2023 marked a momentous year for Raffles Institution as the school celebrated its Bicentennial, a significant milestone representing our long and illustrious history over the past 200 years. Just like the twin-headed eagle on its school crest, RI is an institution deeply rooted in tradition, even as it aspires to be the “Hope of a Better Age”. The passion and dedication to the study and preservation of RI’s extensive history and rich heritage is precisely what drives the students in our combined Year 14 and Year 56 club.
As custodians of the school’s history, it is only right that we first start with the origins of RAM, and more specifically, the Year 56 side. The Year 56 branch of RAM is a young club, formed in 2021 by a former member of Year 14 RAM, Eugene Teo for his sheer belief in extending the museum’s outreach capacity to the RI Year 56 students. Guided by our amazing teachers-in-charge, Mrs Cheryl Yap (Head/RAM) and Ms Low Siew Hsien from the Year 14 side, we work closely with the friendly staff from the Office of Alumni Relations. Though likely one of the smallest clubs in RI Year 56 with only 12 members so far, with the support of our teachers and staff, we are deeply involved in many aspects of RI’s heritage conservation and historical preservation.
Regular club sessions have us gathering round the museum’s white tables, specially reserved for club members. Discussing projects; carrying out historical research; brushing up on our knowledge of RI’s history; learning interviewing, docenting, and curation skills; exploring our own interests through external workshops and attachments; working on outreach to the student body… the list of our activities goes on!
Besides docenting skills, the Year 56 members are taught oral history interview and transcription skills to help expand our oral history collection.
Undoubtedly, the RI Bicentennial was a crucial part of our RAM experience, where we got to put our docenting skills to the test and guide distinguished guests and alumni around our carefully curated exhibition. Hearing old Rafflesians share about their experiences in school decades ago, and having guests from international partner schools listen to our unique stories only added to our repertoire of skills and knowledge.
Another hallmark of the club experience is learning about heritage and history with our own eyes and hands, hearing from experts outside the walls of our school to gain fresh perspectives and insights. Our club goes on regular outings to galleries, museums, and places of historical interest. With these exhibition visits, we get to witness firsthand the skills we’ve learnt being put into practice by specialists in the heritage industry.
One key highlight of our journey in RAM is our Legacy Project, an endeavour that the club members embark on at the end of Year 5. We are given the autonomy to choose a project that would hone our individual curatorship skills, as well as make a contribution to the Raffles Archives and Museum. From book publications to treasure hunts, the Year 56 club has been actively involved in preserving and promoting the school’s history by connecting with our alumni and reaching out to current and future students. This is one venture that members take pride in.
There are no prerequisites to joining our club — not even taking History as a subject — save for a genuine interest in what we do, and a willingness to give your very all in conceptualising and executing our club’s projects and initiatives.
As we reflect on the achievements of the past two centuries, we now have to look forward to a new narrative of our collective heritage, where the responsibility lies in our Year 56 club to solidify the role of the Raffles Archives and Museum in RI, and ensure that our school’s history is truly able to withstand the test of time.
So, would you like to go on a phenomenal journey to uncover history’s sublime? Join us every Wednesday, from 3.30-5.30pm, at the Archives and Museum on the Y14 campus, for two unforgettable years of a CCA experience!
