HISTORY ON THE FORMATION OF THE EX-FRANCISCANS’ ASSOCIATION (EFA)
( - taken from EFA’s 10th anniversary souvenir programnme; edited by Ms Feona Jinu)

St. Francis’ Convent School was Sabah’s first school for girls opened by the Franciscan nuns in 1923. Rev. Father Weber and his boys prepared the land on which the first Convent School was built. The first Franciscans, Sister Gerarda and Sister Rose gathered the first batch of students from the nearly areas. Starting with two small classrooms and a handful of students, today the school comprises a kindergarten, a primary school and a secondary school.

From its earliest days, St. Francis’ Convent has been one of the leading educational establishments in the state showing a high academic record, in school and public examinations, the pupils were among the first girls in the country to be awarded much-coveted overseas scholarships for further education and training and to return to the country with academic and professional qualifications. For eighty years, the school has produced thousands of educated girls who are now all over the state, throughout the nation and abroad, many holding outstanding posts as doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, nurses and secretaries, and many having formed healthy families and provided good upbringing for their children.

The formation of an old girls’ Association had been discussed and talked about by many a concerned ex-student of the St. Francis’ Convent School for a very long time.

Rev. Sister St. Luke broached the topic one fine day when she was having a get-together tea with a group of Ex-Students among whom were Toh Puan Hajjah Rahimah Stephens and the then YB Datuk Ariah Tengku Ahmad. Encouraged by the discussions during that get-together, YB Datuk Ariah Tengku Ahmad, Mrs. Rosie Wong, Mrs. Usha Jayaram and Rev. Sister Cecilia decided to call for an Inaugural meeting to elect the Protem Committee of the Association. The Inaugural meeting was held on the 29th April 1978 and the following were elected into the Protem Committee.

The Association was registered on the 17th October 1978. The first Annual General Meeting was held on 19th May 1979.

Over the years numerous projects were launched for promoting solidarity and a feeling of fellowship amongst its members and for the welfare of the St. Francis Convent schools such as Christmas Parties, Dinner & Dance Parties, walkathon, food fair, welfare subsidies, “get-together” luncheons, sports subsidies, study subsidies and meritorious awards for students of St. Francis Convent Schools.

EFA went through a period of inactivity in the years 1988 – 1998. In 1998, the Association was revived and today continues.

PAST & PRESENT PRESIDENTS of EFA

1979/1980 : YB DATUK ARIAH TENGKU AHMAD
1980/1981 : MRS. NORAH SEKHON
1981/1982 : MRS. RITA CHIN
1982/1983 : PUAN SRI IMELDA STEPHENS
1983/1984 : DATIN CELESTINA JINU
1984/1985 : MRS. ROSIE WONG
1985/1986 : MRS. CATHERINE CHUNG
1986/1987 : DATIN HELEN KODING
1987/1988 : DATIN HELEN KODING
1998/1999 : MRS. BRIDGET YONG-STEPHENS
1999/2001 : MS. MARY GOMEZ
2001/2003 : MS. MAUREEN LIND
2003/2005 : MS. PHELOMINA ENGSUN