BTA’s Projects & Programmes

The BTA, under the dynamic leadership, unwavering and total dedication of its first few presidents embarked upon a series of highly ambitious fund raising projects to start and perpetuate the BTA Scholarship Fund. Most notable amongst these projects was the ‘Talentime For Schools’ which had a remarkably successful run from 1963 to 1975. Students would turn up in droves and in hundreds to support their favourites through auditions, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the Grand Finals. That it was widely supported by the schools and the youths of our country was a testimony to the weeks and months of painstaking, hard and sustained work put in by the Executive and Sub-Committees. The fulfilment of this project was also due to the generous and unstinting support given by our sponsors, M/s Nestle from 1963 to 1972 and M/s Titles Dental & Photo Supply from 1973 to 1975.

Along with the ‘Talentime For Schools’, the BTA had also successfully staged the popular “Peep Pop Shows” and “Variety Shows” at the then National Theatre. These were tremendously supported by the public at large and contributed in no small measure, to the promotion and growth of local musical talent in the Sixties and Seventies.

In the late Seventies, with the emergence of the drug culture and its association with long hair and pop music, the Talentime project was discontinued. However, this did not deter the BTA from channelling their energy into other avenues such as Charity Film Premiers, Walkathons and Charity Bowling Tournaments to raise funds over the last three decades, 1980 – 2010.

BTA Members’ Activities

The BTA does not exist for itself. It also caters to the recreational and social needs as well as sporting pursuits which are organised for the benefit of its members and their families. These include fishing expeditions, tours to West Malaysia, outings at holiday camps, Bowling Tournaments, playing Father Christmas to underprivileged children and celebrating feast days or farewells with the Brothers. In addition, the BTA annually award book prizes to members’ children who have shown outstanding results in the school examinations. It is also worthy to note that the BTA did also assist its own members who wish to further their studies either at the local or overseas’ Institutes of Higher Learning by offering them financial help in the form of loans.

In 2009, we organised a Fellowship cum Bro Emmanuel’s birthday celebration amongst the components of Boys’ Town viz Boys’ Town Home, Assumption English School and Assumption Pathway School. This was taken in response to the many new staff of the BT components who were not aware of the actual mission of the Gabrielite Schools and the roles and functions of the BTA. In 2010, we used the occasion of BTA’s 50th Anniversary to raise funds for both the general and scholarship funds and bolster our life membership rolls.

BTA Mentorship Programme

In 2011, the BTA EXCO started work on setting a mentorship programme to support the growth and development of needy students in Assumption English School, Assumption Pathway School and Boys’ Town Home. Through this initiative, the BTA hopes to nurture and cultivate a pool of alumni who can be able to come back and contribute later in their lives and concurrently provide current members and other old boys and girls to give back to Boys’ Town in a meaningful and enriching way. The BTA Mentorship Programme was launched in 2012 and has completed its fourth run this year with funding support from Lee Foundation. The BTA will continue to look for ways to better support the respective Boys’ Town components as they serve as opportunities for alumni to gather and work together on worthwhile projects.

BTA Scholarship Fund

The BTA started to realize its charitable objectives by offering scholarships to poor and deserving pupils as well as other scholastic projects of Boys’ Town from 1964. To date, $235,278 has been expended from the Scholarship Fund. As recognition of our contributions to Boys’ Town, the Brothers of St Gabriel here in Singapore, in 1984, appointed the President of the Alumni to be a member of the Board of Management of the Schools of the Brothers of St Gabriel. The BTA EXCO has continued to disburse funds to the schools and Boys’ Town Home and give them the autonomy to decide on how best the funds should be used in support of their pupils.