Down the Memory Lane – Lasallians Remembered

Brother Gerfried Hastreiter was born on 23rd August 1912 in Germany. He arrived in Hong Kong on 25th April 1933. He taught Classes 2 and 3. Mr. Henry Lau (1940) who later taught in La Salle College, said,” He was my Form Master when I was a pupil in Class 2B, equivalent to Form 5B nowadays. He was a German, and as such, he exhibited all the characteristics of a German stereotype: disciplined and pedantic. He taught Chemistry, Mathematics and Religious Knowledge. In class, he seldom smiled, and had no time for diversion of any kind. Hence, his was a solid lesson. Invariably, he began his lesson with oral questions on topics taught during previous lessons, mainly on definitions of chemical terms and chemical reactions. We had to rattle off from memory because we were taught neither the Ionic Theory nor the principle of gain or loss of electrons or protons during a chemical reaction to be able to balance a chemical equation. Dialogue between Teachers or Brothers with pupils was very minimal because the Staff Room was regrded as a Sanctum Sanctorum and was thus off-limit to pupils. Though the pedagogy was outdated and might even be condemned by modern educators, it provided most of us with a solid foundation of basic skills and knowledge which stood us in good stead when we were in the university.” Brother Gerfried was one of the sixteen Christian Brothers who were massacred by the Japanese in Manila on 6th February 1945.

Brother Casimir Husarik was born on 22nd July 1914 in Czechoslovakia, gifted with a marked aptitude for languages. In early years, he studied in Lembecq, Belgium and Dover, England. He later obtained an Honours Degree (French) from the University of London. Brother Casimir came to La Salle College in 1933, just one year after its establishment. From this time onwards, he spent 44 years here. This is an unbroken record. He was involved in all major events in the first four decades of the school. Brother Casimir started off as the Master of Class 2 (equivalent to Form 5). He took special interest in the establishment and development of the LSCOBA. He was the 2nd Vice-President and the Hon. President of the LSCOBA in 1960’s to 1970’s. Whenever he met an old boy, he would check whether he had joined the LSCOBA or not. Our strong foundation is in debt to his contribution and devotion. As with many Brothers, he had to leave for Indo-China (now called Vietnam) during the Japanese occupation. He was one of the architects, with Brother Cassian, who planned the re-establishment of the school after the war. He served diligently during the Perth Street era. In 1957, he was appointed Sub-Director and Vice Principal upon the death of Brother Cassian. Brother Casimir then witnessed the glorious return to La Salle Road in 1960. Brother Casimir became the 5th Principal and Director of La Salle College in 1965. He stayed in office for 6 years. Brother Casimir proved himself to be a teacher of merit and a wise administrator. He showed great energy and perseverance in teaching, sports administration, school magazine, Legion of Mary, etc. Being the longest serving Christian Brother of La Salle College, he is the right person to define the La Salle tradition which he identified as: “the tradition that stands for high academic standards, excellent moral tone and intelligent discipline” Mr. Christopher Wong (1967) of Chicago shared: “In 1965-6, Brother Casimir agreed to change the school blazer to black, after Maryknoll Convent School changed their uniforms. The universal Lasallian badge was allowed to replace the embroidered school badge.” On 10th May 1977, Brother Casimir died suddenly from a heart attack while in La Salle College. His students would remember him for his cheery disposition and capacity for hard work. The real secret of his success and popularity was his genuine unfailing kindness.