‘Old boys, new boys winning glory. We ourselves must write the story.’
 

The glorious story of King’s College is a never-ending one. No matter what you are, old boys or new boys, everyone of us is participating in writing the plot of it. I am most delighted to have taken part in writing an episode of it, which seemed trivial compared to the long history of king’s, but has indeed marker a new era in its recent history. I am talking about the preparation of the King’s College Student Union: the planning of the largest and the most comprehensive student organization in King’s.
 

The preparation work was a tremendously back-breaking toil. My colleagues would certainly approve when we recall our ten-hour marathon-like meetings for the drafting of the constitution. We fell into desperation when we heard negative comments from our fellow schoolmates, when we found ourselves unable to reconcile with the ideas of the school authority and when our peers offered only lukewarm support to us. However, such bitter memories become insignificant when we consider the great results of our effort: the invaluable friendship cultivated within the Preparation Committee, the harmonious relations established between the school authority and the Student Union and, the most important of all, the successful birth of the Student Union.
 

Since the Student union was founded, I have been hearing both exhilarating and frustrating news about it. Some good news about the elections was heard. The enthusiastic and high-spirited participation of the parties was very encouraging indeed. However, problems seemed to arise when the elected parties came to the actual operation of the union. The committee members said they got insufficient support from students inside and outside the committee whereas Union Members were not satisfied with the “Mediocre Standard” of the functions performed by the committee. I think out of all fairness. I should say the union had worked very hard and had accomplished a lot. As the union is still comparatively young, it will take time for it to develop. It is unfair for students to set extravagant expectations on it at the very beginning. Nevertheless, after two years of experimentation and acquisition of experience there should be no more room for excuses for this year’s union. It should learn from the past and should be very clear about what to do in the coming year.
 

Beside providing channels and enhancing students’ benefit, the Student Union is responsible for recruiting a party or a group to organise functions, which other clubs and societies are not entitled to do. The Leadership Training Progamme is good example in which sophisticated senior “brothers” recruited to educate our beloved junior brothers. The seniors instruct the inexperienced juniors to organise activities. The young ones are then trained to be future leaders. One should not confine this idea to extra-curricular activities only. Once valuable friendship is built up through this channel the old will be most willing to offer academic advice to the young. Such, mutual co-operation between senior and junior students as well as the passing down of the experience, skills and knowledge to our younger generation are in fact the essence of King’s Spirit. Those senior students experienced in leadership and with good academic achievement should be generous in offering help and concern to our younger ones in this practical way. What would be more rewarding than seeing the ones we nourished grow up to smart and bright Kingsians? I really hope that the senior students realize the importance of their roles in educating our younger brothers. Should they all process this attitude and utilize the channel provided by the Student Union King’s Spirit would no more be an abstract idea to you, but a very concrete one.
 

As regards the purposes of the Student Union, a very comprehensive list has already been written into the constitution. Essentially, it should provide adequate means of communication between teachers and students and among students. It should also help to obtain more benefits for our fellow schoolmates. The Representative Council plays a vital role here as it serves as the mouthpiece of all the students in King’s and voices their opinions in the organized way. What the students want from the school authority and the executive committee should then be reflected systematically. Such democratic rights have only been enjoyed since the establishment of the Student Union and should be treasured. The Class Representatives should be pleased to have such an honourable privilege to participate in this most democratic learning process. They should realize that the Student Union Representative Council is the highest authority of this, the largest student organization in King’s and what they do and learn is very meaningful. The Class Representative Council, or even the Student Union as a whole can never operate effectively if the Class Representatives just regard themselves as approving and voting robots instead of speaking up on behalf of their classes. Their initiation is most vital. It is disappointing to learn that in the past some senior classes adopted a very playful manner when they elected their Class Representatives. It posed very destructive effects on the overall functioning of the Representative Council. We hope that this year the contributing to King’s.
 

The Student Union is a live organisation. The functions preformed by it should not be confined to the lists made by the old committee. New ideas are most welcome, and it creativity and imagination are required. Adjustment must be made according to circumstances. Nonetheless, something is invariably important: enthusiasm and active involvement.
 

In fact, in my 7 years in King’s, I was taken care of by many enthusiastic senior “brothers”,and I know that I owe them a lot. I am especially thankful to the one who encouraged and advised us when we were doing the preparation work for the Student Union. By no means could the complete set of ideas have emerged without him. As King’s students, we always long for a student union. Now it has become a reality. Everyone of us should treasure it because each of us is a building block in it. Everyone of us has the responsibility to maintain and when we leave King’s we should be proud to say that we’re added colours not only to our beloved mother school, but also to our whole life as well.
 
 

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