Making a difference

"When we started we were a blank slate. We brought in the red, yellow and the blue. We brought in the square, triangle and the circle. The colors came, the shapes came, now we needed the letters. We brought in XYZ for Xtremely Young Zoroastrians (XYZ),” announced founder Hoshaang Gotla recapping with a Power Point presentation the events of the past year at the first annual day of XYZ at the Birla Matushri Sabhagar on December 20, 2015.

Left: The XYZ Executive Committee. Above: Winners of the rangoli competition — Homai’s Heroes

Competitions tested the children’s skills; visits to agiaries lit the passion for religion; the social service quotient was whetted by going to homes for the underprivileged. The seven XYZ groups put up presentations depicting themes like Zoroastrian culture, family values, tolerance, teamwork, empathy and appreciation, honesty and integrity, giving and charity and fair play. An eighth group was added, Ketayun’s Conquerors, comprising the Zoroastrian boarders of the Bai Avabai F. Petit Girls High School.
The Late Ervad Hormusji Peshotan Antia and Mrs Dinamai Hormusji Antia Trust Award for the Group with outstanding religious activities to its credit was bagged by Behram’s Battalion, while Tehmurasp’s Titans picked up the Merwanji D. M. Jeejeebhoy Trust Award for the Group with outstanding social activities and were declared the best group of 2015. Rustom’s Rockstars was awarded the Maneckji and Shirinbai Netarwala Foundation Award for the Group with outstanding administration. For maximum membership, 97, Cyrus’ Superstars won the the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust Award.
The best member from each group was chosen on the basis of attendance at all meetings, participating in events and winning competitions for their group. Vaspaan Bharucha, Aryana Mehta, Zeius Navalmanek, Khushnuma Vimadalal, Urvaksh Billimoria, Aafreen Bharucha and Avan Bhadha were recognized. Reanna Palia was declared the best president of the year. Recipient of the Xceptional Zoroastrian Award for 2015 was religious prodigy Ervad Rooyintan Mehenti.
Sonya Mehta, president of the Rotary Club of Bombay who presented the award to Mehenti said that she was very happy to learn about XYZ and quoted her daughter who mentioned "I wish there was something like this when I was growing up.” The Rotarian added, "You are very lucky to have such a wonderful group of people mentoring, coaching, investing in you, because you are our future.”
XYZ advisory council member, actor Boman Irani exhorted: "Do not yearn for personal glory. Work as a group so the entire organization becomes stronger…Be united. Help each other so we can become one big Parsi community. Yearn for excellence, for results.”
As summed up Gotla, "XYZ is MAD. We are Making A Difference.” Through different activities like painting diyas, making greeting cards and envelopes, collecting newspapers, organizing a bake sale, collecting foodgrains, blankets and other necessary items for the Madras flood victims, groups have been raising funds to donate to the poor and the underprivileged.
The previous month saw XYZites and parents actively participate in Xtravaganza, an evening of fun, games and merriment at Allbless Baug on November 1. At the entrance of the Baug blindfolded children were trying to pin the tie on a framed photo of Gotla.
Besides the regular games stalls there was a rangoli competition organized in the evening where the design had to incorporate the XYZ logo. In another competition, Showcase, the kids had to depict XYZ events of the year through posters. XYZ merchandize like mugs, caps, watches, T-shirts and folders were on sale. Young children showcased their skills in singing, dancing or playing a musical instrument. In this party atmosphere Gotla announced the launch of the XYZ song which is sung to the tune of Jungle Book’s Bare Necessities, with lyrics penned by Kashmira Vazifdar and coordinated by Khursheed Printer.
As the Uziran gah set in, six mobeds performed a jashan in the Baug’s hall. Young Ervads Bezaan Shroff, Mehenti, Aryan Kanga and Farzad Driver, all XYZ members, were led by Ervads Yazdi Aibara and Yazad Karkaria. They were awarded the XYZ Super Hero Trophies.
While photographer Farokh Mojia captured all the fun filled moments, Khurshed Vajifdar of Spectravision provided racy music to match the evening’s festive mood. The finale was the six course spread provided by Tanaz Godiwala, who had promised a free meal to all XYZ members when she had received XYZ’s ACE (Achieving Continued Excellence) Award last year.
"The impossible just takes a little longer… Just prove everyone wrong by making it possible. Explore, look out at the world. Take it all in. Do what you are passionate about... It is the leaders who are remembered, not the followers.” This was the video message given to the XYZ "bachchas (children)” by architect and sculptor Arzan Khambatta, recipient of the ACE Award for 2015. The trophy was collected by Khambatta’s daughter Tianna as the sculptor was out of the country.