Sjoba

It was said of Edmund Rice that he opened his whole heart to God, present and appealing to him in the poor.

I often wondered what it meant to open one’s whole heart to another! How did one go about doing it? What would it look like?

I think it means that one has to take oneself out of the centre of the picture and put another there. One needs to be selfless enough to put another’s needs before one’s own.

On 19.7.2018, the St. John's Old Boys Association (SJOBA) completed 38 years of its existence. A happy moment indeed !! Celebrations are called for. The new team has taken charge and I wish them all the best for the coming year in leading our Alumni Association which we are all so proud of.

SJOBA has come a long way from the initial 19 members in 1980 to thousands in 2018. The spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood led to the grand success of SJOBA becoming the thriving, vibrant and active association that it is. To strengthen it further, it is essential to recognize and enforce the principle that SJOBA is for the Old Boys. The outgoing team did a great job in the previous year in adhering to the aforesaid principle. I hope the new team can continue with the same. I wish them all the very best and would remind them of the slogan "ask not what SJOBA can do for you; ask what you can do for SJOBA".

Dear Old Boy,

I take this opportunity with profound gratitude and humility as I assume the role of President of SJOBA for the term 2023-2024. It is an honour and privilege to serve you and the association in this capacity and I want to express my heartfelt thanks for entrusting me with this responsibility.

As I step into this role, I am reminded of my own journey in SJOBA which began in 2012. Since then, I have seen it grow and evolve into the cherished alumni that it is today led by remarkable individuals such as our past presidents who have instilled and strengthened the enduring bond that ties us together today.