Dear All Fellow Old Boys,
Thanks to the work of many dedicated old boys and your active participation, this annual event of our Heritage has been a tremendous success all along and brings old boys of different generations for a nostalgic time together. This year, the event has been highy attended and a number of us may not be able to come sheerly because of the limitation in venue size. This is an important occasion for all old boys as it will be the last year probably that Brother Thomas LAVIN FSC will be the Principal of our fine School. Fortunate for many current students and loyal supporters of the La Salle Spirit, he will stay in Hong Kong after his happy retirement and remain as the Supervisor of the School in the coming year. Mr. YIK Kwan, a veteran old boy and Vice-Principal of the School for quite a long time, will also retire at the end of this school year and the School Authority is now actively looking for a suitable candidate to continue on his good work for the School.
This will be a time of major change in La Salle College and a time when the strong support and talents of old boys of different age are needed. As in the past, the Old Boys’ Association will remain one of the straunchest supporters of the School Authority. For those of you who are not familiar with school management in Hong Kong, you may be interested to know that the President of LSCOBA ia a member of the School Management Board of LSC, together with the Chairman of the La Salle Foundation and the Chairman of La Salle College Parents-Teachers Association. Mr. Nicholas NG, one of most well known La Salle old boys in the local community, is now the Chairman of La Salle Foundation while Mr. Patrick CHAN, a civil engineer in the public service and an old boy in the 70s, is now the Chairman of La Salle College Parents-Teachers Association.
This year, it is very nice that a lot of old boys have attended the dinner and took a memorable group photo with our three Guests of Honour – Brother Thomas FSC, Brother Aphonsus FSC and Brother Hycionne FSC. Although Brother Aphonsus CHEE, one of the previous Principal of the School, has retired for some time, he is fit and sound, enjoying himself by mingling with grateful students of the School during this joyful event. The occasion is especially memorable as the group photos are taken according to years of graduation, with the old boys of the 40s and 50s, including Dr. AU, a graduate in 1942 and father of our Honorary Secretary, Dr. Constantine AU, taking the first photo. It is good to see that this Spring Dinner is attended by a number of “father and son” together – a truly family event.
For the current students and athletics taking part in the Interschool Athletic Meet held yesterday, it is disappointing that LSC cannot win the Champion this year. However, we lose with a good heart and , as one veteran old boy has said, we lose but we lose with dignity and our head high…………. as all the team members, under the supervision of our dedicated coaches and volunteers from LSCOBA, have tried their best in the games – a true Olympic fashion and La Salle Spirit.
It is heart-touching also to see the flag of our dear Alma Mater glittering under the sun in the Wanchai Sports Field – the last time I attended this event must be over thirty years ago. As our School Song , which was sung in high spirit at the conclusion of the Spring Dinner 2004 held last night, has said………………. “High aloft Her flag we will hold and strive that Her fame will grow”.
Viva La Salle Spirit.
Dr. Robert Yuen Kar Ngai ’71
President, LSCOBA 2003/04