Creating Lasting Memories: Organising the St George's Institution Class of 1970 Reunion

St. George's Secondary School

Australia based James Chin, one of our schoolmates posted a message in our WhatsApp chat group a few days ago, saying he had brought up the idea of a 'SGI Class of 1970 Get-Together' back in 2019. Sadly, that idea had just faded away naturally once Covid hit shortly after.

Almost immediately, other messages started flowing in from old classmates based in Australia, Ireland, Canada, and Singapore - all showing interest in joining the activities "if such an event was organised."

I thought I was the only sentimental one :-)), but it looks like many of our buddies who studied with us carry an equally strong sentimental streak towards the friends, school, town, and country they grew up in.

Just a couple of months ago, I booked tickets for my wife and me to visit our daughter in New Zealand. The thought of being stuck on a plane for 11 hours, in itself, is giving me a dizzy spell. And the cost of such a trip?!!

Still, these friends of ours are set to undertake 10 to 20-hour trips and are ready to subject their 70+ year-old bodies to the grueling torture of long-haul flights. They'll also spend significant sums for the sheer opportunity to visit us - their friends, town, and country of birth.

Now, we all like to share philosophical quotes about friendship and loyalty, being grateful for life, thanking the Lord, and what not. But I feel this - having friends like these, who think and behave the way they do - is a true blessing. This is loyalty, friendship, and goodness playing itself out in real life.

We have GREAT buddies (including those from Singapore). And it would be downright shallow and a sin on our part not to give them the warm welcome, camaraderie, and heartwarming experience they deserve.

So, the rest of you Georgians in Malaysia, please do your part in making sure the SGI 1970 CLASS REUNION planned for June 2026 is a success.

I'm an amateur 'website creation hobbyist'. I will do my part through this site and through the WhatsApp chat groups to create awareness and buzz about what is being thought, planned, and executed over the next 10 months. But before we move on to the more serious phase of planning and execution closer to the event, let's throw up some ideas on what we can do over the 4-5 days set aside for the REUNION.

And before you throw up ideas, please take note of the following:

a). Some of us are not in the best of health to spend more than a few hours outside home.

b). Some have dependents to care for (you will be surprised at how many of our friends are primary caregivers).

c). The get-together group this time can include up to 20-30 people for some activities.

d). From the 4 or 5 activities we will plan altogether, participants can pick and choose those activities that will best suit them.

e). The overall theme of the get-together will be "Inclusivity, Camaraderie, A good time, and An unforgettable experience for everyone".

Please remember, ideas should be practical for implementation. For example, it will be impractical for participants living more than, say 5-6 km away, to travel twice on the same day to attend 2 different functions. And if the activities are held outside KL, the travelling time in itself will take up much of our time. Also, not many will be able to participate.

Raja

17th July 2025