PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE NO. 13/2015
- The 2nd Quarter had passed by very quickly. We focused on staging our planned 120th Anniversary events. At the time of penning this Quarterly update, we had all but implemented our eleven (11) Celebratory Events except for the Alumni Fellowship Golf Tournament. This is rescheduled to either next month or to October this year.
120th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS – MAY TO JULY THIS YEAR
- During this 2nd Quarter the Alumni and the School organised five major events. Hosted at the School were the 100th Anniversary School Sports Day, the Festival of Performing Arts, the Food & Fun Fair event and the 120th Anniversary School Assembly.
- In Kuala Lumpur, the Alumni hosted a 315 pax Dinner on Sunday, 26th July at Oriental Pavilion, Jaya 33, Petaling Jaya. This is by far the largest Alumni Dinner ever held by the Alumni in Kuala Lumpur. For the first time, we had 30 corporate guests who were invited to attend in appreciation of their support of our Alma Mater. An attractive and befitting Dinner Souvenir Programme was produced. All participants were given a beautifully wrapped 120th Anniversary mug and an old style school badge.
- Dr. Lai Thian Seong, the Chairman of the ACS Ipoh Board of Governors made a surprise presentation of a painting of the School to the Alumni President and the Honorary Secretary, Ms. Jennifer Ng. His aspiration is that the School’s image will remind the Alumni to continue working even harder for ACS Ipoh. A well expressed sentiment! This gesture also reflects the close symbiotic relationship between the School, the BOG and the Alumni.
- The launch of the Fun Fair and the Festival of Performing Arts on Saturday, 25th July was well covered by the “Star”.
- The succinct 120th Anniversary School Assembly was a poignant event. Although the Old Salts present were far out numbered by the present students and teachers, there was a strong sense of appreciation and acceptance that the School has a strong and worthy legacy to be passed on and worthily enhance by the present and future generation of students. A panoramic photograph of the School Assembly, posted recently on Facebook by Jennifer Ng, went viral attracting 19,300 people reached 3,500 viewers, 34 shares and 285 likes. The comments posted reflect love, admiration and fondness for the School. The significance of the occasion extended far beyond the physical event and touched Old Salts of different vintage and even the present students.
- I shall not say too much about our Alumni’s 120th Anniversary Celebration Dinner in Ipoh. With a pre-Dinner head count of 965 pax, this again is the biggest Dinner for our Alumni. Counting in the KL Dinner held 6 days ago, we have almost 1,300 pax at our Dinners. Our School’s flag bearers, bag pipers, side drummers and Wushu drummers heralded a grand processional entrance into the Dinner celebration.
- Jennifer Ng’s very creative “50 Shades of ACS Ipoh”, done impromptu and almost at the eleventh hour, turned out to be a captivating 6 minutes presentation. A video clip of this has been uploaded last Sunday and within 6 days, has reached 31,900 people and drew 9,400 viewers, 386 shares and 293 likes. This has far outpaced the reach rate tempo of the earlier 7 minutes video clip capturing BBC’s “A Cook Abroad” feature on our School.
- As the photographs and the video taken at the Ipoh Dinner have yet to be posted, we will report further on our Ipoh Dinner in the next Quarter.
COMMUNICATION & OUTREACH
10. Our Alumni Website continues to be well visited as reflected by the following cumulative data:-
Total Visitors 21,050
Total Hits: 95,111
Countries 126
11. Our Facebook and Instagram posts attracted more instantaneous responses.
MEMBERSHIP
12. Membership strengthened to 772 after the KL and Ipoh Dinner.
WHAT’S NEXT
13. Our grand 120th Anniversary Celebrations have invoked much nostalgia and pride. We will leverage on these to work toward helping our School regain its School of Choice status.
With best regards,
Datuk Lean Meng Seong
Alumni President
16th August 2015