Inaugural Meeting of SNIC- Attended by 50 persons and chaired by Dr. W. Rintoul. The first Council was elected.

Special General Meeting– Rules and By-Laws were amended

2^nd General Meeting

The application of Dr. Yeo Ning Hong to become an associate member was approved by the Council. Dr. Yeo later joined the Cabinet and became the Minister for Communications and Minister for Defence.

The application of Mr. John Yip Soon Kwong to become an associate member was approved by the Council. Mr Yip later became the Director of Education in Singapore.

The Council gave the go-ahead in the publication of the Newsletter. The first issue was put up by Dr. H.H Huang and Mr. Yeow Chee Tiong.

The brother of Mr. S.K. Huang (Treasurer of Council) designed an emblem for the Institute.

Dr. Yeo Ning Hong consented to be the first Editor of the Bulletin of SNIC

SNIC joined the Singapore Professional Centre as an institution member

The first Chemistry Speech Contest was launched by SNIC and Royal Institute of Chemistry (Singapore Section); the chairman was Dr. Hui Kou Mow.

A farewell buffet dinner was help for Dr. R. Huang, who later became the vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong

The Council approved the award of two book prizes, each of value $50 to the best chemistry students in University of Singapore and Nanyang University.

Talks to the pre-university students were formally launched

The first Annual Dinner was held. Dr. Toh Chin Chye was the guest-of-honour

The Council approved the application of Dr. Seet Ai Mee as Associate Member. Dr. Seet later became the Minister of State for Education and Acting Minister for Community Development.

The Council considered and rejected the idea of a post of Vice-Presidentship. This post was later created in 1992.

SNIC organised a group tour to Chinca. The group comprised 22 members and was led by Prof. H.H.Huang.

The Council invited Dr. Sim Keng Yeow to join the Council as a co-opted member. Dr. Sim later became the president of SNIC.

The idea of certificates of membership to members was mooted and proposed.

Prof. H.H. Huang left for his sabbatical leave, and Dr. Koh Lip Lin became the chairman of the Council. Dr. Koh later became the MP of Nee Soon.

Dr. Ng Tju Lik joined as Assocaite member. Dr. Ng later became the director of DSS and Vice-President of SNIC.

Mr. Chng Beng Han & Dr. Seet Ai Mee were given the task to design a SNIC Crest.

A buffet dinner was hosted to receive Lord Todd who visited Singapore.

SNAS was established and SNIC became a member.

The Council decided to suspend the school talks as it was difficult to recruit new speakers from members. These talks were briefly resumed in the early Eighties but could not sustain. They were again revived for one year in 1993-4.

Dr. Goh Ngoh Khang joined as Associate member. Dr Goh later became the head of the Division of Chemistry in NIE.

The SNIC Emblem was officially approved by the Registrar of Societies

“FIRST SNIC Symposium” was launched - on the topic “The Progress of Chemistry in Singapore”, with Dr Tan Eng Liang, Senior Minister of State (National Development), as Guest-of-Honour.

After years of discussions and canvassing, the Council decided not to pursue further on the matters related to the “Chemists Act” as the general response was not encouraging.

“Associate” member was renamed as “Member”. “Affiliate” membership was introduced.

Dr. Yeo Ning Hong, who was then in Beecham Pharmaceuticals, was admitted as Fellow.

FACS was established. Dr. K.Y. Sim attended its inaugural meeting in Bangkok.

The idea of corporate ties was mooted by the Council. It was funded by the profit from the ASPAC meeting. Dr Tan It Koon (and Dr. S.H. Goh later) was subsequently given the task to decide on its design. This tie costs $9 per piece but was sold to members at a subsidized rate of $5, even to date.

$300 was donated to the Singapore Association for Retarded Children from the SNIC fund.

The idea for a colourful letterhead was proposed by the Council.

1 st ASPAC (Asian & Pacific Chemistry Congress) organised by SNIC was held in Singapore. It was attended by three Nobel Laureates including Prof. Linus Pauling. This conference reaped in a revenue of $66,935-67 for SNIC, after the donation of $15,000 (tax exempted) to NUS for the organization of future activities in chemistry which are of interest to SNIC and NUS. This was the most successful conference organised in the history of SNIC from the financial point of view.

The President of the Institute, Prof HH Huang, was appointed the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore.

Prof Robert Parry, President of ACS, delivered a lecture on “Chemistry Hope for the Eighties”.

The Council approved the final version and printing of Codes of Ethics for members.

SNIC decided to join IUPAC as an observer country member.

Council agreed to supply free reprints to authors of SNIC Bulletin.

A motion to revise the membership subscription charges was passed at the AGM. The new charges are $40, $30 and $25 for Fellows, Members and Licentiates respectively. These rates remain unchanged to date.

SNIC organised a session on “Chemistry in Singapore Economy” in the 4^th SNAS Congress.

SNIC became an Official Participating Organisation of the 1984 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies.

The Secretariat of FACS moved to Singapore. Prof. H.H. Huang served a 2-year term as its President and A/P K.Y. Sim as the Secretary General/Treasurer. 3rd Biennial General Assembly was held.

IUPAC introduced an Affiliate Membership Scheme to enable chemists to become individual members of IUPAC.

Dr. Lee Soo Ying took up the editorship of SNIC Bulletin, a post which he subsequently held for 6 years and became the longest serving editor.

Long Service Award in form of Life-membership was conferred to Mr. Chng Beng Han for his long and dedicated service to SNIC. Mr. Chng was the longest-serving Honourary Secretary in the history of SNIC for six years from 1976.

The Ministry of Education invited SNIC to co-sponsor a local Chemistry Olympiad. This offer was subsequently taken up by the Council together with the participation in the International Chemistry Olympiad. It became one of the major activities in the rcent history of SNIC. The first Singapore Olympiad was held in Oct 1989.

The long-standing Newsletter was replaced by the new-format printed SNIC News.

A workshop on Computer-aided Chemistry Teaching was co-organised by SNIC and coordinated by Dr. Lee Hian Kee.

Dr. H. Gunasingham was the first chemist who was awarded the NSTB Young Scientist & Engineer Award.

4^th Symposium on Our Environment. The chairman was Dr. M.K. Wong.

IUPAC International Symposium Speciality Polymers. The chairman was A/P S.H. Goh.

The Constitution was amended to change the “place of business” of SNIC to the Department of Chemistry in NUS.

Dr. T.S.A. Hor was awarded the NSTB Young Scientist & Engineer Award.

AnalabAsia 91 Forum cum Workshop was organised.

Prof. Kiang Ai Kim was the first person to be honoured as Honorary Fellow of SNIC.

Prof. H.H. Huang retired from the Council as the longest serving President of SNIC. A/P Sim Keng Yeow was elected the new President.

Dr. Lee Hian Kee was appointed to succeed Dr. Bloodworth as the editor of the Newsletter.

SNIC participated in the SNAS Congress ’92 which was attended by over 100 students and 40 teachers from the schools. The success of this congress prompted the Council to revive a previous activity for giving professional and educational talks to schools by members.

A task force was set up to organise the 5 th Symposium on Our Environment, to be held in 1995. The organizing committee was chaired by A/P Wong Ming Keong and Dr. H.K. Lee.

Prof. H.H. Huang was awarded an Honorary Fellowship.

Life membership was proposed by the Council. This motion was subsequently passed at the AGM.

The Singapore Olympiad team returned from Italy with one gold medal, two silver and one bronze medals.

Prof. H.G. Ang was awarded the NSTB National Service Award.

The Council tackled some subscriptions arrears which had been lasting for some years. Some members were removed from the membership list as a result.

The Singapore Olympiad team strikes two gold medals in Norway, the first time in history. This put Singapore among the top five teams in the world.

A/P S/H Goh, A/P Soo-Y. Lee, A/P Y.H Lai and Dr. T.S.A. Hor were conferred Service Awards for their services to SNIC. Dr. Lee Kum Tatt was honoured as Honorary Fellow.

Prof H.H. Huang was awarded the NSTB National Science Award. To date, there are 4 members of SNIC who have been honoured with these prestigious Science & Technology awards from NSTB. This makes chemistry the largest representation among all the science disciplines of the NSTB awardees.