On June 24th, 1870 when the Turin Oratory in Italy was celebrating Don Bosco’s feast, there came a special group of visitors led by Mr. Charles Gastini. They were Don Bosco’s past pupils. On seeing then Don Bosco exclaimed: One of my greatest joys is here people praising my past Pupils.” “Yes”, he told them.” As I love you when you were young pupils, now that you are grown up men, I love you much more.”
On behalf of the past pupils, Mr. Charles Gastini assured Don Bosco that in gratitude for education received they would form an association of the past pupils to be living Monument of Don Bosco in the world. In fact Mr. Gastini became the first president of the Association of Don Bosco past Pupils
During the life time of Don Bosco, every year, for seventeen years the past pupils returned to Don Bosco. Later under the patronage of his successors the number increased every year. Today with the spread of Don Bosco Institutions throughout the world Confederation with its Secretariat in Rome. In India, the National Head Quarters is in Chennai, Co- Ordinating ten Provincial Federations in Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Dimapur, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Delhi, Trichy, and Konkan. The Dimapur Provincial Fedration with its Secretariat at Don Bosco, Provincial office, Dimapur – 797112, is active units with an enrolled strength of over 400 with 375 Life- Members.
It is the wish of Don Bosco and his successors that the students who leaves a Don Bosco Institution should join the office of the Past Pupils Association, register their names, participate in the activities and partake of the privileges and responsibilities of Don Bosco’s education following motto:-
“Know, love, help one another and keep united.”