A function is scheduled to be held the next week, at which all doctors who have reached or passed the age of 80 years and who had worked at our institute will be felicitated, The felicitation is probably for managing to remain alive and kicking (figuratively) that long. A prerequisite was that they should have contributed to the name and fame of the institute.
"How can we decide who made such contribution and why did not?" asked the professor who was looking after the job of compilation of the list.
"Yes. We cannot discriminate. We have to send names of all who were here, and are 80 years or older today. Have they asked to mention their contributions?" I asked.
"No. Just their names, addresses, and telephone numbers."
"I hope we do not miss out anyone. It would be terribly insulting to anyone who was missed out, unintentionally though it might be” said another staff member.
“Why do they want us to send the list? Do they not have a database of all old staff members and their dates of birth? It would be a simple matter to query the
database and get a complete list." I said.
"That would be a dream as far as the civic body is concerned” said a knowledgeable person. "They cannot keep even our confidential history sheets securely, At the time of promotions, they ask for previous 'confidential reports many year's to be filled again.” That was true. One of my jobs was to keep filling our staff member's' confidential reports again and again, The job seemed to be mechanical, without regard to the fact that one could not remember back a few years, unless one was expected to write the same good things about everyone.
"Should we not felicitate any one posthumously?" asked another person. “After all, we are felicitating them for their contributions, not their ability to survive to 80, We could call their spouses or children if they are no more."
“That sounds like a good idea” said the professor who was handling our department’s list. “Unfortunately we are not asked for our suggestions, we are just expected to send a list of names and then attend the function in large number so that the auditorium would not be filled with just the people who are being felicitated.”
“Ha! As if the invitees would notice who were attnding, what with problems of vision and perception that visit people at that age” said a cynic. I would probably never know, because I might not make that age, or they may not felicitate us at that time, the whole thing depending on who was at helm of the institute at that time.
“But is it a pure felicitation function, or is it to remind these people that they might do something for the institute, like a donation?” said the cynic.
“Or bequeath something to the institute in their wills?” said another person, who was an advanced cynic.
That sounded possible. Whenever schools or social organizations invite people as their chief guests, the usually expect fancy donations.
“That sounds possible” said another person. “Even the federation of practitioners of our specialty offers chairmanship of scientific sessions to people who can raise 25000 INR for the conduct of the annual conference” said a professor who was once connected with the federation, but later fell out from it. Perhaps this was the reason for that falling out, I thought.
“No body gives money to the institute like that” said the cynic. “Did the past students who were invited for a get-together when our institute turned 80 give anything?”
“No” I admitted. “They just gorged on the free snacks, made speeches, and went away feeling good. Some of them made promises, which are unfulfilled five years later.”
“Or has one of the previous head of a department whose farewell party had gone on for three days given anything to the institute?”
”Not a dime” I admitted. “But there must be no harm in trying. Even if 5% of the invitees make donations, it may be worth while.”
