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Goa - Suvarna Mitra Milan 2008-09, the National TRF Alumni Reunion for zone 5 & 6A organized by RID 3170 and hosted by RC Panaji, Goa was held on the 18th and 19th October 2008. The event attracted TRF alumni from the various corners of the country as well a galaxy of Rotarians coming from RI D 2980, 3020,3150,3050,3080,3140,3190,3230 and 3291.apart from R I Dist.3170

The evening of the 18th was spent by the alumni, informally grouping themselves according to their respective TRF Alumni classification under the chairmanship of senior TRF alumni, mostly past District Governors, who guided the discussions on some important issues such as, are TRF alumni being involved in rotary activities? How can clubs and the District improve their contacts and relationships with TRF Alumni? How to generate interest amongst TRF Alumni to participate in Rotary? What are the motivating/demotivating factors for TRF Alumni to join Rotary? and what are the areas in which TRF Alumni and clubs can work together? 

The break-out sessions were followed by an evening of fellowship intended for alumni to renew contacts, to revive friendships, to recall the good times shared, to review individual achievements and development after the program and to resolve to give back in some measure to communities to make them better places to live in. 

The morning of the 19th began with an inaugural session with the purpose of the Meet by RFAC PDG Alagappan with a the key note address on ‘Let us make use of the rich resource of TRF to make dreams real’ delivered by the chief guest PDG Gulam Vahanvaty, Advisor to TRF Alumni Committee, followed by the plenary sessions on ‘Alumni-the forgotten assets of Rotary’ chaired by PDG K. Soma Sundar Sai, RID 3020 and consisting of presentations by panelists Ms. Roda B. Billimoria, an Ambassadorial Scholar from RID 3140 and Rotary Volunteer Rtn.Raj Ghuman and ‘Rotary and World Peace’ chaired by PDG Gulam Vahanvaty, who also explained the role and objectives of the Rotary Centres for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolutions. He also invited TRF Alumni present at the event to experience  the International TRF Alumni Reunion scheduled to be held in Birmingham, U.K. in June 2009 and requested Rtn. Aandhi Shah, herself an alumnus(RID3291) to recount her experiences from the last international Alumni Reunion held in Los Angeles, U.S.A. Rotary Peace Scholar Shri. Pravin Dixit, Commissioner of Police, Nagpur, Maharashtra, made an excellent presentation on how he has implemented what he learnt as a Peace Scholar, enrolled in the Masters program in Universal Development of Peace in the Duke & North Carolina University, U.S.,

The Plenary sessions were followed by a reporting session on the deliberations of the break-out sessions by the chairmen of the respective sessions. PDG Pratap Puranik  on Rotary Volunteers. PDG Dr. Kishore Magdum  on Medicare Mission volunteer group. PDG Dr.Girish Udapudi on GSE Team Leaders. PDG V. Srinivas Gopalan on Rotary scholars and PDG Joitabhai Patel on GSE Team members .

RRFC PDG Dilip Salgaocar, Counselor, Alumni Committee, RID 3170, chaired the Open Session that followed with assistance from RFAC PDG Arun Sharma (RID 3080). Together they answered the several queries raised by the participating audience. The session ended on an extremely positive note sounded by PDG Gulam Vahanvaty when he said that Rotary does not believe in exerting any pressure on alumni to join Rotary; All Rotary asks of alumni is to remain connected and be the extension of Rotary in the community. 

The morning ended with the concluding session in which the DG Dr. Pranesh Jahagirdar summed up the proceedings of both the days and expressed satisfaction at the quality of the deliberations. He profusely thanked the participants for having spared their time to attend the programme.

The event was very well organized by Rotarians of RC Panaji under the leadership of President Rtn.Gaurish Dhond, event Chairman Rtn.Vergilio Velhoevent Secretary Rtn.Dinesh Sinari and  Dist.Chair-Alumni Rtn.Radhika Nayak.