Through this Point maker Prabhat lead the floor in to the
“The Story of the Geese” a topic related to Team Work. By now the session was
getting more and more interesting and I can say we had the 100% attention of the
floor.
This PPT again was again very informative and it made many members of the floor
contribute to related discussions and it was wonderful to see all the knights having a
great time. The take away lessons from this session were-
1. People who are part of a team and share a common direction will get going quickly
and easily.
2. It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese,
people are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangement
of gifts, talents and resources.
3. We need to make sure our honking is encouraging, In groups where there is
encouragement, the production is much great.
4. If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as
well as when we are strong.
After this PPT, we discussed some of the core points of team work and leadership
and related it to tabling. Later we were all asked to assemble together and throw our
left shoe away from us. When Prabhat told the floor to do this every body was pretty
puzzled. Then we were all instructed to turn and walk back wards towards where all
the left shoes were thrown and were asked to wear any shoe other than our own and
then come back to our original position. This process made every body relax after an
interesting knowledgeable session. Now after every body came back to their original
positions we were asked to stand to the left of the person who was wearing our left
shoe. This process made people think and mull over what to do and finally the
solution came “Stand in a circle” from one Tabler and every body listened to it and it
worked out.
Message here was - When a problem given on hand, Discuss it, work on solving it,
follow the ideas coming out in the group and one will certainly work. The group who
will learn to follow the individual who is confident to lead will always win. With this
point maker Prabhat closed the session by wishing our table all the best.
Our Chairman scheduled an hour for this session but we almost did it for two hours
and may be we could have pulled on a little longer but since we needed to get back to
the other important agendas pending for the business meet Chairman thanked
Tr.Prabahat for his time to conduct this session for MKRT 181 and appreciated the
way it was done.
By,
Tr.Vinay Grandhi, Area 2 HR team

ROLLYWOOD 2008

2008-06-06T11:23:00.002+05:30

Why should Chairmen have all the fun????

Tablers

The registration for Area II’s AGM in September 2008 are on. The ‘Steal for a Deal’ with Couple Registrations at Rs 4, 100 (US $ 95.00) and Single at Rs 2, 900.00 (US $ 70) are now open. The details of the informal night competitions are out already – please contact your chairman for more details.

Be a star at the ROLLYWOOD 2008.

Be there, or be nowhere!

HR Activity in Area II - Tr. P Sampat

2008-06-06T11:19:00.001+05:30

RT 181 - Publicity -Tr. Rajiv Shah

2008-05-17T14:03:00.001+05:30

Publicity efforts by MKRT -181
Hi tablers,
Greetings from Madras Knights Round Table 181.

This is to inform you that a well wisher of our long term School project (SIRAGU) has shot a short documentary on the running, background and infrastructure at the school.

The same is going to be screened at a theatre in Sathyam Complex called Seasons on the 18th May 2008 from 9.45 am onwards. Giving you some information of the place of screening, Sathyam Cinemas is the most happening cinema theatre in town and has multiple theatres in one complex. This complex has a foot fall of over 15,000 heads per day, the theatre where the movie is to be screened has a seating capacity of about 200 persons.

The documentary shot by Mr. Ramesh Mouthy and Raghu Jegannathan is for duration of 45 min. covering all aspects of the school and the trust in charge of running the school. We have invited all the Area 2 convenors from RTI and also the donors who have been supporting us or those who would be likely to support us in the future to have a insight on the project and to see the benefits of our contributions.

This is the first time that we at MKRT 181 have initiated such process to publicize the project. I take this opportunity to invite you and it would indeed be a pleasure to have all for the same.

Regards,
Chairman 07-08
Rajiv Shah
Madras Knights Round Table - 181

PBA - MCRT 162-SPARTAN Basketball Camp - RT 162 - Tr. Ashok

2008-05-14T19:11:00.001+05:30

PBA - MCRT 162-SPARTAN Basketball Camp

The two weeks Basketball coaching camp organised by the Professional Basket ball Academy and Spartan School in Association with Madras Coastal Round Table#162 got concluded on Tuesday, April 29, 2008.

W.I. Davaram, President - T.N.A.A Presided over the function. He congratulated the School Management for organising the camp along with the Professional Basketball Academy which is manned by former Indian Captains.

Rajesh Gupta, Area Chairman - Round Table India and the Chief Guest of the valedictory function said that he is happy that Madras Coastal Round table has come forward to support this Novel coaching camp.

The correspondent of the Spartan School Col Jacob Koshy said that his School students are lucky to get advanced training from the former Indian Captains Mathew Satya Babu and Jayasankar Menon and former Indian Railway player Ramalingam. He lauded their efforts and informed that School wants their help in moulding a good Basketball team.

The campers demonstrated various drills. The attraction of the program was the dribbling demo done by the junior campers with the baby of the camper Sayed, who received a basketball from W.I. Davaram as an appreciation. All the campers 60 campers received Certificate and special prizes from the dignitaries.

Who's The Daddy

2008-05-14T17:22:00.000+05:30

162 Implements another Akshara - Tr. Ashok

2008-05-14T17:17:00.000+05:30

YI, CII and MCRT 162 jointly organized the Akshara learning method with the support of CENZA. The Launch of Yi Akshara at Panchayat union middle school, padur kelambakkam on 24-4-08.

2008-05-14T16:43:00.001+05:30

MKRT 181 - Centenary Celebration

2008-05-14T16:33:00.001+05:30

CENTINARY MEET CELEBRATIONS

MKRT 181 celebrated its 100th meeting on the 3rd of May 2008 with a lot of fanfare
typical to the 181 style of doing things. We celebrated the moment by organizing a
business cum fellowship meet so as to have the flavor of both the meeting and
fellowship the later that we at MKRT 181 are famous for.
We at 181 had invited special chief guest and stalwarts of tabling to be a part of the
celebrations.
We invited:-
 Mr. S.L. Chitale (founder member of round table in India and MRT 1 also A
Life Honorary Tabler of Round Table India)
 Tr. Shivkumar Eashwaran (IPP of round table India, Chairman PACART
Region),
 Mr. Kishore Sayani (First Area 2 Chairman)
 Tr. Manish Bhanushali (NST Elect and HRD Convenor for the PACART
Region),
 Tr. Rajesh Gupta (Area 2 Chairman)

It was the privilege and pleasure of MKRT 181 that these people agreed to grace the
occasion. It has very rarely happened that a table has had the privilege to host such
personality and for us at MKRT the youngest table in the area 2 it was an
achievement of sorts.
The event started slightly of schedule as in accordance with the tabling standards
but then on it was a smooth sail where we took all the tablers and dignitaries though
the journey of 100 meetings at MKRT and highlighted the achievements of each
year. The journey was presented by way of power point presentation and pictorial
presentation.
After the usually formal meeting that we have at MKRT was the turn of fellowship
and the time for DJ to take over. The fellowship had there after was something to be
witnessed. As almost a rule at MKRT the part dont end late but due to the rules of
early shut down by the officials in chennai we had to shut down the bar at the
stipulated time however this was not to dampen our spirits as we sneaked in liquor
in water bottles and had fellowship till early hours.
The journey has just begun and I am sure MKRT 181 would reach great heights in
the years to come.
Regards,
Rajiv Shah
Chairman
Madras Knights Round Table 181

Rt 30 - New School Inauguration- Tr. Dhiraj Walia

2008-04-29T15:27:00.002+05:30

SASHA MOHINANI VIVEKANANDA VIDYALAYA- NEW MANALI TOWN CHENNAI
(In Association With MERT 30)

Bhoomi Puja On 22/4/2008. A Brief Report :-
April 22nd ,another RED LETTER day in the history of tabling. MERT 30 ties up with
Vivekananda Educational Society to promote their second school under FTE at New ManaliTown , North Chennai. This is possible due to the very generous and initial philanthropic commitment of Rs.25lakhs from the Main Sponsor Mr.HARRY MOHINANI of HongKong. Mr.Harry has promised longterm commitment to the school project and has extended his wholehearted support for the same. MERT 30 is very grateful to Mr.Harry for his noble gesture which will enable the children of this largely neglected area to benefit from the upcoming school The function was well organized and the puja started at 8:30AM sharp. It was attended by 9 tablers from MERT30 and by the entire executive committee of VES.

Also present were the staff , students and parents of the adjoining GRT vivekananda vidyalaya alongwith local well wishers. Puja went on for about one and half hours and was followed up by a brief function where the society secretary Mr.Chakravarthy thanked all present for gracing the function. He highlighted about the noble contribution of Mr.Harry and the plans for the school . He also thanked MERT 30 for tying up with them to promote a second school after the RT30vv at agarmel. He was quite bullish about the future prospects of the new school. The parents, students and teachers present at the function came forward to donate monies which added up to
more than Rs.1 lakh. A local well wisher committed 10 lorry loads of construction sand. All in all a very auspicious beginning and successful function. Current plan is to complete construction of phase I (5020 sq.ft.)by July end and get school functional by August 2008.

Tr. Dhiraj walia

RTI-PC FTE Roadshow, Park Hotel

2008-04-29T15:22:00.001+05:30

Tr. Sethu,
Chairman RT 1,

Your contributions to the cause has seen no boundaries. It was Chennai, Kolkatta, Pune, Bangalore and now in Delhi, your conviction of taking the FTE Road Show inspires us and makes Area 2 Proud.

This act surely exemplifies the spirit of ' Beyond the call of Duty " Proud to be associated with you and best wishes !

Tr. Sakthi

RTI Area II with Akshara - Tr. Sakthi RT 100

2008-04-29T15:10:00.004+05:30

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce the launch of further Aksharas in Area 2.
Perseverence is not a long race, but series of races one after another ! What started as a pilot last year has scaled in size now. We certainly did aspired to achieve more by the MOU between RT India an CII-Yi.

Chairman RT 3 Tr. Satish and Chairman RT 30 Tr. Dhiraj, Please accept my hearty congrats on accomplishing this achievement and pass on my wishes to your table.

rgds / sakthi
enclosed here is the report from YI.

Yi Akshara Launch at Sri JRET Raghava Middle School
24 April 2008: Perambur, Chennai
As part of the Yi Education
committee’s initiative, the Yi Akshara
Resource Centre was launched at Sri JRET Raghava Middle School, Perambur on 24 April 2008. This is the 9th school funded by Cognizant Foundation for setting up of the
resource centre. The school was helped in being identified by Round Table India members.

The launch was attended by Ms. Gayathri Sriram, National Education Chairperson, Yi,
Mr. Ajay Kumar Vummidi, Project Convener, MERT 30, Mr. Dhiraj S Walia, Chairman,
MERT 30 and Mr. Gautam Garg, MERT 30 from Round Table India. The guests for the
function were given a grand welcome by the school children. Mr. Vummidi inaugurated the launch by cutting the ribbon and Ms. Gayathri Sriram and Round Table members launched the Centre by the traditional lighting of lamp. This was followed by a welcome address given by the school Head Mistress, a short speech by Ms Haripriya, Manager, JRET Raghava Middle School who thanked Yi and RTI for the help extended.
Ms. Gayathri Sriram then addressed the children explaining to them the value of the
materials and to utilize them in a way that it may help them in improving their overall quality of education. This motivated the children. Mr. Vummidi again encouraged the children to utilize the products in the best possible manner.
The children of JRET Raghava School prepared a special song on Akshara and sang for
the chief guests and those present.

The function ended with the distribution of sweets to the children.

Yi Launch of Akshara at Gurukulam A Trust Children School
16 April 2008: Kovalam, Chennai
The launch of Yi Akshara at Gurukulam A Trust Children School was held on 16 April 2008. This school was the 8th Cognizant Foundation sponsored Akshara.
The school, located at the Kovalam area comprises of 80 children between class 1-4 from fishermen and other poor backgrounds. The school is an English medium school with great enthusiasm shown by the children and commitment on part of the teachers.
The launch was inaugurated by Mr. Sathish V Raghavan and 5 other members from Round
Table India which incudes Mr Sathish, who was instrumental in identifying the school for the launch of Akshara. The inauguration took place by the cutting of ribbon and a tour of the centre. This was followed by an informal chat and discussion among Mr. Nandakumar, Founder, Gurukulam A Trust Children School, Mr Sathish V Raghavan and the RTI members.

RT 162 Event - H Tr Sat Jupiter

2008-04-28T18:46:00.001+05:30

The Blog Riddle. For the first one who gets it right, dinner for 2 at The Park.

2008-04-24T18:47:00.001+05:30

Answers, tomorrow.

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wo nderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

4. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.

Conversation, Area II.

2008-04-24T18:41:00.001+05:30

How Publicity Helps RTI. A classic case, with a fellowship opportunity thrown in.

prabhat the end result does not benifit me but the delhi table and the movement as such. yes the word of appreciation does make us fell good. i would love to sponsor yours and shivi's trip if you guys could go ahead and influence amit and ask him to part with 1 acre of the donation. awaiting your reply and assure you that if the end result met thisd time i would definetly not forget to mention your name and ofcourse the trip / stay / party

LOL.................................

great to know you are going to Tubai have fun.

Rajiv shah

On 4/23/08, Prabhat wrote:
Do i get a 3 day stay at any of the Resort as i Introduced him to you !! if i had not introduced the result mentioned below would not have materialized ! Waiting in Anticipation !!

Prabhat.

From: A2-Chair-0708@googlegroups.com [mailto:A2-Chair-0708@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Rajiv Shah
Sent: 23 April 2008 13:54
To: ; AREA - 2 CHAIRMAN; AST Praveen; ajay.handa@thehanshotel.com; Rajesh Gupta; Neville J Bilimoria; Himu79; pranayt@gmail.com; amit@ramkishore.com
Subject: comments of Tr. Amit Bansal on 181's Publicity

hi tabler's,

I happened to meet Tr. Amit Bansal ( Area 5 Project Convener ) in a joint fellowship with other chairman's and Tabler's of Area 2. Here with I would like to present to you the conversation and appreciation he bestowed upon MKRT 181.

As i was introduced to him by Tr. Prabhat and later during conversation Tr. Prabhat mentioned to him of the Hoarding Publicity was done by our table. he immediately identified our Table name and appreciated the publicity work, he in fact quoted that it was because of these hoardings that one of his business counter part in Chennai while visiting his office in Delhi when happened to see the round table flag identified the movement as asked him what round table was all about.

On Explanation Received From Tr.Amit his Business Colleague agreed to sponsor him 2 acers of land in bhuvaneshwar for construction of school. While he was at this he thanked me for the publicity else the entire conversation would not have started and end result mentioned above not met. He thanked us for the publicity of the movement as well

I would Like to thank Tr.Amit Bansal for his kind words and apreciating 181's efforts. Having said that i would also on behalf of 181 like to invite and host him for the charter day celebration of our table on the 30th of June 2008.

Regards,

Chairman

MKRT 181

--
Rajiv A Shah

Lagan
66, City Centre Complex,
Thirumalai Pillai Road,
T.Nagar,
Chennai-17.

Ph:- +91-044-28156462 / 65872596
Fax:- +91-044-42061716

Fellowship - PRRT 104 - Tr. Suresh Soni

2008-04-22T16:52:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,

Pondicherry Rivage RT 104 had celebrated the 41ers day on 6th of April 2008 at Mookiah Farms in which we had all the Square Legs attending the social.

Area Chairman Rajesh Gupta along with the first lady attended the meet and we had a fun filled afternoon. Yesteryear stories were shared by the Sq.Legs and we had send the Oldies (Baldies) becoming younger when challenged in Games. (Like Lemon/Spoon Run; Sack Race etc..)

The social also had the annual sports meets where the sporting talents of Tablers Twinklers were put to test.

It was a great hosting by Tr.Ganesh Cr.Kala and we have posted the photos online.

If you have a minute, check out these photos from my Webshots photo album!http://cards.webshots.com/invite/pickup/140030090hioQ/album/563096719AXpChX

Enjoy,
Suresh Kumar Soni.

RT 181 - Update

2008-04-12T11:43:00.001+05:30

RT 100 - Project - Heart 2 Heart, Healing Little Hearts. Tr. Prabhat - RT 100

2008-04-12T11:41:00.001+05:30

Greetings from MART 100 !!

We are proud to announce the launch of our Project – “Heart 2 Heart – Healing Little Hearts” in partnership with Frontier Lifeline – Dr. K.M. Cherian Heart Foundation wherein we are partnering in order to identify underprivileged children with Heart Ailments and provide them necessary surgical operations at a subsidized cost.

This alliance will launch Project Heart 2 Heart with a free heart care camp for children on Sunday the 13th of April at Geetha Bhavan, 334, Lloyds’ Road, Royapettah, Chennai-86. This camp will facilitate detection of various heart ailments like holes in the heart, complex “Blue Baby” conditions and valvular heart disease. The tests conducted at the camp will include weight, blood pressure, ECG (electrocardiography) and echocardiography, apart from consultation with the cardiologists and counselling by dieticians. The team of cardiologists from Frontier Lifeline, supported by paramedical and technical staff, will screen the children using facilities provided by the Frontier Mobile Cardiac Diagnostic Unit. This customized vehicle is fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and instruments for the accurate and timely diagnosis of cardiac anomalies.

Frontier Lifeline and Madras Anchorage Round Table 100 aim to instil awareness that all children with recurrent chest infections, poor weight gain, unexplainable breathlessness and bluish discoloration of the hands and feet should be evaluated for heart problems. Children with heart diseases should be treated early so as to prevent irreversible damage to the heart and lungs. The other emphasis is on teaching the children about heart healthy diet and the need for regular exercises. The current trend of rapid westernization and sedentary lifestyle, where children have more fast food and indulge in video games / internet games, leads to childhood obesity which is growing to epidemic proportions worldwide. Educating the parents and their children on a heart-healthy lifestyle is a collective effort which finds a forum during initiatives such as this campaign.

We are also proud to announce that Mr. David T. Hopper, Consul General of the United States of America will be the chief guest and will mark open the Project on 13th April 2008.The Brand Ambassador for the project will be announced on that day. We take pleasure in inviting you for the inauguration of our dream Project “Heart 2 Heart”.

Please also find attached a scanned copy of the write up about this project in “Indian Express” today and more to come in the following days.

Thanks & Regards,

Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav RT 100
Dr. K.M. Cherian - Lifeline

RT 94 - HR Activity - Tr. Siva

2008-04-10T15:58:00.003+05:30

MCRT 94 – HR Weekend Away and Boys Night Out
15th-16th March ’08, Adventure Zone
Over the last few years, the importance and participation of tablers of MCRT 94 in HR activities has
increased tremendously. A large portion of this can be attributed to the efforts of the past two HR
convenors in not only ensuring learning in HR, but also loads of fun and bonding.
Over the last three years, the HR weekend away and boys night out has evolved into one of the most
looked forward to events of the tabling year. And this year was no exception. We had 24 of us
including our Area HR convenor Punit and a few sq. legs making our way towards our venue for the
weekend, Adventure Zone, a purpose built out bound training venue about 90 kms from Madras. A
late breakfast on the 15th at Drive in Woodlands and it was on to Adventure Zone.
Idly vadai & VB enroute adventure zone
Strength testing the beds Where Sam’s prayers were answered
Future leaders?!
The theme for the weekend was “Continuity in Leadership” in order to motivate and understand
from the newer tablers, deterrents to them taking up larger roles in Round Table. The newer tablers
were the “leaders” for the weekend for all the activities we undertook. The HR portion of the
weekend was divided into 3 modules – Village Module, Tabling Module and Adventure Module.
Village Module :
After settling ourselves at our tents at Adventure Zone and a briefing of the place and the
activities, it was time for a few drinks and lunch. Post lunch it was time for the village rally.
The objective of this module was to sensitize our tablers about aspects of village life,
something which we are often disconnected from.
We were split into 7 teams and we were in 7 different cars . Each team was allotted a
village guide from the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), a youth club present in over 2
lakh villages around India. Each team was given one place to go to and they had different
tasks to perform at these places.
These seven different tasks were -
Team Village visit in Activity Objective
1 Sunambedu Visit the traditional
medicine practitioner’s
clinic
Get remedy for
common cold
2 Zamin Puthur Visit a potters house and
try pottery skill
Buy a pot
3 Amandakaranai Visit a folk deity temple Perform a ritual
and get the
vermilion and
sacred ash
4 Between Cheyyur
and ECR
Visit salt pans Buy Salt
5 Palaiyur Visit a folk performers
house
Buy a
drumming stick
from the
performer
6 Palaiyur Visit a rice mill Buy harvested
and husked rice
7 Vedal Visit a historical temple
near a man made pond
Photo
Document the
temple and
pond nearby,
and collect oral
history
Durai Enna parkkuraar?? Potter in action
Pretty village belle
During the time at each of these places the teams interacted with the local villagers. Post
visit, team members then made their way to a farm in Nangulathur village, where they were
welcomed with hot vadas and tea made by women self help group members.
Watching the different uses of cowdung!
This was then followed by a talk by Mr. Raghavan – an eminent person experienced in
organic and traditional farming. He enlightened us on the aspects of traditional farming
which we seem to be loosing out on now-a-days. This was then followed by a lively question
and answer session by the tablers. It was then time to get back to Adventure Zone for the
next module.
TABLING MODULE
As soon as we got back to Adventure Zone, we were given a short time to freshen up and
get ready for the tabling module. Tr. Punit conducted two modules – one on the qualities of
leaders and the other on the “Hot seat”. Punit was excellent in involving all the tablers in a
lively discussion. The hot seat involved getting all the new tablers to take the hot seat and
talk about how they can take up larger responsibilities in the table. These two modules were
conducted superbly by our Area HR Convenor Tr. Punit.
Creating the future leaders
Listening to them!
Post these modules it was time for more drinking and dinner and to a long night of the 94
style camaraderie. The highlight of the evening, was our Tr. Siva regaling us with his funny
tit-bits and stories in his unique indomitable style. The party continued outside our tents
with all of us keeping each other awake inspite of having a really long day.
Om Siva!!!!!!
ADVENTURE MODULE
After a short night at the tents, it was time to wake up to chirping birds and bright sunlight.
Soon after breakfast it was time for the adventure module conducted by Maj. S R Roy (retd),
the man who runs Adventure Zone. For this module, we were split into 2 teams – Team Tin
led by Tr. Krishna Ravindran and Team Drum lead by Tr. Ravi.
Team drum Team tin
The first activity we had was rappelling down a 51ft. wall. Each team member was given a
task to do during the activity. The teams were given points every time a member of the
team rappelled down. It was amazing to see Doc. Achuth rappel down as time was running
out to give a come from behind victory for team tin after the 1st activity. After a short break
for refreshments it was then over to the purpose built obstacle course for our next activity.
Don’t let go off the rope!
For the obstacle course, each team was given 9 obstacles to complete in 25 min. The
obstacle race was very challenging and time was tight, which brought out amazing team
spirit within each of the teams. To make things further complicated, we were given an
imaginary additional member of the team – Papplu – a casuarina pole which we had to take
with us throughout the obstacle course . It was amazing to see all of us unfit tablers pushing
ourselves in support to our teams to overcome obstacles that we thought we could not do.
Team Drum won the 2nd activity and inched past Team Tin for the overall lead.
Scaling new heights!

Overcoming obstacles – 94 style
The 3rd and final activity - rifle and pistol shooting involved all us sharp shooters shooting
the target both with the rifle and the pistol. At the end of this final activity, Team Drum
managed to maintain their lead and were adjudged as the overall winners. The losing team,
Team Tin, we supposed to carry the luggage of the winning team Drum to the car (which of
course they did not do).
Sharp shooters (Yeah right!)
All the three activities were brilliantly facilitated by Maj Roy. He led a discussion after each
activity to look at the team dynamics in play, leadership in the groups and turning
challenges into opportunities. All in all, a super amount of team spirit and bonding between
the tablers that challenged us to push ourselves for our team’s sake.
Sorry! No drinking....
After a relaxed lunch it was time to leave Adventure Zone back to Chennai. It was a very
different HR weekend for all of us at MCRT 94 with a little bit of roughing out and a whole
lot of fun and activities. We had a great time bonding with each other and getting Table 94
closer knit.

Tsunami Commermorative Block - RT 30 - Tr. Varindar Singh Sahney

2008-04-03T09:52:00.002+05:30

Tablers

Been a long time in waiting, but the time has come.

We are nearing completion of the RTI Tsunami Commemorative Block at the St Georges AIHSS, Chennai.

Though earlier scheduled for an April openeing, it has been postponed to June due to the School being closed for SUmmer Holidays. Table 30 is proud to have played an active role in this project and has taken sincere efforts to ensure this eddifice will indeed be a model and showcase school project of Round Table India.

Attached is the artistic view of the block.

With a touch of friendship.

Bobby
Convener, St Georges School, MERT30

Rollywood - 2008

2008-04-02T18:51:00.000+05:30

How to avoid a stroke - Tr. Satya Rao, RT 30

2008-04-01T18:33:00.001+05:30

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is t ough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke .

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

RT 100 - Mens Cook Fellowship - Tr. Prabhat

2008-03-27T16:35:00.003+05:30

Dear Tablers,

Greetings from MART 100 !!

We take great pleasure in informing you about our Fellowship on Friday the 21st of March , our fellowship convenors Tr. Sharad Jalan and Tr. Abhisekh came with a brilliant idea of having a men’s Cook out especially since we have recently inducted Tr. Rohan Sable who is from the Hotel industry and a fantastic Chef himself, though the idea was not very enticing to a few of us including me especially after looking at the exotic menu that they had decided to cook & more so as we hate Cooking, Anyways, we did go ahead with it. Please find a small Gist of the “Men’s Cook Out”

MEN’S COOK OUT

Two very New Tablers took it on them to go ahead with the Show Tr. Abhisekh & Tr. Rohan, the venue was Tr. Abhisekh Terrace at Anna Nagar, we were totally close to 25 people that night, and they had arranged an Australian Type Barbeque and Grill and the menu was as follows :

Starters :

Kasundi Mustard and Garlic Olive Oil marinated prawns,
grilled with herb & pepper crust
with honey & mustard mayo dip
***
Kasoori Murgh Malai Tikka,
tawa grilled and served with punjabi chutney

***
Cottage Cheese and Exotic Vegetables Teppanyaki with 2 Asian dipping sauces

Main Courses :

Vegetable Biryani
Chicken Nawabi
Rotis/ Chappatis
Raita
Kuchumber Salad.

Deserts :

Chocolates & Ice Cream.

We started the main cooking at around 7 in the evening , that was possible because Tr. Rohan and Tr. Abhisekh had started at 11 in the morning itself , they procured all the ingredients including the Meat and marinated the same and kept everything ready, The salads and the sausages was also kept ready, before we reached there , we were quite apprehensive about the Menu as they seemed very difficult but thanks to Rohan who taught us how to go about it in fact he did 85 % or more of the cooking himself , the starters was lip smacking and totally close to 9 Kgs of meat, 2 Kgs of Paneer and 5 Kgs of exotic vegetables were consumed in about 1.1/2 hours, The ladies were all sitting and gossiping and ordering their respective husbands to get the drinks for them, after about 2 hours and a full stomach , we got a little carried away and god knows whose idea it was to start a game of Tug-of-War between the ladies and the men, just as the struggle was at the heat of the moment our AVC Tr. Sakthi lost a grip on the rope and he fell on the ground backwards only to find Tr. Sam falling on top of him, wonder what happened in that few seconds between Sakthi and Sam , the next day Sakthi had a fractured wrist. he did not even realize at the moment that he has a fractured wrist, if that was not enough we started the next game, and that was KABADDI , we made two Teams combining of both Men & women or rather Boys & girls. That lasted for about 30 minutes of rigorous game and left a few of us panting and struggling to walk, few of us were left with Sprained ankles or bruised muscles. We then started a game of Antakshri with Tr. Rohan on percussion and all of us at Vocals. We ended the night close to 1 P.M. with a heavy stoamche and a light heart. All in all a great evening well spent , This was a small gesture from us Tablers to our lovely wife’s who cook for us day in and day out , this event made us realize the difficulties that our better halves go through every day , We certainly have made them happier and I am sure our tummies are getting better stuff these days and not to mention that we are benefitted below our Tummies as well.

We would sincerely like to thank the star cast of the evening – SPICE BOX Gourmet Catering Servicing.

Please find below a few pics of the event attached.

YIT,

Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav

Chairman – MART 100.

RT 100 - Fund Raiser Snaps

2008-03-25T18:00:00.006+05:30

Switch it Off - Take Charge. Tr. Gautam Garg

2008-03-25T17:54:00.003+05:30

Switch it off: An initiative for change

Act fast or face doomsday in 2015. That was the clarion call by climate scientists to us, earthlings. If we fail to act now that gloomy prophecy may well become true in seven years. In an effort to demonstrate that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better, an initiative titled Earth Hour calls on individuals and businesses around the world, to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday March 29, 2008 between 8 and 9 pm. Earth Hour is run by WWF, the conservation organisation. Last year more than 2 million Sydney residents joined Earth Hour by flicking the switch, turning appliances off stand-by and enjoying an hour of quiet darkness.

Some frequently asked questions and answers about Earth Hour…

What are the key objectives of Earth Hour?
There are two key objectives for Earth Hour. The first is to engage as many households, communities and business to turn their lights out for one hour on March 29, 2008 between 8 and 9 pm. The intent is for the event to be adopted by other residents, communities, businesses and governments around the world so they too can help demonstrate that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better. The event itself will clearly demonstrate in participating cities, the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as a broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced.

Why do we need to act?
Global warming is now the greatest threat the world has ever faced. Our continued reliance on electricity sourced from coal-fired power stations is causing a dramatic increase in the Earth’s temperature, resulting in rising sea levels, an increase in drought and severe storms, and massive changes to the environments we all rely on to survive. There is still time to change how our planet will look in the future. If we act now. For example, if all Australian households simply turned off unused lights and appliances on standby at the power point Australia’s emissions would be reduced by at least 5 million tonnes per annum. The greenhouse gas savings would be equivalent to taking 1.5 million cars off the road for a year.

What do I need to do on the night?
The most important thing to do on the night is turn off your lights between 8 pm and 9 pm. There will also be events held on the night, check back later for event updates.

Does this mean I have to turn of everything in my home and use absolutely no electricity?
Not at all. The main point of this campaign is to show people and companies how easy it is to take action to avoid global warming. This does not mean you have to turn off your fridge, but we do encourage you to join us by switching off your lights and make a statement, as well as changing your habits in the long term.

Where is Earth Hour taking place?
In 2008 Earth Hour will be taking place in over 20 cities around the world, and the list keeps growing. To start this process the first Earth Hour focused on one of Australia’s, and the world’s iconic cities, Sydney. Thanks to the support of Earth Hour in 2007 other cities, both in Australia and internationally, have been asked join. And the campaign would be delighted if you can join by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, regardless of where you live.

How can businesses participate?
In Australia, if the commercial sector turned off lights when buildings weren’t in use and combined this action with other cost effective technology they could reduce lighting emissions by 70-80%. We encourage all businesses to participate in Earth Hour — to commit to turning off your lights during Earth Hour — and to tell your employees and customers that you’re taking part. We also encourage you to sign up to energy efficiency initiatives such as the 3CBDs Greenhouse Initiative to help achieve our goal of reducing emissions in your city or town in 2008.

Isn’t switching the lights off dangerous? What about public safety?
People have been asked to turn off the nonessential lights for one hour — no lights that affect public safety will be turned off. The organisers want everyone to enjoy Earth Hour in a safe and energy efficient environment.

If everyone turns their lights back on at the same time — will there be a power surge?
No. Energy companies and authorities say that turning all the lights back on won’t cause any issues.

How much CO2 will be saved during the event?
Last year we measured how much energy saved during Earth Hour in Sydney and achieved a reduction of 10.2 per cent (more than doubled our target of 5 per cent). But the main aim of the campaign is to continue to be energy efficient beyond Earth Hour, making small actions everyday to achieve our goal in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions in 2008.

What about after the event? What can I do then?
We all can take action everyday to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. There are two key objectives for Earth Hour. The first is to engage as many households, communities and business to turn their lights for one hour on March 29. By creating awareness and securing engagement of the broader community, the second objective is to measure the change in our greenhouse gas emissions over the following 12 months – aiming for a reduction in the year following Earth Hour

What candles should one use for the Earth Hour event?
If you plan on burning candles during Earth Hour, make sure you use 100 per cent beeswax candles which are gentler on our planet – smoke free, non-toxic and non-allergenic. They are also made of natural products, not petroleum-based materials, so they are effectively carbon neutral (the CO2 they emit has already been taken from the atmosphere to produce the wax).
If you’re using candles, though, make sure you take care. Here are some tips:

Candles should only be used under adult supervision.

Candles should never be left unattended.

Candles should be kept away from children and pets.

Extinguish candles before going to sleep.

Keep candles away from flammable liquids and gas-combustible materials.

Candles should be kept clear of any combustible materials such as paper, curtains, clothing and Christmas decorations.

Candles should not be placed in windows as they can be blown over. Blinds and curtains can also catch alight.

Candles should be placed on a stable, dry, heat-resistant surface away from drafts.

They also provide this handy downloadable guide: Candles and lighters: Safety for kids in the home

RT 100 - Fund Raiser - Tr. Prabhat Sriwastav

2008-03-18T15:07:00.003+05:30

Dear Tablers,

Greetings from Madras Anchorage Round Table 100 !!

We sincerely thank each one of you for being a part of our Mega Fundraiser “Voice Of India” on March 14th at Kamaraj Auditorium which had the very famous singers from the reality show at Star Plus “Amul Star Voice Of India” this show ran successfully for 52 weeks.

It was one hectic month of planning and implementation that took place but finally at the end of the day we can very surely say that all the effort was worth it. We had a good Audience close to 1550 people at the Auditorium clapping and cheering the Stars as and when they sang some peppy numbers, we kick started the event at 8 P.M. with a small Welcome Speech about Round Table India and the show went on till 11:30 P.M. a good 3.1/2 hour show, with about 35 songs totally sung , The Life was of the show was the Orchestra which was specially flown from Mumbai for the event and the fantastic Lights & Sounds, sincere Appreciation to Anuj Dinghra of Geedee Electronics to have given us such good Lights & sound system.

We have had excellent Publicity for RTI from this show and the reviews of the show was at Deccan Chronicle on Sunday the 16th of March and on Indian Express on Monday the 17th of March, both the Scanned copy are attached herewith for your reference.

We are also proud to announce that we have raised close to Rs. 9 Lakhs approximately from the show and the same will be put in our charity account and we shall built classrooms under the SSA scheme this year itself.

We would like to congratulate the Event Convenor Tr. Sharad Jalan for handling the event so well, trust me he has been 24x7 on the job and has gone about doing his job very meticulously. Kudos to you Sharad , please take a bow from all of us at MART 100.

We once gain thank each one of you for your support,

YIT, Cheers to 100% Friendship,

Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav.

Chairman.

Fellowship at RT 95- Tr. R Sriram

2008-03-17T19:11:00.003+05:30

On 9th March Sunday , MMRT 95 headed out to KAFIOKE a karaoke joint on the beach at Tiruvanmiyur.

We reached the venue at 3 pm and the place was blasted apart by the sheer energy of MMRT 95. We had taken over the entire place for the evening. And man did 95 enjoy itself.

The evening was planned in such a way that the entire MMRT 95 family had a blast. The crooners went crazy at the Karoke bar. We started at 3 and had to be literally thrown out of the venue at 11. The kids displayed their singing talents and the more popular singing sensations amongst us set a new world record for non stop karaoke singing.

For the drunkards we set up a bar on the deck which is a nice balcony overlooking the Bay of Bengal.

And finally for the taste buds there was an exquisite arrangement of fine crafted CHAAT. We had taken our own caterer with us and instructed him to serve the finest Chaat in South India. He served the most delicious Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, Dahi Puri, Samosas , aloo Tikkis, Chola Baturas and Pav Bhaji.

We then invented the greatest new chaat invention of all time. VODKA PANI PURI. As per our instructions a separate drum was brought and the the pani mixed with vodka and served to the mouth watering clients. A real blast . When was the last time you got a kick from pani puri.

The ladies of our table organized some games for the kids and each kid got a huge box of chocolates as a take home memory.

A real wonderful evening enjoyed by the entire family of 95

The pics speak for themselves. This place is highly recommended and if any table needs to organize a Karaoke evening just give us a call and we will get you the best rates.

Cheers to the Spirit of 95.

Kalra

Holi Masti - Fellowship by RT 39. Tr. Amar S

2008-03-13T15:05:00.001+05:30

RT 94 - Fellowship Report - Tr. Siva

2008-03-11T18:08:00.004+05:30

Fellowship report for February 2008
After a relatively sedate January, where everybody was busy attending the National AGM, Fellowship activities returned to their usual active levels for February.

We had three major Fellowship activities during the month."Bad Taste’
To kick off the month we had the dinner meet of Tr. Nitin and Cr. Diya. The theme for the meeting was ‘Bad taste’ with awards being given to the worst dressed Tabler and Circler. As usual the 94 ers responded with tremendous enthusiasm. I’ve not seen any other bunch of people so eager to dress badly.

This different theme first time attempted by Table 94 indeed brought out the true colours of the Tablers and Circlers. This also once again demonstrated the spirit that binds the Table together. It was indeed a sight to see all the Tablers walking through the lobby of the hotel on the way to the Banquet hall leaving a trail of wide open mouths along the way. Ht Ketan won the competition hands down or should I say ‘Pants down!’ and Cr. Shalini swept the ladies award.

Needless to say the party went on to the wee hours of the morning with everybody going home with lots of colorful memories. ‘Pongal Fair’ In chennai traditionally every year the Industrial Trade Fair takes place (popularly called ‘Pongal fair’) at the Island grounds. This fair was an annual affair for a lot of us when we were kids. So this year we decided to revisit our childhood by having the pongal fair fellowship. One fine weekday evening, a big gang of us Tablers, Circlers and Twinklers landed up at the fair.

It was a sense of déjà vu for a lot of us. It was quite amusing to note that the parking ticket for the vehicles was around Rs. 25/- whereas the entry ticket was only Rs. 7/-!! Once we entered the fair, the ladies started heading towards the shops to buy various kitchen items and drapes for the bedroom. The men on the other hand were more interested in the street food. Having sent the kids to see dragula (actual spelling!) and other such attractions, the guys went to the cotton candy counter followed by giant appalams with chilly powder and chilly bajjis.

Once everyone had their fill of the street food, we headed towards the entertainment section of the fair with lot of games like Giant wheel, Merry-go-round and Tora-tora. The kids had their section of games as well.

While all this was going on our Chairman was having his portrait commissioned.
The final outcome of the portrait though was quite debatable, not knowing who the portrait actually resembled. It was duly censored and not allowed to be printed.
Now it was time for the grown-up kids to have some fun on the rides.

So off we went on the merry-go-round. It was unfortunate that we were not allowed to sit on the horses though. Some Tablers though were put on parental duty. Ho looked nervous because he was carrying his child for the first time in over a year. While
most of us twinklers included were smoking the rides, some were just smoking.

Thus we came to an end to another very different and innovative fellowship experience for the family of MCRT-94.

‘Valentine’s eve bash’
During the ‘bad taste’ party our LC Chairperson Shradha had approached Chairman Dinshaw and myself about having a surprise valentine’s bash for the Table. Since our regular business meeting was scheduled for 13th, we decided to have the surprise meeting on that day. A lot of ‘behind the scenes’ planning went on. Suddenly our Sq.legs decided that they wanted to host a joint meeting with us to celebrate all the national awards won by the Table at the recently concluded National AGM. So after a lot of discussion we decided that the meeting will be held
at OPM the recently opened Night club at Hotel Accord. So all Tablers were informed that the Sq. legs were hosting the business meet for us as a tribute for winning all the awards. A day before the meeting, we learnt that President Tr. Ajay Handa would also be in town and would be joining us for the meeting. It was also a privilege that along with Ajay, IPP Tr.Shiv and Area chairman Tr. Rajesh were present at the meeting.

The meeting went on normally till we reached any other matter. Sq.leg Raghuraman gave a very emotional and moving toast to the Table also explaining to many of the youngsters the significance of winning the best balanced activity award at the National AGM. Then suddenly the lights dimmed, the door opened and in walked a lot of ladies in white tops. They went straight to the dance floor and started dancing.
It took a while for the boys to realise that it was our Circlers who were putting on a surprise show for them. Once it sunk in there was a general feeling of disbelief as none of them had any clue about what was happening. It was indeed a very splendid effort on the part of the girls who had been practising in secret for over a week under the noses of the guys. After this it was ‘party on’ to surprise the ladies back. Chairman had organised flowers and chocolates to be given to them. One by one each of the Sq.legs and Tablers were asked to escort their better halfs to the stage and present them with flowers and chocolates.

These flowers and chocolates were also given to President Ajay, IPP Shiv and Area Chairman Rajesh to be given to whomsoever they were pleased with. Though Shiv had to give it to Meena as she was also present at the venue. Area chairman Rajesh was later heard remarking that ‘Thank God! None of the Tablers told their wives that they were going for the Table meeting and went elsewhere.’ All I can say Area
chairman is that our boys are not as smart as you. Once the presentation was over, and the meeting hurriedly shut the party began in earnest.

Inspite of the fact that it was a week day, the party went on till late night with all the Tablers very pleasantly surprised by their respective wives for Valentine’s day. The final fellowship event was Tr. Rajit’s dinner meet held at Geoffrey’s, the pub. The whole pub was taken up by Tr. Rajit. We had a Ukranian band playing exclusively for us. Needless to say the party continued on till very late.

Thus concluded an action packed February for Table 94 where we had some very istinct and
different fellowship events which resulted in further bonding amongst the Table.
Prepared by:
Tr. M. Sivaramakrishnan
Fellowship convenor-MCRT 94

RT 95 - Publicity - Tr. Vishal Jain

2008-03-11T17:16:00.001+05:30

RT 100 - Publicity - Tr. Prabhat

2008-03-10T10:38:00.002+05:30

RT 100 - Fund Raiser - Tr. Prabhat

2008-03-10T10:35:00.001+05:30

Dear Friends,

Greetings from MART 100 !

Please find attached the write up of our Fund Raiser in today’s HINDU Newspaper in the 5th page of Metro Plus. The tickets are fast selling request you to please call the convenor for the event Tr. Sharad – 98840 91515 or yours truly for blocking your tickets.

Request all Table Chairmen not to have any programme planned for their Tables on March 14th. Hope to see you all in big numbers for the Voice of India Show on March 14th.

Cheers and we expect 100% Friendship,

Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav.

Chairman.

98400 51106

RT 181 - Publicity Initiative - Tr. Rajiv Shah

2008-03-08T11:08:00.002+05:30

Publicity by MKRT 181 of Freedom through Education
Hi Tablers,
Greetings from MKRT 181.
We wish to inform you of the 4 hoardings put by MKRT 181 to publicize the round
table India motto freedom through education. We have put up these hoardings on
the old mahabalipuram road in between the stretch of Taramani and Sholingnallur.
The reason we selected these location was because this stretch is the most happening
area of the city with young IT guys moving in and out of the area. This stretch is
also the most happening in terms of government focus and development.
Another reason for having chosen the above mentioned venue is the target audience.
Most of the IT guys are young and they are the future prospects of round table
India.
This was an exercise purely for to enhance the goodwill and reputation of round
table India and also inform people of our eminent brand ambassadors. The
campaign would be up for display for a month.
The hording size is as follows:-
1. 50*30
2. 30*20
3. 20*30
4. 30*30
30*30 50*30 20*30 30*20
Thanking you,
Rajiv Shah
Chairman 07-08
Madras Knights Round Table 181
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Publicity by MKRT 181 of Freedom through Education
Hi Tablers,
Greetings from MKRT 181.
We wish to inform you of the 4 hoardings put by MKRT 181 to publicize the round
table India motto freedom through education. We have put up these hoardings on
the old mahabalipuram road in between the stretch of Taramani and Sholingnallur.
The reason we selected these location was because this stretch is the most happening
area of the city with young IT guys moving in and out of the area. This stretch is
also the most happening in terms of government focus and development.
Another reason for having chosen the above mentioned venue is the target audience.
Most of the IT guys are young and they are the future prospects of round table
India.
This was an exercise purely for to enhance the goodwill and reputation of round
table India and also inform people of our eminent brand ambassadors.
The hording size is as follows:-
1. 50*30
2. 30*20
3. 20*30
4. 30*30
30*30
Thanking you,
Rajiv Shah
Chairman 07-08
Madras Knights Round Table 181

Fellowship Report - PRRT 104 - Tr. Srikanth

2008-03-07T16:19:00.003+05:30

PONDICHERRY RIVAGE ROUND TABLE - 104
FELLOWSHIP AT YERCAUD
&
JOINT MEET AND SOCIAL OF PRRT – 104 SCRT 84 AND SMART 175
22ND FEBRUARY 2008 TO 24TH FEBRUARY 2008
11 Tablers, 6 circlers and 11 children from PRRT – 104 had an outstation trip to
Yercaud.

Day –1
On 22nd February 2008 after lunch all the 28 heads boarded an exclusive A/c bus to
Yercaud from Pondicherry. The plan was to start at 01.00 p.m., but due to delay in
arrival at bus the journey finally started at 06.00 p.m.

En-route every one spent their time playing dumb charades and Antakashari. The
games were played between the Ladies and tablers. The tablers showed their talent of
miming and were able to match the ladies. The children spent their time playing games
of their own and eating all the way. The tablers of course started their drinks
immediately after the bus started the journey. En-route every one had dinner at a dhaba and quietness prevailed for the rest of the journey. The bus finally reached our destination Yercaud at 02.00 a.m. The cottages were ready and every one crashed
immediately after 8 hour-long drive.

Day - 2
Few ladies and tablers were early risers and went on a morning walk. After a late
breakfast, all the 28 persons had a morning sightseeing trip of Yercaud in 5 Maruthi
vans. View points, temples, boating and several photo sessions later every one marched into a resort owned by a Salem Round Tabler – SKY ROCO which had a great Sky walk. This Skywalk is a over hanging bridge with a glass surface and you practically walk into the valley. We all had an excellent lunch well co-ordinated by Tr. Krishna of RT 28, his brother Tr.Jethish of RT 84 and their father a Square Leg. But the fellowship of tablers continued all morning with one of the Maruthi vans converted as a pantry van fully loaded with spirits and snacks.

After lunch it was siesta time

Evening – it was a different location again – well thought of by Tr. JP
Lake Forest Resort (Club Mahindra) – where every one danced into the night and were
joined by two ladies staying at this resort. The dancing had to end due to ompulsions
from the resort management, and then we came to know that the two ladies dancing with
us were circlers of Madurai. Immediately out came their husbands – the infamous Past
Area Chairman Sq Leg Suri. This was a moment for celebrations and more spirits flowed
while the ladies exchanged their friendship mementos – “beer cans” in line with the LCI theme. After a hectic day every one crashed back into their rooms.

Day –3
Early risers had a game of badminton and stretching. After breakfast we had to leave
Yercaud for Salem where we had scheduled a joint meet with Salem tables.The joint meet of PRRT – 104, SCRT 84 AND SMART 175 was organized at “DOCTORS THOTTAM” a popular farmhouse at the foothills of Yercaud.Tr. “ICE” Sarvanan of SCRT 84 was there on the main road to receive us and guide us to the farmhouse. The Salem tablers took us all by car from the main road to the farmhouse.

The farmhouse was fabulous with mango trees and green everywhere. The theme as
decided by the ladies was “Red and White”. PRRT – 104 family were dressed true to the
theme. A joint meet was held where Chairman Srikanth of PRRT – 104 had the privilege of inducting a new tabler into SCRT 84. After the meet it was time for fellowship while the ladies of Pondy and Salem exchanged their friendship baskets. The Salem Tablers had organized a special caterer “Bullet Basha” for the biryani and we understand his biryani is a specialty in that part of the country.

After several spirited rounds and delicious food, PRRT – 104 family wearily climbed back into the bus for their journey back to Pondy. Reached Pondy at 10.00 p.m. and were received by Tr. Amar who could not make it, he made up by organizing dinner for the 28 weary lot.

This was a trip, which gave us an extended family, a ever-lasting friendship and bonding. This trip has brought us tablers, circlers and children closer than ever and memories of a lifetime.

S.SRIKANTH
CHAIRMAN PRRT – 104

RT 30 - Inauguration of Classrooms - Tr. D Walia

2008-03-06T16:25:00.022+05:30

RT 30 - Honeywell JRET School Project - Tr. D Walia

2008-03-06T16:25:00.013+05:30

30's Volleyball Mornings - Tr. Bob, RT 30

2008-03-06T16:25:00.006+05:30

Hi Tablers

Thank you Table 95, You were of great help - Top Gun was just a catalyst I should say.

What started out as practice sessions for the Volley Ball Tourney has turned out to be a great fellowship opportunity to the tablers of Area 2. Tablers from 3, 10, 30, 100, 124, 159, 162, 181 have been meeting on a very regular basis at the St Georges School, in the early mornings to play volley ball. Amazing cameraderie and sportsmanship is being witnessed during the games. In fact from playing only over the weekend mornings, the tablers have started playing regularly on the weekdays too.

Fitness and Fun on the go for the tablers i must say...

A few photos for your eyes. The imposing and historic St Georges Shcool in the back ground makes for a great visual treat.

Bobby

--
Varindar Singh Sahney
National Committee Member - Supply House
Round Table India -NEx 0708
09840038960

30 at the Idol's - Tr. D Walia

2008-03-06T16:25:00.005+05:30

RT 100 - Fund Raiser - Publicity - Tr. P Sriwastaw

2008-03-06T16:25:00.001+05:30

2008-03-03T11:12:00.002+05:30

The Ant & The Grasshopper - Tr. Satya R - RT 30

2008-03-03T11:12:00.000+05:30

Ant & Grasshopper

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter ,the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

ARUNDHATI ROY stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

MEDHA PATKAR goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper
(many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath '.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.

Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Government
and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'.

Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice'.

CPM calls it the 'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'

Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley ..

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India ...

As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the Grasshoppers, India is still a developing country!!!

Ashokspeak.

2008-02-28T10:19:00.000+05:30

Dear Ajay & Gautam,

It is indeed very sad to hear the demise of one of our brothers. I might not know him but just being a part of Tabling makes me feel like I hv lost someone dear.

I must appreciate the efforts taken by some people like you & Gautham to address such issues.
Being educated & bestowed with all that one can ask for we tend to take life & warnings for granted.

I have seen & witnessed irresponsible & indisciplined behaviour & activities of our very own Tablers in our Area to my utter dismay -

1. Reckless driving incl reverse.

2. Pride in over speeding @ speeds in 3 digits .......sometimes with least disregard to co passengers & most of the time their own children

3. Pride in racing in the streets with thousands of people arnd them. Hotel to home in 5 minutes covering some 60 kms sending sms' simultaneously.

4. Seat belts are considered as shameful & sometimes interprets to being a inexperienced & a chicken of a driver. Hw many Tablers or even Circlers wear seat belts?? A handful perhaps.

5. Making children drive their cars @ the age of 5....placing them on the laps while they drive

6. Child seats - Hw many even hv heard of such a thing??

7. Then the famous drunken driving.......etc

I am sure every Table in our viscinity has got such nuts in em....atleast a hand ful.

I can partially understand someone who dies irresponsibly if uneducated but v r all highly educated?? whats our xcuse???

Shouldn't v be responsible in our ways? What can Tabling do about such an attitude?
Conduct a HRD Program??? To start with thats fine. I suggest expulsion of such nuts from the movement......isn't jeopordising urself with least regard to ur own life & even more disregard to people with u, a serious offense?? If proven (2day everyone hs got cameras everywhere) what can v do?? that includes chairmens ofcourse. how abt suspension for a month??

I would say avoid inter city car travel as far as possible......it is a proven fact that more people die on the road than any other medium of transport.
Trains literally connect every city in our Country....and now planes r getting there too. All dates r planned well in advance as far as our Movement goes...so why not apex fares??......bulk booking fares?? If u still want to hit the road (long distance), pool in money and take out a luxury coach which comes with more than one can ask for ......driver, cleaner to clean ur puke aftr parties........, video, luxury reclining seats, jacuzzi...(ok nevermind that) what more do v need?

The Tabler reading your mail ends his responsibilty by fwd'ing the same to his fellow tablers. The buck shud nt stop here.
Perhaps an oath shud b taken & some norms nforced...some national or area level competition in such safety aspects.

Talking abt ethics....how about clealiness & hygiene in one's homes....offices?? how abt taking care of health? excercise??? why stop with simple traffic violations?? hw abt patience? standing in cues? spitting in public?? list is endless.

Can't v all put our minds to show others what a group of people can do. Besides like I always say .......
" A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TAKE STRIDES IN IMPROVING HUMANITY……AS A MATTER OF FACT IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS"
I read ur mails & wanted to share my thoughts with my brothers rather than watch life go past me.

Rgrds
Ashok
C 162:)

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 3:10 PM, National President: Tr. Ajay Handa <roundtableindia@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Friend,

"The loss of a friend is like that of a limb...time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired"

We are all greatly saddened to hear of the heart-breaking news of Prospective Gautam Rai's demise...nothing will ever fill this void in the lives of his family. I sincerely request all to pray to God Almighty to give his family the strength to bear this great loss & grant peace to his soul.

I really hope that you have gone through the e-mail sent yesterday afternoon by our National HRD Convenor - Tr. Gautam Rao. (refer below)

The mail seeks to ensure the safety of Tablers and their families by communicating to you many different ways to be safe while driving or being driven. As mature individuals, we must pay heed to simple safety tips....tips that will ensure you celebrate more birthdays:) As Tablers, we like to have fun. Let us do the right things so that all of us can party well and still drive (be driven) to our homes safe and sound. Always remember, you have a responsibility to ensure 'road risks' are managed responsibly while traveling to and from Tabling events and at all other times as well.

We are working to develop a HR module on the topic of Driving & Safety. This will be sent to Table Chairmen and Secretaries so that it can be conducted at your Table meeting. In an effort to raise awareness about road safety amongst the tablers of Round Table India...we have decided to declare the month of March as - "Driving Safety Month"!!

All tables across RTI are urged to discuss this topic at their meetings and to conduct the Driving & Safety module.
Please go through Tr. Gautam's email, print it, and follow as many points as you can.
Drive safe my friend...we owe it to our families!
warm regards,
your friend,
Ajay

Tr. Ajay HandaPresidentRound Table IndiaEmail:ajay.handa@thehanshotel.com,Mobile: +91 9845251160Work: +91 836 2374770Skype: aj.handa

From: NHRD Convenor: Gautam Rao
To: RTI
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:22 PM
Subject: URGENT - Safety message for all Tablers and their families
Dear Fellow Tablers,

This is a very long email and I ask for your patience and understanding. It may very well save your life or the life of a loved one.

I began writing this email to all of you within hours after the last rites were performed for Gautam Rai, a prospective of a Table in Hyderabad. Somehow, witnessing the finality of his passage from this world, I felt an urgent need to reach out to all Tablers as soon as possible.

Gautam had been sitting in the back seat of a car that was returning from the MTM in Hyderabad in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 17th when the car went off the road and slammed into a tree at high speed. It is believed that he was rendered brain-dead almost instantaneously from the force of the collision. He was in the ICU for a little over a week, but never recovered brain function. He passed away on February 24th.

Gautam Rai's small children no longer have a father. His loving wife, Pooja, no longer has a husband. His mom, who had lost her husband many years ago, has now lost her eldest son. We pause to remember the talented, enthusiastic and warm man that he was and we mourn the loss of a life with so much potential. This has been an immense tragedy – and the price will be paid by many people, for many years.

This kind of fatal accident often involves multiple causes. Gautam Rai was not wearing a seatbelt and the spot/road where the accident occurred has a sharp curve and has been the scene of other fatalities. Alcohol is not thought to have been a factor in this accident. Regardless of the specific circumstances of this accident, a life has been lost and other lives have been shattered.

I write to all of you today because these kinds of tragedies are avoidable. I do not write this email to assign blame or responsibility for this specific event. The horrifying reality is that by not adhering to simple and prescribed safety rules we regularly put ourselves, our friends and our loved ones at risk for the same kind of trauma. This is even more so on Friday and Saturday nights when we often imbibe large quantities of alcohol. It's a miracle that fatal accidents have not happened more often.

Many people have tried to cope with this tragedy by discussing fate and destiny. I do understand how faith in God can help the family in their time of grief. However, I also feel that this faith is not a substitute for personal accountability. There are times when we have done everything we can to safeguard ourselves or our loved ones – and something bad still happens. This does not mean that we should say that it is in always in God's hands and therefore "Whatever will happen, will happen." Actually, it is said that "God helps those who help themselves". In this context, that means that it is our responsibility to provide for our own safety, and after we have done so to the best of our ability, then we can seek God's blessing and support.

This tragedy has been on the minds of many Tablers in Hyderabad. We had a serious email discussion on driving & safety in our Table E-Group. A number of good ideas were suggested. I have done further research online and have expanded on and organized ideas into the 4 categories below. I hope that you will adopt at least a few of them and that they will be of help.

Care of children in the car

Strictly use baby seats as appropriate – right size, facing the right direction, always use even if the child is crying and you want to hold him/her in your lap.
Know which age/size baby child should seat in the front seat if the car has an airbag – airbags can kill small children.
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071113044921AAVwUlN

http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidseat.htm - talks about air bags and child safety
See the above links and the below points– but please do further research of your own on the Web or through experts before buying/using child seats. The actions have serious consequences and I am not an expert on this.
Until your child reaches a weight of 10 kgs, you should use a backward facing car seat in the back seat of your car.
Children should remain in a forward-facing booster seat in the back seat of your car from 10 kgs until they reach approximately 18 kgs and 4 years of age
Older children sitting in the car should wear seat belts at all times – whether sitting in the front or in the back
Never, ever drive with baby in lap – if hit from behind, you will crush it against the steering column.
Baby should not be in the lap of the passenger either – if airbag is triggered (even through a small collision), baby can be killed from force of airbag. Please buy, install and use baby seats!

General Safety Tips while driving

Always wear your seat belts – this applies to both the front seat and the back seat. The law should not guide this – self-preservation should guide this. – The person driving must take responsibility to ensure that all are wearing their belts.
Think more about safety features in the purchases of your next car. Also, insist that rear seat belts be tested before driving away from the showroom.
Even if wide awake and completely sober – drive within reasonable speeds. I cannot tell you what this is, but it is surely less than what most of us drive at when we are presented with relatively empty roads in the late night/wee hours of the morning.
Try not to drive fast when in an unfamiliar car model or new car for the first time on a highway. You will not be used to its behaviour and that will lose you precious seconds in a tight situation, when your reflexes need to work best.
Similarly, try not to drive fast on roads with which you are not that familiar.
Keep in mind the role that fatigue plays in deciding how late into the night we should party at far away venues. Fatigue can be as deadly as alcohol.
Always drive slower at night as visibility is significantly less at night.
Be very careful of dangerous spots in the road – especially sharp curves. Note them while driving to a party, so you are aware of them when driving back.
"Speed Kills"– You should never speed!! Ask yourself "It is more important that I arrive a few minutes sooner or is it more important than I arrive"?
Remember that when we drive, we hold the lives of many innocents in our hands – this includes passengers in our car, other drivers/passengers as well as pedestrians on the road

Suggestions to help avoid having to drink and drive

Many of us find ourselves in a situation where we have to drink and drive. While drinking is not the only cause of fatal accidents – it increases the risk considerably. Here are some suggestions to avoid having to drink and drive.

The Table can pick a certain number of "designated drivers" for a given party. This list should take into account who lives near to who and Tables should make sure that the list is rotated often so that no one feels that they are always asked to miss out of the alcohol.
Existing drivers can be paid Rs.200 to Rs.300 (or any other amount) per night 'hardship allowance' when you plan to drink or will be out very late. At least do this on Saturday nights - this shouldn't be too much hardship for them as they can rest late on Sunday and they certainly appreciate the extra income.
People can hire a (or an additional) driver on a full-time basis. I'm sure most people could benefit from this in other aspects of their life as well - work, transporting children, etc.
One (or more) Sumo/Qualis with driver can be hired at Rs.800 - Rs.1200 per night for late night events. This can transport as many as 8 people and minimize the distance that they have to drive. Given the amount of money we Tablers spend on vacations and fun, should we have to really think so hard about something like this?
Swallow our pride and request a drop home if we do not feel that we can drive safely.

Tips to reduce danger/risk if one still chooses to drink and drive

As mentioned above, the best thing you can do for your safety when drinking or sleepy is to let someone else drive. Unfortunately, many of us will still not do this. There are still things that we can do to be safer:

Simply decide that you will drink less if you know you must drive that night.
Eat some snacks before you have your first drink and only drink small (30ml) drinks through the party.
In between alcoholic drinks, have a glass of water or soda or any non-alcoholic beverage.
Stop drinking at least 1 hour before driving and eat some food and drink lots of water.
The night cap, one for the road, is the worst thing one can do. Never force someone to have that last drink.
If someone has had a lot and still insists on driving, force them to have lots of COFFEE. It is common practice in many countries for people to end an evening which involved alcohol with a large cup (or multiple cups) of coffee. The caffeine can help!!! If you don't like coffee, then drink 'Red Bull'.
If one is still going to drink and drive, never drive above 45kmph (even if you find it boring). The slower the car is moving, the more time the driver has to react to changes in conditions. Research has shown that, after drinking (even moderately) or when sleepy, our reflexes slow down and we cannot react as fast.
If you are going from one party to another and you are already high – drive home instead.
Admit when sleepy or high while driving. It is better to change drivers or wait on the side of the main road with flashers on than to risk an accident.
If you start out and feel that you should not (or cannot) continue, pull over to the side of the road. Take the keys out of the ignition and call back to the party and ask for help from a more sober person.
If you absolutely can't get help, park the car on the side of the road, lock the doors, put on the parking light and take a small nap.
Insist on all passengers in the car wearing seatbelts at all times. If there are no rear seat belts in the car don't carry passengers until you have them fitted.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY!!

There are surely many more ways that you can be safe and I encourage you to add to this list.

I urge all of you to please take precautions to safeguard yourselves and your loved ones when driving – whether or not alcohol is involved. Please begin this instant – start by ensuring that seat belts are used in the front seat and in the back seat of the car at all times. This alone will help immeasurably. Go through the list in this email and decide which of these apply to you and which of these you are willing to do.

A more detailed module on safety (with additional resources and links) will follow, and it is my sincere hope that this module can be taken up by every Table in India during their business meeting in the month of March.

We all know that accidents can happen regardless of what WE do, but please follow these steps and at least you can significantly reduce the risk of an accident happening.

Best wishes and warm regards

Gautam Rao
National Convenor: HRD and Leadership Development
GautamRao.RTI@gmail.com

This e-mail was scanned for viruses using BitDefender.

RT 162 in the Press - Tr. Satish / Verghese

2008-02-27T14:20:00.001+05:30

Dear Friends

Chek it out. Yet another jak pot for 162'ers. Awsum snaps in media.

Rgrds

C:)

Area II Press Release - The Dhinakaran - Tr. Neville Billimoria

2008-02-26T15:54:00.018+05:30

Car Rally for the Blind - Tr. Chiva - s RT 94

2008-02-26T15:54:00.015+05:30

Dear Friends,
22nd Feb 2008
The UCAL Car Rally for the Blind-2008

We are glad to inform you that the UCAL is sponsoring The Car Rally for the Blind on 2nd March 2008 at Madras Gymkhana Club.
This is an Annual event sponsored by UCAL Fuel Systems ,since 1990 in association with Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) and National Association for Blind (NAB).The date and venue of the event is as follows:

Date: 2nd March 2008
Venue: Madras Gymkhana Club
Timing:
Rally flag off: 9:30 AM
Lunch: 1:00 PM
Music by blind orchestra: 2:00 PM
Prize distribution: 4:00 PM

The participants will be required to drive his /her car for 50 kms approx and navigation will be by the blind contestants who will receive instruction in Braille. This not only brings you an opportunity to give your valuable time to the blind, but also provides an understanding of the unique abilities that the blind have. The primary motive is to provide a day of happiness to the blind and memories that they can treasure. The intention is to do it through motor sports . Since this is an important social awareness event sponsored by our company, I request you to please extend your participation to make this endeavor a success. Please come with Friends & Family.
The Hon Minister for social welfare Dr.Poongodhai Aladi Aruna will be the Chief Guest & Flag off the event.

We invite you all to please put forth your name as an entry to the event. The entry fee is Rs.500/- per entry . (This includes lunch for participant and his two guests). You may please contact Ms Sugasini at 9941005410 or Ms Meena at 9841434659 to assist you to fill the entry forms and submit the same to MMSC . All participants will be given participation certificates.

As a very special event this year National Association for Blind have arranged for Music program by their orchestra between lunch and prize distribution.

Thanking you and looking forward to your support & cooperation.

Thanks & regards,
Meena Goel
General Manager – New Business
E mail: meena@ucalfuel.co.in
Phone: +91-44-42208131
Mobile: 9841434659

UCAL Rally for the Blind - Tr Siva RT 94

2008-02-26T15:54:00.013+05:30

Area Idol - MCRT 162 - Tr. Satish Jupiter

2008-02-26T15:54:00.010+05:30

Hindustan College of Engineering's Area 2 Idol is an adaptation of a very popular international television program. It is a talent hunt to identify the best singer from the 18 Round tables in the Area covering Chennai and Pondicherry. This year we organised the Area 2 Idol program on Sunday the February 24th, 2008 at Hotel Accord Metropolitan T Nagar from 7 p.m. onwards.

It was a high profile Event with some of the most eminent personalities from the Film and Music World judging the event. This event is highly acclaimed in the Tabling Community and is attended by all the tables with nearly 320 people from Chennai and Pondicherry, cheering and enthralling the participants all thru.

It was an evening packed with fun, fellowship and excitement. 24 participants in the first round which was shortlisted to 12 in the second round and finally to 6 in the Final round. We also had the special duet round that was introduced this year. Cash prizes totalling to Rs 45000 were distributed to the winners and runners up.

Please find below the names of Winner & Runner up:-

The Most popular singer award was won by Tr Amit Saiya of Table 95

The Area 2 Idol (Male Singer) was conferred on Tr Kiron Nair MART 100 with a cash prize of Rs 10000

The Area 2 Idol (Male) Runners up was Siddarth Table 30 (cash prize of Rs 5000)

The Area 2 Idol (Female Singer) was conferred on Cr Nandini Table 123 with a cash prize of Rs 10000

The Area 2 Idol (Female) Runners up was Meena Shiv Table 42 (cash prize of Rs 5000)

Duet round winners were Ravi & Meena Table 42 (cash prize of Rs 10000)

Duet round runners up were Megha and Vishal Table 95 (cash prize of Rs 5000)

We had Film Actor Partiban, Film Actor Arun Vijay, TV personality Fathima Babu, Singer Unnikrishnan, Sports personality JK Mahindra, Karate Exponent Shihan Hussaini, Anita Raj and several other celebrities and dignitaries who graced the occasion. Judges were Mammathy Chari, Airtel Super Singer Nikhil, Shafi, Music Director Adityan, Singers Rajalakshmi, Swapna Abraham, Devan and Raghav (TV Star) & Preetha

From the Round Table India and Area board Shivkumar Eashwaran, IPP, Mona Shangavi LCI President, Rajesh Gupta Area Chairman, Sandeep AHT, Pravin Area Secretary Treasurer, Minna Hanif LC Area Officer, National Conveners, Area Board Executives attended the function.

The event was supported by Hindustan College of Engineering as the major sponsor and Vivek & Co, Light Roof Properties Pvt Ltd., Floors India, Deutsche Bank, Aadya Creations, Cholamandalam Distribution Ltd as Co sponsors.

Special Mention and Hearty appreciation to Table 104 and 167 from Pondicherry . We had 26 registrations from Pondicherry .

Table 95 won the Fellowship award
Amit Saiya of Table 95 won the Most popular singer award