In recognition of the 110th anniversary of Calabar High School, the prestigious all-male Kingston-based educational institution will host several activities to celebrate the occasion.

The celebrations kickstart with a Founders’ Day Church Service on Sunday (September 11) at 9 am at Mona Baptist Church and annual Founders’ Day lecture on September 12 at 7 pm at Boulevard Baptist Church.

The lecture will be delivered by Dr Jermaine McCalpin, a Calabar Old Boy, associate professor at New Jersey City University and thought-leader on African and Caribbean philosophies and political science.

McCalpin outlined that the lecture will examine the heritage of excellence built by the institution, which can be defined as an intergenerational transfer of wisdom and knowledge, as Calabar High School seeks to provide holistic development to groom young men for the society by purporting academic excellence; moral education; sporting proficiency and a commitment to nation-building.

LECTURE TO DRAW FROM THE CALABAR EXPERIENCE

The lecture will also give insights into practices and guidelines, drawing from the Calabar experience, that demonstrate how all-male high schools can operate as a total institution developing all aspects of young men’s lives and not just a place for academic learning.

The lecture is timely, as discussions are ongoing in the development of programmes and strategies to address educational underachievement in boys and the positive resocialisation of boys.

Additionally, the Calabar Old Boys Association (COBA) will also be hosting an annual gala and reunion dinner on September 17 at 6:30 pm, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel; with keynote speaker, The Reverend Dr Howard Gregory, Archbishop of the West Indies Primate and Metropolitan and Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, who is also a proud Calabar alum. Tickets are on sale for the dinner.  

The Founders’ Day activities are held to celebrate the work of the institution’s co-founders, Reverends Ernest Price and David Davis, who established the school to provide high school education for the sons of the working class, the growing middle class and the sons of Baptist ministers. Additionally, the occasion is used to reflect on the inspiration which brought the school into existence and the contribution made in grooming outstanding men in the society, many of whom have made notable contributions in the fields of politics, law, arts and culture science, sports, media and education.

Speaking ahead of the anniversary celebration, Owen Ferguson, public relations spokesman, shared: “I hope that attendees will understand the importance of this milestone as one of the institutions that has fostered generations of young men since pre-independence to present and use the opportunity to connect or re-connect with their alma-mater.”

Ferguson added: “We also invite fellow Old Boys to give back to the school, not just monetarily but in time and expertise, so that the school can continue to mould and develop boys into self-reliant, honourable, courageous, socially responsible and morally conscious men that will contribute to the nation and the global community. The call is to continue the heritage of excellence.”