The SCRUM Network *

2003-12-01 11:24 p.m.

The SCRUM Network I mentioned in one of my earlier posts shall now be further elaborated upon. It was some sunny day in August that I popped into the ACS OBA Website and found some site called the SCRUM Network. Its objective was simple, to connect ACSians, past present and future together on the Internet. Ambitious plan rather, on hindsight. I saw no harm in signing up and found to my pleasant surprise two other individuals, Jin Yang and Edward, from my cohort there. There was also this section on “Cohort Leaders”, which I initially ignored.

However, a few weeks later, I received this call from Woon Chet Choon, the founder of this site. He requested (in the most pleasant terms, I should add), whether I would like to be a cohort leader form ACS (I) 2001. Without impulse, I said why not, and questioned him further on the roles of such a leader. That evening, I received quite a lengthy email from him and found my new status on that site. On hindsight, my decision was partly based on the fact that I wanted to do something new and serve as a proper leader. Anyway, the task was anything but simple. It was to contact 432 boys from the year 2001. Help was provided in the form of Class lists and exact names; the main problem was finding their email address. After a few weeks, that was not the obstacles as I received many requests by old classmates and level mates to join. For verification, I checked my school magazine but I knew most of them. Currently, there are 20 registered out of 432. Quite an achievement I should say. I fumbled with the authorization part and many a time their names appeared twice. However, I found a solution to that.

Okay, let’s extrapolate this further. Why would ex-ACSians bother to sign up? Don’t they feel comfort in their new JCs? (Or in some cases, universities overseas.) To answer that, they do feel comfortable, just like me. However, It’s the sudden magical spirit conjured by 4 (in some cases 10) years of ACS schooling. Let’s not even talk just about ACS (I) boys here. The ACSian spirit has been around for 117 years (shorter that the Rafflesian spirit). What creates this spirit? Is it the fact that it is a Methodist institution? Partially true, but even so, many who don’t follow that religion still show an attraction to ACS. Was it because of the drilling of loyalty through the cheers and the school song? That could be the case, but other schools no doubt follow the same pattern. What draws ACS boys (and girls) then? I guess it’s the knowledge that the ACS family is one equal entity in every walk of life, that trust can be found in any ACSian, that he will still not forget “In days of yore” and the weekly assemblies, the different individuals that shaped his schooling years. Many have ventured into other JCs like HCJC and RJC, but their schoolmates don’t fault them for that. Some may send their children to other schools; some may be die hard supporters and join the OBA or the Board of governors. Some may lose touch with their classmates or wish their days in ACS could have been better, but there will be always be the ACSian spark deep in them, the spark that has been on for generations and continues to be transferred.

Of course, school spirit is nothing new in Singapore. The Rafflesians have a strong spirit too, as do other major schools. There is no indication or objective in this article to say that ACSians are superior in any way. It’s just the attractive spirit that keeps ACSians together.

Let’s end off with one of the songs/hymns that we sang for our founder’s day in 2001—when ACS was 115 years old:

Let The Flame Burn Brighter

Written by: Graham Kendrick

Concert: The Gospel According to Cliff (October 1997)

Album: not released

We'll walk the streets with hearts of fire
And every step will be a prayer
Hope is rising, new day dawning
The sound of singing fills the air

Two thousand years and still the flame
Is burning bright across the land

Hearts are waiting. Longing, aching
For awakening once again

Let the flame burn brighter in the heart of the darkness
Turning night to glorious day
Let the song grow louder as our love grows stronger
Let it shine
Let it shine

We'll walk the truth, speak out the love
In Jesus' name we shall be strong
To lift the fallen, to save the children
To flood the nation with a song

Let the flame burn brighter in the heart of the darkness
Turning night to glorious day
Let the song grow louder as our love grows stronger
Let it shine
Let it shine
(repeats)

NB. In no way is this ultra patriotic deceleration of any kind and any indication of disloyalty to another school. The thoughts are entirely the author’s own and may not exactly reflect the general viewpoint.

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