The Visit of Brother Superior General Nicet Joseph - 1962

   

It was a landmark event of great significance for  us as Lasallians. Michaelians who saw Brother Nicet Joseph were struck by his obvious saintliness and personal humility. His very spiritual aura was felt by everyone who beheld him.

To mark the occasion of his  visit, the school inaugurated an annual award – THE NICET JOSEPH award  - for the MIchaelian of the Year. The award continues to this day.  

Brother Superior General Nicet Joseph gets a grand welcome at St Michael's

Pic centre Brother Nicet Joseph, Dr.M.E.Turuchelvam (Far left) and Brother Theodore Michael Jacques (Far right)

(Seated L to R:  Mr Lee Guan Khew, Mr Lim Guan Choe, Mr P.J.Morsingh, Father Jean Ciatti, Brother Ultan Paul (Director), (?), Brother Theodore Michael Jacques, Dr.M.E.Turuchelvam, (?), Dr.Lip Seng Chiew

The Brother-Superior General is the highest post in the Lasallian brotherhood. He is the head of the worldwide Lasallian fraternity with his headquarters in Rome. 

bROTHER VINCENT CORKERY - a name synonymous with st michael's

(This article is taken from E-Lasallian Network.org.) Brother Vincent was born in Ireland in 1928.Hardly an adult at the age of 20, Irish lad Vincent J. Corkery set sail on the P&O liner S.S. Carthage for Malaya, half a world away, in 1948. Leaving his family in Millstreet Town, a little known place in Cork County, Ireland, he was about to embark on his first teaching post as a La Salle Brother. Since then, the former Brother Director of St Michael’s Institution Ipoh has continued to lead an active role in the development of local education. He recalled that he had to travel for three weeks on a ship when he first came to the country. “We would port at different places for two to three days. Our first stop was at Port Said, and then on to the Suez Canal, Aden, Bombay, Colombo and Penang. When he disembarked at Penang, he was told by the Brothers at St Xavier’s Institution to get back onto the ship and continue his journey to Singapore where he spent the next decade teaching at the St Patrick’s School and St Joseph’s Institution. In 1957, Brother Vincent was posted to the St Michael’s Institution in Ipoh, which he would call home for the next 53 years. In addition to teaching English, Literature and History to Form Six students, Brother Vincent was also the Brother Sub-Director of St Michael’s. He was appointed Brother Director in 1971, taking over from the late Brother Ultan Paul. As Brother Director, Brother Vincent decided to do away with streaming according to academic ability and introduced mixed ability classes, which is practised at St Michael’s till this very day. “I was happy to return to teaching, which I prefer to managing the school but then, I had to take over again (managing the school) at the end of 1986 until my retirement in 1988,” said Brother Vincent. Post retirement, Brother Vincent found himself a student again, proving that life does not stop at 60. He took up a refresher course in French language and culture at the University of Angers, France, and then to Rome to study the traditional pedagogy of the Brotherhood founded in the 17th century. In 1994, he was roped in as secretary for the Asia Pacific network of the La Sallian Brothers. “Most of my life I had been living within the St Michael’s compound when suddenly I found myself all over Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Japan and Australia. “I later resigned as secretary in 2004 as the travelling was getting too much for me,” he said. He had also served as supervisor for Oral English for Perak, secretary for the Conference of Heads of Secondary Schools and a founding member of the Perak Historical Society. Turning 82 in November, one would expect this dear old man to rest on his laurels. But no, he continues to immerse himself in educating the young and less fortunate as director of the La Salle Centre for Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, which is located within the school itself. Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd chief executive officer Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian noted that Brother Vincent had always worked as a team with Brother Paul. “He complemented Brother Paul well. “In fact, the many things that St Michael’s is today is a result of that but then Brother Vincent would not take glory for himself,” said Lee, 59, who left St Michael’s after completing his Form Six in 1969. Tan Sri Lee was right on target with the comment. Bro. Vincent was a humble man. In his own words, the good Brother has this to say: “I always saw Brother Paul as a leader, and my role as supportive. We combined very well, though we were very different in temperament and style of operation.                 To Old Michaelians’ Association (OMA) president Adrian Tsen, Brother Vincent is an intellectual educator who was well ahead of his time. “Brother Vincent was able to see things coming, even 40 years ago. More than that, he is a father figure, whom old students like myself and the present generation of students look up to. The younger generation are well aware of who he is,” said Tsen, 60. In recognition of his contribution, Brother Vincent was conferred the Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP) award in conjunction with the 82ndbirthday of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. The award  carries the title Datuk. Brother Vincent, who was dressed in the ceremonial costume of a Perak Datuk, received the award at an investiture ceremony in the throne room of Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar on April 19. 2010. He is happy to receive the award, Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP), on behalf of the La Salle Brothers and St Michael’s Institution. “It will be greeted with joy amongst the thousands of our ever faithful alumni”, he said. The Old Michaelians’ Association celebrated its 72nd Anniversary on 25 September and the dinner was a fitting occasion for Michaelians to celebrate and congratulate Brother Vincent for being conferred the royal state award,” said Adrian Tsen. Acknowledgements: The Star Publications (M) Bhd The Ipoh Echo Bro. Vincent Corkery FSC Bro. Matthew Bay FSC

Brother Vincent Corkery 

(This article is an extract from "Life Ever Dawning" - the autobiography of Brother Vincent written at the behest of the Michaelian fraternity.This book is available at SMK St Michael,Ipoh, and at the Lasalle Centre,Ipoh)

My earliest memories of Brother Vincent go back to the 1960’s when I was in Form

Four and Form Five.He was then the Sub-Director of St Michael’s under Brother Director Ultan Paul.For those of us who did not go to Form Six, Brother Vincent was a somewhat distant but certainly charismatic personality whose  appearances before us at assemblies left us magnetised and awed by his flawless English and his keen intellect.  My friends in Form Six never failed to share their admiration of this remarkable personality who taught the General Paper and Literature with such aplomb and authority. As a teacher, even though he did not teach my class, he was a peerless educator, very much in a class of his own. 

It  was in Form Four (1964)  that I was suddenly plucked out of obscurity  by Brother Casimir  and propelled onto the arena of drama and debates. This was the time when I  came to view Brother Vincent from a closer perspective. During our many rehearsals for “The Magic Key” which Brother Vincent directed, I  was rapt in wonder at Brother Vincent’s great flair for music and his passion for the classics. Long, long  before the arrival of Harry Potter’s magical world, Brother Vincent helped transport me and my schoolmates as elves into the  romantic fairyland of   Queen Titania.

Later in 1965, when we rehearsed “The Winslow Boy” directed by Brother Casimir, Brother Vincent was the evident “consultant” to the director, giving pointed advice on the historical background and literary significance of this very famous Irish story written by Terence Rattigan.  All this was done in a most subtle and self-effacing manner without being intrusive. This is something we learnt about the greatness of the man, his intense humility which never caused him to show off his great learning. 

The same self-effacing helpfulness emerged when Brother Casimir and Mr Eric Gomez were training us for the Interschool Jaycees Debates in 1965. Brother Vincent never took us by hand directly but his behind-the-scenes input was evident when Brother Casimir and Mr Gomez put us through the training sessions. I used to be and still am amazed at the breadth and depth of Brother Vincent’s grasp of world politics and current issues. In all my later years, I have rarely met a person who can equal the depth of scholarly learning that Brother Vincent commanded.

I left St Michael’s in 1966 . After my studies in the later years at the University of Malaya and the University of Manchester, I  served at various schools in Perak as teacher, senior assistant and principal. In 1998, I was appointed Principal of my beloved alma mater and was gladly welcomed  by Brother Paul, Brother Vincent and Mr Adrian Tsen, President of the Old Michaelians Association.

In the years 1998 to 2000 Brother Paul and Brother Vincent continued to be my source of inspiration, courage and good counsel. When Brother Paul returned to the Lord in 2000, Brother Vincent wore the mantle of the patriarch of the Michaelian community. He was the rallying point who so affably continued to unite the school, the alumni and the Board of Governors  as a Michaelian fraternity, ever stronger in Faith,Zeal and Service.

Special mention must be made of Brother Vincent’s gift for penning beautiful lines. His words, both spoken and written, have brought encouragement and consolation to innumerable hearts. Among the most beautiful lines penned by Brother Vincent I shall most treasure his eulogy on Brother Paul which I continue to read again and again. He described Brother Paul as a “multifaceted diamond” and says that “Brother Paul has returned to the home he has never left.”  Who could have given such rich praise? Only Brother Vincent!

   I now live in retirement. As a retiree, I am producing movie clips on the story of St Michael’s in a series titled “Valiant and True” based on our centennial souvenir book. Among my diary notes on Brother Vincent  I have penned these lines. “Brother Vincent would have emerged in the top ranks of academia or as a political ideologist in any political movement. It was God’s blessing to us at St Michael’s that a man of such intellectual depth, idealism and personal holiness was destined for St.Michael’s. Here is a man! When comes such another?”

Written by:

Louis Rozario Doss (Your blogger)

Old Boy (St Michael’s 1957-62;1964-66)

Principal, SMK St Anthony,Teluk Intan (1995-  

1998)

Principal, SMK St Michael, Ipoh (1998-2005)Pioneer principal of SM Tenby,Ipoh (2006) and pioneer principal of the Tenby Sixth       Form, Tenby International School,Ipoh. (2010- present)

Currently Vice President of the Old Michaelianss’ Association. 

Hp 010-3905011

Email:louisrozariodoss

Michaelians achieve distinction on track and field....  

 

Asir Victor, One of Malaya's best short distance runners in the 1960s. He represented Malaya /Malaysia at three Olympic Games in a row. (Tokyo -1964; Mexico City -1965; Munich -1972). Asir Victor was also a first-choice athlete for Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games (Perth-1962; Kingston,Jamaica -1966)

R.Cletus Gomez

(Insp of Police (Rtd) )  was one of the great legends in athletics at St Michaels's in the 1950s. He was the captain of Malaya's fastest relay team which won top honours at school meets as well as at the sports events of the MAAA - Malayan Amateur Athletic Union. The invincible Michaelian sprinters were Cletus Gomez, Tan Foo Keng,Stanley Souyza and Lee Moi Ngen.  

Anthony Lourdes- one of Malaya’s best short distance  

runners in the 1950s. Champion athlete 1953-1956  

Mr. Poon Mun Onn was a Michaelian who returned to serve the school as Sports Secretary as well as Physical Education teachers and athletics coach. As a former student, he achieved national distinction as an outstanding athlete in the High Jump, the Hop-step-and -jump as well as in the long jump. He held the title of Malayan  champion in the long jump (1950s). He was the school's athletics coach in the 1950s and 1960s..   

Mr John Lee , Head of Physical Education at St Michael's in the 1960s-80s did much to raise the standard of Physical Education teaching at  the school. Versatile at many sports, he contributed immensely to the school's great achievements in soccer,athletics and hockey. 

The Michaelian Roll of Honour in athletics includes the following: 

FRANCIS KHOO CHENG HIM  

(Champion athlete & Malaysian schools record-holder in the 

100 metres & 200 metres 1960s)  

ANTHONY DAWSON  (1950s & 1960s)  

GERALD VYTHILINGAM  (1970s) 

VINCENT AROKIADOSS (1970s) 

ERNEST ALOYSIUS ANTOINE (1960s) 

HAZUAN ZAINAL ABIDIN (1990s)