A core group of organisers from the Class of 67/69 decided to go ahead with a celebration for 40 years of leaving ACS (42 year for O levels).

The girls in our cohort volunteered to organise the dinner. They added sparkle to an otherwise mundane event. Their attention to detail was evident in the choice of centerpiece for the table, table cloth in exciting colours, and the choice of covers for the chairs. We boys would have asked for the quality and quantity of food, a cut throat price from the hotel and no entertainment.

The committee led by Wai Hong started planning early in 2009. All meetings were enjoyable because Laureen provided the location and the girls contributing most of the food, the boys just came to eat. Terence however was our resident sommelier, providing all of the accompanying wines. Somehow, some work managed to get done and the dinner was an enjoyable and memorable reunion 40 years on.

A total of 128 persons attended the dinner, with about 100 schoolmates, 14 teachers and spouses. We held the dinner at Carlton Hotel ballroom that provided us excellent service and food for the night. We always made it a point to chauffeur the teachers to the event and to allow time for schoolmates to meet up with them.

Mr. Earnest Lau, in his opening speech, continued to inspire us to greater heights followed by Mr Lenn compared old school punishment to current disciplinary styles. Mr Lenn said grace for us and, after singing the school anthem at full volume, we dug into the food.

Entertainment for the night included inter-house quizzes, auction of dinners cooked by schoolmate chefs, wine auction and teasing one another to raise funds for the ACS Teachers’ Welfare fund. With surpluses from the dinner and funds raised during the night, we put together a little over $15,000 towards the fund.

The dinner ended with an Auld Lang Syne and many stayed back to finish off the wine and catch up with one another.

Ng Wei Min [Sec 4C, Pre U 2 Science A]