The ACSOBA has been blessed with yet another year of activities and events that have been meaningful to our ACS family.

Our 2019 calendar of events began with the Past vs Present Games on February 23 which was held on 3 campuses- ACJC, ACS (International) and ACS (Independent). There was a clean sweep of the games by the Old Boys who retained the Ang Peng Tiam trophy, proving that we ACSians are like wine and cheese - we get better with age!

The annual Founder’s Day Dinner on March 1 was as lively as ever – Old Boys and Girls reliving their school days, classmates reconnecting with long lost friends and retired teachers and of course, family members of different generations having a joyous reunion.

July 27 was an especially busy one for the OBA which hosted 2 major events – The OneACS Career Forum in the morning and early afternoon, and the Opening of the OneACS Heritage Gallery in the afternoon.

The 8th OneACS Career Forum at ACS (Independent) reached out to the students, parents and alumni of the ACS family and the Methodist schools in Singapore. Organised by the OBA and sponsored by the ACS Foundation, the Forum is the largest annual flagship OneACS event that strengthens the bonds within the ACS family and serve as a unique educational and career planning resource for our ACS family members. There were over 40 alumni speakers and moderators across 15 professional disciplines that ranged from Law and Medicine to Entrepreneurship, Public Service and Digital Innovation. Local tertiary institutions were also present to enhance the overall benefit of the Forum.

Later that afternoon, the OneACS Heritage Gallery was officially opened by Mr Cecil Vivian Wong, Class of ‘39 and President, ACSOBA (1958 - 1960) in celebration of the OBA’s 105th anniversary. The dedication ceremony and reception were attended by members of the ACS Boards, former OBA presidents and their families, past and present principals of ACS, alumni contributors and donors.

The OneACS Heritage Gallery presents highlights of the history of the ACS family in a contemporary manner and showcases original artifacts from Bishop Oldham’s personal collection and unique memorabilia from all the ACS units. The Gallery also provides tablets that contain special features, videos, interviews and archived photographs in a digital format. The Gallery is currently open every Friday from 2-6pm.

Following a hiatus of 12 years, and thanks to the gallant efforts of Terence Goh (ACS ’79) and his committee, the ACSOBA Golf Classic took place on August 21. With the golf game held at the Laguna Golf Club’s Masters and Classic Courses and the dinner at Tanah Merah Country Club, the Golf Classic saw an overwhelming response of 158 enthusiastic golfers. The main aim of organising this golf event was to raise funds for the Retired Teachers’ Fund. OBA and the Organising Committee, are delighted that over $78,000 was raised through the tournament, dinner and live auction.

Another old favourite on the OBA calendar was the Retired Teachers’ Tribute Dinner held on September 1 in the Lee Kong Chian Auditorium, ACS (Barker Road). A big thank you to the Class of ‘90 for their generosity in underwriting the cost of the dinner and making transportation arrangements for the teachers. A shout out to the Class of ‘60 for their annual contribution of the celebration cake.

A new initiative arose on September 14 with the ACSOBA Blood Drive which was jointly organised by the Singapore Red Cross. The donors ranged from regular donors to first timers who selflessly gave back to society.

It has been a special privilege and honour to serve the ACS family. This being my final term as OBA President, I sign off with deep gratitude and personal thanks to everyone who has blessed me with their support, patience and kindness. To all my management committee members, thank you for your selfless dedication in the giving of your time and effort to the events and activities that reinforce our ACS Spirit. To the principals and staff and pastors of the ACS family of schools, thank you for your unstinting support to OBA in all its activities. To the many hundreds of volunteers, thank you for personifying the OneACS Spirit. And to our heavenly Father, thank you for blessing the OBA’s work, as we seek to serve Your people through the ACS community. To one and all, Soli Deo gloria! The Best is Yet to Be!

Mr Lim Tat
President, ACSOBA