QC160 Thank You Ceremony
QC family honours Advisers' service in 160th anniversary
2022.11.23
Watch QC160 Thank You Ceremony highlight and premiere of full verse of School Song
Queen's College Old Boys' Association (QCOBA) joined campus stakeholders to express gratitude to Honorary Advisers for their valuable service to the alma mater at the Queen's College 160th Anniversary (QC160) Thank You Ceremony this evening (November 23).
While the QC160 Launching Ceremony in January and the Birthday Celebration in May were cancelled due to the emerging fifth wave of COVID-19 and class suspension amid rainstorm respectively, the Thank You Ceremony aimed to converge students, alumni, parents and teachers to meet with and honour the QC160 Honorary Advisers for their continued service to the alma mater in the special year. In her welcoming remarks, the Principal, Ms Yvetta Ruth LEUNG, said that QC had nurtured tremendous outstanding leaders in the past, contributing to the community, country and places around the world in various sectors.
Ms LEUNG said, "We maintained the QC tradition to appoint all QCOBA Honorary Advisers as Honorary Advisers of the QC160 Organising Committee in recognition of your staunch support and contributions to the alma mater as role models of QC boys. Of note, in the three-year-long epidemic, many QC brothers have been serving the community in different professions with strong commitment, pursuit of excellence and willingness to serve in an all-out effort in the face of challenges. They live out the spirit of our school motto 'Labor Omnia Vincit' and echo the theme of QC160 'serving the community'."
Delivering his opening remarks, the President of QCOBA, Mr James WONG Pong-chun, said that it has been an honour to shoulder the responsibility of serving Old Boys despite the epidemic. The epidemic was our physical examination which showed our weaknesses and areas for improvement. QCOBA has to map out our role subsequent to social issues, global pandemic as well as early exit and migration trends. "We must better serve alumni with new tools and strategies and unite the alumni family for the development of the alma mater. We should tell QC stories well and aptly in the six years QC boys only have once to let them know the QC magic, thereby extending the legacy by their glorious sound. We will continue to stay on duty and take the solemn vow of serving the QC family as our Centenary duty."
At the ceremony, a souvenir boxset was presented to each Honorary Adviser by stakeholders. It comprised past and present school badges and a small wooden block with "皇者仁風" characters duplicated from the calligraphy of Prof JAO Tsung-i. The wood was part of a seven-decade-old candlenut tree by the campus entrance removed in November 2019 for risk of collapse. The boxset was a symbol for both conservation efforts and the education mission of QC.
Honorary Advisers gave appreciation messages and discussed how to maintain our competitiveness in the talent fight among schools. The former Secretary for Security, Mr Peter LAI Hing-ling, reckoned that QC's history is closely linked to the history of Hong Kong's education and he appealed to alumni to contribute resources and knowledge to the alma mater. The former Secretary for Justice, Mr WONG Yan-lung, SC, said that, as "iron sharpens iron", the QC fraternity should continue to develop our traditional advantages and keep up with excellence. The District Judge, His Honour Judge Clement LEE Hing-nin, was blessed by the brotherly professional network QCOBA established and the mentorship benefitted both mentors and mentees as part of serving the community. The Principal Lecturer of the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong, Mr Eric CHEUNG Tat-ming, urged us to protect the liberal campus for students to unleash their potential.
The Honorary Professor of the New Asia Institute of Advanced Chinese Studies, Dr HO Koon-wan, shared with the QC family numerous stories of famous alumni making significant contributions to the country. The Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Academy of Finance, Mr KWOK Kwok-chuen, concurred with the theme "serving the community" of QC160, which became key to students' development nowadays. The founder of the Lam Kin Chung Morning Sun Charity Fund, Dr LAM Kin-chung, said that the QC spirit is indeed "to serve, not to be served" and he hoped that QC remains the happy soil for students to dream with a global vision and where dreams come true.
The founder and Director of Jervois One (Hong Kong) Limited, Mr Julian LAW Wing-chung, pledged to converge Old Boys to play a more proactive role in the future development of the alma mater. The President of the Hong Kong Medical Association, Dr CHENG Chi-man, and the Honorary Auditor of QCOBA, Mr TAM King-tong, felt the warmth when they teamed up with alumni and played badminton and plastic football in the annual Games Days respectively. The Supervisor of QCOBA Secondary School, Mr Michael CHAN Kee-huen, appreciated the very meaningful and precious wooden block in the souvenir boxset. The former Secretary General of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, Mr CHOI Chee-cheong, was happy to be back to campus every time while the Honorary President of QCOBA, Mr Ronnie YU Chun-hong, paid tribute to the alma mater and stakeholders.
In addition, the President of the Student Council (SC), Matthew LAW Tin-yau, delivered vote of thanks and was "grateful" for the reflections, learning opportunities behind crisis management and substantial personal growth under the epidemic. Before the ceremony concluded, the Male Voice Choir led the QC family in singing the full verse of School Song. As a QC160 initiative, students appreciated the verses unsung publicly in contemporary history, taking a closer look at QC's history and social status in the early ages. Prior to the ceremony, the Principal, Ms Yvetta Ruth LEUNG, presented souvenirs to the QC160 Student Crew in 2021/22 and 2022/23 in recognition of their hard work in the anniversary year.
The Honorary Body of QCOBA has been appointed as Honorary Advisers of the QC160 Organising Committee in recognition of their service to the alma mater. Representatives of the school, QCOBA, the SC, the Parents-Teachers' Association and fellow partners attended the ceremony this evening, which was broadcast live online.
https://www.qcoba.hk/en/news/
Queen's College Old Boys' Association
November 23, 2022
