Page 22 - Demo

22 JANUARY’19-JUNE’19
THE REVIEW
Mr. Gordon Maher.
CONTEMPORARY ANGLO-INDIAN RESEARCH
The afternoon session was dedicated to Contemporary Anglo-Indian Research. This group has been jointly led by the esteemed Dr. Robyn Andrews and Rev. Brent Howitt Otto since 2013. Research workshops have run alongside the Reunion programme since 2010 and there is a commitment by
the Federation to make them an integral part of the Reunion agenda going forward. Each speaker shared projects they are currently working on. The participants included: Ms. Maria Fitzgerald, Dr. Cheryl- Ann Shivan, Ms. Dorothy McMenamin, Dr. Uther Charlton-Stevens, Ms. Anitha Iris, Dr. Rochelle Almeida, Rev. Brent Otto, Dr. Robyn Andrews and Dr. Denzil Godin.
rice, ball curry, hells flame chutney and papads, which positively hit the spot. We were back at the hotel by 4:30 p.m. and were told we had to be dressed and ready in the lobby for the next event by 5 p.m.!
JAM SESSION
The evening Jam Session at the MGM Dizzee World (yes, you read right!) amusement park, hotel and entertainment complex,
was a grand affair. We entered the grounds at sunset, the warm breeze from the ocean evident and the colourful covered area combined to enhance the overall ambience. Returning as MC for the evening was the talented Felix Daly. The band ‘Ground Zero’, comprising local Anglo-Indian youth, was fabulous and the dance pad was busy all night. There were snacks, drinks and food galore (including barbecued masala fish!) and I am guessing that this would have been the highlight event for most who
attended.
Day 5 - Friday – 11th January 2019
ANGLO-INDIAN TORCHBEARERS
I had good intentions of attending these sessions at the Ambassador Pallava Hotel, but while the spirit was willing, the body was weak. My stomach was acting up and I think I had ‘hit the wall’ so to speak, with the hectic schedule.
I understand that the morning session saw prominent Anglo- Indian torchbearers sharing their thoughts and experiences. They were Dr. Oscar C. Nigli,
Dr. Charles Dias, Dr. Beatrix D’Souza, Ms. Christine Lazarus, Ms. Ursula Fosberry, Mr Joe Bailey, Mr Colin Fitzgerald and
Day 6 - Saturday – 12th January 2019
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION AGM
The Federation AGM held at St. George’s School in the morning, played to a pretty full house
of 100+ people. The President
of the Federation, Mr. Gordon Maher, did an outstanding job moderating the meeting, as well as keeping a tight rein on the scheduled timelines. Among the key outcomes
of the meeting included the election of vacancies on the Executive Committee (Mr. Gordon Maher re-elected as President, Dr. Charles Dias appointed as Vice President and Mr. Colin Fitzgerald re-elected as Secretary). Secondly, Mr.
Joe Bailey’s proposal to host
the next Reunion in Canberra in 2022 was unanimously approved by the
Federation Board. I was personally delighted to hear Mr. Barry O’Brien, President- in-Chief of The All-India Anglo-Indian Association, indicate that his organization would make a formal submission to join the International Federation. When this comes to pass, the International Federation will truly be representative of our global Anglo- Indian community (international and across India), allowing meaningful discussions of issues affecting our global community. This would positively be a momentous milestone for our community!
THE GRAND BALL
Dressed to kill, Anglo-Indians from across the globe turned up at The Grand Ball
held at Hotel ITC Grand Chola. The Band in attendance was ‘The Blue Note’ led by none other than the Chennai-based popular