1998 Class Notes - No show?

I can't seriously believe that no one else has gotten married since January? If not that no new kiddies too? That is not possible so it must mean you are not aware of the "Filla form". Well here it is: The Filla Form. Send filla that you'd like to share with everyone.

Meanwhile let me tell about some filla I heard about the Ghana Deputy Minister of Information, the Honorable Samuel Ablakwa. Last I heard he's a full-blooded Ɔdadeɛ of the class of 1999 (yeah, but 1999 is definitely within the sphere of influence of 1998, i.e. most of you probably can recognize him). So he's the first confirmed Ɔdadeɛ national politician of our age group! Finally! (Correct me if I'm wrong.

So if you've still not got the point, here it is in CAPS: SEND ME SOME 1998 CLASSMATES FILLA!

Odadee Society of Professionals (OSP

Dear Odadees,

I am happy to announce to you The Odadee Society of Professionals (OSP. The Odadee Society of Professionals (OSP) is registered in the US and has 501 (c) (3) status.The objective of this society is to further the professional aspirations of its members. The society is currently voting for its leaders and officers.

Please spare just five minutes to vote for Advisory Board, committee and continent leaders.

To Vote, please use this link:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=ck85QVFRdjBaMjhQRXdZcmplVWpUZFE6MA

You can vote for any Presecan, including yourself. In addition, other people have express their interest for various position.To View those people who have express interest in various positions, please use this link:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=rHPQ8p1xb_ptdA2ckUKt58w&output=html

Remember you can vote any Presecan including those not on the list above.

Today is the 13th of June, 8 days to the June 20th deadline.

You are encouraged to look beyond a nominee's popularity and take into account their relevant skills and passion. You are encourage to nominate yourselves.

At The Final Funeral Rites of Musa Muneru and minutes after at Toboso's House

Dear All,

It was good we showed up the way we did at the final funeral rites of our departed brother. For those of you who could not make it, you were well represented by 14 old boys including one senior Akuffu who I think, was in form five in 1972 (can someone correct me if I am wrong?). In senior Akuffu's absence, we had sang the school anthemn beautifully. Nonetheless, when he appeared he demanded a repeat of the anthemn as our punishment for singing in his absence. We sang better the second time and it was obvious we had won the hearts of the sympathisers at the funeral grounds. The applause was instant.

We thank Toboso for the treat he gave us in his home. Toboso, that was great. May God bless you and your family. Attached are some photos. Pechepe, you were also at your best. We cherish you. For those of you who came, I hope your return trip was not like mine. While chatting, Agborson and I missed a turn. We nearly ended up at Kasoa. I hadn't been at that side of Accra in ages.

Kind regards

Eric Danquah

EACH-PRESEC 2008 Annual Report (Summary)

Educational Accessibility for Children in Hardship (EACH)

2008 EACH-PRESEC Annual Report – Summary

EACH-PRESEC Scholar Award Program is the result of a partnership between EACH (Educational Accessibility for Children in Hardship) Foundation and alumni of Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School. The Each-Foundation makes scholarships available to brilliant but underprivileged primary, junior and senior secondary school students in Ghana.

EACH-PRESEC specifically focuses on the exceptional students of Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School, Legon-Accra, Ghana. Scholarship recipients receive an award that helps fund their educational expenses, are assigned mentors and are awarded a book prize.

2008 was an exciting year for EACH-PRESEC. We revamped our PRESEC programs and made considerable progress towards establishing an endowment to fund our scholarships. For example:

• We have secured pledges of more than $10,000 and revamped the endowment and investment committees. They should both be up and running by July 2009
• As part of efforts to develop a reading culture and critical thinking among our scholars, we have initiated a reading program which will see our scholars read and engage in discussions about an assigned book every term.

In continuation of the Scholar Award Program, EACH-PRESEC selected three more students for scholarships that cover between 50 to 75% of their fees. The scholarship recipients were:

· Tutu Kingfard

· Collins Obeng

· Ishmael Aborhey.

In consultation with Paa Kwesi Imbeah, Odadee ’98, of Suuch Solutions (a Ghana based technology consulting firm), we also initiated a paid internship program for our students. This provided an excellent opportunity for our scholars to gain experience in a professional environment. Ishmael Aborhey and Collins Obeng participated in the program and had a great learning experience.

In addition, we have expanded our team of officers to improve the quality and content of our programs and continue to explore new ways in which interested donors (Odadees and others interested in expanding accessibility for the underprivileged) can contribute to the program through endowed scholarships. The endowed scholarships are our way of ensuring the sustainable continuation of our program into perpetuity.

Please access the full report for more information.

Timothy W. Kotin

1998 Class Notes - Give me 5

Did you know a group of Ɔdadeɛs are celebrating Mrs Akyeampong by naming a society in her honor? It is spearheaded by prominent members of the class of 1998--Edwin Amonoo (SPé) chairs the society with Emmanuel Akrong our class along with a wider membership drawn from all classes. Here is the customary website www.odadeeprofs.com. Let's quote from the nino's own mouth in 5 paragraphs:

The purpose of the Society of Odadee Professionals is to celebrate the culture of academic excellence among current and past students of Presec Legon;

Mobilize the diverse pool of Presecan and non-Presec talents around the world to support Odadee, non-Odadees and current students;

Present achievement scholarships to selected students in Presec and elsewhere. We currently are instituting an academic scholarship in honor of Mrs. C.S. Akyeampong. Recipients of this scholarship will have combined strong academic performance with the development of the arts;

Raise money and sponsor projects that will contribute to the development of Presec;

Promote the development of the Arts in Presec.

Just Married

Leonard Tagoe (with the solid backing of Ben Avle) has done it, so has Ebo Jackson! Let's hear an Amen!!

PTA Meeting Eligibility

Kwasi Appiah has started 2009 in very good standing--his family has grown to include Kwadwo Appiah--yours truly has seen pictures and yes we are proud!

If you have filla to share, do not hesitate to send it over to yours truly at paakwesi.imbeah AT odadee.org or fill out this form!

Obituary - Seth Thompson

Dear Ɔdadeɛ,

It is with great sorrow that I announce Seth Thompson's passing. He was a member of the 4x100m team that placed third in the inter-schools zonals in 2002. A group has been created to remember all our athletes - it's dedicated to those we have lost. Please join the "I WAS A PRESEC (LEGON) SPORTSMAN" facebook group, dedicated to Seth and Kwesi Debrah.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45059318341

We will provide more information on the arrangements as they develop.

May his soul rest in perfect peace.

In lumine tuo videbimus lumen.

1998 Class Notes - It's been 10 years!

Oh my! I thought, well, we live in a decimal dominated culture so I guess the number '10' must be significant and shouldn't pass without mention.

Now everyone is certifiably a growee. No excuses. What are you doing with your life?

Let's run through some opinionated 10-year time-out notes:
- If you wanted to run for president and are still living exile (economic or political) instead of where you are eligible to be president then my friend your time is running out. By this time you should be a district leader or planning to be one in the next year or two. Yes, I had to say it as I know many nurse lofty ambitions :)

- If you wanted to be a doctor/engineer/lawyer--the classic top 3 back in the bad old days, you are probably already are. But even if you aren't yet--you have plenty of time since there's no upper limit on age eligibility for these professions. Some are already planning to add even more academic degrees after their names. A word of caution here--letters after your name doesn't actually mean much to anyone except yourself. Most people measure you by your actual achievements not what you say you are capable of achieving.

- If you wanted to be a professor/teacher--in other words, the shapers of young minds, and the thinkers--then unless you're happy with taking the kidibubs and kidibabs through their 123s, you're probably still in school trying to finish that PhD. I say, finish hard! Hopefully in another 10 years you'll be on the tenure track and you'd have written some great papers about important topics or written a text book all our kiddies will use. Remember to befriend the artists--without them, your ideas might be lost to the culture which can best understand you.

- The businessmen--you are probably on your third business already; or you've made tons of cash from your first--and who will fault a man for sticking with a winning strategy. Remember to befriend the politicians. It's usually good for business.

- The artists. Now I must say that I don't remember anyone in my inner circle who wanted to do any more than dabble in the arts--but you guys are the important people. Novelists, playwrights, poets, columnists, coaches, designers. You inspire the rest of us to love, hate, happiness or sorrow. You make us proud or ashamed of ourselves. You mirror, reinterpret culture--our very way of life. Remember to befriend the academics--without them the best ideas in the culture will likely never be widely known. They'll probably still be speaking Latin when all we understand is Hausa--so help them to communicate with us the senior citizens :)

- The entertainers. Yeah--you've probably made your first million new Ghanaian cedis. If so, remember the artists--they come up with the jokes you use, the lyrics you sing, the product that you advertise... So remember them and make them happy--after all what's the football player without the coach? The actor without a script? You tell me...

- The senior citizens. You are hiding but doing your own thing small small. Some of you are already part of the fundraising committee for the church harvest. Others have started building a house for their parents and others have already finished that and started on their own. Kudos to you wherever you are and whatever good thing you are up to.

- The common floor members. Come on--the time for being spectators is over--jump into the action. It's time to decide on something to be known for and stop harassing those who want to look up to you for fish or other assorted tins. Buy your own flakes if you want to chill. Rev your own ride instead of crimping your mommy's style by always borrowing her ride. Or ride proudly in the front of a trosky like I do--at least you pay your fare with your own hard-earned cash so why not get the best view from the front?

Now the filla...
In the 'Just Married' column (ok, relative to the last time you read these class notes:) )--in alphabetical order,

• Emmanuel Akrong
• Emmanuel Paa Kwesi Amos-Abanyie
• Kobina Inkumsah
  
• Daniel Kokroko
• Paul Opare-Addo
• Andrew Ofosu
• ... and many more who should be on this list but about whom I have no filla
  

In the "I'm passing on my genes" column I have no filla unfortunately. But send them along--we want to see pictures too of the little people. Take them to visit your old dorms--show them the bad old days and tell them about the great fun we had despite it all :)

In the "OK guys--I'm going ahead" column I also have no filla. And I don't want to have filla since it's almost certainly true that they're narrowing the living or we are narrowing them. And we all know that narrowing is not cool.

I'll leave you with a tribute to growth. You may remember this if you didn't swerve every Tuesday morning's service and singing.




And we soldier on...

Afehyia pa!
PS: This is late because of Ghana's election--I planned to write this on December 7--fancy that.