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Rotary
Club of Calcutta |
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Annual Children's Treat |
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Our
longest service project |
THE ANNUAL CHILDREN’S TREAT
Of
The Rotary Club of Calcutta
It all started in December 1925. The Rotary
Club of Calcutta met for their Regular Tuesday Luncheon Meeting at the Grand
Hotel. Rows of members' cars parked in front of the hotel awaited their owners'
return. Throngs of street urchins hovered around them ready to beg for an anna
or two.
Christmas was approaching and the sight of these children moved one of the
members deeply. Next week our club bulletin, "The Chaka" of November 17, 1925,
carried a letter signed by "a non-vocal Rotarian". It read that some 20 or more
cars could usually be seen outside the Grand Hotel at Rotary tiffin time on
Tuesdays and went on to suggest that in the winter season how nice it would be
if these same cars could line up outside a children's orphanage or Old Peoples'
Home for the purpose of taking as many of the inmates as the cars could
accommodate for a drive to Barrackpore, or the Botanical Gardens. It added that
if the car owners or other Rotarians could spare a few Rupees, perhaps the wives
of the Rotarians could arrange tea for the unfortunate children.
This proposal appealed to the members so much that a committee was formed
forthwith and on December 28, 1925 some 200 poor children from five institutions
in Calcutta were collected by Rotarians and their wives, driven to the Chandpal
Ghat Jetty and taken across the river to the Botanical Gardens. After a day's
feasting and sports, the children were driven back to their orphanages. Thus was
born the famed Annual Children's Treat of the Rotary Club of Calcutta - the
longest running community service programme of the club.
The number of children and institutions has gradually increased but the format
has remained the same. They are picked up by transport arranged by the club, are
escorted by the accompanying Rotaractors and Interactors (Rotary's Youth Wing),
given breakfast on the bus, taken to the venue, given a colourful Rotary vest
and cap, are entertained, served a hot lunch by the wives and children of
Rotarians, given a packet of gifts and escorted back to their homes.
The venue has shifted from time to time. The National Library Campus at Bevedere,
Body Guard Lines, Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, Fort William and presently the Nicco
Park premises. The biggest gathering so far was 2500.
The morning session is one of fun and games. In the past an enormous variety of
sports have been organized but presently with the plethora of choices at the
Nicco Park, the children are supplied with a book of tickets and asked to choose
their own rides.The noon session is one of lunch and relaxation. It is a
wonderful sight to see more than two thousand children in their colourful
dresses sitting around in neat groups having a picnic. The afternoon is one of
entertainment. A British Circus team came once, Usha Uthhup had sung for us,
there was once a foreign mime group, M. F. Hussein had paid us a visit. But the
one constant feature has been a magic show.
And then it is time to go back in the buses that brought them in the morning.
Each child receives a bag of gifts and there is something for their institutions
as well. Tired but happy, with a glow in the hearts of the receivers and givers.
Waiting one more year for their "Day of Sunshine" - exactly as it was envisioned
81 years ago.
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