Keeping the Central/Victor Scott legacy alive is the aim of an Alumni Rally and Open House at the Glebe Road school this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Former students - of which there are thousands in the 71-year-old history of the school - teachers and principals are urged to turn out to recognise with pride the contribution the school has made to local education since 1931.

"There is a rich legacy and it is important that the alumni embrace that legacy and bring it forth," said school principal Dr. Gina Tucker.

"There is a good old saying `you must know from whence you come' and people who have come through the school are definitely people who are respectable, contributing, compassionate, caring people in the community who can surely serve as role models for our young people. It's important that they connect back with the institution.

"We recognise that this school is one school that definitely requires that the entire community supports it. We've had tremendous support from the business community, tremendous support from parents and this is the fourth prong of our community wide initiative which involves the alumni."

Dr. Tucker is urging the alumni to take greater pride and interest in the school to insure that the high standards are maintained.

"It's important for us to look back at that institution and ensure it is able to do the same for others who come through it," she said.

"They have a responsibility to take care of the young people who are coming through those doors after them. That's what it means to be an alumni, to care about what happens to the place that did so much for you."

A West Pembroke-ite, Dr. Tucker admits she is envious of Victor Scott which she says "has a unique spirit about it that is lasting".

Many of the Island's best known citizens went through the doors of the school...from Dame Lois Browne Evans, Sir. John Swan, Freddie Wade, Gerald Simons, Arnold Francis, Dr. Ewart Brown, Canon Thomas Nesbitt, Nicky Saunders and Shaun Goater, to name just a few.

The school changed its name from Central to Victor Scott in September 1977 in honour of its late headmaster who came to Bermuda from his native Jamaica and served at the school for 27 years. Others, too, can play their part now in ensuring that the current students continue to live up to the school motto: "Look up, fight on and win".

"We know that Victor Scott has had its challenges and we need all of us to work together for the benefit of the kids," said the principal.

"As a body they (alumni) has the potential to contribute in a huge way, to possibly take on significant initiatives to improve the school in various ways. Individually and collectively the power of the alumni is profound, greater than the imagination if they all came together.

"Hopefully by the end of the event we will have an executive ready to carry on the work of the alumni. The purpose of that is to take it out of the hands of this office and place it into the hands of those who duly deserve to manage it.

"The alumni can play various roles in the school, serve as mentors, support teachers and present in different ways. Our teachers are always looking at ways to grow and there are some people in the community who can help us do that in different ways.

"As a body the alumni can take on initiatives. For example they may feel that the band that once existed needs to come back, and they may decide to support that and get the instruments. It is a vision of ours to have the band return.

"A small contribution yearly can go a long way and they, as a body, can determine how that contribution is spent. The scope is wide and deep, they can choose a variety of initiatives to support. To those who have already given, their funds remain untouched because we are committed to having the alumni decide how it will be spent."

The school allows various groups in the community to use its facilities, including football club Boulevard who have trained on the school field for many years. Many of the male students at Victor Scott are involved in Boulevard's junior programme.

The three-and-a-half hour event on Saturday will include tours of the school, a performance by current students, entertainment and just a chance to reminiscence. At 4 p.m. there will be a photo taken of former students. In case of rain the event will switch indoors to the gym.

"The school obviously stood for excellence and all of the persons from the carpenters to the politicians to the Attorney General are all examples of excellence and all obviously experienced a high standard, quality programme," said Dr. Tucker.

She used champion high jumper Clarence (Nicky) Saunders as an example of the importance of raising the bar.

"We continue to raise the bar on our kids in every way, shape or form...academically, socially and we are expecting our young people to strive for higher heights. That they go beyond what they believe they can do and always set that bar whenever they go over it.

"As our friend Nicky got over the bar he took it up a notch and keep working hard to get over it again. The staff is committed to having our young people achieve the kind of high standards that the school represents."