20 LUMEN | INTERVIEW
New Lessons from the past
An Interview with Bro Paul Rogers , FSC
An old boy from the Class of 1993 who returned to his Alma Mater after two decades to teach English , Eugene Ong relives his memories and a recent encounter with Brother Paul Rogers who once taught him History during his secondary school days , in this story .
Eliza ( one of our editors for Lumen ), and I are in the Brothers ’ Quarters at Malcolm Road . Time feels like it has frozen in this room – the late Brother Joseph McNally ’ s fluid sculptures are encased in mantelpieces on my left , and the old grandfather ’ s clock salvaged from the second World War ticks unceremoniously away behind me .
Brother Paul Rogers is sitting in the living room . He ’ s in his late 60s and still without that trademark moustache for which we affectionately gave him the moniker of “ Tom Selleck ” or “ Saddam Hussein ”. ( I just shaved it off one day and never looked back – he informs us .) Today he ’ s dressed casually in a purple T-shirt and bermudas and seems more affable television actor than tyrant . He switches on the air-conditioner to ward off the heat this afternoon where we have just come back from celebrating Lasallian Tercentenary day at SJI Junior . “ My goodness , the heat ,” he exclaims . As my ex-principal and the last Lasallian Brother to helm the oldest Catholic school in Singapore , it is a thrill to see him back in Singapore , where he ’ s given a talk on the “ 12 Virtues of a Lasallian Teacher ” and is due to present at the Catholic Education Conference . I feel as if it ’ s 1993 again , hearing him lecture about the start of the Cold War , watching him fill the blackboard with chalk diagrams , timelines and unpronounceable names of European politicians . Talking about origins , I ask my first question on why he embarked on the religious vocation . He recounts entering the Brotherhood at 17 and credits the influence of other Lasallian Brothers : one kept beehives on his grandparents ’ land – there were always strong family associations . Another elderly Brother who was in his 90s stayed up late at night designing Maths and Physics problems . “ I wonder who might like these ,” he recalls in admiration at this memory . “ Only 3500 brothers left worldwide , Brother ,” I point out . “ The Brothers haven ’ t changed ,” he looks at us squarely . “ The world has changed , but the ideal remains the