Message from Founding President

Dear Alumni:

As a teenager I spent my prime time in BHJS. It was literally my first home. I was the youngest in the family and my siblings are all at least ten years older than me. It was the summer day of 1963 that I went to BHJS for the entrance examination to get into Form 2. I knew almost everything except the word “influenza” that was in the piece of dictation presented by Mr. Locock. The first day that I went to BHJS, I was afraid and felt out of place because most of the students knew each other. I survived as an average student, always stayed out of trouble and played basketball after school. I knew a lot of fellow students and some of them in particular became my best friends. Now they are homemakers, preachers, engineers, financial advisors, nurses, doctor, fire chief, health inspector and civil servants. I treasured the time that I spent with them-studying for the examinations, copying the homework or walking up and down Nathan Road and Temple Street for no purpose at all. I think I was a simple student and with H.K. $0.50 a day, I lived like a king with no sorrows, no worries and no regrets. I guess I was not mature back then, but I swear those were the happiest days of my life.

To me, the word “Helen Wong” and “BHJS” co-exist and cannot be separated. I remember her as a tiny little woman with three inches of high heel shoes. Sometimes I wonder if she had some Spanish blood. I founded this Alumni (of course, with the help of Mr. Hin Shing Wong, Sharon Wong, Anselm Fok, Stella Tam and Fung Kui Hang- just to mentioned a few) in memory of her because she always stay in my mind. Without her, I may not be myself now.

In the year of 1965, my father had liver cancer and eventually went bankrupt. I was totally lost and was about to quit school to support the family. I pawned my Rado watch and still did not help with the tuition fee. It was Helen Wong that came to my rescue and granted me a scholarship (with the help of Mr. Chan Cho Yee- a biology teacher). In 1968 I bid farewell to Mrs. Wong because I had to come to Canada. She offered me a “555” cigarette from the tin. I declined and said that I did not smoke. She looked me right through my eyes and said “Stephen, I know that you have been smoking for two years (my mom did not even know), why not this time?” We had a good time in the Principal’s office for half an hour. That was the last time I saw her alive. In 1984, I went back to Hong Kong and paid a visit to BHJS. I saw this 8 x 10 black and white picture of Mrs. Wong on the hallway. She was the same as I saw her last. I paid my respect and I was in tears. Once a Jubilean, always a Jubilean.

We formed this Alumnus with the purpose of getting to know each other, sharing the stories of our prime time and meeting old friends. For my selfish reason, I hope to commemorate Helen Wong and all the staff, past and present, for their devotion and care towards education.

Sincerely,

Stephen Lau, 1967 Form 5A
January 2006

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