In mid 1918, during World War I, the school numbers had fallen drastically and the staff had been mobilised for war. Fresh staff members were not available. A controversy raged regarding the future of BCS. It was decided to close BCS and turn it into a preparatory school for the Army. The Head Master, Rev HM Lewis, MA (OXON) 1901-1918 resigned.

The old boys were up in arms against the proposed change, they objected most strenuously to their old school being used for a purpose foreign to its tradition.

The old boys were represented by WJ Lister, CIE, OBE (1879-84), thrice president of OCA, and WHD Ives (1883-86) both were on the board of governors of the school. They met the Lt Governor of Punjab and the Viceroy to object to the proposed change.

“THIS THEN WAS THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTION OF THE OCs TO DATE”

“By their action, the old boys showed that though they had left the school, they still loved and honoured it, were mindful of its tradition and jealous of its future. This is the right spirit” - stated lord Chelmsford.

The Army had requisitioned the services of Rev FR Gillespy, MA, FRGS. After it was decided to continue BCS, Rev FR Gillespy was requested to be its Head Master. He required 50 boys to reopen the school; only 12 were registered in Jan 1919. Rev FR Gillespy who came from Quetta (now in Pakistan) was able to raise the admission to 125 boys by Mar 1919.

Earlier in 1913, 101 OCs presented the famous “The Good Shepard”, stained glass window in the school chapel. Recently the old boys have contributed about a crore of Rupees with DC Anand (R) 1947-51 leading by example.

In 1934, 4 chapters of the OCA existed with the Governor of Punjab as the Patron: - OCA (India) – Lahore; Calcutta; Peshawar and  OCA (UK) - London.

At independence/partition in 1947, FM Brown (C, 1934-40, Staff 1942-47 and 1950-61), officiating Head Master 1953-54 wrote that there were only 11 life members on our ledger and by 1959 there were 200. Currently there are approximately 2500 members world wide.