Welcome...

Welcome, Adisadel Alumni (Santaclausians) and friends, to the Adisadel Old Boys Association web site. More than 20,000 Santaclausians around the world take advantage of free lifetime membership in the Association. Membership entitles you to information about your benefits; invitations to select events such as reunions, grand openings, as well as invaluable networking opportunities with other Santaclausians.

Adisadel celebrates its 100 years of existence this year (1910-2010)...please join us in this once in a life time celebration.

On behalf of the entire Santaclausian community, best wishes to you for your continued success!

Celebration of Life - Sat. 13th. February 2010 - Laurel MD. (USA)


 

Francis Indome
(1954 Year Group)

Father of: 
Clement Indome (Elliot, 1974)
Frank Indome (Ebiradze, 1980)

Link: More Details...
 

Celebration of Life - Sat. 20th. February 2010 - Brandywine, MD. (USA)

 

Mrs. Joana Dadzie Appiah

Mother of Pastor A.B.K. Appiah

Link: More Details...
 

100 Years of Adisadel College: Dreams, Altruism, Service and Academic Excellence

By Levi Yafetto, Ph.D.
Elliot House, 1993

4th. January 2010

It was a dream of the Anglican Church’s missionary organization, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG), to establish an institution to train and groom children (specifically sons) of Anglican parents to work for the church. That dream began at Topp Yard, Cape Coast, Ghana, in one storey building on January 4, 1910. With twenty-nine exuberant boys, later to be known as the “Foundation Scholars,” the founder, The Right Reverend Dr. Nathaniel Temple Hamlyn started the SPG Grammar School.

Two years later, in 1912, a remarkable event took place in the annals of the school’s short existence. In his book Reminiscences of Adisadel, G. McLean Amissah succinctly writes: “In 1912, the Grammar School presented her first batch of students for the College of Preceptors examination. And what pride did the School not have when it was announced that all the candidates had passed! Above all else, one of the candidates, James Hector Mayne, set a record of the College of Preceptors examination for West Africa by securing six distinctions at a sitting!”

It was sad that the founder left the country for good the same year. Nevertheless, the tutors and students of the School never looked back. They played up!

A standard of excellence to stand the test of time had been set by the gallant twenty-nine, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey of enviable, success story of the SPG Grammar School, which later became known as the St. Nicholas Grammar School, and now Adisadel College.

Adisadel College, together with her students, through the years, have known no bounds in pursuit of excellence in almost every endeavor of human life; students and alumni (hereafter referred to as Santaclausians) have expectantly excelled in academics and their chosen careers not only in Ghana, but around the world. Their contributions to the development of Ghana alone cannot be quantified in any measure; from politics through academia, law, medicine, sports, music, commerce and industry, engineering, science and technology, banking and finance… to philanthropy, Santaclausians have made their mark in Ghana’s history.

Today, Adisadel College is exactly 100 years old!

We have every good reason imaginable under the sun to celebrate all the School’s achievements, and what Santaclausians (individually and collectively) have achieved through service to mankind.

As we pat ourselves on the back, one thing remains vital, though: The Anglican Church, the founder of the School, the foundation scholars, pioneering tutors, and the early generations of students deserve every Santaclausian’s praise and indebtedness. They do deserve these, for, from very humble beginnings, they persistently overcame varied limitations that confronted their zeal to pursue their dreams to the hilt.

From this persistence, a tradition was bequeathed to us: the “do-it-yourself” tradition known among Santaclausians as “The Adisadel Spirit.”

It all began when, under the leadership of John Alan Knight, the need arose for the School to relocate to a more spacious location that would accommodate an ever-increasing student population at Topp Yard. Not allowing anything to stand in their way, the students resolved to make the Hill Top of Adisadel, a land released to the school by the Ebiradze stool family, a permanent home. This they achieved by building from scratch Hamlyn House, the Acropolis and the Sanatorium. John Alan Knight described this feat as “wholly impossible.”

In his own words, G. McLean Amissah, then a little boy attending Cape Coast Government Boys’ School, vividly shares a personal, touching story in his book. He writes: “I felt enthused too as I watched the boys walk, several of them barefooted, all the way through the thickets via Aboom to Adisadel hill where they busied themselves in their school building project. The boys were divided into groups, each assigned various tasks, such as clearing the land, digging, carting sand and stones and making cement blocks. It was fascinating to see some of the boys actually putting up the building under the direction of the enthusiastic foreman from Asuantsi Trade School.”

He goes on further: “Determination was writ large on the faces of the boys. The boys sang the School “Ode” as they laboured and toiled in the sun seemingly unmindful of all inconveniences to themselves. This daring spirit of the boys excited my imagination and made me long to become a student of the School. It seemed to me great to participate in such an adventure.”

Dreams, aspirations, action, faith, perseverance, self-service, camaraderie, adventure, all put together … and today, on the Hill of Adisadel, stand these elegant buildings of monumental proportions that evidently validate the result of unwavering will of boys who sacrificed and labored for generations then unborn, but now living to tell stories of what that sacrifice means to them. For generations yet to be born, they shall continue to remain a symbol of altruism and an epitome of scholarship.

It’s not by chance that we are Santaclausians, for we were destined to walk within the walls of this great educational institution on the hill.

It is at Adisadel College that we imbibed those aforementioned attributes of our forebears that transformed boys to men, in order to serve and make a lasting change in whatever capacity we could imagine; it is at Adisadel College that we learned to “Think Big” for School and Nation; and it is there that we were nurtured and molded into great men among men.

Putting all together, it is there that we were given to carry into the world only one message: “Vel Primus Vel Cum Primis” (Either the First or with the First). This maxim Santaclausians live and die for; we don’t compromise that!

In the next 100 years, we must endeavor to ensure that the perpetual flame of excellence lit by the foundation scholars never quenches: we have no reason to stop dreaming and persevering, neither do we have one to stop upholding The Adisadel Spirit. Together, Santaclausians must uplift Adisadel College to where it’s supposed to be, now and the future.

We pray, lead us to greater heights, O Lord… Fiat!

Long Live Adisadel College! Long Live Santaclausians! Long Live Ghana!

Acknowledgement:  My sincere appreciation goes to Frank Indome (Ebiradze ’80), Suleman and Paulina for their useful comments.
Reference: G. McLean Amissah (1980) Reminiscences of Adisadel: A historical sketch of Adisadel College. Afram Publications (Gh) Ltd.
For further information on Adisadel College please go to: http://www.adisadelcollege.net

* To reach the author please send e-mail to: yafettol@gmail.com

     Black Santa Newsletter - AOBA UK

Centenary Planning Committee To Usher in Centenary Year
4th. January 1910 - 4th. January 2010 (Press Release)

A special Trade and Exhibition fair, dubbed “Santa Centefair”, to provide the platform for old students of Adisadel College who are in the manufacturing sector, trade, and other service providers to showcase their products and services is one of the major events slated for the commemoration of the 100 years anniversary of the school. The fair to be held in May 2010 in Accra is also expected to attract participation of the general public. This was announced by the chairman of the National Centenary Planning Committee (CPC), Mr. Jose Nicco-Annan in his New Year message to all past and present students of Adisadel College, popularly referred to as “Santaclausians”

He said Adisadel College, ranked among the top 100 most outstanding and prominent colleges in Africa, should, at 100, not only be seen celebrating this occasion in fanfare but rather have a meaningful success story to tell. It is in this direction that some of the programmes designed for the centenary celebration are geared towards showcasing the contribution of Santaclausians towards national and global development. Mr. Nicco-Annan charged Santaclausians who are in industry, trade and commerce as well as the general public to take advantage of this unique platform, the first of its kind to be associated with such celebrations of a school in the country, and showcase their potential to the world.

Mr. Nicco-Annan further disclosed that the official launch of the year long celebrations kick-starts with a special church service to commemorate the formal signing of the Adisadel College charter that brought into being Adisadel College. The service will be held on Monday, 4th January, 2010 starting at 10am at Christ Church Cathedral, Cape Coast, the venue of the signing of the charter, and will be presided over by Most Reverend Justice Ofei Akrofi, Bishop of Accra and Archbishop & Primate of the Church of the Province of West Africa, assisted by all Anglican bishops.

Other programmes earmarked for celebrations are a Fundraising Dinner Dance in Accra, a Book Launch and Lecture Series in Kumasi and Accra, Thanksgiving Service in Accra, the Homecoming Speech Day in Cape Coast, a Medical Outreach and Centenary Durbar and an Awards Dinner Dance at Cape Coast.

Touching on the ongoing construction works of the Centenary Resource Centre Complex, Mr. Nicco-Annan lamented the slow response of some Santaclausians in the payment of their contributions toward the realization of this dream. The completion of the Centenary Resource Centre is a challenge not only to the CPC, but also the School Management and Board of Governors, as well as other concerned old boys. He said that if well meaning Santaclausians have any gratitude to express towards their alma mater, then this is the time they should gird up their loins and give the school their best.

Mr. Nicco-Annan wished Santaclausians the best of the ensuing year and urged them to update themselves with news on the school and the centenary celebrations by contacting the secretariat of the CPC (telephone 021-255153/4) and regular visits to the following websites:

www.AdisadelCollege.Net

www.AdisadelOnline.com

(Signed)

Paul Adjetey-Dsane
Coordinator, Publicity Committee
for Jose Nicco-Annan Chairman, CPC

2009 Santa-Moba Games in Pictures - Accra 28. Nov 2009

[Click for more photos]		[Click for more photos]

Results From the Games

We wish to thank everyone involved for making the games a big success!  

Centenary - Packaged Flights From North America to Ghana           Nov. 13. 2009

AOBA-NA is in the process of arranging packaged (group) flights from selected North American cities (Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Washington DC, Toronto) to Ghana for the centenary celebrations in July 2010. The final packages are still in the works but will include: 3 or 2 week roundtrip flights to Accra with 3 day hotel accommodation at a hotel/resort in Cape Coast or Elmina (if required). The hotel accommodation will coincide with the weekend of the centenary celebration.

The latest information we have from our Travel Agent for the group package is as follows:

• We need at least 10 plus passengers from each departing city (i.e. LA, DC, JFK, Dalls, Atlanta etc.) 

• Each passenger is to pay $200.00 US to lock in the group rate.

• Passengers will pay the regular fare if there are less than 10 passengers from each departing city

• The package will enable groups of Santaclausians to travel together - which will be nice

• The deposit is needed asap because there are limited amount of low fares on all airlines

• The airlines being proposed are:

  • Delta - NorthWest - KLM  (these are all one corporation)

  • British Airways (a bit expensive)

  • Lufthansa
     

• Those who have a particular airline in mind, would need to find 10 people to utilize the deposit and hold package, or they can purchase their individual package without making the deposit.

• The prices given below are prices for a particular day only, to give Santas  an idea of what we will be working with.

• Airline prices change frequently, and is only available when we put the group deposit down or actually purchase the ticket.

• Please do note that airlines are not  that flexible, so please don't wait till the last minute!  

• We will advice interested Santaclausians as to where they can make payment for the deposits

• After the deposit is made, full and final payments will be due 60 days to departure. From day 59 forward, deposits are not refundable.

• Confirmation of headcount needed by 15th. December 2009.

Proposed Packages

 As of  Wednesday 4 Nov. 2009 the flight fares for a few of the major cities to Accra July 6-27, 2010 are as shown below. Anyone interested is expected to sign up to lock in the price asap. Remember, these prices are not final until a deposit of $200.00 is made. There is an additional charge of $350 for the lodging on July 16-19, 2010 at either Cape Coast or Elimina. These are round-trip fares from the cities mentioned below:

If you are interested in this group package and/or you have comments please send an email with the names of passengers, addresses, phone and originating city to: webmaster@adisadelonline.com

Please pass this message along to fellow Santaclausians.

Comments can also be posted at the Adisco Forum:   Adisadel Portal - Centenary Forum

Adisadel College National Centenary Planning Committee

Invitation for Nominations for Centenary Awards

Centenary Awards - The Adisadel College Centenary Awards Sub-Committee of the National Centenary Planning Committee has started compiling the list of potential recipients of Centenary Awards. The Sub-Committee is under the chairmanship of Mr. C. W. Stanley-Pierre, ex-Chairman of the Board of Governors, and will co-ordinate its work with the local CPC based at the school. The Awards Sub-Committee is charged not only with drawing up a list of recipients but also determining the categories of awards, and the form of each award.

Eligibility - Awards will be given to Santaclausians and non-Santaclausians, organizations or groups who, over the last hundred years, have distinguished themselves in their fields and thereby brought honour to Adisadel, and/or who have made a significant contribution to the development of Adisadel. Posthumous awards will also be given.

Invitation for Nominations - The Awards Sub-Committee now invites nominations from all Santaclausians and the general public for recipients of the Adisadel College Centenary Awards. Each nomination must include the following information as a minimum:

• Full name

• Title

• Most Recent Position

• Santaclausian or non-Santaclausian

• Year Group/House (if Santaclausian)

• Age

• Personal Achievements / Contribution to development of Adisadel College

• Name and contact details of a Living Relative (for Posthumous Awards)

Deadline - Nominations should be sent to adisadel2010cpc@yahoo.com or the Webmaster.