?Golfing out? officers?

ARMY IS one place where traditions are followed to the book. A unique tradition followed in the Army units here when commandants of the three institutions namely Infantry School, Army War College and Military College of Telecommunication Engineering go on postings is the ?Golfing out? ceremony.

ARMY IS one place where traditions are followed to the book. A unique tradition followed in the Army units here when commandants of the three institutions namely Infantry School, Army War College and Military College of Telecommunication Engineering go on postings is the ‘Golfing out’ ceremony.

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Though not many are sure about its origin, veteran Army officials here say the British started it in Mhow. And now, it is said to being followed in other military stations too.

While a normal farewell party is given to the commandants going on postings, the golfing ceremony is organised to bid farewell to the members of golf club. All three commandants of Mhow institutions are patrons of the Army Golf Course because of which the golfing out ceremony of any of the commandants assumes special significance. A small competition is held where the officials not only get to play but also discuss official matters.

For records sake, on Sunday the golfing out ceremony was held for Army War College commandant Lt Gen Milan Lalitkumar Naidu at the Army Golf Course. Lt Gen Naidu has since gone on posting as GOC-in-C of the Army Training Command.

The competition was held in two categories — above 55 years and below 55. MCTE officiating commandant Maj Gen G S Aulukh was the winner in the above 55 category was the winner while Air Marshal Masand was the runner-up.

In the below 55 category, Col P Bhanot won the match while Col A K Bose won the longest drive event of the competition. In the ladies putting match, Niharika Naidu was the winner.

Infantry School Commandant Lt Gen Satyevir Yadav, Lt Gen Vijay Madan (retd), Lt Gen Sher Amir Singh (retd), Brig Sivinder Singh and a large number of officers were present at the programme.

Rocking it out…
TALKING ABOUT tradition, this year during the New Year eve celebrations, the Defence Services Officers Institute (DSOI) organised a function with a slight departure from the past. The Institute of retired and serving officers of the Army, Air Force and Navy organised a New Year bash in which more than 2,000 officers and their families participated. Though the actual programme was to start at 9 pm, officers started coming in by 7.30 pm.

This year, the main attraction was DJ Jayesh Wadhwani of Indore, who made the people dance on the tunes of old melodies and rock music. The programme started with Tambola followed by lucky draw and rock dance. DSOI in-charge Col D S Mankoo said everyone participated in the events. However, what did not go unnoticed was the tight security arrangements inside and outside the Institute premises.

Of promises kept…
TALKING ABOUT the New Year eve and resolutions & promises, it is only fitting that the year end with the Infantry School deciding to host the Shankar Lakshman Memorial Hockey Tournament from January 16 this year. Infantry School commandant Lt Gen Satyevir Yadav had announced a few days after the demise of hockey legend Shankar Lakshman that an annual tournament would be held in his honour.

Major Joydeep Mukherjee of 26 Maratha Light Infantry said that Lt Gen Yadav would inaugurate the stadium on January 16 as well as the hockey tourney. In all, 12 teams from Mhow, Dewas, Mandsaur and Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre would participate in the tournament. Teams of Mhow Blues, Young Boys Hockey Club, Post-Graduate Degree College, 26 Maratha LI, 15 Raj Rifles and Cadet Training Wing (CTW) of MCTE are from Mhow while the team of Maratha LI Regimental Centre is coming from Maharashtra.

While the tournament would be held as promised at the newly renamed Hon Captain Shankar Lakshman stadium, what is more important is that chief of Army staff General J J Singh has instituted a special trophy named after Shankar Lakshman, which would be presented to the winning team. Indeed, keeping the promises was one good way to bid adieu to 2006.