History of Ebenezer Old Students Association (Padua Alumni)
History of The Padua Alumni
The Ebenezer Old Students Association (referred to as the Padua Alumni) is an association, comprising students who have completed at least two years education at the school and no longer in high school. On record the association was formed in 1965. It is possible there had been attempts to form an Alumni before then, but these may have been ad hoc gatherings of old students who wanted to show their appreciation for the school and to acknowledge some teachers of the school for the help they were offered as students. After multiple attempts to get established since 1965, the Alumni started taking shape in 2013. In 2020, there was a real push to enlarge, broaden and strengthen the Alumni and to also integrate it into the school establishment.
This history is to help us understand the efforts that have been expended to help evolve an establishment which we hope will be worthwhile, going forward.
1965-2000
In 1965, the late Paul Lartey with Afful and some others, started the association. This was officially the first recorded attempt to form the Old Students Association (OSA). Paul and Afful were both footballers. They managed to engage five (5) others to help form an association of old students. Disappointingly, they could only sustain the association until 1970, five years after its formation.
In 1979 the association was resurrected with the help of a few zealous old students which included the son of the founder, Mr Emmanuel Bishop Aryee. Again, this died away within a period of about a year. The active members, besides Mr Aryee, were Nii Noi, Osrong Mills and others.
The mid-1980s, Nii Noi, Ocley, Ben Greene and others, formed an old students’ association, which again collapsed before the 1990s. This group was more of a social gathering than an association as it actually considered the welfare of its members, rather than the concerns and welfare of the school and the young students. At this stage in the association’s history the school was in the process of re-locating to Mpoase, Dansoman. It therefore made sense that with the relocation to a new campus, it was time to get an Alumni established once again and begin a ‘new chapter’.
The school at this stage had now been re-named Ebenezer Senior High School. The ‘never give up’ Nii Noi and friends, with the help of the headmistress of the School at the time, Nancy Thompson, tried to mobilize the old students of the school to attempt another resurrection of the old students’ association in early 1991. Some of the prominent old students at the time were identifiably from the 1974 Year Group. They included the late William Dadzie, late Patrick Obeng, Kumevor, Ayikoi Otoo, Enoch Quao and Lloyd Evans. Other members were Richard Nettey, Jacob Hayford, Jonathan Quao, Samuel Acquah, Michael Clottey and Emmanuel Bishop Aryee. These Paduans met regularly at Kinbu Gardens, where the Late William Dadzie had a bar. The objective of the formation of the group, apart from networking and reminiscing in the ‘good old days’, was also to prepare for the 50th Anniversary celebration of the founding of the school. The celebration in 1991 was successful but the association collapsed once again shortly after the anniversary celebrations.
In 1996, the association was revived by Mr Charles Osei, who was an Old student and a teacher in the school. He rallied around him others including Nii Addo Bruce, Richard Quarshie, H.O Larbi, Nii Odartei Mills, Osron Mills, Geks Quarshie, Michael Clottey, Adjakai Mills (late), Theophilus Tettey, David Mettle, Sylvia Annoh and many more. This appeared to be a bigger success, they enrolled a bigger number of old students, this time round. The revival coincided with the 55th anniversary of the school. They formed a committee to help prepare for the anniversary celebration. It was during this period that Mr Nicholas S. Dei, who was the Headmaster at the time wondered and said: “Can anything good come from Ebenezer Old Students?” This painful question however galvanised the members and spurred them on to try and make it work this time round. The committee formed to plan the anniversary celebrations was chaired by Mr H.O Larbi.
2000-2013
Since 1965, there have been five (5) unsuccessful attempts to establish and maintain an Old Students Association. In 2000 a new group was formed. They focussed on establishing an Alumni. An executive body was conceived and Mr Osron Mills was elected as the chairperson (or the ‘President’ in today’s parlance) of the association. The Alumni, although not very active, existed until 2006. Mr Nii Addo Bruce was elected the first official ‘President’ of the association in 2006. Other members of the executive body included Nii Dromor Tackie Yarboi, the finance officer. This newly formed and active group persevered and even drafted a constitution to help run the Alumni. The group managed to organise one of the biggest events ever held by the association, dubbed the ‘Grand Homecoming’. The event attracted over six hundred (600) old students. The homecoming featured Kojo Antwi, Slim Buster and Positive D. These three artistes, all old students of the school, were all prominent in the show business at the time. The association again hosted a grand dinner dance at GBC Club House, where seven outstanding individuals including three past head teachers (Vincent Birch Freeman, Nancy Thompson and Kusogbor) and four teachers, including Mr Boateng and Mr. Okine (aka Tsoolo), were honoured by the old students’ association. The Alumni did not die out after this, but rather went dormant and held on to the vestiges of an Alumni until 2009.
In 2009, a new interim executive team was formed to replace the existing executives, who were no longer active. The interim executive team members were Mustapha Jimah, Vice President; Sophia Ankrah, General Secretary; Gifty Gbena, Assistant Secretary; Neil Akpakli, Finance Officer, and Brian Etornam Gbagbo, Organizer. In 2011, the interim executives were kept on to continue running the Alumni. It was during this period that the writing up of the OSA constitution began. This was eventually completed and adopted as a working document in 2013.
2013-2020
The association has been involved in several projects over the years. Some of these projects include:
- The construction of the Visual Arts Block.
- The Padua Foundation
- The acquisition of Public Address systems and chairs for the school to equip the assembly hall.
- The establishment and running of old students’ year groups and reaching out to old students, both locally and in the diaspora. This has resulted in so many donations to the school, including water storage tanks, smart TVs, canopies, mowers, sports equipment, science equipment, computer and music equipment and accessories, sponsorships, scholarships and many more.
- The launching of Regeneration Programmes in 2019 Since 2016, the Alumni has been growing from strength to strength. The current Executive Committee (Exco), elected in 2017, includes Mr Lloyd Evans, President; Silvia Annoh, Vice President; Sophia Ankrah, Secretary; Solomon Barnor, Finance officer and treasurer; Neil Apkakli, General Secretary; Brian Etornam Gbagbo, Public Relations Officer; Nii Addo Bruce, ex-official member and Ben Greene, advisor.
Vision
The Alumni appears to be established and currently ambitiously embarking on various regeneration projects to help revamp (reform and restructure) the school. We realise there is so much potential in the Alumni. There are members who have clearly defined ideas and strategies, backed by resources and ever ready to help lift the school up to enviable heights in every conceivable way. One very impressive achievement is the close-knit relationship between the Alumni and the young students of the school. If we persist and continue to act in the interest of the school, as we should do, then as the saying goes, the future is our Oyster.
Long live Padua!
#ArisePadua | #Gudguv | #Padua | #Padua4Ever
Contributors:
W. Simmons (1978 Year Group)
J. Quarcoopome (1973 Year Group)
The Aryee Family