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82 years young! Yes, that's what the day
proclaimed --- 11th December, from a humble beginning in 1924,
International Club today is a vibrant body touching the lives of
those who believes in the proverbial < second home >.
It could not have been a better setting, on the
morning of 11th, under an azure sky, for our president, Amlan Raha
to set the proceedings rolling. Monday morning notwithstanding, a
motley crowd had gathered at 9.30 am, to be part of the brief but
crisp agenda. Swami Satyamayananda of Advaita Ashram began the
invocation, praying for Peace for Humanity. He reminded us of the
Values of Love, Compassion which are perpetual and also universal.
Man is not an island and as he interacts in society, the values
come out. The less initiated, who are chasing money and fame must
remember that these values constantly change and cannot help in
one’s refinement. The words of wisdom, it is certain, made the
audience ponder for a while and pick up a thought or two for
facing the world with renewed confidence because experiences of
the sentient self are seen as illusionary and inconsequential for
true happiness and meaningful life.
The chief guest of the function, Neil O Brien,
educationist, former member of parliament ,a doyen of the Anglo
Indian community and also the Father of Quizzing, dwelled upon the
origin of the <Club > , which is an inheritance from the <Raj >
much like our Educational System and Legislation. Man, being the
social self that he is, has to divide life between Duties, Leisure
and Pleasure. He highlighted that the cultural values should never
be compromised and one should not do something one is not
comfortable with. He also reminded us about the significance of
Flag hoisting which instills a sense of duty and commitment for
the country (and at a micro level, for the club).
The President and the Secretary Jayajit Biswas
shared their vision about the club briefly, in their addresses.
The morning function came to a close with the serving of breakfast
and the day melted sooner than usual into the mellow evening. ,
which saw a complete transformation of the tennis court arena into
a fantasy world with this year’s innovative lighting. The subtle
ambience thus created was just the right one for the evening
<Birthday > ritual of candle lit dinner and dance.
Derek Fernandes, like earlier years enthralled
the members with soft numbers encouraging them to saunter to the
dance floor. The excellent continental dinner which followed
brought down the curtains to one of the most enjoyable evening of
the club calendar
To sum up, taking forward the views of Neil O
Brien, people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones
with most credentials, the most money or perhaps the most awards,
they are the ones who care and share. That is what clubbing is
about. Long Live IC.
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Something
in the air this night. The last-day-of-the-year bash has
really been getting better by the year, year after year.
The 2004 New Year's bash was a real blast. The
electrifying ambience was created with psychedelic &
laser lights, fireworks, 8000 watts of sound. The
country's only Latino Band Orient Express with a
rollicking performance by a young, energetic, bubbly DJ
Gaurav it couldn't have been better. The pre function
publicity through advertising in Times of India, Radio
Mirchi 98.3 FM ( official radio partners ), mailers and
word of mouth caught the city like fire. An overwhelming
response from members and their guests was received in the
form of a turnout of 750 persons. Bookings had to be
closed after this and around 100 to 150 persons had to
return disappointed. The show carried on till 3 am with
the crowd still wanting more. A lavish late night dinner
spread was something people spoke about till many days
later. A special note of appreciation must go to our
member Mr. Rudra Sen for his untiring help and
co-operation.
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