DILI: 26th October '04 --  The story of East Timor's 'AA' (Antigos Alumnos) or Past Pupils of Don Bosco is an amazing one.  Fired in a variety of 'crucibles' over the years, their current strength is more than simply numerical, but a matter of impact at many levels of national endeavour.  President Xanana Gusmao holds an honorary presidency of the National Federation.  His own Cabinet has no fewer than five Past Pupils holding, respectively, the Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Finance and Industry, as well as the Secretary of Electricity and Water.

    It goes on from there - the Parliamentary President, Chief of Police, the Head of the Armed Forces, the Chief of the President's Office, ten parliamentary deputies.  But while an interesting set of stats in itself, this is not the level of influence that the AA's would consider their most important.  Their national executive, with Fr Locatelli as the Salesian Delegate, and Mr Virgilio as president, does not meet weekly to consider its political clout, but to see to the effective animation of the seven branches, one for each Salesian community and work.  They plan for an annual Retreat for members each 15th August, and given that the Vice province has organised its EPC at province level to involve other branches of the Salesian Family, members find themselves part of quarterly meetings for evaluation and planning.  Annually, too, since it has become possible, they try to organise major conferences with important Church and political speakers.

    A major goal of the National Federation is to encourage and support the FMA's in an effort to set up their own Past Pupils' organisation.  They are also currently mobilising efforts to ensure a significant presence at the forthcoming 8th Asia-Australia Congress in Kolkata, India from 15th -17th February 2005