As we enter the Merdeka week, let's pause to remember our school history. BBGS started as a missionary school, and we were led and taught by many teachers who left their home shores to come to Malaya, a British colony, to educate young girls. Many of them spent their entire adult lives teaching local girls, preparing them for nationhood - to become "loyal women with their race".
This message was sent by Miss Mary Glasgow (BBGS Principal, 1946 - 1957) who helmed BBGS until 1957 when she befittingly handed the baton of leadership to Miss Elena M Cooke, our first Malaysian headmistress. Miss Glasgow's message was read out during the BBGS Annual Speech Day in 1983, which commemorated the 90th anniversary of the school.
Dear pupils, staff and friends of the school,
It is a great privilege and pleasure to be able to speak to you today and give you my warmest greetings and congratulations on this auspicious occasion.
It reminds me of my first arrival in 1930 and the welcome I received. From then on, I have had the happiest possible memories of those 31 years with BBGS and I thank God for such a wonderful experience. You made teaching a real pleasure and you taught me more valuable lessons than I gave you. I shall never forget the sincerity and warmth of your approach and the help that was always available in any kind of need. Indeed, after 22 years of absence, I still find myself referring to Malaysia and BBGS as home.
Miss Glasgow (fourth from the right) with some of her former students
The 9oth anniversary! What a long way we have come from that little gathering I remember in the Fook Yam Tong on Davidson Road with your marvellous buildings and playing fields in BBGS today.
Then the pupils were rather shy and were accompanied to and from school, often by rickshaws. Many parents preferred to keep daughters at home. So numbers were small. However, time marches on and after the war, there was tremendous pressure to get girls admitted. The buildings could not rise fast enough and even yet I hear the enrollments continue to soar,
It is delightful to see how the school maintains its character and high standards. May it ever be so and continue to go from strength to strength in humility and trust in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
Are we aware of Satan's greatest weapon. Self-pity? Never succumb to that or you are lost! Forget yourself, put others first, avoid hasty words and criticism, grumbling and complaining.
Dwell deep! There is a depth in life which is too seldom used. We live too much on the surface and do not dig down to the riches beneath. Let us take a look at a verse of Amy Carmichael:
From prayer that asks that I may be,
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
From fearing when I should aspire,
From faltering when I should climb higher,
From silken self, O Captain, free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.
Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
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