good work of the Brothers . That particular evening on the 23rd September 1912 , St . Joseph ' s Institution was beautifully illuminated by 40,000 O1inese lanterns-all those who saw it were of the opinion that it was the most magnificent display they had set eyes on I
Two other highlights of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 1912 bears special mention . One was a Triduum , commencing with a High Mass and Benediction in which all the pupils assisted . Another was the announcement of four scholarships - th ree of $ 1,000 each were donated by :
( j ) Mr . Ong Kim Wee of Malacca , called the Ong Kim Wee Scholarship to be awarded to the best boy in Standard Seven .
( ii ) Mr . Desker , called the Desker Scholarship , to be awarded also to the same standard .
[ iii ] The widow of Mr . Ong Teck Um ( the Ong Teck Lim Scholarship ) to be awarded to the best student of the Senior class .
The fourth scholarship of $ 2,752 was donated by the old boys ( called the Diamond Jubliee Scholarship ) also to be awarded to the best student of the Senior class .
By 1912 , the enrolment of the school had increased rapidly to 1,100 - a far cry from the humble beginnings 50 years previously . Because of this , many excellent lay teachers were recruited to assist the Brothers in their work of Christian education Since then , St . Joseph ' s Institution has been staffed by both religious and lay teachers , as indeed are all the Brothers ' schools in the East .
In 1913 , the famous silver statue of the founder , St . John Baptist de la Salle , which still stands prominently above the portico , was erected . Cast in bronze , it is a replica of the original in corora marble , carved by the Italian artist O ' Reilly for St . Peter ' s Basilica . An old boy of St . Joseph ' s , co-incidentally named John La Salle , donated the statue to St . Joseph ' s Institution on the occassion of her Diamond Jubilee . This statue is popularly known among the Chinese as " Sum Kong Chai " and is a famous and mark in Bras Basah Road .
In March 1914 , just before the departure of Brother Michael from St . Joseph ' s , the school was honoured by the visit of Reverend Brother Thomas , the Assistant Superior General . On his arrival , he was cordially received by both the Brothers and the boys who put up an impressive concert in his honour .
Brother Michael ' s health , which has been failing for some time , gave way under the heavy strain as Director of St . Joseph ' s Institution . Thus , on 26th March 1914 , he handed over the directorship of St . Joseph ' s Institution to Brother Stephen Edward who had been Sub-Director since 1909 . However , before his departure , Brother Michael made all the arrangements for putting up a new roof on the main building and the wings , as well as replacing the wooden floors of the wings with concrete ones . This work was completed in the course of 1915 at the cost of over $ 30,000 .
Brother Michael retired to the United States for a well-earned rest on 23rd March 1914 . He had truly devoted himself heart and soul to the work of education in St . Joseph ' s Institution . The great Institution wh ich today numbers about 2,000 , and , with the imposing grandeur of its vast proportions , forming a land-mark in our Lion City , was then occupying only a central block , devoid of her wings and the dome . Under the capable direction of Brother Michael , one addition after another rose in rapid succession until St . Joseph ' s Institution reached its utmost development . Few men have done more for their allotted field of labour than Brother Michael in St . Joseph ' s Institution , or for that matter , in Singapore .
38