Motto Knowledge our Light Established 1941 General secretary Sheel Sharma | Institution The Doon School President R. P. N. Singh | |
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Location Defence Colony, New Delhi | ||
The Doon School Old Boys' Society (often abbreviated to DSOBS) is the alumni society of The Doon School, an all-boys independent boarding school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It was founded in 1935 by Satish Ranjan Das, a Kolkata lawyer. The first president of the society was the Englishman Arthur Foot, a former master at Eton College, who became the first Headmaster at Doon.
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The society is ranked as one of the most influential old-boy networks in the world with its alumni including prominent diplomats, bureaucrats, a former Indian prime minister, writers, artists. Alumni of the school are known as Doscos and after graduating gain life-membership to the DSOBS.
History
Although the society met ever since the first batch of 1935 graduated, it was not until 1955 that record-keeping began. Arthur Foot passed the reins to the second headmaster of Doon J.A.K. Martyn. After Martyn's retirement, Surender Kandhari became the first 'old boy' president of the society. The society is officially recognised through memorandum of association under Indian Societies Registration Act.
Dosco Register
John Martyn introduced the 'Dosco Register' before his retirement in 1970. It was to include the details of every Doon School Old Boy, Dosco, graduated ever since the school opened in 1935. With the fourth edition recently published, it is still in print today. The register is continually updated.
Rose Bowl
Named after the Greek-styled amphitheatre on campus, Rose Bowl is the magazine for alumni of The Doon School. It is distributed to about 4,000 Doscos around the world. Articles cover news about the alumni (births, deaths, obituaries), subjects such as current affairs, history, literature as well as the school itself. Contributors have included many Doon School alumni from different walks of life, such as the writer Amitav Ghosh, Kobad Ghandy.
In the February 2014 issue, prominent Doscos wrote in the newsletter vouching for release of Kobad Ghandy who has been imprisoned for four years without a single conviction. The incident was reported by The Times of India.
Purpose
Today the society plays an important role in keeping ex-Doscos in touch with one another. There are currently some 5,000 members worldwide. It regularly organizes sports and social events for the alumni body around the world. Places outside India which host regular Dosco meet-ups include: London, Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney. While in India, they are: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Jaipur and Dehradun.
Fundraising
The society also raises funds for educational, philanthropic and charitable causes. Recent campaigns have included the Uttarakhand Disaster Relief Initiative, part of the relief effort for 2013 North India floods.