Circular No 654

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 17 of May 2014 No. 654

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Dear Friends,

Slowly we are getting together the planning for the Reunion.

Please make sure you attend, at least think of it as the last one !!

The next two Circulars will be devoted to the planning phases, do not miss reading them.

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From: Glen Mckoy <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com>

Date: 21 February 2014 08:17

Subject: FW: : Inspiration ...A Knight in Jamaica.

Must say Thank You, to The Mighty Sir Bandit, for Inspiration when it’s needed.  

We must heal from inside.

Three Knights in Jamaica - Too Funny, I will have to use a lie detector on stories that some knights are sending ha! ha!..  

Long Live These Knights, from that Sacred, Secret, Site, we call "White-Stones", on top of Mt.Tabor. where only the Eagles, Snakes & Scorpions, remains now, not far from our Castle in the Sky.  

Long Live The Mount/ Pax & Virtue. Glen

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My Dear Sir Nigel,    

You guys make these stories up or what?? ha! ha! we could write a little book, on every Knight, who took a trip to Jamaica. 

It´s ah good thing, we all don't live to close to each other, we would get together and waste a lot of time, telling stories and laughing our lives away, ha! ha! I will send this one to our Club Pilots.   

The wedding was for my lady Marian brother, an editor here with the Herald.

Nigel, on a serious note, about some emails that were circulating. 

In general, this is true & crazy, how any two boys who went on the mount, at the exact same time, could see everything absolutely so opposite, ha! ha!. 

I have been through all these stages of life, it was a long process, but one cannot stay in any stage too long.

Then you are repeating yourself and the same mistakes. 

For example, when I was able to identify the idiot in me, only then, was I able to obtain wisdom, ha! ha! and someone said, Welcome To The Club Mi Amigo -  

The only thing that troubles me, is so many letters that were sent and remains unanswered, the impact of one's personal feelings, may have prevented us from obtaining that historical plot, we were looking for on the Mount, to enshrine the history of the Abbey School.

However, once we know where the problem may arise from, we may be able to back track and to pursue same?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Subject: START THE WEEK WITH A SMILE

From: nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca

Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 14:57:52 -0500

Welcome back, Glen.

Didn't know you were leaving an' you're back already!!

So, who got married - anyone I'd know?

And then, congrats on your success to date with the nomination for the best Canadian-African CD.

Good luck in the final selection process.

I've never visited Jamaica.

Stopped there once en route to TnT.

The airport folk must have been drunk or have had an argument with the pilot or something, but they left us out on the tarmac in the hot sun for at least 1/2 hour while we sweated and longed for them to open up the doors to get some fresh air.

Eventually, the doors were opened and with a lot of cussing and noise, we tottered our way into the tourist trap to find some a/c relief and a cold Coke.

When we returned to the plane, the pilot, God bless him, manoeuvred the back of the jet so that it faced directly into the open doorway of the building, and started up his engines.

You can imagine the chaos.

He blew out the doors, broke glass panes, scattered merchandise and knocked over stuff. Then he took off for La Trinidad. He was fired before he landed.

That was one of the classic tales of old BWIA.

Mind you, I love Jamaicans. My daughter married one. 

Nigel

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On 2014-02-20, at 2:08 PM, Don Mitchell wrote:

Good for you, Glen.

That story about your musical award is quite remarkable.

I have a little tale about Negril. 

In the early 1960’s, WISCO, the company my dad worked for (a subsidiary of Tate & Lyle, the sugar company), had a beach house at Negril. 

Each year, we had the use of the beach house for a week. 

There was a young, white Jamaican who had a little bar on the beach and a small airplane he called it Air Jamaica and which he used to transport passengers. 

My dad used his services to fly him from a cane field trace near Frome where we lived to Kingston for monthly board meetings. 

That cut his trip from 4 hours by road to 20 minutes by air. 

The young pilot was able to land his plane on the brand new highway that ran parallel to the beach at Negril.

He used to fly us down each year for our annual holiday. 

There were no old railway lines mounted at intervals along the side of the highway to stop planes landing on the highway in those days, as I understand there are now. 

Anyway, there would be too much traffic now to make that feasible. 

My dad would drive down to Negril the next weekend, and drive us back a few days later at the end of our time. 

I believe the young pilot allowed sandals at his beach bar, and his airline grew somewhat.

There was always some doubt whether he managed to make all his money flying passengers, or if he flew a more valuable cargo from time to time. 

He was very experienced at landing a plane on highways, and even cane traces.

I enjoyed Negril for about 5 years until we went back to Trinidad. 

In Trinidad my dad was made Managing Director or something like that of Caroni, another subsidiary of Tate & Lyle. 

After Caroni was sold to the Trinidad government, he was sent back to Jamaica as Managing Director, or something, of WISCO. 

This time we went to live far away from Negril, and I never went back to the beach house there.

I have no idea whatever became of it in later years. 

WISCO was sold to government in 1973, and my dad died a couple of months later of heart failure and was buried in Kingston. 

My mom returned to Trinidad where all her friends were, and later moved to Anguilla, where she died a year ago.

Keep well.

Don

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From: Glen Mckoy

Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 1:13 PM

Dear Sirs, George, Tony & Bandit,            (Back from Club Break).    

Hello my brothers, got back from Negril Jamaica two days ago. 

My flight back to Halifax was cancelled in New Jersey, I had to stay at airport Hotel Marriott, last Sunday & Monday, just more money ha! ha! finally got a flight thru Montreal.  

Anyhow it was my 1st. time to Jamaica, what a great place man. 

It was such a great vacation, I never got one headache and I never went on the internet, ha! ha! 7 miles of great beaches.  

The wedding was at Sunset at the Palms. 

Trini had a great time, I love the people and they loved me too ha! ha!, 

It was like Trinidad in the 60's.

I got some good news the next day after I got home. 

Well you know the band I am presently playing with, got nominated for the Atlantic Canada, East Coast Music Awards - I played all the instruments for 6 songs, it took me 5 hours, the singer is still not good ha! ha! but it’s his music, well we got nominated for Canadian African CD of the year and another for World Beat, keep yuh fingers cross you never know, what playing the fool can bring yuh ha! ha!

Anyhow, I missed all my imaginary friends, good to be back, thank you all for keeping in touch, love you guys. 

Adios Mis Amigos - Cheers Glen McKoy.

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Don Mitchell

Mar 19

Thanks, Glen,

She should have been a West Indian!

I am on my way back to Anguilla, having checked in at LIAT and am waiting in the Departure Lounge. 

It was a successful week in Trinidad in my opinion.

I don’t have a proper report on the meeting day before yesterday with the Conference Organiser.

We decided we would definitely go with Mrs Mohammed.

She seems to be just the person for us.

She will prepare a minute of the decisions we took, and send them to us.

I will circulate when I receive them. 

The most important change to the previously circulated draft programme that we agreed on is to have a Grand Reunion Luncheon rather than a Grand Reunion Dinner.

The special Mass for those who want it will be at 10:00 or 10:30am.

It would be perfect for us to go off to a meal after the Mass, rather than having to find lunch, hang around for the rest of the day, and then go to Dinner.

It seemed more sensible all around. 

Other than that, we spoke about the Trinidad contingent’s wish to house and put up some 10-20 Venezuelans in Trinidad for the Reunion, how to get food and drink to buy at Maracas Beach, what the menu should be at the lunch on the day when we have the walk to White Stones, and details of that sort.

We also agreed on a registration fee and on the need for those who register to pay in advance for the lunches.

We have to make arrangements with caterers, and some information on numbers will be essential. 

I am aiming for 500 registrants, 250 from Trinidad, and 250 from outside. 

Anything short of that counts as failure.

Keep well.

Don 

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From: Glen Mckoy

Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 9:09 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-2i1lIo50,

Hello sir bandit, 

As we are getting into the reunion mood this is a good one to share, keep it exciting. 

If yuh don't mind, I would like to send this one to sir Don, may be something he might like to add to the reunion, he will have to make the selection for us.

I will see if sir Tony from Guyana have any comments on same ha! Ha! 

Thank you bandit for keeping it clean, sweet music wonderful dancer, and thank you for upholding the club's strict requirements of decency. 

Yes bandit - in this club it gets better ha!

Cheers, gracias todos - adios glen.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Glen Mckoy

Mar 20

My Dear Sir Don,        ( A Knight In Shining Armor).

Bravo, you have successfully completed exactly what you said you would do, your task to this impossible mission, well done, I hope your guiding light will continue, in this process of a respectable turn out for this Reunion.  

I think all brothers that share, the same passion of the Brotherhood we have here, would like to be at this Reunion, 

I am not a young man or a old man, but can still get on a plane and make the journey, however I know a few brothers that cannot and will not be able to do this, but would love to be there, however due to health problems and a few getting close to their 80's, it is difficult to make such a long trip. 

So we who can must make the effort, if we can afford this fantasy.

A Castle in The Sky, on an Island hidden under the sun, sharing a couple of events with an invisible and undocumented tribe, maybe a hike up to their humble beginning on top of Mt. Tabor, to that secret, scared place they call "White Stones.",

The tour guide said we may even have lunch with this unique tribe, and a priest will be present to bless the moment. 

The Tribe will take us to a far away place to the edge of their world, a place call Maracas, to find out more, please pay attention to all emails from Our Brother & Friend, Sir Don,   (The same Judge on so many islands ha! ha!).  

1). You said you would go to Trinidad, you did.  

2) You said that you were going to have a meeting with the Home Chapter of our Alumni, you did,

3) You said that you would like to see things well arranged. You got a Conference organizer.

In these days of the Knights, what else can I say, you make me Proud to be a Mount Old Boy, this intrinsic treasure we share.

Long Live The Mount, Long Live The Realm, Long Live The Club. Forever One, The Abbey School, Mt. St Benedict. T&T.   

Cheers Glen.

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Cornel de Freitas <corneldefreitas@hotmail.com>

29 Mar

Hello Tony,

I wholeheartedly concur with you, though some are very frustrated with those that would make it difficult for us to celebrate something very dear to us and close to our hearts.

Having said that, could we not create a "T" shirt that simply reads:

I (proudly) attended OR I am Proud to have attended The Abbey School Mount St. Benedict

As far as I am concerned was the "School Crest" or "Logo" not created for the Abbey School Boys? 

Without US there would have been no need for the "School Crest".

It was created for us, was it not?

Have we not directly or indirectly 'Paid for it’?

(Again, just thinking out loud)

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Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 16:30:03 -0400

On a different note, the only two non-Priest teachers I remember from the Mount were Miss Kitty, our long suffering chemistry teacher who we used to take advantage of due to her good nature, how I passed Chemistry is beyond me, and the indomitable Mr. Yip Chuck.

Is he still around? He was a great math teacher, took no nonsense, it was I who was a lousy student and failed math.

Tony Vieira    

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On Mar 25, 2014 7:07 PM, "Glen Mckoy" <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com> wrote:

My Dear Sirs,  

Thank you for this notice, I hope all have been informed. I am very sad to read this.  

I knew Mr. Basanta only as a master, he was always a hard one to understand, he demanded discipline at all times and got it.  

He taught very well but always serious. 

He was hard on the Venezuelan boys.  

It was said he was an old Mount Boy, however no other Mount Boys speak of him during their time. 

This I find strange. He was the best Spanish teacher we ever had.    

Up to two days ago, I was still sending him emails. I will stop now.

May our Brother & Teacher, finally find peace from this world, may God Bless his Soul.

As the Eagles flies over Mount Tabor - We say our last farewell - Adios- To Our Spanish Professor, Sir David Basanta.

Pax & Virtue. MSB. Glen McKoy.

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From: nigelboos@yahoo.ca

Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:59:27 -0400

Thanks for including me, Don.

Bernard, thanks also for keeping us up to date.

I have a question: Was David an Old Boy of MSB or was he a teacher.

The teachers had to be brave, resolute and strong individuals to be able to face each new day's challenges with a grin and with the surety / self confidence that comes from understanding and loving one's pupils. 

So there's the question. Any answers?

Nigel

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Photos:

6003 East St. George Sports Event p04

03SC2009GRP, Joseph Berment, Lenno Seals and Salvador Coscarart

07RE0107GRP, Gurley, Harry, Lang and Salvador

08MP0018EDIMSB, Manuel Prada´s Photo