It was December 1975. The lady teachers of St. Xavier’s School, Burdwan assembled and decided that they should take part in social services. The then Headmaster, Fr. A. Crasta S.J. inspired and encouraged them to form a service club. St. Xavier’s Ladies’ Service took its shape. It was the International Women’s Year. A committee was formed as follows:

All the lady teachers became the members and committed themselves to help the people specially women and children who need care.

Our first activity was to visit the Gynecological and the Pediatric departments of Burdwan hospital. We distributed towels, soaps, napkins, cotton, old clothes and some other necessary articles, which are essential for babies and mothers. Next we visited an orphanage, which was started at Mohanter Asthal at Rathtala (now it has its own building at Bam Battala). We provided jam, jelly, pickles, biscuits, umbrellas, old clothes, exercise books, pencils, etc. for the children of that orphanage. At the beginning we used to serve the people of these two institutions. Later we extended our helping hands to many more people in need. We sent money and old clothes to the flood and earthquake victims, injured soldiers of Kargil war. We helped many underprivileged students providing textbooks, uniforms and different study materials. We helped the poor parents for their daughter’s marriage. We helped one of our past students who was suffering form blood cancer.

In 2003, a new committee was formed, as most of the office bearers had retired. The senior most teacher, Ms Bharati Chaudhury became the president, Ms Urmi Ganguli, the secretary and Ms Sutapa Ghosh (1), the treasurer. The name of the organization was changed. It was named as Xaverian Ladies’ Service. The accumulated fund was transferred from the U.B.I to Syndicate Bank, St. Xavier’s School. The first activity of the new committee was to provide financial help, though very small sum, to the widow of Late Bapi Sen, a police officer. We also provided five thousand rupees for the treatment of one of our colleagues’ brother who was seriously injured in an accident. In the near future we intend to provide educational and recreational facilities to under privileged children residing around our school. We arranged a get-together for the present and retired lady teachers in January 2004, in the school. We hope to continue this get-together at least once a year, to strengthen the bond of our sisterhood.

Last year a new committee was formed, Rev. Dr. G Paul Arockiam, S.J (President), Ms Seema Mondal (Vice-president), Ms Bulu Mitra (secretary), Ms Sutapa Ghosh (1) (treasurer), to continue to cater to the needs of women and children, to give them some success in times of need.