Bharatiya Association Berne

I am the founder President of the Bharatiya Association Berne. The Association—made up of Indian and Swiss nationals—was founded in 1996 to "promote interaction among members and foster contacts with Swiss institutions and culture." We have about 160 members, and organize cultural and sports programmes and festivals regularly.

I have written for the Association's annual magazine. Here are links to some of my articles:

• • Our visit to a nuclear power plant

  • Calculate cube roots of six-digit numbers mentally

  • A behind-the-scenes look at your Air India departure from Geneva

  • My trip to the arctic island of Spitzbergen

  • My bicycle trip to the Aruku Valley

  • The Yellow Line

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International School of Berne

I was Chairman of the Board of the International School of Berne for four years, completing my tenure in June 2006. During this period we recruited a new principal, initiated the process to find a new, bigger site for the school, successfully went through the reaccreditation process, were well on our way to becoming a World IB School, and worked to change the laws governing the enrolment of Swiss children in non-state schools. These were exciting years.

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Boy Scouts of America

I was Scoutmaster of Troop 63 of the Boy Scouts of America. Angelo Di Benedetto was the Assistant Scoutmaster. Richard O'Brien, formerly with the US Embassy in Berne, was my predecessor and the person who introduced me to scouting. Guillermo Marin, formerly with the Spanish Embassy in Berne, was the Committee Chair until August 2008.

My younger son, Dhruv, was a Life Scout. My elder son, Jayant, was a Scout as well; he left when he turned 18. He was Senior Patrol Leader.

Outdoor activities are the essence of scouting. I have attended many camps, including one on wilderness survival organized near Heidelberg, Germany, during the summer of 2004. A few months later we had a cold-weather campout in Kandersteg in Switzerland—sleeping in tents pitched in the snow in -4°C conditions. We trekked to the Gemmi Pass in September 2005, dealing with rain and freezing winds on the way. In November 2007, we hiked 27 kilometers with full gear from Berne to Thun. Our troop meets every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.

I did a course in CPR given by the American Red Cross in April 2005. CPR is a skill I have always wanted to learn, and I am glad I have finally learnt it. I also learnt useful first-aid skills at this course.

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Page created on 30th August 2004 and last reviewed on 23rd December 2012

E-mail: akhilesh.mathur@upu.int

Akhilesh Mathur, Berne, Switzerland