With all great pride and joy, I extend my heartiest congratulatory note to each member of the house who has been paramount in our unstoppable drive towards victory during the inaugural IMUCUP under the new house system. I offer my humblest gratitude to the core and auxiliary committee members and the respective event captains who have invested tremendous amount of effort and time despite their regular university schedule. Without the help of these individuals with their integrity, patience, commitment, passion and boundless energy, we will not be what we are today. And of course, to the individuals who have taken part in all the events contested in IMUCUP, I thank you for your courage and dedication. I also offer my gratitude to the members of the house who have supported and cheered us all along throughout these past few months.
Words on paper do not do justice to how important each and every single member of the house is. A fitting analogy will be that every single individual of the house are like cogs. Each of these cogs makes up a gear which then needs to be meshed with cogs from other gears in order to produce work. Only when each of these cogs is functioning can the intricate machinery which makes up the house function efficiently as well. When any of it breaks down, the entire system follows suit. Thus, I certainly am pleased that we have proved ourselves to be a fitting example of this analogy throughout the period of IMUCUP as we have exhibited exemplary teamwork and ability to function together while encompassing a broad range of talents from all the faculties in the university.
Hence, the trophies and medals that we have won serve a fitting vindication of all the effort and passion that we have for our respective events. However, as much as these physical accolades serve as reminder of our successes I must implore that we, along with members of other houses never forget the true rewards that will matter more to us, in terms of human values, in the long run than any plastic or metal can possibly offer. Thus in keeping with the spirit of the motto of our house, I hope that all of you have gained something with respects to:
Fortitudo, Courage
I have personally seen many instances of individuals and teams bringing the best out of themselves in the spirit of the competition and rising to the occasion and I certainly hope that merely by taking a step into the competition grounds, you have managed to uncover that courage within you to take up a challenge not just for now but certainly for the future.
Amicitia, Friendship
In the course of training or preparing for the events of IMUCUP, I hope that you have managed to form new bonds of friendship with your fellow team mates and even members of other houses, not only from your own batch or faculty but also from the other faculties in the true spirit of IMUCUP.
Virtus, Virtue
And last but not least I hope that in the course of this IMUCUP, you have discovered something of virtue within you, be it helping a fellow competitor, or encouraging and supporting your team mate or even cheering the team on, we all have our own stories and I certainly hope that these stories remain with you as a vindication of your own personal success as much as any medal or trophy.
And that makes up Fortitudo, Amicitia Et Virtus meaning Courage, Friendship and Virtue, the very core philosophy of this house and one that I certainly hope everyone, not just the house members, will be able to emulate.
All in all, ever since the start of IMUCUP, I am honoured that all of you have answered the call of duty and carried it out with the finest respect. But note that I am as much here in this position as captain of the house to serve the house. Even for someone held in such high regards as Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, England’s finest Navy commander, whose decisive victory in the Battle of Trafalgar led him to be venerated as a national hero in his country and whose reputation was so magnanimous that it was only fitting for a tribute of him be set upon a column in the busiest square in the heart of London, had a sense of duty in him above all else. So much so that his last words before his last breathe during the Battle of Trafalgar was “Thank God I have done my duty for God and my country.” These words clearly show how this man sees himself as a servant to his country even till his death. Thus in the same spirit, I can certainly say that I am thankful for having carried out my duty to the house and I definitely hope that all of you will be able to say the same for yourself.
“Fortitudo, Amicitia Et Virtus”
Yours in servitude,
Roderick Kong
Hydra House Captain 2009
“Thank God I have done my duty.”
- Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson
