Diocesan Boys' School

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For the former Diocesan Boys' School in Nainital, India see Sherwood College
Diocesan Boys' School
Chinese: 拔萃男書院
Main Building of Diocesan Boys' School
Location
Map
Argyle Street, Kowloon

Hong Kong
Information
TypeDSS, Grant School, primary, secondary
Established1869
School districtMong Kok
PrincipalTerence Chang
GradesP1 - U6
Color(s)Blue,white and red
AffiliationHong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (Anglican Episcopalian)
Websitehttp://www.dbs.edu.hk

Diocesan Boys' School is a boys' school located at 131 Argyle Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1869, making it one of the oldest secondary schools in Hong Kong. Diocesan Boys' School is regarded as one of the best secondary schools in Hong Kong.

The school aims to provide a "liberal education based on Christian principles"; its students are encouraged to be well rounded. The school regularly participates in various inter-school music and sports competitions, and has of late won HKSMSA awards.

In 2004, a primary school division of was opened on the school campus.

History

The first foundation

In 1860, Lady L. Smith, the wife of the first Bishop of Victoria and the Society for the Promotion of Female Education in the Far East(FES) established a girls' school affiliated with the Diocese of the Anglican denomination in Hong Kong. It was given the name "Diocesan Native Female Training School" (DNFTS), and Lady Robinson, the wife of the Governor, became the patroness. According to the constitution, it aimed "to introduce the blessing of religious teaching among …native females". The Committee started the school on Bonham Road, with a small concrete house on a paddy field. It accommodated teaching, boarding and all the activities[1].

The school became mired in controversy and got into financial trouble. According to Dr. E. J. Eitel’s letter to the Colonial Secretary Frederick Stewart, it was forced to close temporarily in 1865 upon learning that almost every one of the girls learned English in that school, and became the kept mistress of foreigners on leaving school[2].

The school was soon reopened and renamed "Diocesan Female School" (DFS), but its financial situation was by no means improved. In addition, most Chinese people did not wish their daughters to have education in Western style. In 1868, the second Bishop of Victoria, Bishop R. Alford, took the school under his immediate superintendence[1]. This marks the end of the First Foundation.

The second foundation

19th Century

The Diocesan Boys' School Hymn

 by Anonymous

Verse 1:

Father in heaven who lovest all.
O help thy children when they call;
That they may build from age to age
An undefiled heritage.

Verse 2:

Teach us to bear the yoke in youth,
With steadfastness and careful truth;
That in our time thy grace may give
The truth whereby the nations live.

Verse 3:

Teach us to look in all our ends
On thee for judge, and not our friends;
That we, with thee, may walk uncowed
By fear or favour of the crowd.

Verse 4:

Teach us the strength that cannot seek,
By deed or thought, to hurt the weak;
That, under thee, we may possess
Man's strength to comfort man's distress.

Verse 5:

Teach us delight in simple things.
And mirth that has no bitter springs;
Forgiveness free of evil done
And love to all men 'neath the sun.

On 30 January 1869, Bishop Alford issued an Appeal which met with a liberal response soon. Under a new constitution, the "Diocesan Home and Orphanage" (DHO), for English, Eurasian, Chinese and other pupils, was begun on the same site in September. The objects of the Institution were to receive Children of both sexes, sound both in body and mind and as may be deemed eligible by the Committee, as soon as they become capable of education; and to board, clothe and instruct them with a view to industrial life and the Christian Faith according to the teaching of the Church of England[3].

In July 1870, Mr. W. M. B. Arthur of the Garrison School was appointed as the Headmaster, and Mrs. Arthur as the Matron[1]. In 1878, the School was then placed in the Grant-in Aid Scheme by the Education Department.

In March 1878, the School Committee decided to receive no more boys, but those already admitted should remain; this decision was reversed in July, and no more girls were received as boarders, though they still remained as day-scholars. The School was to transform into a boys’ school[4]. On 1st November, Mr. G. H. Piercy, the third master of the Government Central School, was appointed as the Headmaster[5]. Mr. Piercy focused on the academic education of the students, and the School gained satisfactory results in the Cambridge and Oxford Local Examination scholarships[6].

In 1891, the School changed its name to "Diocesan School and Orphanage" (DSO), commemorating the erection of a new wing. All the girls left as Fairlea Girls’ School (later known as Heep Yunn College), under the superintendence of Miss Johnstone, was opened to them in 1892. For the first time DSO became a boys’ school[7]. In 1899, the Diocesan Girls’ School was founded in Rose Villas on Bonham Road, Ms. Hawker being the Head Teacher[8].

Early 20th Century

In 1902, the School changed its name to "Diocesan Boys’ School and Orphanage" (DBSO)[9]. Rev. W. T. Featherstone, Headmaster from 1917 to 1930, introduced the prefects' system, a house system and Speech Day. He also proposed moving the School from Bonham Road to a green field site in Mong Kok. Construction of the school was completed in 1926. But soon in February 1927, the British military authorities took the School as a hospital for one year[10].

War broke out in China following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, and at once, DBS showed its support towards the Chinese Nationalist Party. In January 1938, a Shoe-shining Club was organized under the permission of Rev. C. B. R. Sargent to raise funds for the Nationalist Government. Boys went to schools around Hong Kong, polishing shoes for both teachers and students[11]. In 1939, it even led to a School strike when a student of Japanese citizenship was appointed as Head Prefect[12].

The School was occupied by the Japanese in 1941 along with the rest of Hong Kong. Most of the personnel at the school, including Mr. G. A. Goodban, then-Headmaster, were put into prison. The building itself was transformed into a military hospital (Kempi Tai) to serve the Japanese soldiers.

Post-War Years

Imperial Japan surrendered in August 1945, putting an end to World War II. The School was still under the control of Kempi Tai until November, when all the Japanese soldiers were captured. On 21 March 1946, Mr. J.L. Youngsaye, a senior teacher, took over the School which had been vacated, after it was inspected by the army commander. Oswald Cheung and Mr. B. J. Monks took up the post of acting Headmaster successively. Mr. Goodban arrived from England on 19 November 1947. Repairs started during the Christmas holidays. The new House system, named after the former Headmasters, was introduced in 1949 together with the Piercy Challenge Shield[13]. In the 1950s, great construction plans including a gymnasium, a Carnegie Hall (the present Art Room) and a science wing were proposed.

In 1955, Mr. Goodban announced his resignation while Canon George She (aka George Zimmern) was appointed the next Headmaster, the first Hong Kong-born old boy to become so. As Headmaster, Canon She brought about many innovations. Firstly, he opened wide the School gates to pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Secondly, he de-colonized DBS by affirming Chinese in the School's culture[14]. Canon She also introduced the Garden Fête in 1955. In the academic rink, it was proposed to drop the primary classes because there was not enough space. Finally it was decided that a completely new Diocesan Preparatory School was to be built, yet it was not until 1969 that the resolution was affirmed[15].

The School became a major force in athletics when James Lowcock was appointed Headmaster in 1961. With his previous experience in DBS, he structured the administration to improve efficiency and more teachers were appointed to posts with designated responsibilities.

In 1983, Lowcock resigned due to ill health, and was succeeded by Jacland Lai, a senior teacher at the School. Under the new Headmaster's efforts, the standard of non-academic endeavours of students were greatly improved, and a number of competition prizes were brought back to the school as a result. In addition, a language laboratory and a demonstration room were built. The electrics and alarm installations were renovated, the School walls repainted, and computerization was performed throughout the School.

Lai retired in August 2000, and Terence Chang, an old boy and then-headmaster at the Jockey Club Ti-I College, took over the reins in September 2000.

After a 35 year hiatus, it was decided to found and built a primary school on the School campus. The primary school, known as the Diocesan Boys' School Primary Division (DBSPD) had its first (partial) intake of students in 2004. It further expanded its intake with students aged between 6 and 12 in 2005.

Headmasters and Houses

Roster of Headmasters

Name Name in Chinese Tenure
1. W. M. B. ARTHUR 雅瑟 (1870-1878)
2. G. H. PIERCY 俾士 (1878-1917)
3. Rev. W. T. FEATHERSTONE 費瑟士東 (1917-1930)
H. du T. PYNER 派納 (1930-1932, acting)
4. Rev. C. B. R. SARGENT[16] 舒展 (1932-1938)
5. G. A. GOODBAN 葛賓 (1938-1941)
Pacific War (1941-1945)
Oswald Victor CHEUNG 張奧偉 (1946, acting)
B. J. MONKS 孟克士 (1946, acting)
5. G. A. GOODBAN 葛賓 (1946-1955)
B. J. MONKS 孟克士 (1955, acting)
6. Rev. George Samuel ZIMMERN
(aka Canon George She)[17] 		施玉麒 (1955-1961)
7. Sidney James LOWCOCK 郭慎墀 (1961-1983)
8. Jacland LAI 黎澤倫 (1983-2000)
9. Terence CHANG 張灼祥 (2000- )

Houses

In 1922, Rev. Featherstone introduced the Club system to the School for sports and drama competitions. All the students were divided among four Clubs, i.e. the Green, the Blue, the Yellow and the Brown. As the number of students kept increasing in 1930’s, Rev. Sargent added the Red Club. Three past Headmasters, Piercy, Sargent and Featherstone passed away successively during the years of the Pacific War. In order to commemorate them, Goodban decided to establish a new House system in 1949. The existing five Clubs were re-designated "Houses" and named after four past Headmasters and the beloved Mr. H. Sykes, who was the Second Master from 1898 to 1920. In 1960, Canon She founded the new Goodban House to commemorate his predecessor. Lowcock House was added in 2002[18]. The Houses, abbreviations and representative colours are as follows:

House Abbreviation Colour
Arthur A Green
Piercy P Dark Blue
Sykes Sy Brown
Featherstone F Yellow
Sargent Sa Red
Goodban G Sky Blue
Lowcock L Purple

In 2004, the alumni of class 58 managed a fund-raising for the establishment of a new House and the Chapel renovation in memory of the late Canon George She [19]. Due to some technical problems, nevertheless, the much expected Zimmern House is still under discussion.

School Badge

File:Diocesan Boys' School Badge.gif
The school badge of Diocesan Boys' School

The School badge has a deep meaning in the Christian faith. It is split into seven parts: the Mitre, the Crown, the Crozier, the Key, the Bible, the Shell and the Shield

The mitre is the traditional headgear worn by bishops. As a symbol, its meaning is twofold. It shows that the Anglican Church is an episcopal church, a church guided by bishops. It also underlines the fact that the Anglican Church has inherited the faith of the Apostles.

Placed above the Bible, the crown is the symbol of the kingship of Christ. It indicates that the Church works in the world in obedience to Christ and to the glory of God.

The crozier is a symbol of the pastoral responsibility which the Church bears for the world. It is also known as the pastoral staff. It reminds the Church of its humble identity as servant.

The key is the symbol of authority which the Church receives from Christ.

The book placed in the middle of the shield is the Bible, which is a record of the self-disclosure of God in history - the history of the people of Israel in the Old Testament period and the life of Jesus Christ. The doctrine, discipline and worship of the Anglican Church is based on the Bible and must be in accordance with its teaching.

Placed beneath the Bible, the shell is used to symbolise Baptism. It underlines the evangelistic mission of the Church which is to preach the Gospel, to draw people to Christ and to baptise them.

The shape of a shield signifies the defending of Christian faith in the temporal world.

Extra-curricular activities

Sports

There are various sports played inside the school, including athletics, badminton, basketball, debating, soccer, table-tennis, tennis, life-Saving, fencing, cricket, softball, squash, etc, and the school teams are very strong competitors among Hong Kong schools as they garner a lot of awards, with multiple first place awards. They have won the Inter-School Swimming competition for 14 years in a row, a record. They have also won the Inter-School Athletics competition for a few years in a row, and have won numerous competitions in basketball.

Music

Notable Prizes:

  • Captured the 2nd place in the Male and Youth Choir category at the 59th International Music Eisteddfod. (2005)
  • Captured the Champion and the Gold Diploma for the category "Young Male Voice" at the World Choir Games (4th Choir Olympics), 2006 in Xiamen.
  • Captured the Champions of the Senior String Orchestra, Senior School Orchestra and Senior School Band in the 59th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival (2007), thus winning the Instrumental Treble.
  • The Diocesan Boys' School Senior Choir captured the "Best Boys Choir of the Year" in the 59th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. (2007)
  • The Senior Mixed Choir of Diocesan Boys' School together with Diocesan Girls' School captured the "Best Mixed Choir of the Year"and the"Best Secondary School Choir of the Year" in the 59th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. (2007)
  • Captured the Champion, the Gold Diploma, the Special Prize for Interpretation and the Conductor Prize for the category "Youth Choirs of Equal Voices" in the 5th International Johannes Brahms Choir Festival & Competition, 2007 in Wernigerode, Germany. (2007)
  • The Senior Mixed Choir of Diocesan Boys' School together with Diocesan Girls' School captured the 2nd place and the Gold Diploma for the category "Mixed Youth Choirs" in the 5th International Johannes Brahms Choir Festival & Competition, 2007 in Wernigerode, Germany. (2007)

Other

The Scout troop of the school, 6th Kowloon, has stood unchallenged in competition in their own Kowloon Tong district for 15 years now. One of its most notable accomplishments was capturing "the Carlton Trophy" - the Colony Championship for Scouting Competition in Hong Kong in 1973. This capture is still an unbroken record for any Kowloon-based scout troop since 1955.

DBS also participates a lot in other competitions, such as art, writing, outstanding students selection, Speech Festival, drama and business. A lot of awards have been attained by DBS students.

Alumni

Field of Politics and Civil Services

Dr. Sun Yat-sen

Field of Law

  • Rev. G. S. Zimmern, JP (施玉麒); one of the earliest barristers-at-law of Hong Kong, magistrate
  • Sir Y. K. Kan, GBE, JP (簡悅強); solicitor, members of Executive and Legislative Councils, former chairman of HKTDC, former chariman of Bank of East Asia
  • Sir O. V. Cheung, JP (張奧偉); distinguished lawyer, legislator, and public servant of Hong Kong, widely known as "doyen of the bar"
  • Sir Kwan Cho Yiu (關祖堯); lawyer and judge
  • Justice Litton, Henry Denis (列顯倫); judge and barrister-at-law
  • Justice Pang Kin Kee (彭鍵基); Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC), Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court of the Hong Kong SAR Government
  • Kotewall, Robert G. (羅正威); SBS, Senior Counsel, Winner of the Silver Bauhinia Star of 2001

Field of Commerce

  • Tyson, George B. (陳啟明); Director of Dai Yew Bank, Member of the Hong Kong Chinese Chamber of Commerce(prewar)
  • Howard, William, J. (侯維廉); former Director of L. Dunbar & Co. and John D. Hutchison & Co.
  • Wong Ching Yau; former Director of Hong Kong Metropolitan Bank Ltd.
  • The Hon. Fan Hung Ling, Henry, SBS, JP (范鴻齡); Member, Executive Council; Managing Director, CITIC Pacific; Deputy Chairman, Cathay Pacific; Director, Dragonair
  • Lam Kin Ming (林建名); Chairman of Lai Sun Group
  • Yu Kam Kee, Lawrence, BBS, MBE, JP (余錦基); Chairman of Softbank Investment International (Strategic) Ltd
  • Fong, Alex (方志偉); CEO, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

Field of Education and Academics

  • Dr. Chan Wing Chit (陳榮捷); Sinologist, professor of philosophy in Dartmouth College and Columbia University[21]
  • Mr. Chen Pei Hsun (陳培勳); composer, professor of Peking Central Institute of Music[22]
  • Mr. Fung Yee Wang (馮以浤); professor of School of Education, HKU and CUHK
  • Dr. Wong Siu Kit (黃兆傑); professor of Chinese literature, HKU
  • Dr. Cheng Yiu Chung (鄭耀宗); former president of HKU
  • Dr. Liu Pak Wai(廖柏偉); vice-president of CUHK
  • Dr. Chung Ting Yiu, Robert (鍾庭耀); Public Opinion Project Director, HKU
  • Dr. Chan Hing Yan (陳慶恩); deparment head of music faculty, HKU
  • Dr. Hsu Tzu Pin (許子濱); assistant professor, Chinese department, Lingnan University
  • Dr. Chan Sheung Han, Gary (陳雙幸); associate professor, vice-chairman of Computer Engineering Program, Computer Science and Engineering Department, HKUST

Field of Arts and Entertainments

Field of Mass Culture and Journalism

Trivia

  • The school campus is a declared monument of Hong Kong
  • The school is planning to launch International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2009, and has decided to accept girl students in the IB system. The school is building a new building for the IB program.
  • On 6 February, 2006 an alert was declared after a DBS janitor of found a dead bird on campus. It was immediately suspected of having been infected with avian flu, and was immediately sent to the Department of Health. On the evening of 8 February, 2006 the bird was identified of having the H5 virus, but not the H5N1 strain[23].
  • Including Diocesan Girls' School, Diocesan Boys' School Primary Division, and the Diocesan Preparatory School, the total number of "Diocesan" students exceeds 4300.
  • The swimming pool of the school is only 4 feet deep because workers refused to dig deeper during the construction after they started to dig out relics from the Japanese occupation of the campus during WWII.
  • It is 4 feet because the steep slope of the hillside cannot withstand the huge weight of the water in a standard size pool, not because of digging of relics"

References

  • Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929 (Hong Kong: Ye Olde Printerie Ltd, 1930)
  • W. J. Smyly, A History of the Diocesan Boys’ School (unpublished manuscript circa 1967)
  • The GS Book Editors, A Tribute to Rev. Canon George She Headmaster 1955-1961 Diocesan Boys’ School (Hong Kong: The Green Pagoda Press, 2004)

See also

22°19′21.95″N 114°10′27.71″E / 22.3227639°N 114.1743639°E / 22.3227639; 114.1743639

  1. ^ a b c Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.1
  2. ^ E. J. Eitel’s letter to the Colonial Secretary in 1889, CO 129/342, quoted in Vicky Lee, Being Eurasian: Memories Across Racial Divides (Hong Kong University Press, 2004), p.21
  3. ^ Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.99
  4. ^ Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.48
  5. ^ Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.103
  6. ^ Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.3
  7. ^ Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.48
  8. ^ "Blue Book", Hong Kong Government, 1899
  9. ^ Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.129
  10. ^ Rev. W. T. Featherstone, The Diocesan Boys School and Orphanage, Hong Kong: The History and Records 1869-1929, p.5
  11. ^ Steps, Diocesan Boys' School, 1938
  12. ^ W. J. Smyly, A History of the Diocesan Boys’ School (unpublished manuscript circa 1967)
  13. ^ Steps, Diocesan Boys' School, 1949
  14. ^ George She Memorial Dedicated at DBS, DSOBA
  15. ^ Headmaster’s Report, Steps, Diocesan Boys' School, 1970
  16. ^ Biography, Ricci Roundtable Template:Zh icon
  17. ^ 知時好雨, 潤物無聲 Nicholas L. Chan, Ta Kung Pao, November 23, 2004 Template:Zh icon
  18. ^ Report on the New Lowcock House, Diocesan Old Boys' Association, 2002
  19. ^ 知時好雨, 潤物無聲 Nicholas L. Chan, Ta Kung Pao, November 24, 2004 Template:Zh icon
  20. ^ 羅旭龢 香港實業家, Luoshi.net (羅氏通譜網), September 10, 2004 Template:Zh icon
  21. ^ 陳榮捷小傳, Kaiping District Government, People's Republic of China Template:Zh icon
  22. ^ 陳培勳簡介, Government, Taiwan Republic of China Template:Zh icon
  23. ^ Warning after new bird death, Winnie Chong and Chester Yung, Hong Kong Standard, February 09, 2006
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