Epilogue by Goh Sin Tub
I have been asked to compose the closing words to this wonderful effort , this labour of love , written and compiled by Francis Brown on the history and memories of SJI that is enhanced by the genius oflan Lloyd with his beautiful photographs of the last years of SJI in Bras Basah Road . My task is to conclude by interfacing the past into the present and the future .
We will begin the New Year ( 1988 ) in Malcolm Road . The year 1988 will be a landmark year in the history of SJl for two reasons . First , after 135 years in Bras Basah Road , the school will be functioning in new premises in Malcolm Road . Second , SJIwill be facing the challenges of revolutionary changes arising from greater autonom y . ( This is regardless of whether or not SJIdecides to become one of the so-called independent schools .)
The new premises at Malcolm Road , covering four hectares ( approximately 400,000 square feet ), compare well with the7 424squaremetres ( 79, 913squarefeet ) of the old site in Bras Basah Road . The most compelling reasons for the removal decision were that the old premises had become unsuitable for our educational purposes , being too small , inadequte , cramped , noisy , out-dated and in a traffic-congested area . Tearing down the old buildings for re-development was simply unthinkable as it would have been a desecration of a national treasure .
Through the good offices of the Honourable E . W . Barker , Minister for Law , SJI managed to obtain the Malcolrn Road site in exchange for its old site . We also obtained Govemrnen t aid amounting to eighty percent of what it would have cost the Government to build a standard secondary school , as well as Income Tax exemption for donations .
A fund-raising campaign was officially launched at the Christian Brothers Schools Old Boys ' Association Dinner on 15 May 1984 by Or Tony Tan , then Minister for Finance and Trade and Industry and himself an old boy of SJI . Upon him was conferred the status of First Founder of the New SJI , and on that night alone more than $ 300,000 was raised or pledged .
The school came up with an imaginative scheme to raise funds , based on , first , the school ' s faith in the su P : port of the many alumni and friends ofSJI and the other Christian Brothers ' Schools , and second , the school ' s desire to involve as many well-wishers as possible in the founding of the New SJI . Under the scheme the status of Founder was conferred on donors of $ 1000 or more and Leading Founder on donors of $ 10,000 or more ( or their nominees ).
The response has been overwhelming . Despite the recession , money poured in from all quarters and the school is confiden t tha t the full target of $ 5.2 million will be reached .
Founders total more than 1500 , including seventy Leading Founders . But the more significant figure is that of the smaller donors , who exceed 6000 ! There were many heart-warming stories of donations big and small . For example many school boys donated their pocket money savings . And there was old Mr Subramaniam , the retired loyal SJI clerk , who was on his death bed and had heard about the New SJI . The Brother Director was invited to the house by Mr Subrarnaniam ' s daughter and Mr Subramaniam himself handed him a cheque for $ 1000 . Sadly he could not speak at the time , he was so close to death .
When our Japanese fellow alumni of the La Salle Alurnni ofJapan heard about the New SJI , they voluntarily collected and sent US $ 15,000 to us . Numerous alurnni of other Singapore schools also joined in and supported our fund . And even our Buddhist neighbour , the Kwan Im Hood Chor Temple in Waterloo Street , sent us $ 30,000 . The Shaw Foundation gave $ 1,025,000 while other foundations , banks etc . also supported the fund . The Banque Indo-Suez which had donated to SJI eighty years ago celebrated its eightieth anniversary with a donation of $ 50,000 to the New SJI instead of spending it on a party . The boys and staff of the six Christian Brothers ' Schools pitched in and raised almost $ 250,000 in a walkajog .
On All Saints ' Day , 1 November 1984 , His Grace Archbishop Gregory Yong , himself an old boy of the Christian Brothers ' Schools , blessed the site and broke
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