AUGUST 6, 2004 was indeed a day of momentous joy as all the five institutions of the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) family and The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) gathered at ACS (Barker Road) for the laying of a time capsule.
The Guest-of-Honour was the Acting Education Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who spoke of the day’s ceremony as an event that marks for many future generations of ACSians an unwa-vering belief in what the ACS schools stand for and a desire to carry on the ACS tradition.
He also applauded the nurturing environment of the ACS schools which, in the Methodist school tradition, provides students with the space and freedom to find their talents, and to develop great friend-ships and camaraderie.
Mr Tan Wah Thong, Chairman of the ACS Board of Governors, said that in this day and age of fast changes in Singapore, “it is im-portant that we must never lose our history and our roots, and we must remember where and how ACS was first started”.
“We are also a Methodist institution. Both The Methodist Church in Singapore and the Barker Road Methodist Church are our close spiritual partners. In this capsule there will also be items of these two institutions so that future generations will know our Methodist heritage and connections,” he added.
A collection of items of significance to the history of ACS, which were to be buried, were put on display and inspected by all the guests. Thereafter, they were carefully laid in a steel container by the vari-ous representatives from the ACS family and the MCS.
A four-man team, made up of Old Boys who are current teach-ers of the school, then laid the container into the ground at the base of the Clock Tower.
This time capsule will stand for the next 50 years, to be uncov-ered only in 2054.
This ceremony encapsulates the spirit of the ACS family – rich in tradition, history and enduring in its values.
Audrey Lim is a teacher at Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road).
PICTURES BY ACS (BARKER ROAD)
