Friends Of STAR

The Brief

The challenge to the Staroba leadership was inevitable. Despite numerous reminder about not requiring a challenge for the leadership, a group of oldboys with a very vocal king maker insist on replacing the President with a battle cry of change.

Traditionally Persatuan Murid Tua Star handed over the baton to a new caretaker. No contest but a friendly gesture. Come what may, the vocal king maker ably supported by his lieutenant screamed for replacement. Change!

A review of the association will show that the direction is more focused at bringing back the lost glory of Star. We were shocked to learn that the SBT list was without our Alma mater. No, this cannot be. We were heroes in a premier school and all those heroic efforts cannot go to waste. Yes, it was wasted! We lost ground. We were not in the top 20 lists. We also lost RM 700k special operating budget from the Ministry.

Some friends of the school provoked the star society members to think. The privately owned and run website staroaba.my was bombarded with list of suggestions. We must do something.

The sports mentorship was launched, Athletics picked up momentum. The hurdles are back. We were back as the top school in the boys athletic championship. We were back then the first school to be the Perak School Athletic champion in 1974.

The football striking goal program was also launched.

An academic mentorship was also started.

The association also embedded the luncheon talks to our yearly agendas in order to improve networking and knowledge.

Oops! Stop! Change! Shouts of that sort, from some quarters came. A king maker, a loud speaker and a few serious contendesr were shouting loud and clear. They wanted change and the figure head post must be handed over. The President must resign otherwise a challenge was inevitable.

The President humbly turned off the challenge by withdrawing from the contest. The challenger was so convinced of the need to challenge. When asked again during the AGM, he persisted on taking over. Good and well. Take. You won.

There are many friends of Star who appreciated and wanted to continue with the programs. If change was what the challenger wanted, he surely should get one. The friends of Star will change the way they work. They are now friends of the school trotting on with their interest in securing Star the top place again. They shall be a club of oldboys with their own funding and quality thoughts to help STAR, their alma mater. The friends of Star are born.

Once bitten twice shy.

The Persatuan Murid Tua Star was deregistered before. When we appoint less caliber people to run the association, we must also accept the shortfalls. It was our choice. Today the association must put on track all necessary association matters. The membership book well kept. Receipt for payments locked and more importantly the account kept current and correct. It must be audited and approved. We have auditors appointed but not just for shok shok!

The same problem is at Persatuan Murid Tua Star doorstep. Put it in order now. We have a 6 years term VP. He must know the problem, other wise why is he still insisting to be there for? Don’t for the sake of shok shok yeah! You must correct the root of the problem.

We are no more stupid followers. When things are wrong it may affect others. We are stakeholders in Persatuan Murid Tua Star. We are also a caring society of the alma mater, Star. We care. Don’t play play!

Goal

In the meantime the friends of Star will do whatever it takes to continue with what the previous President set out to do. It is beneficial to gather as many friends that are willing to volunteer to assist the school Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahaman, Ipoh, Perak in making STAR a respected center of excellence.

Let the new committee firm up on their course of action. After all they already shouted very loudly of their “change” plan. Don’t tell us it is just a battle cry and echoed by the many loud speakers.

Objective

The friends of Star must set an objective. Making Star as the best rugby school in the country is a great idea. We have many great rugby playing batches. For a quick start collaborating with the Batch of 1974 of STAR to adopt the school rugby sport and team sound juicy. Arshad Ahmad and Abdul Jalil Yaakob, an international at 18 are still around. Mohd Tahar Husin, Nordin Osman and the nippy Mohd Hitam are still keeping fit. Dzawahir Ghani a single handicapped golfer are still swinging around.

We can make Star as the center of rugby excellence. No less. People remember the number one not the second or the 21^st.

Tactics

Friends of Star must offer and secure “the adopt a game appointment from STAR. The scheme “adopt a skill and a starian”, will give the objective a greater boost. We not only are great in rugby but the boys are also given a meaningful skill.

Management

Friends of Star must manage well. We do not want to be mediocre.

I believe all volunteers in the group” friends of Star” are capable. After all to come forward with this thought of “friends of Star” are already proof of your capability.

Finance

A sponsorship plan must be developed, to be able to sustain its activities. Don’t forget Dato Hamzah with his vast connection may be willing to secure some sponsorship.

Dato Awang Adik, Dato Zanal Osman, Mr Tamunif (dia kenal DPM kan?) should be willing volunteers too. After all these are well thought of ideas and workable. If succeeded, everyone will bask in glory too.

School Rugby Activities

The major activity is to make Star rugby a well known sport in school and the country. Twinning the game with a major rugby playing nation is internationalization of STAR. With the twinning program with Fiji, foe example internationalization of Star will materialize easily and cheaply. Many Fijian are in Malaysia playing and coaching rugby. We will be able to organize with the help of Fiji Rugby, rugby clinics for the benefits of Malaysiam School Rugby.

A rugby carnival organized by the Star will take Star Rugby to a higher dimension. We will be on the rugby map. We should look at introducing rugby to form 1 and hopefully may register higher percentage of rugby enthusiast among the students. An under 13 tournament between some of the premier schools may meet this objective. After PMR exam, a tournament to keep these students busy and fit could also be held.

The rugby community can also participate in communication skill development. We may introduce a communication skill development program for members.

We are also capable at adopting some members and will provide a monthly pocket money for a group of deserving students.

Persatuan Murid Tua STAR Participation.

The association should be invited to assist the running of programs for STAR Rugby if needed be. Otherwise they will just be an innocent bystander.

This 1st Day of August 2010