spb66 #29: Scholarship Fund

Shum Wai Ming proposed to set up SPC66 Class & Teachers Scholarship Fund.

Please refer Shum's message for detail:

I believe that it was Monday, September 7, 1959, when the class of 66 first congregated unceremoniously at SPC.

It is a great joy to see (read) that the OLD gang is so interested and energetic in renewing our long neglected but obviously unforgotten comraderie and memories of our years at SPC.

Hung Lo Zhai was so right when he taught us that the best friends in one's life are mostly made in one's formation years. The current, timely, revived reconnection efforts of SPC66 is a living proof of his wisdom.

In reflection, I do not think too many will disagree with me that, as a group, we are what we are today have a tremendous lot to do with what we learned at SPC from SOME of our experienced and knowledgeable teachers (although certainly not all of us were cognizant of that at the time). We owe them and SPC an eternal gratitude.

In line with those ruminations, I dare to propose for the thoughtful men (I think I am politically safe here) of SPC66 to consider the establishment of the SPC66 Class & Teachers Scholarship Fund, with charitable gifts from us. Its purpose is to assist scholarstic, matriculating SPC students with demonstratable financial needs to pursue higher education, who will otherwise have to forgo their dreams of a better future for themselves and possibly even greater benefits to society.

To some of us, this idea may sound dreamy, difficult, intangible or irrelevant. But I think it is a marvelous act to show our gratefulness to and to leave our remembrance at SPC for generations of classes to come (if we pull it off! ). Who knows, this may even start a trend for other alumnus classes to follow suit and therefore benefit many more worthy future SPC students. Or, if OUR scholarship fund turns out to be humongously successful and rich, they may even name something( maybe a faculty of medicine somewhere) after us!!

It is with the deepest regret that I will not be attending the reunion in 11/07. However, I am more than happy to donate the estimated cost of the non-trip to the SPC66 Class & Teachers Scholarship Fund. It is a mere drop in the bucket for sure, but for the altruism that the mighty flow of the Yangtze starts yet with a single snow flake up on the mountain of Qinghai !

From afar and yet feeling close,

Paul Wai Ming Shum.
aka Dai Tau Fudg.

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While there is wide-spread support, Frank Fu offers some practical points for thought:

Dear Philip and Edward:



1. To form a Trust needs legal document to set up.

2. Authorised signatures are difficult to agree upon.

3. I suggest that we agree on the kind of scholarship to award first such as $10,000 for "the Best Model Student" (selected by teachers or peers) or the Most Outstanding Form 6 student (based on HKCEE results).

4. We can commit this for 5 years and then review the amount of the scholarship and the selection criteria/title. Thus, a target of $100,000 to start.

4. Open an account with SPC and deposit fund raised and ask the School to administer it during Speech Day/Prize Presentation Day in the name of Class of 1966.

5. They have many scholarships already at SPC and we need to ask the Council for endorsement.



Just some thoughts to make the project simple and manageable.



Yours,

Frank Fu

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Below is a message from the Principal, Dr. John Kennard

-----Original Message-----
From: principal [mailto:jrk@stpauls.edu.hk]
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 4:10 PM
To: Philip Cheung - Golden Bough
Subject: Re: donation from class of 66



Dear Philip



Thank you for the message and thank you again for the kind offer from the Class of '66.



The College is about to announce the formation of The Foundation, the purpose of which is to secure the financial well-being of the College in to the future. All donations /bequests /gifts to the College from this point will be directed to The Foundation, the executive committee of which will decide on particular disbursements. This will help enormously with future planning.



The two key projects that will require significant short to medium term funding are:

1. the renovation of the Wong Ming Him Hall (approximately HK$5 million) and

2. the relocation of the Primary School (we estimate that we might need to 'top up' government funding by about HK$30 million).



The dollar value of any individual donation will be considered by the Foundation executive committee, for example, large donations might be reflected in exclusive naming rights to particular buildings in the new Primary School, smaller donations cited on an honour board etc etc.



I hope that this is of some assistance in your deliberations. However, the immediate need is in probably in bricks and mortar as opposed to scholarships for individual boys etc.



Best

John


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Lastest news:


Leung Siu Kwong, Jacob, will be glad to collect any views classmates would like to raise about donation.

Task force will be organized after the Grand Re-union of Nov.2, 2007.