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Observance of HPS’ 40th

anniversary in 1999.

May 24, 1999.

Mr. Anwar Abbas

As decided at the Tenth Development Committee meeting held on May 20, 1999, I give below a concept note on the observance of the School’s 40th. anniversary.

1. Attached please find a brief note on the School as background information about the high-points of the School during the past 40 years, as prepared for the House of Habib for one of their publication.

2. Not only is 40 years an important landmark in the life of an Institution it is necessary to observe this anniversary because the School did nothing on the occasion of the 25th. anniversary, except bringing out some dull and uninteresting picture postcards for sale to the students of the School on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee in 1984.

3. The philosophy behind observing a landmark of the Institution is to evaluate where we have reached in the fulfillment of the vision of the founding fathers, have a critical and in-depth look at our performances and discover the areas which we need to embark upon to give greater meaning to quality education which is consistent with the needs of the time, particularly on the threshold of the new millennium.

4.. Therefore, it is recommended that the theme of the celebrations and observance should be : COMMITMENT TO ALL-ROUND EDUCATION, 1959-99 AND ONWARDS TO THE 21ST. CENTURY.

5. The objective of the celebrations is to acquaint the public with the different aspects of Habib Public School education and to create a platform where the present and past students, parents and teachers, management and workers can come together to re-dedicate themselves to the cause of HPS education, as envisaged by the founding fathers.

6. The Committee which may oversee the arrangements for the observance of the 40th. anniversary could include, if considered appropriate, the following persons:

Mr. Muslim R. Habib Chairman

Mr. Mazher Jumani

Mr. Murtaza H. Habib

Mr. Ali S. Habib

Mr. M.H.Habib

Mr. Nazim H. Haji

Mr. Iqbal Ahmed Secretary

7. Following events could constitute the Fortieth Anniversary celebrations:

a) Parents’ Day of the type organised in 1995, coupled with students’ work exhibition, albeit of a better quality. The entry to the function could be through the sale of cards @ Rs. 100 each to parents, old students etc. Going by the response of the last Parents’ Day we can easily sell about 3000 cards raising Rs, 300,000 which is more than enough to meet the cost of arrangements, lights, stage, decor, seating etc.

b) All Pakistan Inter-School English and Urdu debates which are being organised every year for the past eight years can be timed to be a part of the overall celebration.

c) A full-day devoted to sporting events which can include Past and Present Students Hockey and Basket-ball matches and end with a Swimming Gala to be participated in by the old and present students with proper lighting and seating arrangements. The sports matches can be preceded by a PT display, march-past by cadet-corp, band display and Gymnastic show at a special morning assembly to be organised that day and to which the old students, former principals and old teachers, besides Trustees, would be invited as special guests.

d) “Down memory lane” would be the day on which the old students will be invited to spend a full day in the School just like other students to attend classes, have the mid-day meal and participate in games and sports. On this day we can inaugurate some societies and clubs like photography, carpentry, clay modelling and ceramics, environment society and social service league about which we have been talking about but have never got down to implementing with sufficient seriousness which makes our claim of all-round education and exposure to ALL students to co-curricular activities, a mere hollow claim.

e) A per plate fund raising dinner on the School ground open to old students, their spouses, teachers -past and present with spouses, Trustees etc. The dinner can have live music either by Ali Haider, an old Habibian, or classical/instrumental music and for that evening the ground can be turned into a fairy land with lights and decorations etc.

f) Following mementos can be developed as 40th. anniversary souvenirs:

Tie pins, cuff-links, Coffee Mugs, desk clocks, ties, pens, souvenir hockey sticks with signatures of all national colour holders belonging to Habib Public School.

g) The 40th. Anniversary Committee can take the responsibility of developing ground No. 3 for proper sports activities, if feasible by constructing a couple of tennis courts on Ground No.3 or a squash court on the area alongside the Nala and dedicating it to the students as the 40th. Anniversary gift to them.

h) Bringing out 2 or 4 page newspaper supplements in the DAWN, the News and Jang with articles on HPS, Habib Education Trust and by old students. This is always a self financing venture through advertising.

i) Bringing out the HABIBIAN with focus both on the present and past students and articles from both.

j) As part of the 40th. anniversary the Habib Public School’s swimming team is proceeding to India on a Goodwill Tour visiting Delhi, Ajmer, Gwalior, Aligarh and Lucknow to participate in dual and open swimming championships against schools, colleges, universities and clubs. It may be recalled that, in December 1997, the HPS Hockey Team visited India which was called, on the advice of Mr. Mazher Jumani, as a Goodwill Tour. The team met the then Indian PM and received extensive coverage through the print and electronic media in India. In the words of Mr. Itteqa Husain Zaidi, Secretary KHA, “Habib Public School boys earned a very good name for Pakistan, never before achieved by any Pakistani team whether professional or non-professional.”

Since the per head contribution of Rs. 5000 from each swimmer will be inadequate to meet the cost of air-fare, internal transport and board and lodging in India, it is requested that the Habib group companies should come forward with their contributions to raise the fund of approximately Rs. 2.50 lakhs for the tour. It may also be necessary for HET to contribute on behalf of the financially deprived members of the team.

(Anwar Abbas)

Administrator