“We must start a WhatsApp group for our school batch alumni,” was the outcome during an evening meeting and chats between two batchmates of The Besant Theosophical High School (BTHS), batch of 1972.
The Besant Theosophical High School (BTHS 72) WhatsApp group was started with about 6 alumni members in the beginning meeting at Elliot’s beach on many Sunday mornings – to celebrate the camaraderie and bring more of their classmates into the group. The group grew steadily in strength with many meetings and a couple of reunions; This Oct, the alumni strength stood at 53 members. “It had indeed been easy to pick up old friendships in contrast to forging new ones, at this stage of life journey,” said the alumni.
Their 3rd reunion was held at the Gandhi Nagar Club on 1st Oct 2023, the birth anniversary of Dr. Annie Besant, to not only celebrate school memories, but to also discuss avenues to support their alma mater. This effort was started with the 2nd reunion when an organising committee was constituted to identify needs of the school, firm up projects and schemes through regular interactions with the management, and collect funds from members on a voluntary basis.
The following schemes were completed in less than a year.
- Supplied and installed 3 nos. split AC for smart classroom (Audio-Visual room).
- Chairs for a smart classroom.
- Merit scholarships to toppers of five subjects in X Board exams.
- 2 sets of uniforms to all the students for the 1st year; and 1 set of sportswear for boys in Std. IX and X. Commitment to supply uniforms for 2 more years.
Kalakshetra Director and Deputy Director encouraged students to emulate the work done by this alumni batch. “The smile on the faces of students, their appreciation for the contribution and enthusiasm to do well in their life journeys gave us, alumni members, the confidence that the country is in safe hands of the NextGen. It’s our earnest wish that other batch alumni will come together in a similar manner to take up the baton,” said a statement from the alumni organising committee.
