Page 23 - Demo

THE REVIEW
JANUARY’19-JUNE’19 23
Day 7 - Sunday – 13th January 2019 THANKSGIVING MASS
The final event of the Reunion was held
at one of the most popular tourist sites
in Chennai – the magnificent St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica (Santhome). Originally built by the Portuguese in the 16th century over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle,
it has gone through several major changes over the centuries, but still stands imposing today. The Mass was con-celebrated by
the visiting Bishop of Wichita Kansas, along with Rev. Brent Otto SJ and two Indian priests who serve in the Bishop’s diocese. The church was packed to capacity and along with the fabulous choir, made
for a spiritually uplifting service and a memorable finale to Reunion.
On Monday 14th January we said our goodbyes to most of the attendees who were leaving Chennai – many headed
for secondary vacations in other parts
of India. Lynn and I joined the Reunion group of approximately 120 people that departed the same morning for a 3-day visit to Vailankanni and Pondicherry. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, including the very entertaining dinner-dance on day 2 in the Pondicherry Sunway Manor Hotel.
In the course of the Reunion, I heard complaints about the tardiness in adhering to prescribed timelines - e.g. a planned 3-hour event, typically morphed into 5 or
6 hours! In a light-hearted moment, one of the organizers said we should just chalk it up to IST (Indian Stretchable Time)! Also, the lack of decent toilets in St. George’s School, was positively a sore spot for most
musician Bruce Lee.
The signature event of the Reunion was unquestionably the Grand Ball and fittingly, it was held at the opulent ITC Grand Chola Hotel. I was awestruck by the grandeur
of the facility both inside and out. The
main dance hall bedecked in its finery,
would compete with the best around the world and as you would expect, this event draws the largest attendance (estimated at 900+). According to the Reunion website, there were in excess of 300 international attendees, which would imply about 500 or so from India – very impressive indeed!
All the ladies and gents were suitably dressed to the nines, which complemented the very elegant setting. We were treated
to two complimentary drinks each and delicious hors d’oeuvres were served throughout the early evening. ‘The Blue Note’ did an outstanding job of keeping people jiving and hopping on the dance
floor all night long. The dinner meal was
as impressive as the facility, an array of delectable Indian cuisine and desserts that kept beckoning you back for seconds! As the evening moved along, it was interesting to observe a large younger generation (mainly locals) pretty much take over the dance
floor. A delightful evening that positively far exceeded my wife’s and my expectations. We have attended eight global Reunions and I would rank this event somewhere among the top – overall a very classy and entertaining presentation!
Friends and families from all over the world danced the night away at the glittering finalé – great music and a festive spirit brought everyone to their feet, and they were happy to rub shoulders with the best at the magical evening of The Grand Ball!
women and I expect some men as well.
From my perspective, unless you have been personally involved in hosting a Reunion, most do not appreciate the challenges the organizers face, especially when dealing with the complexities of a global event of this size. There are cost constraints, capacity considerations and having to make decisions months in advance, without the benefit of attendance numbers.
This usually translates into some ‘hiccups’ and I ask... which Reunion has not had its share of them? When you step back and look at the big picture, we had a superb
Meet & Greet, a very professional and entertaining Variety Show, a thoroughly enjoyable Jam Session on the waterfront, topped off by probably one of the best Grand Balls. Interspersed with these premier events, there was an excellent forum for dialogue, discussion and celebration around our unique heritage, which all combined, made for a highly successful Reunion.
A big ‘Thank You’ to the convenor Harry MacLure, his equally involved wife, Jillian, and his magnificent team which included Richard O’Connor, Leeza Harris, Allan Coyne, Dorothy Coyne, Donovin Moses, Wilfred Rozario, Loftus Callanan, Barbara Callanan, Ronilla Long, and Sivaraj Dee.
You should feel very proud for a job well done – your hard work and sacrifice allowed us to thoroughly enjoy a superb Reunion in Chennai!
Peter Lovery is the President of The Anglo- Indian Association, Canada, and can be contacted at: palovery@gmail. com
This article is courtesy Anglos In The Wind