The President of Methodist Girls’ High School, Old Girls Association (MGHSOGA), Yaba, Lagos, Maj. General Tilewa Amusu (rtd) has described this year reunion of the school as a global reunion. She also used the occasion to honour their departed souls.
Speaking during this year reunion (with a theme: “A Time Like This!”) of the old students via zoom, she said that because the 2020 reunion is virtual, they were unable to have the physical hellos and hugs. She regretted the death of some of their members. She requested that they honour their loved ones and other previously departed with a moment of silence.
“We however have the benefit of having old girls from all over the world participating. It is therefore a global reunion. Between the last reunion on 2nd November 2019 and now, we have sadly lost a number of our sisters.”
She noted in her welcome address that the reunion for 2020 was unusual due to unexpected circumstance of our time, “starting with the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently the end –SARS protests and its aftermath have necessitated the online commemoration of our and the theme for this year. A Time Like This! So many things have happened and have had to be addressed in new ways since the last reunion.”
According to her the Old Girls Association has continued its engagement of members through the lockdown. She said that the elections held in the early part of the lockdown were very vibrant and unique in many ways. The nominations, campaigns, voting, counting as well as the handling and taking over were done electronically and over 1,500 old girls participated in the elections.
“Your current executive committee is working to fulfill not only our electoral promises but also the expectations of old girls in order to continue the increasing profile of our school and association. The website of the association has been set up and we ask members to visit it for information on our activities.”
She disclosed that the building project is on course and the pre-commencement activities are actively going on.
“I would like to thank our guest speaker, Prof. Andrew Zamani and panelists for accepting to be our resource persons,” she said.
Prof. Zamani highlighted some solutions to combat the challenges posed “At Time Like This” and some of them are: sound intellect for innovation, discernment to understand the times, courage to stand for what is right and to deliver justice among other points.
The moderator of the programme Pastor Mrs. Tinu Odugbemi, former Chairperson of the Lagos Chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, Executive Director of Head High International Organisation and an old student of Methodist Girls High School, in the 73-78 and 78-80 sets where she had both her ‘O’and ‘A’ levels in the school.
She kick started the reunion programme with her apt description of this present time globally.
Hear her:
” At a time like this, reality wears a new face. Social relations has a new meaning. Daily linguo wears a new tone.. An oddity has taken over the land where you have security men at the banks checking the body temperature of doctors and other medical professionals. Novel pandemic which was last experienced 100 years ago and has brought with it economic squeeze and political consequences. No aspect of life is spared.”
The sisters in Canada also attended the reunion which started and ended with the motto of the school: “In love serve one another.”
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