THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The annual meeting of the College Day Association in December 1963 accepted a new constitution and changed the name of the Association to "Alumni Association:' Very briefly, the objects are to promote the social and cultural interests of the alumni, by meetings and publications, and to promote the development of the College.

The activities of the alumni association are contained in the constitution of the Alumni Association adopted in 1963 as its purposes:

1. To foster and perpetuate friendship and cooperation among the alumni through

• Publications;
• Central, regional and local alumni associations;
• Small informal group meetings of alumni;
• Visits of the members of the faculty and administration of the College to
• alumni centres;
• Maintaining an active alumni head quarters on the College campus and
• Organizing reunions on the College campus or other places and
• celebrations in alumni centres

2. To further the social, literary and cultural interests of the alumni and alumnae through the publication of articles, through functions and meetings of the associations, and in other ways.

3. To promote the interests of Madras Christian College by

• Fostering and keeping alive loyalty to the College and a continuing concern for its welfare;
• Raising funds and securing gifts for the College for special or general purposes and
• Communication with the authorities of the College on matters of mutual interest.

The Alumni and Public Relations Office, opened in the College in 1962, serves as the main Office of the Alumni Association. Presently the office at the College is called The Alumni and Public Relations Office. The Alumni and Public Relations Officer is a member of the faculty given charge of this unit as an additional responsibility. He is assisted by an Office Assistant and an Attender. The International Guest House is managed by the Alumni and Public Relations Office with an attender and a sweeper.

An Alumni Reunion, the first of its kind of the Alumni Association known as "Revival of the Spirit," was held in 1969 and is an annual feature. The Alumni notice board helps in periodic publication of the Alumni news. The Alumni Magazine "The Anchor," which was published first in 1964 and continues till date, creates interest in the Alumni and their activities. It provides a bridge between the past and the present.

The Alumni Association has chapters in the following places in India:

Anaimalai, Bangalore, Bombay, Calcutta, Chinglepet, Coimbatore, Cochin - Emakulam, Hyderabad, Kottayam, Chennai, Madurai, Nagercoil, New Delhi, Nilgiris, Salem, Trichy, Trivandrum, Thiruvella, Vellore.

Names and addresses of former students which were card-indexed initially are now computerized, and the total entries in the data bank is around twenty five thousand. The present membership details are as follows:

The Centenary of the Alumni Association was celebrated in December 1992. It was marked by an Exhibition titled, "Madras Christian College Through the Ages" and the release of postal cover in honour of Dr. William Miller, who was a Principal and also the founder of Madras Christian College Alumni Association.

The Alumni Carol Concert conducted in the month of December is an important annual event in the calendar of Chennai city.