Dear Fellow Nagarathars and respected members of our community -

It gives me great pleasure in having been chosen as the next NSNA President, 2010-2011, and I accept this honorable position with sincerity and gratitude. I have seen this organization grow by leaps and bounds since its infancy, approximately thirty-five years ago. I hope I will strive up to the standards that the previous presidents have set, and I am very glad to have my EC committee represent this organization for the upcoming 2 years.

First of all, I would like to wholeheartedly thank the previous committee from Texas headed by Mr. Ravi Ramanathan for the years 2008-2009. They have done a splendid job in getting NSNA to the present level.

I would like to thank all the present office bearers of our various committees for their willingness and for volunteering their valuable time and effort for the improvement of our organization and our community.

Our region has officially taken over since March 15, 2010, and I have already seen each committee working very hard to meet their goals. The highlights of our period include the launching of our new website, www.achi.org, which is up and running with various new and exciting features. I encourage everyone to visit the website and to enjoy navigating through it. Another important highlight will be the NSNA retreat in May 2011, which is being planned on a large scale. Please also welcome the new and improved look of the NANAL. We have an eager group of talented individuals waiting to take NSNA to the next level and into the next decade.

So the torch has been passed on to our region for 2010-2011, and we as responsible members of our community will keep the flame burning until we pass it on to the next team. Let us all work in unity with a common purpose, and may we have an open mind to achieve our set goals. I would like to end with a few quotations on "Unity and the Mind":

1. Mind is like a parachute, it only works when it is open—(Anonymous)
2. The mind is everything; what you think, you become—Gautama Buddha
3. Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value—Albert Einstein
4. In necessary things unity; in doubtful things liberty; in all things charity—Anne Baxter
5. Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking—Mahatma Gandhi  

Thank you for all your support and looking forward to serving you.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Annamalai Periakaruppan