Circular No 657

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

Caracas, 7 of June 2014 No. 657

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Dear Friends,

The last circular has the schedule as of 26 of May, but the committee still has lot of work to do. Here are the financial aspects of the planning.  We are now in the process of changing to a new Event Organiser.

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REUNION 2014

From: Justine Low

Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 9:48 AM

Hi Don,

I'm putting the finishing touches on the budget now, using all the quotes and information I have gathered thus far. One question I have right now pertains to registration. We have two choices right now. We can conduct registration by using a PDF form for people to fill out and return to us and then we keep a running log, or I can use a registration website which will automatically keep track of attendees and what not. While the website would be the easier route, it charges USD $1 per person.

I've also discovered that if we collect registration fees via Paypal, we can withdraw the money in cash values at any MoneyGram in Trinidad, which will charge a 2% fee I believe (USD $2.00 on a USD $100.00 registration fee)

Please advise me what you would like me to do, so I can include it in my budget.

Thanks

Justine

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On Thu, Apr 3, 2014 at 4:32 PM,

Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:

Hello, Justine,

I must congratulate you on how thoroughly you incorporated our suggestions to you and Ms Mohammed in your Minutes and your draft Plan that you sent to us. Some of my colleagues who were not at the meeting are asking for more. I have given some thought to how we might be able to accommodate them.

I have gone through both of your documents. I now have for you to consider a suggested format for incorporating the contents of both of them into one document, and adding the estimated costs per item, and with estimated totals. I am calling it an Event Plan and Budget. 

It seems to me we need to get a document like this filled in with as many items as possible together with estimated costing, and send it off as a draft with a request for persons to start registering. Please have a look at it and tell me if it is workable in your view.

Sincerely,

Don

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Shira Mohammed

Apr 18

Dear Tony

We are event managers and do not deal with retail business as such credit card payment is not a payment option we offer.  

In this case our client is the Core Planning Committee and not the attendees.  

We are merely suggesting payment alternatives so that the Core Management Committee decides which they decide to go with.  

Paypal, bank transfers, online and any other form of payment, other than hard cash, will have a surcharge added. This is a cost to be borne by the payee and is not included in the registration fee. We welcome any suggestions, this is your event so which ever you prefer - we will work with.

Happy Easter ALL!!

Shira Mohammed

868-320-7045

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On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 10:50 PM,

Nigel Boos <nigelboos@yahoo.ca> wrote:

Don,

I have followed with great interest the planning and all the steps with you and others have taken to bring to fruition the proposed Grand reunion of the Abbey School Old Boys later this year. it has been a fascinating experience, and I've enjoyed the tete-a-tete and verbal riposte which could have resulted only from the fact that old friends are allowed the sort of harangue and difference of opinion which I have witnessed. It has been glorious, and I've enjoyed playing just a tiny part in all of this.

At this time, however, I must respectfully bow out of further involvement, for a number of personal reasons which have to do with my Mom's health, my brother's recuperation after a serious operation, the fact that my daughter is about to give birth in a few days' time to my first grandson, our preparations for his imminent arrival, my need to spend more time on developing a market for my products, and so on and so on. . . .  I'm sure you shall understand.

I wish you and everyone involved a very successful Grand Reunion. I shall continue to look on with admiration from the sidelines, and I look forward, at the end of all of this, to receiving a final report as to the results of your great effort.

With very best wines to everyone.

Happy Easter.

Nigel

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On 2014-04-17, at 11:08 AM, vcl28@aol.com wrote:

I am responding by inserting my comments in red at the end of every point made in Don's emails.

Sent: Wed, Apr 16, 2014 12:09 pm

Hello, Justine,

We need to consult with the wider Committee on this one. 

On the procedure for registration my first and gut feeling is that for the older alumni registering on a website will prove an impossibility.  They will barely be able to complete a .pdf form and return it to you. Some will only be able to email in the answers for someone else to input on a form, because they will not know how to use the .pdf format.  Actually, I don't see this as being a viable solution.  Justine has supplied the solution.  Someone should collate the answers from the OBs emails, in response to the questionnaire and put them in some sort of tabular form which will give an indication of what the total attendance and special needs will be.  I would not mind helping to do it.

So, my preference would be to invite them to register in a variety of ways: the website, the .pdf, and by emailing in the information, whichever they are more comfortable with.  Let everyone do the same thing and email in the information.  Too many options will inevitably cause confusion since several sites will have to be used to collate the information once received from the OBs.

For the budget estimate, just use the most expensive method for everyone; that way there will be some small saving at the end of the day.  I am not sure that I subscribe to this suggestion.  Let’s agree that the more accurate estimate would be the best method [or give a range and see what the OBs opt for].  There are still OBs who are on the fence as to their attendance due to costs.  This would certainly scare them off if we gave them the most expensive cost first.

As regards payment, I would imagine that nine-tenths of the older generation have never heard of Paypal, far less be able to use it (I have never had a Paypal account). So, we would be best advised to use two or three methods for payment of registration and other costs. The first would be payment by cash or cheque to your office; the second would be having our banks “wire” the funds to your account; the third could be “mailing” a bank draft; and the fourth could be using “Paypal”. We should invite all the alumni to use whichever method they are more comfortable with.  These are valuable options submitted by Don, but these OBs are all resident abroad so I would really not expect any of them to be without a credit card. For example ,doesn't this Event Organizer have a way to process securely credit card payments? And since we may have to have more than one payment up front, e.g., if we are to book a hotel or guest house for October we would have to make some sort of deposit.  Ditto for the bus on the 4 occasions when we will venture forth etc.  So, the registration fee of US$100 will not be the only upfront payment.  So we need a secure website where they can deposit the payments as and when we need the OBs to do so.  Western Union charges are more like 10% almost everywhere in the Caribbean and I caution anyone not to use this method especially in view of what I have put below from yesterday's [16th April 2014] newspaper from the World Bank, in green.  Using the premise that Western Union is the main vehicle of sending the remittances, I would be cautious using them.  Justine would have to be positive about the 2% before we even consider this option.  Finally, which 65-79 year old OB will line up in the US or Canada to send money grams?  This first submission will certainly not be the final estimate since it’s a process and will take time and modification as we progress.  I still don't understand why we have to let Western Union process our Paypal payments.  Anyone with a bank account and or a credit card can receive money from a Paypal member, and today they are in 193 countries including TT. 

Tony

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Don Mitchell

Apr 16

Hello, Justine,

We need to consult with the wider Committee on this one. 

On the procedure for registration my first and gut feeling is that for the older alumni registering on a website will prove an impossibility. They will barely be able to complete a .pdf form and return it to you. Some will only be able to email in the answers for someone else to input on a form, because they will not know how to use the .pdf format. So, my preference would be to invite them to register in a variety of ways: the website, the .pdf, and by emailing in the information, whichever they are more comfortable with. For the budget estimate, just use the most expensive method for everyone; that way there will be some small saving at the end of the day.

As regards payment, I would imagine that nine-tenths of the older generation have never heard of Paypal, far less be able to use it (I have never had a Paypal account). So, we would be best advised to use two or three methods for payment of registration and other costs. The first would be payment by cash or cheque to your office; the second would be having our banks “wire” the funds to your account; the third could be “mailing” a bank draft; and the fourth could be using “Paypal”.  We should invite all the alumni to use whichever method they are more comfortable with.

I am not sure what the others think, but I am copying them so they can respond.

Sincerely,

Don

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LOGO Abbey School Reunion 2014 - ASAA LOGO

DGurley@jdsellier.com

May 24

Hi Anand

Please see comment from Ladislao below.

There may be some merit in his observation.

Is it possible to tweak the design/lettering so as to address the matters raised by him?

Regards,

Dennis

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From: laszlo kertesz [mailto:kertesz11@yahoo.com] 

Sent: Friday, 23 May 2014 10:22 PM

Dear Dennis,

The logo is OK, but lettering is difficult to reproduce in the Brothers embroidering sewing machine, if someone would like to make shirts etc.

Also it is difficult to read as leaning letters are not easy to look at.

Just a comment.  I like it.

Ladislao

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On Friday, May 23, 2014 12:44 PM,

 <DGurley@jdsellier.com> wrote:

Dear Ron;

I refer to the exchange of correspondence below and you will note the request made by Fr. Imamshah highlighted in yellow. Regrettably I did not have a jpg of the logo on file, but with the help of Anand Rsingh (the designer of the Logo) I am now in a position to supply same to you. Please find same attached.

Anyone wishing to object to the use of the logo should do so now.

Regards,

Dennis.

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From: Father Harold Imamshah [mailto:frharold12@gmail.com] 

Sent: Saturday, 17 May 2014 10:29 PM

So, Shira and Justine, whenever you make out your registration Form, please include a fill in section for the size of Polo (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL) and the House Colour:

St Lawrence, Green,

St Anthony, Red,

St Francis, Golden yellow. 

Meanwhile, Ron, please go ahead and give a quote. Dennis please email a copy to Ron of the logo you had designed previously. Members of the Organizing Committee please go ahead and indicate any suggestions you have for the Polo. Both Don and I have emailed previously that we agree, so let's hear from you, Joe, Jimmy, Winston and Michael (Specks), and anyone else who's on the Organizing Committee.

Let's get a move on. We await ideas from Justine and Shira on a date when the prices of hotels will be cheaper.

Thanks,

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On Sat, May 17, 2014 at 1:19 PM,

<DGurley@jdsellier.com> wrote:

Hi Ron

Good of you to offer.

I recommend that the organisers follow up on your offer.

Regards,

Dennis Gurley

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From: bradford@tstt.net.tt [mailto:bradford@tstt.net.tt] 

Sent: Saturday, 17 May 2014 12:48 PM

I can assist with the polo’s inclusive of an embroidered logo at a discounted price should the organising committee so desire, 

Ron Hadeed(1961/1966)

Bradford Trading ltd

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From: "Don Mitchell" <idmitch@anguillanet.com>

Date: Fri, 16 May 2014 14:51:35 -0400

Hello, Shira,

Could you please advise why that date is not the cheap rate. We deliberately picked October because the cheap rate for hotels and airfare to and from the Caribbean starts in April and ends in December. That would put October in the middle of the cheap period. No one has previously suggested that October in Trinidad is not the cheap period, nor that anyone has recommended that we reschedule our dates. I don’t believe we would have any difficulty rescheduling our dates if that is recommended.

Don

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From: Shira Mohammed

Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 1:58 PM

Dear Don

Most of the large hotels are booked for that period, the ones that are available we provided costs for you already. I just met with the Hilton who is advising that we reschedule your dates in order to benefit from cheaper rates and availability of rooms. They will be submitting to us a proposal with dates next week and I will send this to you. 

The banking situation is a tricky one, my company is not set up as a retail business therefore accepting numerous amounts of small payments is not recommended as it will red flag my account and then Central bank will have me audited. I am meeting with Republic bank later today where I hold my personal bank accounts to see what they propose.

Hotels would not collect cash on our part, they will only collect their payments. 

Shira Mohammed

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On May 16, 2014, at 11:18 AM, Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:

Hello, Shira,

I was thinking. If you are having difficulty setting up a system for the participants to pay a registration fee when they register, do you think we could get a hotel to take a deposit for us and to account to us and pay over the deposit in due course?

When they register, could we develop a simple form for them to fill out indicating whether they wish to stay at the Abbey or at whatever hotel we have decided on? (I am not sure where we are suggesting as the best, central location.) It seems that we should gather this information, and get them to be aware in advance of what the costs will be.

Grateful for any suggestions.

Sincerely,

Don

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Photos:

6003 East St. George Sports Event p07

06WK0058REUNION2006,  Name correction

1511762LK14FB, Medal for ?????????

06WK0051REUNION2006,