Collegiate Scholarship (for top students in Matriculation examination)
Rangoon University Boat Club (RUBC)
In the early days, RUBC awarded cups to the winning teams.
The President of the Union of Burma donated the “President’s Challenge Cup for Inter-Club Eights.” In the inaugural competition, RUBC beat the combined team of Calcutta Lake Club and Calcutta University Rowing Club.
The Prime Minister of the Union of Burma donated the “Prime Minister’s Challenge Cup for Inter-Club Fours.”
The Challenge Cups are listed in the commemorative issue for the 90th Anniversary for the founding of RUBC.
Sir Arthur Eggar donated a Pewter Cup for the Senior Novices. The Senior Novice Winners receive a brooch.
Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded in the latter days. For obvious reasons, the medals are plated. P. Orr Tun Yin was a primary supplier of the cups and medals. U Hla Din and sons became the secondary source.
Soccer
For World Cup, there was Jules Rimet Trophy.
For soccer in Burma, there was “Dunlop Shield (Daing)”
Number of Medals
In some competitions, the two losing semi-finalists are awarded Joint Third prize. So, the number of bronze medals can be higher than the number of gold medals.
Due to the introduction of tie-breakers in most sports, we rarely have joint champions. In a few instances (e.g. the clock cannot discriminate the two winners), two gold medals were awarded to the joint champions.
Named after Augustus Caesar Added an extra day to the month to match that of July (named after Julius Caesar)
Celebrations in August
Birthdays
On behalf of RIT Alumni International, Maurice Chee (M75) organized a Soon Kway in 2016 at Dhammanda Vihara, Half Moon Bay, California to celebrate my birthday and to give me an Appreciation Award.
Award
Ko Patrick Thein Naing, Ko Myint Swe and several others would host Lunch Gatherings for August-born (including Daw Mu Mu Kin, spouse of Saya Allen Htay).
August born
Celebrated my Myee (Chit Sa Noe)’s birthday at selected places (including Pismo Beach).
Myee
Several relatives (including two sisters) are August-born.
There have been seven RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwes.
SAYA PUZAW PWE
Background
InvitationSPZP-2000 OrganizersSPZP-2000 Video
In April 1999, I started the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”.
At the request of Saya U Soe Paing, U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) designed and implemented the first RIT web site : http://www.ex-rit.org. I served as the Content Provider and Editor.
Saya Allen Htay and several alumni — Benny Tan (m70), Maurice Chee (M75) … — decided to support our noble task.
At one of the meetings at Ko Benny’s house, the San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Group decided to establish “RIT Alumni International” with Saya Allen as President and Ko Maurice as Treasurer.
At another meeting, Saya U Aung Khin (who was visiting the San Francisco Bay Area from Canada) gave the Go-ahead for planning the First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe.
Since the sayas and alumni profess different religions, we chose the term “Saya Pu Zaw Pwe” over “Saya Ga Daw Pwe” (which has a religious connotation).
The primary objective of the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe is to repay the metta and cetana of our mentors.
It allows several core sponsors and organizers to safely participate in SPZP-2000.
SPZP-2000
The First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP (SPZP-2000) was held in San Francisco in October 2000.
It was a two-day event.
The main event was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel. There was a nominal fee to attend the Reunion Dinner and SPZP.
The follow-up event was an optional Brunch Gathering (where the sayas and alumni can bring their families and friends).
There were official and volunteer videographers and photographers.
A three-hour VHS tape was offered for a nominal fee to interested sayas and alumni. A few years back, the VHS tape was converted into a two-set DVD.
Organizers and Sponsors
The core volunteers were willing to hold the event at all costs.
“U Nyo Win Act” said that the core volunteers will have to chip in if there are not enough paid attendees.
Saya Allen Htay wrote an article, “Brother, can you afford US$500 and more?” for my Newsletter and the web site.
A young alumni Sarina Tan (Htay Htay Than) relayed the news to U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70). Steeve is a close friend of Sarina’s father. Steeve has also provided help while Sarina was pursuing her graduate studies.
Steeve contacted Ko Benny and also sent checks for SPZP-2000.
Ko Benny used Steeve’s seed money to design and order commemorative T-shirts, mugs and calendar clocks. Some mementos were offered to the attending sayas and the core volunteers. The rest were put on sale for “Fund Raising”.
Ko Benny later visited Yangon to organize a mini-SPZP for the sayas and sayamas who could not attend SPZP-2000.
Thanks in part to Saya Allen’s article, five Golden Sponsors and Donors — large and small — U Nyo Win’s Act was not enacted.
RIT Spirit
We thank the Golden Sponsors
U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70, GBNF)
Tan Yu Beng (Benny Tan, M70)
U Tin Myint (David Ko, M67, GBNF)
U Khin Maung Oo (Ivan Lee, M69)
U Maung Maung Than (M79)
and donors — large and small, young and old, near and far .
SPZP-2000 proved that the RIT Spirit was alive and well all over the world. SPZP-2000 defied the belief that RIT was a dying breed.
My poem “SAYA PUZAW PWE”
S eems like it was only yesterday A t our alma mater in a land far away Y ou taught us to work, play, laugh, even cry A nd coaxed us, forced us to aim for the sky
P roblems in real life, lab, computation, survey U nderstand concepts, design, display, … Z eal, zest, ardor, grit, passion to make it “our day” A rchitects, engineers, we’ve come here to say W e honor your metta, your cetana — we fully can’t repay
P resently we meet, alum from five decades we greet W ith memories true, fond, sweet E cstatic yet sad that the GBNF could not join this memorable fete
My poem was published in the commemorative issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter and on the web site http://www.ex-rit.org
The poem was reprinted on the back cover of the commemorative issue of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for SPZP-2002 hosted by the Singapore alumni and chaired by Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War).
The poem has been reprinted in several RIT-related magazines.
Seven world wide SPZPs
They include
SPZP-2000 (California, USA)
SPZP-2002 (Singapore)
SPZP-2004 (Yangon)
SPZP-2007 (Singapore)
SPZP-2010 (Singapore)
SPZP-2012 (Yangon) : first true Home Coming
SPZP-2016 (Yangon) : hosted by RITAA; free food and entertainment
USA SPZP
The First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe was held in the USA in October 2000.
See “Commemorative Issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter for SPZP-2000”.
Singapore SPZP
Singapore sayas and alumni hosted
SPZP-2002 in December 2002
SPZP-2007 in April 2007
SPZP-2010 in December 2010
See “Commemorative Issues of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for SPZP-2002. SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010”.
Yangon SPZP
Yangon hosted SPZP-2004, SPZP-2012 and SPZP-2016.
Notes :
Yangon could not host SPZP-2006 due to the political climate and so requested Singapore to host SPZP-2007.
SPZP-2020 was canceled due to the pandemic.
SPZP-2012 : True Home Coming
It brought tears of joy. Many have given up the hope of seeing their beloved alma mater rise again from the trampling of the Adhamma Regime. HE U Aye Myint (EP72) paved the way to have the True Home Coming (Reunion & SPZP) at the Gyogone Campus.
SPZP-2016 : Free all-day event at Gyogone Campus
It was the first SPZP to be held all day at the Gyogone Campus.
Thanks to sponsors and donors of SPZP-2016, free food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) was offered to all attendees.
Thanks
Kudos to the sayas and colleagues for keeping the RIT spirit alive and well.
Thanks to my wonderful family for letting me spend 26 years as a volunteer Editor of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”.
