March 10, 2010
Summary report on the first year of the Publican Alumni Trust, 2009-2010
Dear fellow Publicans,
Salaams & greetings.
1. On 29th January 2010, the Publican Alumni Trust completed one year of its formal, legal existence. On 16th February 2010, the first Board of Trustees and the Advisory Council completed the first year of their tenures.
2. At the previous meeting of the Board, the under-signed identified the following elements of work rendered by PAT in its first year.
It was resolved to share this information with all Publicans.
3. During a year in which conditions in Pakistan, including Karachi, on several occasions, were volatile and violent, PAT was able to maintain an active and purposeful programme. All our efforts focussed on providing benefits to the 1200 students of the 2 successor Schools and several dozen teachers.
4. With humility and with a little pride, we can confidently claim that PAT is possibly the only alumni association in our country which, in its first year alone, has set such a pace of work in difficult conditions.
5. On behalf of all members of PAT, and on behalf of all Publicans, the under-signed records sincere thanks for your valuable moral and financial support which inspired and enabled us to complete the first year.
6. The under-signed also thanks all Trustees and members of PAT for their generous contribution of time and resources to our work.
7. As we begin the second year, we are in the process of requesting the Directorate in Rawalpindi to consider formalizing the co-operation with PAT through a written Memorandum of Understanding. Such a document will ensure that, regardless of changes of personnel at the Directorate or of office-bearers at PAT, medium-term and long-term projects will be sustained and strengthened with the sole purpose of promoting excellence in education.
8. While the time we give to our voluntary work is priceless, funding support is also vitally needed to maintain the momentum and to expand our work. Two-thirds of funds received are sought to be invested in an Endowment Fund and one-third is being used for on-going programmes.
9. Looking forward to your continued interest and increased support,
With best wishes,
Javed Jabbar
Chairman
PAT
Summary report on PAT's first year Feb. 2009 - Feb.2010
The following activities were undertaken in the past 12 months:
(i) Pre-formation phase: Drafting of Trust Deed and its registration on 29.01.2009.
(ii) Composition of the first Board of Trustees and first Advisory Council.
Board of Trustees:
1. Khawaja Fariduddinn
2. Zaffar Ahmed Khan
3. Shirley Hyder Valika
4. Khalid Zaki
5. Nighat Mir
6. Sabiha Parvez
7. Ashraf Kapadia
8. Zohair Ashir
9. Atiqur Rahman
10. Shamim Riaz
11. Raju Jameel
12. Saeed Khalid
13. Tahir Sadiq
14. Tariq Siddiqui
15. Javed Jabbar
Advisory Council:
1. Shahid Karimullah
2. Choudhry Arshad Iqbal
3. Nudrat Alvi
4. Masroor Afreedi
Note: in mid-2009, on the resignation of Raju Jameel from the Board, Hussain Jameel became a Member of the Board. In November 2009, on the resignation of Ashraf Kapadia from the Board, the vacancy remains unfilled. In February, 2010, Waseem Ghani became a Member of the Advisory Council.
(iii) Drafting of Trust Rules and their adoption
(iv) Constitution of 5 Committees of the Board : for Rules, Education Programme, Fund-raising, Event Management and Internal Audit.
(v) Approximately one major activity conducted every single month, except for the vacation months.
(vi) Launch of the largest-ever scholarship programme in the 51-year history of the School, to benefit 120 students every month.
(vii) A 3-stage Teachers' capacity-building process.
(viii) 4 Distinguished Publican lectures to motivate students.
(ix) Donation of books to the 2 libraries.
(x) Impromptu Declamation Contest for boys and girls.
(xi) Impromptu Creative Writing event for boys and girls.
(xii) Compilation, editing and production of the Publican Yearbook 2009 including advertisements from Publicans and others.
(xiii) Periodic donations by Publicans and fund-raising activities resulting in a substantial amount being generated for scholarships, and for the above activities.
(xiv) 16 meetings of the Board of Trustees and the Advisory Council to plan and monitor work.
(xv) Several meetings of each of the 5 specialist Board Committees i.e. at least 20 such meetings!
(xvi) Uncounted visits by individuals to the Schools for follow-up actions an numberless phone calls!
(xvii) Visit to Senior Teacher Ms. Val D'Eramo on Christmas Eve, with gifts.
(xviii) Including the Golden Jubilee phase in 2008, and contributions received thereafter, about Rs 5 million mobilized (including Rs 720,000/- for scholarships for the first year of the 3 years committed by Bank Al Falah). Exact figures to be circulated shortly.
(xix) Visits to Mr. S. M. Siddique Sindhu sahib by Ashraf Kapadia, Waseem Ghani, Khalid Zaki and under-signed to offer respects, tokens of affection, support and best wishes during his illness and just before his tragic loss.
(xx) Reports prepared and circulated to all Publicans on each PAT project and activity.
(xxi) Tons of time devoted by all Trustees, and Members of PAT and by members of the Advisory Council. Members of PAT include Mrs. Ashraf Kapadia,
Note A: In response to requests from PAT, the F.G. Directorate arranged for the construction of new rooms for the FG Boys' Public School to enable seating of the Vice-Principal and administrative staff and improve the construction of the School canteen.
Note B: Even though a 3-member committee of Publicans was set up in the very first meeting held on 7th June 2008 to plan the Golden Jubilee events to specifically create a website, it was subsequently Ashraf Kapadia alone who single-handedly went on to create the Old Publicans website in about July 2008 that has become the instant link for all of us around the world alongwith an email list of over 700 Publicans.