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TOSS LAUNCH

Amidst great anticipation, the morning of 6th August arrived. Despite putting in a year for the preparation of the launch of TOSS, everyone had been somewhat jittery till the eve of the launch. Perhaps the failure to have a single successful dry run had something to do with it. However, the morning brought a sudden calm within all those involved. We held on to the manifestation of that belief which we had while in school - of invincibility -that as long as we had the walls of the school around us, the infallible trust of that single man, spawned for entire generations,everything would work to perfection. While some left their secretaries to manage their multi-million dollar companies, the others walked out of homes with parents simply staring, jaws dropped, that their children could actually wake up before 12 noon! For one day, like the mice of Hamelin, we were all united by a common vision, dancing to the same music, reveling in shared delight - we were Stephenians. No, we are Stephenians!

The TOSS Committees met at 8 and everyone seemed to know what to do. There was a distinct sense of understanding between everybody - very few words were actually exchanged. The technical crew set up, the usherers were in place, the comperers and stage actors took their position and before anybody knew it, with some magnificent music playing in the background, we had an auditorium filled to the brim with students, alumni and teachers.

The programme got off to a flawless start and there was really no looking back after that. A hilarious skit highlighting the power of networking amongst Stephenians was followed by a couple of rib-cracking videos that left the crowd screaming for more. The seniors came onstage and shamed the youngsters with their passion and energy as they revealed the founding stories of house shows in backyards and football matches in community parks. Another round of videos followed and the crowd was wild again. The structure and functioning of the much talked about TOSS website was elaborated through an impressive presentation soon after. This was followed by an introduction of the hard working committees before the grand culmination of the day's events, the highlight of which was an outstanding speech by Carver Sir that left everyone with gooseflesh and teary eyes.
The buzz with which the staff and students left the hall was electrifying. The organization grew from about 20 members to over a 100 within an hour. Alumni and teachers bonded over refreshments while the press clicked away in frenzy.

Often in life, we set up high expectations from our endeavours and are left to bite dust later. We were cautious not to hope for much but the ringing message of Semper Sursum shattered such resolves. However, seeing so many alumni fill up those seats, watching the teachers betray so many emotions, having sir say the words he said, the event was a bigger success than all our hopes put together. It was a sharp reminder to all those who had forgotten just how strong and powerful the bond of being a Stephenian is. With such a momentous start, one can do nothing but predict even greater heights for TOSS.

TOSS TREASURE HUNT
After its spectacular launch, The Old Stephenians' Society (TOSS) organized its very first event on 13th November, 2011 - a citywide Treasure Hunt wherein the participants were required to solve clues while roaming around the city on bikes and cars.

Stephenians of all ages assembled in school, rekindling old friendships and forging new ones. After receiving their first clue, they raced around town from station to station as the fever to win caught on. The alumni thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the event, which had prizes worth Rs. 28,000 up for grabs.