August 22, 2004: The Soul of the School.

"Once the school had been opened, the King said that the Ashanti Confederacy wanted the school to be a part of it, would I mind? I was absolutely delighted and the Asantehene undertook to provide the stool which would symbolise the school’s membership of that august body."

- Rev. Sidney N. Pearson (1916-2003)

The Stool is to Prempeh College what the Ark of the Covenant was to the Israelites. On the innaugural day of the School, The King told Mr. Pearson that he had a special "sunsum" (soul) for the School and it is a STOOL - a replica of the Asante Golden Stool. Since the King himself placed Prempeh under the Asante Confederacy, our school has been the only school to enjoy that status as a prototype Royal School.

The soul of the whole College rests with the Silver Stool awarded the School by the Father - Asantehene Otumfuo Nana Prempeh II. It is believed that some royal ancestral spirits watch over the School and her alumni via some unexplainable guarding mechanism through Nana Prempeh's Stool.

This is the real Golden Stool of the Asante Kingdom, dropped from heaven in about 1700 A.D. unto the lap of the founder King Osei Tutu. This stool is holy, and used as an altar but must never be sat on, not even by the king.

The stool in 1966. Here the Stool is being carried to the Osae Assembly Hall in November 1966 for the Speech Day. Senior Prefect, Edmund Tensu of Freeman (who now goes by the name Kwabena Asare) watches as his deputy holds the stool.

The Stool in 1974 (Silver Jubilee): The R.S.M. Seidu Busanga inviting the Asantehene, Otumfoo Opoku Ware II, to inspect the cadets on parade. To the Right of the Asantehene are: Dr. Evans Anfom, former Vice-Chancelor of the K.N.U.S.T., Chaiman of the function, Mr. T.A. Osae, Headmaster, Edwards V.C.Y. (Butler) S.P.; To the left of Otumfoo are : Efah K.A. (Freeman) A.S.P., carrying the Stool, symbol of Prempeh College. Adu J. "Walacas" (Pearson) A.S.P. Among the invited guests were former Headmasters S.N. Pearson (1949 - 53) and Arthur Clark (1961 - 62).

The Stool in 1993. In this Speech Day photo 1st Assistant Senior Prefect Horatio Pitcher carries The Stool to the Osae Assembly Hall. Behind him are Kwasi Tawiah Addo (S.P., left) and 2nd Assistant S.P. Kofi Adu Appiah (right).

The Stool in 1999 when Prempeh turned 50.

The Stool in 2000.

The Stool in 2001. The Senior Prefect Miah, A.S. speaking to the Speech Day audience while the Assistant Senior Prefect I, Owusu Wireko, E. holds The Stool at the Osae Assembly Hall. Ekow Eshun John (the 2nd ASP, not shown in this photo) was on the left. The Special Guests in the Hall were His Excellency President JA Kufuor and His Majesty Nana Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene.

The Stool in 2004. At the Handing Over Ceremony held in July 2004, outgoing ASP I, Senior Korkor, whose job it is to hold The Stool, is about to hand it over to Senior Prefect Gyabaah, who will then pass it on to the new regime. The great King Prempeh II gave The Stool to Headmaster Pearson on reopening day to symbolise Prempeh College's membership in the Asante Confederacy.

Departing Senior Prefect Gyabaah now takes The Stool from his deputy, Senior Korkor, the ASPI, and hands it over to the new Senior Prefect for 2004/2005, Konadu KK.

The Stool being carried away by the new regime. Senior Nkrumah S.O., the new ASP I gets to perform his duty - the holding of The Stool during school functions - for the first time. He will do it again on the 55th Anniversary in November/December 2004.