The 1968 Year Group of the Old Achimotan Association (OAA), on Saturday climaxed their 50th Anniversary Celebration at the school’s 91st Founders Day celebrations with a cadet parade and a grand durbar with a call on past and present students to build on the ideals, principles and visions of the founders to maintain the school’s enviable recognition.
From the handing over ceremony, torchlight procession, to the Bonfire, parade, the Grand Durbar and the Thanksgiving Service, this year’s celebration lived up to expectations. The Founders Day celebrations is observed annually to remind both past and present students, teachers and parents of the ideals of the founders and the need to work hard to develop the school.
The OAA 1968 Year Group as part of their 50th Anniversary celebration donated an Expanded Cadet Corps Parade Grounds and a Renovated Armory to the school.
The gesture was in fulfillment of the responsibility of all old students to return to the school after a period to contribute to a legacy project.
The President of the 1968 Year Group of the Old Achimotan Association, Madam Gwendolina Sam said “It is worth noting that the school’s purpose-built cadet square, constructed in the 1960s, when the student population was around 800, has not seen any significant renovation or expansion since”.
This she said had compelled the 1968 Year Group to make the donation.
“It’s been 50 years since we left the arms of our mother, Achimota School, and today we celebrate hereby giving back to the School the Expanded Cadet Corps Parade Grounds and renovated Armoury Building that will accommodate at least four contingents of student cadets”, she said.
She said the association had extended the parade grounds, built a new spectator stand, tarred the road alongside it, to give it a complete facelift.
“For the Armoury Building, we have reroofed it, added a bigger classroom upstairs, fitted it with a set of 30 modern desks, remodeled the staircases, tiled, rewired and indeed refurbished the entire building. We have provided new toilets (male and female) with an overhead water tank. We have additionally provided 100 brand new cadet uniforms and caps, as well as 100 wooden replica guns”, she added.
Special Guest-Speaker Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission also a member of the 1968 year group in an address at the Grand Durbar noted that the boarding school system was designed to build the character of students and must be sustained. He said the idea of both males and females studying together was an important culture that must be encouraged to empower and advance the education of women.
He said, “those of us who had the privilege to school with ladies have grown to know the value and joy of studying together with them”.
At the Thanksgiving Service to climax the celebration Rev. Victor Okoe Abbey, Acting Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana called parents and guardians to cooperate with school authorities for the requisite discipline to be imparted on their children. He noted that it is important that discipline be instilled in children at a very young age.
The Headmistress of Achimota School, Mrs. Joyce Addo was grateful for the donation and encouraged other year groups to emulate the gesture of the 1968 Year Group to contribute to the development of the school.
