Over 90 ex-Josephians attend reunion dinner

HELLO, OLD FRIEND: Lee (centre) greets his former schoolmates during the St Joseph’s School Grand Reunion Dinner.

KUCHING
November 11, 2011

More than 90 ex-Josephians from the classes of 1959 to 1963 attended a reunion dinner at Regal Hotel here on Friday.

As 1961 was taken as the centre point, the significant date of 11.11.11 marks the 50th year of reunion or a golden jubilee for the alumni.

“In 1961, there were at least 100 students in the school,” said Erwin Wright, spokesperson for the organising committee.

Former student and principal of St Joseph’s, Gerald Lee, read out a message from Brother Albinus, an ex-principal and the advisor to the La Sallean Foundation here as he was away on a field trip.

In his message, he disclosed that the proposed new St Joseph Private School in Kuching would open its door to an initial enrolment of 120 pupils from January next year.

Tender for the new RM8.5 million building, situated at
Satok Road (behind Rumah Dayak) has been awarded and construction is scheduled to start next month.

Proposed by the Catholic Arch-Diocese here and the La Sallean Foundation, the project has the support of the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud as well as parents in and around the state capital.

Three Form 1 classes and one each of Primary 1 and 2 classes will be run by the Jesuit Priests and Franciscan Sisters temporarily at the St Bernadette School at Reservoir Road.

Brother Albinus said the building committee was still short of RM3 million which it hoped would be topped up from generous public donations.

Monies collected from the reunion dinner were handed over to the Old Boys Association by Datuk Wong Kie Yee to the treasurer of the association, Aloysius Wee.

Among the activities held during the dinner was a slideshow presented by William Ng on the nostalgic moments of the students at the school.

A ballroom dancing event was also held accompanied by renditions of golden oldies played by prominent musicians to liven up the night.

From the lens of Noel Tan .......