Introducing the ICMS Mace 

From 2022 onwards, if you attend a formal International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) occasion such as a graduation or scholarship ceremony, you will see the ICMS Mace and Mace Bearer lending a sense of gravitas to the event.  

The ICMS Mace will also be present at welcome ceremonies, Board of Directors meetings and at the Annual Manly Community Public Ceremonial Walk.  

But just what is the ICMS Mace about and why has it become a part of the fabric of the higher education institution, located in Northern Beaches, Sydney, NSW, and in the city of Sydney?  

ICMS has introduced the ICMS Ceremonial Mace to formal proceedings to mark a significant stage in the College’s maturity as a higher education institution. 

The significance of the ICMS Ceremonial Mace

Around the world, maces are an essential part of official ceremonies in education institutions as they signify the strength and authority of the institution as a higher education institution and its ability to confer awards on its graduates. 

It is believed that the current traditions are founded in medieval England where the mace was employed in the protection of dignitaries at formal events and ceremonies. 

The ICMS Mace is a physical representation of who we are at ICMS. It has a spiritual or ‘Whakapapa’ connotation.  Whakapapa is a Māori word that connotes legacy and the connectivity between our past, our present and our future in relation to all other living things. Whakapapa at ICMS is central to our institution, reminding us of where we have come from, what we are today, and what we may be in the future. This is represented visually by the collars around the mace’s staff which mark important milestones within the life of the College. 

The significance of the ICMS Ceremonial Mace

At the April 2022 Graduation Ceremony, ICMS Founder and Chairman Darryl Courtney O’Connor explained to graduands, “After today you belong to the ICMS Whakapapa. We wouldn’t be here today but for who has journeyed before with ICMS, we are who we are at ICMS in the present, and it’s our obligation to pass on ICMS in a better place while we are here.” 

Further, as an Australian institution, ICMS is cognisant of the historical significance of the mace in the local environment, in relation to the traditional owners of the land, and the former Seminary whose ‘Castle’ campus ICMS staff and students now call home. The mace has been designed with this in mind and protocols have been developed to honour those traditions, but also reflect the college’s unique character and history at the same time. The design of the ICMS Mace captures the culture and history of both the college and its founding family and is designed in such a way that its ongoing historical milestones can be captured progressively into the future.

For 2022, Kok-Yong Liew, known as Liew, is the Mace-bearer. He has been a member of the ICMS community for over 27 years, is part of the Executive Management Group and is the Vice President (Finance). The Mace-bearer will be appointed for a period of one calendar year. 

For a full explanation on the ICMS Mace, how it was crafted, and the symbolism present in the design, click here