The Berkeley Institute marked the end of an era last night at a celebratory event which saw many of the Island?s leading lights pay tribute to their alma mater ? mindful of its motto respice finem or keep the end in view.

Premier Alex Scott and Education Minister Terry Lister were among a prestigious list of alumni of the 109-year-old school who spoke of its role in nurturing their talent.

Hundreds of people poured into the school field at 6 p.m. to honour the closing of the old school building on Berkeley Road. Some guests estimated that the turnout had exceeded 1,000 by the time a rousing rendition of the school song was given at 8.30 p.m.

The field, which sits adjacent to the new multi-million dollar facility which students and staff will move into next term, was decked out with green and gold balloons, the colours of Berkeley Institute?s two houses.

The rivalry between the houses was a recurring theme as speakers young and old jokingly declared their allegiance throughout the night.

There were also poignant moments, such as when the Island?s oldest surviving former Berkeley student, Evelyn Smith, 99, of Devonshire, was led to the stage by Mr. Scott and declared herself ?a little nervous?.

The Premier presented Mrs. Smith, who will be 100 in August, with an award entitled ?Yesterday?s Student?.

She told how she had been a pupil when Jamaican George DeCosta was the school?s first principal and that her two daughters had attended under F.S (Frederick) Furbert, the first Bermudian head teacher of Berkeley. Anika Cowen, 14, the youngest Berkeleyite, followed Mrs. Smith onto the stage, pledging: ?I will do Berkeley proud.?

Kristin White, a student from the 1990s and now project manager of B.TECH, touchingly told how she had received support from the school when she became pregnant at 16 and had gone on to achieve academic success.

?The teachers and the students make the spirit of the school, not the walls,? she told the audience.

Master of ceremonies for the evening was former deputy principal Robert Horton who is now permanent secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety.

?Before me is an array of Bermuda?s finest,? he said, adding that nine of the current Cabinet had attended Berkeley, along with countless other community leaders, including permanent secretaries, doctors, lawyers, civil servants and teachers. Dame Lois Browne Evans, former leader of the Progressive Labour Party and the first female Opposition leader in the Commonwealth, was among the ex-students who attended the event.

Others included former St. George Mayor E. Michael Jones; Philip Butterfield, chief executive officer of the Bank of Bermuda, and Gerald Simons, head of the Argus Group.

Former principal Dr. Clifford Maxwell was present as past and present students provided the entertainment for the night. Crooner Elton Richardson, soprano Marcelle Clamens, instrumentalist Wendell (Shine) Hayward and youngster Candace Furbert all performed to rapturous applause.

Current school principal Michelle Simmons, herself a Berkeleyite, began the night by paying tribute to the teachers at the Institute who had helped her pursue her dreams.

?My academic foundation was established here,? the school?s sixth principal, added: ?It?s truly an honour to welcome all of you to this one-of-a-kind celebration, a very special time in the history of this school when we are poised to move into a brand-new, purpose-built facility.

?Look around you and take in the faces here present today, the faces of Berkeley-ites present and past,? the recently married principal, formerly known as Mrs. Gabisi, said. It?s a gathering that I have never seen before and I?m thrilled that all of you are here. On this occasion, as a fiercely proud and loyal Berkeleyite, I pledge today to do all in my power to expand Berkeley?s legacy for the generations of pupils who will follow all of us.?

Austin Thomas, chairman of the Berkeley Educational Society, spoke of the school?s distinguished history, explaining how it opened at the Samaritans? Lodge on Court Street in 1897. It moved to its current location 104 years ago.