Comments on: Batch 1984 sets an example http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:09:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ashok http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1350 Ashok Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:51:16 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1350 An even later reply! The common fund sounds good. The ego problem you pointed out might be a minor hurdle; a bigger issue would be whether or not to give spending freedom to the "school authorities for any use they deem fit". The school could maintain a bouquet of projects (for which the common fund is used), and interested alumni can pour in. New projects can be added, and the utilisation publicised, as leading academic institutions in the West do. An even later reply! The common fund sounds good. The ego problem you pointed out might be a minor hurdle; a bigger issue would be whether or not to give spending freedom to the “school authorities for any use they deem fit”. The school could maintain a bouquet of projects (for which the common fund is used), and interested alumni can pour in. New projects can be added, and the utilisation publicised, as leading academic institutions in the West do.

]]> By: ram mohan http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1344 ram mohan Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:48:02 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1344 hi sorry for joining the discussion late( very late!). i belong to the 1985 batch and we are in the midst of organising our reunion. and of course we are arranging for a fund drive. we did talk it over among ourselves and with the principal Fr varghese anikuzhy. and we feel that the need for scholarships is not that pressing. the funds could be used in other, more effective ways. i agree that using LOBA to channel the funds is not the best way to do it. and having each batch create its own fund and then try to use it is pretty ineffective. what would be really great would be if everyone join in to create a single common account and keep topping it as each batch gets together or as and when an old student gets into the philanthropic mood. this fund could be used by the school authorities for any use that they deem fit. the amount will be much larger and so it can be used better. it would be nice if we can set aside any ego issues and join in - it makes little sense to have a separate fund just to placate our egos-" our batch did this". anyone interested? hi
sorry for joining the discussion late( very late!).
i belong to the 1985 batch and we are in the midst of organising our reunion. and of course we are arranging for a fund drive. we did talk it over among ourselves and with the principal Fr varghese anikuzhy. and we feel that the need for scholarships is not that pressing. the funds could be used in other, more effective ways.
i agree that using LOBA to channel the funds is not the best way to do it. and having each batch create its own fund and then try to use it is pretty ineffective. what would be really great would be if everyone join in to create a single common account and keep topping it as each batch gets together or as and when an old student gets into the philanthropic mood. this fund could be used by the school authorities for any use that they deem fit. the amount will be much larger and so it can be used better. it would be nice if we can set aside any ego issues and join in – it makes little sense to have a separate fund just to placate our egos-” our batch did this”.
anyone interested?

]]> By: Ashok http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1262 Ashok Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:56:51 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1262 Thomas, thank you for adding to the discussion here. How do you ensure that the school takes in poor students? What if the child drops out -- will the school admit another person? Can a poor child cope with the rest of the class, socially? I am not trying to pour cold water...just curious to know how you guys tackled (or plan to tackle) such basic issues. In Loyola's case, I've felt that raising money is not very difficult, once the cause identified is just/fair. Thomas, thank you for adding to the discussion here. How do you ensure that the school takes in poor students? What if the child drops out — will the school admit another person? Can a poor child cope with the rest of the class, socially? I am not trying to pour cold water…just curious to know how you guys tackled (or plan to tackle) such basic issues.

In Loyola’s case, I’ve felt that raising money is not very difficult, once the cause identified is just/fair.

]]> By: Thomas K Vaidhyan http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1261 Thomas K Vaidhyan Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:12:17 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1261 Ashok, Anish, Your blog kinda hit on the spot as did your comments Anish. We had similar questions and concerns as we went about raising the corpus. However, altough we have a legal document/Charter in place signed off by the School ultimately even if it is used for some other purpose it will be for the good of the School, which we all cherish anyways ! We did investigate quite deeply into why the LOBA scholarships were unused - primarily because it was announced within the school rather than without. Luckily we were able to raise the said amount and hand over the check to Fr.Principal and hopefully as they have promised the school will identify suitable folks and get it rolling and if not we have a plan B in place to reach out to the local community tapping into the reach of the Loyola College's sociology program to ensure that deserving children get it. However like you both pointed out the decision to go it alone and do it ourselves was also with he hope that others would follow sit or better these " not so innovative" ideas. Indeed the school seems to lack a comprehension about the tremendous leverage it could have by tapping into its vast and versatile alumni network but then again it could be for folks like us to show them things like this can happen ! Believe me I am not surprised that it took 3 years for you to get that scholarship going or that St.Thomas guys dropped it ( considering the negativism that one runs into ) but it is efforts like this which will spur on at least a few to swim against the tides and start and set new trends in place. So let us get it rolling guys and I and quite a few like minded guys like me will be glad to support any such coordinated efforts that we can all put into action together. For the time being though - we are spent ! Ashok, Anish,

Your blog kinda hit on the spot as did your comments Anish. We had similar questions and concerns as we went about raising the corpus. However, altough we have a legal document/Charter in place signed off by the School ultimately even if it is used for some other purpose it will be for the good of the School, which we all cherish anyways !

We did investigate quite deeply into why the LOBA scholarships were unused – primarily because it was announced within the school rather than without. Luckily we were able to raise the said amount and hand over the check to Fr.Principal and hopefully as they have promised the school will identify suitable folks and get it rolling and if not we have a plan B in place to reach out to the local community tapping into the reach of the Loyola College’s sociology program to ensure that deserving children get it.

However like you both pointed out the decision to go it alone and do it ourselves was also with he hope that others would follow sit or better these ” not so innovative” ideas. Indeed the school seems to lack a comprehension about the tremendous leverage it could have by tapping into its vast and versatile alumni network but then again it could be for folks like us to show them things like this can happen !

Believe me I am not surprised that it took 3 years for you to get that scholarship going or that St.Thomas guys dropped it ( considering the negativism that one runs into ) but it is efforts like this which will spur on at least a few to swim against the tides and start and set new trends in place.

So let us get it rolling guys and I and quite a few like minded guys like me will be glad to support any such coordinated efforts that we can all put into action together. For the time being though – we are spent !

]]> By: Ashok http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1249 Ashok Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:54:50 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1249 Anish, thank you for clarifying. Voluntary alumni orgs too are susceptible to falling into the hands of the self-serving, diversion of funds to less-justified activities, not-so-holy practices, etc. Hope the 81 Society gives us a positive example to speak of in the years to come. Anish, thank you for clarifying. Voluntary alumni orgs too are susceptible to falling into the hands of the self-serving, diversion of funds to less-justified activities, not-so-holy practices, etc. Hope the 81 Society gives us a positive example to speak of in the years to come.

]]> By: Anish Mathew - Class of 81 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1248 Anish Mathew - Class of 81 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:36:44 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1248 Ashok, a co-ordinated approach might be the way forward but for it to be successful the school would have to provide some strict undertakings. The reason why our batch decided to administer the scheme on our own rather than through the school is that we did not feel comfortable entrusting the money to the padre. Not because we were worried about the money being siphoned off but more that we felt that all of it might not be strictly used for the purpose it was intended for. Ashok, a co-ordinated approach might be the way forward but for it to be successful the school would have to provide some strict undertakings. The reason why our batch decided to administer the scheme on our own rather than through the school is that we did not feel comfortable entrusting the money to the padre. Not because we were worried about the money being siphoned off but more that we felt that all of it might not be strictly used for the purpose it was intended for.

]]> By: Ashok http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1246 Ashok Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:28:43 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1246 Anish, glad to hear of the 1981 batch's scholarship scheme. Certainly, more initiatives are welcome. Wonder whether other batches too have set up scholarship Funds. Duplication of efforts, unplanned efforts, etc. -- I feel school and society (and alumni!) will be happier with a bit more co-ordination. Anish, glad to hear of the 1981 batch’s scholarship scheme. Certainly, more initiatives are welcome. Wonder whether other batches too have set up scholarship Funds. Duplication of efforts, unplanned efforts, etc. — I feel school and society (and alumni!) will be happier with a bit more co-ordination.

]]> By: Anish Mathew - Class of 81 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/2009/08/15/batch-1984-sets-an-example/comment-page-1/#comment-1245 Anish Mathew - Class of 81 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:52:10 +0000 http://www.ashok.loyolites.com/?p=210#comment-1245 Kudos to the 84 batch for launching these initiatives. You are right, Ashok, in that some of these may not survive the test of time. However these are definitely steps in the right direction and should be appreciated and encouraged. Even our batch, post the "Back to school" event in 06, launched a scholarship fund (LOBA 81 Education & Charitable Society) for funding economically disadvantaged students studying or wishing to study in Loyola. It took 2 years to set it up and accumulate a reasonable corpus (currently Rs3.5 lakhs). I am very happy to report that beginning this academic year, we have started sponsoring one student and are currently in the process of finalising the sponsorship of two more deserving candidates. Fr Edassery (curent V.P.) has been most helpful in identifying these candidates for us. Just to put this in perspective - The St Thomas 81 alumni, post their gettogether in 06, had announced a similar initiative for helping their old teachers financially. I recently learnt from one of them that the intiative has been dropped due to lack of response when it came to contribution time. Like you pointed out, such initiatives are easy to announce and difficult to implement. Many will fall by the wayside but then the few that succeed make the effort really worthwhile for the proponents and the beneficiaries. So, more the merrier in my view. Kudos to the 84 batch for launching these initiatives. You are right, Ashok, in that some of these may not survive the test of time. However these are definitely steps in the right direction and should be appreciated and encouraged.

Even our batch, post the “Back to school” event in 06, launched a scholarship fund (LOBA 81 Education & Charitable Society) for funding economically disadvantaged students studying or wishing to study in Loyola. It took 2 years to set it up and accumulate a reasonable corpus (currently Rs3.5 lakhs). I am very happy to report that beginning this academic year, we have started sponsoring one student and are currently in the process of finalising the sponsorship of two more deserving candidates. Fr Edassery (curent V.P.) has been most helpful in identifying these candidates for us.

Just to put this in perspective – The St Thomas 81 alumni, post their gettogether in 06, had announced a similar initiative for helping their old teachers financially. I recently learnt from one of them that the intiative has been dropped due to lack of response when it came to contribution time.

Like you pointed out, such initiatives are easy to announce and difficult to implement. Many will fall by the wayside but then the few that succeed make the effort really worthwhile for the proponents and the beneficiaries. So, more the merrier in my view.

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