Dear Alumni,

We would like to bring you the following news and announcements:

1. REMEMBERING I. M. PEI

THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION mourns the grievous loss of I. M. Pei (Ieoh Ming Pei), the last modern architect who had sojourned at St. Paul’s College in 1920s. He died at his home in Manhattan on 16 May 2019. He was 102.

Born in 1917 in Guangzhou to an affluent family descended from illustrious ancestry of Suzhou, Pei soon moved to Hong Kong with his family. He had had a fleeting stay at St. Paul’s College before the return of his family to Shanghai in 1927. He received his B.Arch. in 1940 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where his encounter with Le Corbusier on the latter’s visit to MIT was to leave an indelible mark on his life. Having finished his wartime jobs in 1945, he joined Harvard University for a lectureship at the Graduate School of Design (GSD). At the helm of GSD were Bauhaus stalwarts Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer, whose iconoclastic focus on modern architecture laid Pei’s modernist foundations. He obtained his M.Arch. from GSD in 1946, and joined Webb and Knapp in 1948 under William Zeckendorf. Pei embarked on his architectural enterprises in 1955 with the inception of I. M. Pei & Associates, which is the renowned Pei Cobb Freed & Partners in the present day.

I. M. Pei’s extraordinary architectural feats hardly need any recapitulations. Though often deemed as willfully contentious, his modernist designs were startlingly original, beautifully simple and audaciously crafted. Louvre extension in Paris had been alleged to be a sacrilege to the 17^th-century palace, but the geometric precision and elegance of the eventual pyramid won over the rivals. His other numerous works encompassed, among many others, Bank of China HQ in Hong Kong, Dallas Civic Center, Kennedy Library in Boston, Mesa Laboratory in Colorado, National Gallery East Building in Washington, DC, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Suzhou Museum in China.

Pei also readily admitted the profound influences Chinese culture had exerted on him. He vividly recalled learning Classical Chinese in Hong Kong, and that he could recite Tang poetry in no Chinese dialects but Cantonese. His years at St. Paul’s College, however transient in retrospect, had formed a solid basis of Classical Chinese for him to sustain his pursuit of Chinese culture in the United States in the days to come. Despite the modest scale in which SPC operated in the 1920s, the College had remained a breeding ground of elitist boys who were to become consummate professionals and prominent figures in their expertise. I. M. Pei was a notable case in point. His passing heralded the end of a bygone era, and yet the enduring legacies he has bequeathed to the world will echo down the ages.

2. Message from the Chairman of the Fundraising Committee for the School Enhancement Project of St. Paul’s College (6 June)

Dear SPC Alumni,

In order to provide a better environment for the whole person development of our students, we are undertaking a School Enhancement Project to upgrade our buildings and facilities on all fronts. The St. Paul’s College Foundation had set up a special Fundraising Committee to raise the estimated $400 million needed for this Project. It is my honour to be appointed as the Chairman of the Fundraising Committee.

On behalf of the Committee, I would like to share with you the current status of the School Enhancement Project and our Fundraising Campaigns.

The fundraising of the School Enhancement Project is divided into four distinct campaigns. Campaign One would target for $90 million, which is mainly for the expansion of the 36 Forms 1-6 classrooms, each by a 24% in-floor area. In the last few months, the Fundraising Committee had worked very hard, and I am happy to be the bearer of the exciting news that with your support we have reached our target for this Campaign. It is particularly encouraging that we have received support from alumni of different eras. In addition, apart from financial contributions, many gave us valuable ideas and suggestions, all for the benefit of St. Paul’s, a clear demonstration of our strong brotherhood spirit.

Campaign Two will commence after we raise an additional $30 million dollars by the end of June, of which I am cautiously optimistic that it is achievable. The main features for this Campaign are the construction of a new front entrance and foyer, an indoor swimming pool, the relocation of offices and the building of a modern library. The funding requirement for this stage is $85 million and the completion date is scheduled to coincide with the 170^th Anniversary Celebration of our College in 2021.

We look forward to your support for St. Paul’s and please let us know if you have any suggestions or comments. For more details, please visit our website www.spc-foundation.org.hk or email to info@spc-foundation.org.hk.

With regards,

Ian Chan Yau Nam (’67)
Chairman, School Enhancement Project Fundraising Committee
St. Paul’s College Foundation

Fundraising Committee Members
Mr. Julian Lau (’75), Vice Chairman (Major Gift Group)
Mr. Alan Chiu (‘96), Vice Chairman (Alumni Group)
Mr. Sam Chiu (‘97), Vice Chairman (Special Group)
Mr. Simon Lai (‘90), Vice Chairman (Events)
Mr. Lawrence Lui (‘02), Vice Chairman (Public Relations)
Mr. Francis Hon (’92), Honorary Secretary
Mr. Ivan Lau (‘76), Honorary Treasurer
Mr. Wilson Cheng (‘92), Deputy Treasurer

3. Winter Olympics & Thanksgiving Dinner

The Winter Olympics and the Thanksgiving Dinner were held in the school campus on 16 February 2019. Alumni, parents and families participated actively in the sports activities. More alumni came back to thank their past teachers during the dinner, which was prepared by the celebrity chef Mr. Lee Ka Ting (李家鼎). We are thrilled to announce that we raised more than $300,000 in donations, including a generous matching fund of $200,000, to support the Campus Enhancement Project.

4. Simon's Happy Hour - June 2019

All alumni welcome to join this Happy Hour for sharing and networking! For enquiries, please contact Carter Cheung (9192 3898). We hope to see you at the gathering!

5. Mentorship Cocktail Event

Thank all mentors once again for supporting the Mentorship Programme and for giving your time so generously for the benefit of current F.4 and F.5 students.

What better way to conclude this fruitful year of mentorship for mentors, mentees and all alumni than by getting together for a pleasant evening while enjoying gourmet canapés and drinks and even better company at a splendid venue. Some photos from past years' events can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gYSsO2ZJRwKaeMu5nPWlTjosSSbZTnLC?usp=sharing.

We hope this will be a special event for mentors, mentees and other alumni, an occasion for all who take part to reconnect with one another and form new friendships with other members of this big family of fine traditions called St. Paul’s College. Non-mentor SPC alumni are most welcome to join this event.

Please complete the form below and SAVE the date!

For registration, please refer to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1V0_dp2ln64lh0Y2mVHp0-ih7WwFyuoc5zhRKKgrdjxU/viewform?edit_requested=true.

Please deposit the amount to the SPCAA account (HSBC 026-108142-001) and send your deposit slip (photo of it) to Benson Lau at WhatsApp 9032 0563 or bensonlaunh@gmail.com on or before 28 June 2019 (Friday).

Current F.4 and F.5 students will sign up for this special event on a separate Google Form, but please extend the invitation to your mentees.

For the event poster, please refer to: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vZwWbWvRAjl9PbJlUpOohMTRrCFJsfGv/view?usp=sharing.

We look forward to a great evening together!

6. SPCAA Alumni Tour to the Primary School

The Alumni Association is organising a tour to the Primary School every year for alumni to learn more about the latest development. School representative and alumni from SPCAA will guide visitors around the campus and share their experience. Family members are welcome! 

For registration, please contact Priscilla Fan at priscilla.fan@alumni.org.hk. For enquiries, please contact Philip Yeung (1986) at 9209 9752.

Note: No parking space is available at the Primary School campus. Alumni can park their cars at Wah Fu Estate.

7. SPCAA Quarterly Dinner - August 2019

As a tradition, we are inviting the Primary School Headmaster Mr. Michael Mak to the August dinner as our guest speaker. Mr. Mak will share the news from the Primary School, and MORE. Please mark your diary!

8. SPCAA Committee Meetings Minutes

The minutes of the first and second Committee Meetings are now available for members' perusal. Please use the password below to access the file.

1^st Meeting (18 January 2019)
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RH4gyaZJTGyg68aEe3ys1NJgPklAbYXe/view?usp=sharing
Password: [please refer to the email subscription]

2^nd Meeting (27 March 2019)
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12WB1UwhNA_nwZy748KGRfKHWBw0znsRh/view?usp=sharing
Password: [please refer to the email subscription]

9. Be Connected with SPC

SPC is building a database so that it can be connected with the alumni. We would like to invite and encourage you to fill out the form at http://www.spc.edu.hk/crm/.

10. Class Reunion Dinners

The SPCAA would like to extend assistance to classes of alumni who are celebrating their quinquenial anniversaries in 2019. Please contact the SPCAA by email (priscilla.fan@alumni.org.hk) for more details.

With regards,

Ray Poon (2007)
Honorary Secretary

secretariat@alumni.org.hk / www.alumni.org.hk