1 September 2009

The LSCOBA Committee recently received a carbon copied letter from a young old boy written to the School Principal, Mr. Wong Yen Kit. The old boy expressed his disagreement about the recent changes in the school tie, and the lacking of consultation with students and other bodies of the school, including the Old Boys' Association and the Parent-Teacher Association.

As such, the LSCOBA would like to offer the Committee's views on the matter.

First of all, the colours of our school are purple and red. This protocol has been in place since the 1930s. The oldest extra-curricular activity in La Salle, The 17th Kowloon (La Salle) Scout Group, established in 1937, has been faithfully using the colours of purple and red for its scarf for over 70 years. The current school's crest, which was introduced around 1958, also contained purple and red on its shield. If you were from LSPS, you will remember the Prefects' arm-bands were also in red and purple. There is no other school colour for La Salle College, and in particular, white is NOT a school colour (note: Wikipedia's description of LSC's school colours as white is incorrect!).

The current school tie was designed in the early 1960s, at a similar time as the new school badge was introduced. It is supposed to be purple and red in stripes. However, on observing the existing school tie, we noticed that one of the stripes on the school tie has slowly turned from purple to ever lighter shades of purple over the years. The current purple colour is almost completely white. This may have been a serious defect or mistake on the part of the producer of the tie. To older old boys and traditionalists, the colours of the current tie look unusual and incorrect.

The LSCOBA Committee therefore sees the change of the stripes on our school tie back to purple and red to be completely in line with our school colours and tradition, and we fully support the school in correcting the mistake.

Dear Lasallians, we understand that many of you may be accustomed to the wrong colours used in the recent years, and therefore you like them better. However, we encourage you to embrace and appreciate the correction back to the appropriate school colours. A mistake should not be prolonged just because a generation has become use to it. We understand changes are sometimes not easy to swallow, but if a change comes by to correct a wrong, we have to learn to graciously accept it.

The LSCOBA Committee
2009-2010