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 The Covid-19 pandemic may have caused severe disruption
to the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe, but
it did not prevent ACSians abroad to find ways and means
to celebrate the 135th ACS Founder’s Day without flouting
safety management measures. Besides the celebrations in
Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland as reported below,
there were also other smaller groups of ACSians abroad, and
in Singapore as well, gathering to celebrate their beloved alma
mater’s birthday.
 ACSians in Brisbane, Australia celebrated Founder’s Day
at the China Sea Milton on March 6. Without pomp and
pageantry, the occasion was also a celebration of renewed
freedom as the result of “NIL” Covid cases in our communities.
It is interesting to note that our fellow ACSians in Victoria
were also celebrating at the same time in Melbourne after
surfacing from a 5-day lockdown. How timely can it be? And
how blessed we are!
This year’s turnout was smaller than last year’s, but it did
not deter us from having a ball of a time chatting about
our teachers, the mischiefs we got up to in school and out
of school, and our near brushes with Ernest Lau and Lim
Choon Mong amongst others. I am not sure if our spouses
and partners shared our enthusiasm (confessions), but it
certainly revealed, I suppose, a more savoury
 side of us that
they must have wished they knew before saying “Yes” to us.
Too late now!
As the evening progressed and the dining room cleared to
just a group of young Aussies besides us, we lustily sang our
beloved Anthem with support from our Aussie proselytes.
I hope they benefitted from Dr CK Chen’s subsequent
exposition on the ACS history and its life changing stories.
All good things had to come to an end for them, when Eric
Tham, possibly noticing the indigestive pain on their faces,
went over to retrieve Dr Chen from our newfound converts.
It was the best Founder’s Day gathering I have attended.
For a few hours, we were once again the free spirits
that once roamed the corridors of our great school. Mid
70’s or mid 40’s, grandparents or not, I could see us in
our beloved navy blues and whites shooting paper pellets
or other projectiles at each other, while Yong Lip
targets the girls from Raffles, CHIJ and MGS.
We cannot wait to get together again. Another year is
much too long. Perhaps next month for a good Chicken
Rice and more mischief!
The Best Is Yet To Be. To God be the Glory.
Andrew Foo
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