The Cathedral & John Connon Alumni Association (CJCAA) was the offspring of the merger between The Cathedral Old Boys Association (COBA) and The Cathedral Old Girls Association (COGA) in 1978. The merger was necessitated to reflect the changed status of the school from separates boys and girls schools to a co-educational establishment in 1967.
Both the COBA and COGA were active Associations till the merger and played a similar role to the CJCAA.
The COBA was started in 1919 whereas COGA began in the early 1920s. Both these Associations played an active role in promoting camaraderie among the old boys and old girls by having reunion dinners, lunches and Rugger Balls on an annual basis. In addition, both were keenly involved in the welfare of the school by instituting scholarships and prizes for the students. The COBA was also a prominent fixture in Bombay's sporting events over the years and fielded its own water polo, hockey, cricket and Rugger XV teams which won many championships. Even today many of the old boys take pride in wearing the COBA’s crest, having its distinctive colours of mauve, black and white.
From this merger of both the Associations in 1978, the CJCAA has grown from strength to strength and every year more than 100 students who graduate from the school become members of the Association. As of today, the Association has more than 3500 members spread all over India and overseas, chiefly in the U.K., U.S.A. and Australia.
Well-known Alumni of the school include Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Late Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Homi Bhabha, Scientist, Mr. Salman Rushdie, Author, Mr. J.R.D. Tata, Industrialist.
The Alumni Association invites ex-students who are not yet members to register and become members of the Association and looks forward to the help and support of the Alumni in building a stronger foundation for the Association and the school together.
|