St Charles’ Old Students Hold Convention, Marks Founder’s Day, 60th Anniversary

St. Charles’ Grammar School Old Boys Association, SCOBA worldwide, has gathered at their alma mater in Osogbo for their 2022 Biennial Convention, Founder’s Day and 60th anniversary.

Addressing a press conference to herald activities marking the one-week activities for the trio celebrations at Bashorun Rotimi Obeisun Alumni Hall within St Charles Grammar School, Osogbo on Monday, the Global President of the association, Charlean Rotimi Aluko, said clubs and other associations that would enhance the academic and moral lives of the students would be resuscitated.

He said the association would re-orientate the students through resuscitation of the morally-incorporated clubs such as technology club, law and order club, environment club, health, ICT among others.

Aluko added that the convention, set to hold between May 30 and June 7, would feature an Osun Old Students Associations’ Symposium on Education, SCOBA Mentoring Sessions, 2022 Convention Business, planting of commemorative trees by Stanzas in the school premises, immortalisation/projects commissioning in the school compound, inauguration and parade of clubs among other programmes.

“We are bringing back various clubs and associations to the school and we are not standing by the generally acknowledged ones, ‘the popular jingo’ associations such as Literary and Debate, science clubs and Drama. We have gone beyond that because we as an association have gone beyond that.

“We are going into technology club, law and order club, environment club, as well as press club. Even golf the acclaimed most elite sport, long tennis and boxing that will spice up international entertainment and enhance human capabilities.

“Away from our support for proper academics, we are doing progressive advancements. Many of the kids we have that are engaged in the whole mess of vices that escalated to almost nuclear level, are results of bad home training and educational support,” he said

The SCOBA president lamented that the society is deteriorating at ‘an unacceptable rate’ that cases of internet fraud and ritual killings have been rampant. He blamed poor parenting for the social vices across the country and urged all stakeholders to rise up to the menace.

On the achievements of the old students in their alma mater, Aluko said, “In terms of how much the old students have invested, I would quote from the late sage, Pa Awolowo when he described his wife, he said ‘she is a jewel of inestimable value”. So, our contributions are of inestimable value. They are not what we can put worth on. These are contributions from everybody and those who have the millions and billions open their purses as well.

“And those who blessed with ideas have come to create ideas. And if you remember, ideas are stronger than money, contributions transcend money.

“This year’s Biennial Convention is unprecedented in the life of our association given that we are actually celebrating three majors in one: the 2022 Biennial Convention of of SCOBA, 2022 Founder’s Day of the School and the 60th Anniversary of St Charles Grammar School in fulfillment of our “Decade Decade” Anniversary which is a big collective celebration by our members in thanksgiving to God for all the blessings and a big opportunity for giving back. The 60 Anniversary was deferred owing to COVID-19 restrictions. Our alma mater was established in 1960.

“Our support advocacy for the school extends to infrastructure, academic performance, character development, financial support, teaching staff motivation, academic progression to higher institutions, etc,”Aluko added.