Humble Beginnings
Boys’ Town Alumni (BTA), formerly known as the Boys’ Town Old Boys’ Association (BTOBA) had its humble origin in late 1959 when the present Supervisor of Schools of the Brothers of St Gabriel in Singapore, Rev. Bro. Emmanuel (then a young Brother-Teacher in Boys’ Town English School) who, with the support of his superiors, gathered some teachers, former and outgoing pupils of both Boys’ Town English School (now known as Assumption English School) and St Joseph’s Trade School (now known as Assumption Pathway School), and proposed that old boys should continue to maintain rapport with the present pupils and through this link provide a sense of continuity with the Alma Mater, its teaching staff and the Brothers of St Gabriel. The idea took root in 1960 with the formation of Boys’ Town Old Boys’ Association with Mr Wilfred James as its pro-tem president.
A Change for Growth
In 1980, BTOBA changed its name to Boys’ Town Alumni (BTA) to reflect the co-educational status of Assumption English School (formerly Boys’ Town English School) and Assumption Pathway School (formerly Boys’ Town Vocational Institute and later Assumption Vocational Institute). Female alumni could be invited to join the BTA, including its Executive Committee.
After many years in the doldrums, we are beginning to make headway in getting younger ex-pupils to join us. Those from the 80s are now taking the lead positions in the BTA EXCO and have plans to see how those in the schools could be assisted by bursaries and other programmes in the hope that they can pay it forward as future BTA members by assisting future cohorts. We further hope that we can now better integrate and render assistance to ex-pupils, the Alma Mater and society as the younger members speak the same language, are able to understand and handle the various concerns of peers better. By doing so we can also make the BTA more alive, more attuned to the growing needs of our members and make it the focal point of our social endeavours.