Jeffrey Baiden of Pickard-Parker House, Mfantsipim School Wins Maiden Essay Competition on “The House Of Mfantsipim”
Master Jeffery Baiden, a student of Pickard Parker House of Mfantsipim School has emerged the winner for the House of Mfantsipim Essay Competition.
Peter Appiah- Thompson Jnr of Bartels and Joel Opoku Agyepong of Monney took the second and third positions respectively.
The competition was organised for the final year students of the school.
The Essay Competition was instituted by RexDanquah Legacy Trust for Mfantsipim School students to write a not more than 1,200 words about the person in whose name his dormitory in the School is named after.
The essay considered the person’s life history, taking into account his character traits, vision, exploits, lifestyle, contributions to Mfantsipim School, achievements, and experience amongst others and relate them to the student’s own life as an individual and their life’s lessons; and how these have impacted or shaped the student’s life at the School and thereafter.
The fourteen (14) men for whom the dormitories have been named after are: Balmer, Acquaah, Lockhart, Schweitzer, Freeman, Aggrey, Sarbah, Picot, Bartels, Sneath, Pickard, Parker, Abruwuah and Monney.
‘The House of Mfantsipim’ is akin to the Biblical “House of Jacob” as the great Patriarch called his sons to tell them what will happen to them and their descendants in the days to come; so by each dormitory or house name, each ‘Mfantsipim Student’ or ‘Old Boy’ is bestowed with such gifts, talents, destinies and future as deserving according to the exploits of that person.
According to the President of the RexDanquah Legacy Trust, Mr. Paul Rex Danquah, stage one of the competition involved the selection at the dormitory stage, where the 1st prize is a cash of GH₵250.00; the 2nd prize is a cash of GH₵150.00 and the 3rd prize is a cash prize of GH₵100.00.
The final stage involved the collations of all scores from the fourteen (14) houses and where the overall 1st prize comprises a cash prize of GH₵300.00, a laptop and two (2) selected books; the overall 2nd prize comprises a cash price of GH₵700.00 and two (2) books; the overall 3rd prize is a cash prize of GH₵500.00 plus two (2) books; the overall 4th prize is a cash prize of GH₵300.00 and a book, whilst the overall 5th prize is GH₵200.00 with a book.
The eligibility criteria for ‘The House of Mfantsipim’ essay competition are the person must be a student of Mfantsipim School, be resident in or affiliated to one of the named dormitories and be able to write the essay without the use of ‘pidgin’ English; whilst selection criteria for winning submissions shall be based on originality, creativity. Boldness and clarity.
‘There were several other submissions from all the fourteen (14) houses, which did not make the dormitory stage nor the rankings to qualify for the final School stage”, Mr. Paul Rex Danquah confirmed.
Mr. Paul Rex Danquah added that those winners who have passed out will be contacted for the Trust to reward them with their prizes.
The President of the RexDanquah Legacy Trust intimated that the second edition of Essay Competition as well as a special essay opened to both students and old boys on “THE MFANTSIPIM DREAM & ITS RELEVANCE TO SUSTAINING GHANA’S DEVELOPMENT” will be launched by the end of 2nd quarter of next year, 2021.