MEMBERS' FORUM

Dear Member,

Namashkar!

It has been a pleasure for us to be part of the successful Darpan Team for some memorable programs this year. We hope that you would have enjoyed them as much as we have enjoyed doing it. Thank you very much for your constant feedback, support and encouragement.

Last year we started off with a donation of $3301 to Sewa International, for education of 10 needy children in India. This donation and some very high quality programs really gave us a boost and our sponsorship increased to all time high.

This year, with our listeners’ help, we are doing even better. So far we have donated to Sydney Jain Mandal ($250), Sri Shiva Mandir ($501) and Sewa International ($1650). Thanks to our creative Broadcasting Team, we launched our web site http://www.darpanradio.org.au/ in November 2001. The website is being improved continuously. This year we also utilised this website inter-actively with the listeners by running a number of “Pahelies” on our shows, with excellent response. We now have more than 250 listeners on our email list. Please add your details also on our website if you have not done it yet.

We interviewed a large number of dignitaries and provided a lot of useful information to listeners. We also interviewed our youth who achieved excellent results in High School this year. It is heartening to note that increasingly, the children are getting interested in Hindi and are doing very well in High School Exams. Some of them are able to pass their two units Hindi with high marks in year 10 or 11 itself, giving them advantage of having more time to study other subjects in year 12.

We also intend to start publishing our Magazine with your support and help. Please send us your articles, poems, etc. We would like to publish them on our web site and our forthcoming issue of "Darpan Patrika". As we do not have the luxury of a Hindi font and related expertise yet, the Magazine's first issue will be in English.

We would like you to continue to support us and encourage us for many more years to come. We therefore ask you to show us your continued interest and support by renewing your membership for the last financial year 2001-02. The renewal fee as discussed and decided by the Darpan Executive Committee is $20. Please arrange to send the membership renewal fee to our mailing address by the 1st day of the Hindu New Year, Chaitra Mahine ke Shukla Packsha ki Pratipada, Vikrami Samvat 2060, Kaliyuga, Yugabdha 5105, 2 April 2003. A Membership Renewal form is attached for your use.

If, for some inevitable reasons, you are not interested in continuing your membership, please advise us accordingly. If you are unable to send us your Membership Renewal Form together with the annual fee by the closing date as mentioned, please inform us by telephone (9829 2526) or email (feedback@darpanradio.org.au), failing which, unfortunately, your membership will expire. However, after 2 April 2003, your request to renew the membership on special grounds will be considered by the Darpan Executive Committee until June 2003.

We look forward to hearing from you, and your active participation, support and encouragement.

Dhanyavaad,

Pradeep Kumar

Convener