Circular No 662

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

Caracas, 15 of July 2014 No. 662

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Dear Friends,

Slowly, we are getting the picture on why the Reuinon was deferred until 2015,

Here are the exchanges up to the 27 June

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On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 10:51 PM,

Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:

Dear all,

I have no problem with the Seminary for those who want to stay there. Most of the visiting Old Boys will stay with friends (probably other local Old Boys) or family. Those who come with spouses (probably the majority who will come for a two-week holiday) will stay in the hotel we previously selected. Those who are travelling alone and who are accustomed to business class accommodation will stay at a hotel rather than a Seminary.

If we are going to continue with the Regent Star Hotel, I will stay there because the price quoted is so reasonable. If we are cancelling Regent Star, I will stay with my brother Gordon. But, what it is Winston is proposing we cancel and what we are replacing it with is unclear to me.

I am not sure what the Seminary is being selected for. Is it as the main residence for all?

Is it to hold the Luncheon instead of the Centre of Excellence? If so, how did this suggestion come about, and who has worked out its suitability? Are we cancelling the excellent and approved caterers we have worked so hard on to get an acceptable Luncheon?

I am not sure what Winston is suggesting. I gather it is some sort of radical alteration of our long thought out plan. But, he writes rather cryptically with notes and hints in text-speak, as if it is done on a phone, rather than on a computer. The result of this lack of a detailed explanation is that I do not have any idea what he is really proposing. 

What worries me is that any fundamental change of plans requires someone to flesh it out.

This is necessary for us all to understand and give our approval. Any major change requires more time for us to understand all the implications and give our approval. This puts back the dates for registration. This is not fair to the attendees. They have now only four or five weeks to have the benefit of early registration, and we still do not know what we are doing.

If I am the only one in the dark, I apologise.

Don

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From: Father Harold Imamshah

Sent: Friday, June 27, 2014 7:50 PM

International guests have several hotels to choose for Kalloos bus will shuttle guest regardless of location.  We will be using low cost accommodation at MSB for Venezuelans will be calling Ladislao to officially inform him I have six sponsors willing to cover their local cost in TT: food, accommodation, transport, and tours and get response to committee.

I've sent a text to Winston, asking for his vote, since he's gone somewhere for the weekend and does not have email access.

I will email you as soon as I hear from him.

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From: Winston

Fr Harold, I spoke with Mike, Jimmy, Ron, Gary and since we have a split decision lets refer the matter to the Board to review both CoE and Seminary this Wednesday as this is the main event and biggest cost factor, we need a diplomatic end to this issue 

Tks WR

Fr. Pls adv Don:

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On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 4:01 PM,

Father Harold Imamshah <frharold12@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm all for bring the date to coincide with the CoE Luncheon on Sun 5th October.

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On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 3:59 PM,

<vcl28@aol.com> wrote:

Hi, Father.

Let’s see if what I have written below takes traction.  I had communicated earlier to the committee that it would have been nice to have the lunch at the Seminary near to the Abbey Church after the Mass.  That was assuming that the capacity is 250, not 200 [my mistake] but the amount of people we feel will attend is now in the region of 300, and, as you had suggested weeks ago, the CoE would be best locale for the Monks, who have to be back at Vespers by 3 PM.  And, because of its proximity to the Abbey, the best place for us would be the CoE; and we must commit now, or we will lose our booking.  It’s the sort of Catch 22 which I hate, but there you have it.  So, let’s see if you and Winston agree with Don and me to the plan below for submission to the ASAA, i.e., bringing forward the event to the 2nd to the 5th October, and we will have the CoE and the Boomerang caterers.  It will be a huge draw to the attendees especially to the Trinidadians since they are familiar with both CoE and Boomarang.

Tony

-----Original Message------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Father Harold Imamshah <frharold12@gmail.com>

Sent: Fri, Jun 27, 2014 2:56 pm

I had checked the Seminary and had tentatively booked the only available Sunday for a Luncheon with their capacity of 200 on Sun 19th October. Should I go ahead and cancel?

Thanks, 

Fr. Harold

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From: vcl28@aol.com

Sent: Friday, June 27, 2014 1:02 PM

We can’t cater for below 300 yet.  We have to wait on the response from the overseas boys, but the TT boys alone with their wives will probably come up to more than 200.  If not, we can go ahead and use the Galt Hall which is still available.  What has me skittish about accepting anything smaller than the Kamperveen hall is that for $19,500 we can accommodate from 300 to 400 people for the same price including tables and chairs.  If we have less we have less, but if there are more, we are completely covered and we stay with the caterers we want and will get a better meal for less.  I agree

    I don't see that we have any choice now.  I had booked the Kamperveen Hall for the 5th October and that booking still stands.  So it seems to me that unless we see some massive hurdle in out path, mandating us to push this reunion to clash with the Xmas season rush, that we consider settling the date to the first week in October from the 2nd to the 5th.  Nothing we have seen [except the commitment fee but we are now making the cut off date the last week in July] leads me to believe that we need the extra two weeks.  What we need is the flexibility of the CoE and the preferred caterer of our choice.  I agree

  Winston's offer of a place with 200 settings with food for TT$200 per plate is expensive.  The two best meals which I have offered for consideration from Boomerang is between 80-95 TT PP.  This is a total of $24,000 for 300 people and $19,600 for the Hall at CoE.  But at, say, the Regent the cost per plate is TT$187 and the dining room [250] is $25,000.  That's a whopping TT$56,100+TT$25,000= TT$81,000, and at Winston's estimate of TT$200/plate for 200 people that's TT$40,000 for food alone.  So this is a huge expense and we have to cater for the advance fees we will have to make to cover it.  In other words, for 200 persons at the Regent or Winston's place the cost is nearly double for 300 people at the CoE with Boomerang catering.  And we are getting name places and caterers with reputation which will attract the alumni.  I agree

  I am for changing dates to coincide with the lunch being on the 5th October at CoE.  And the Reunion being from 2nd to 5th October 2014, a week earlier that we had originally planned, before we ran into the Americas Competitiveness Conference.  If any one sees the absolute need for us delaying it for two weeks let’s look at it   I agree

Tony

PS: I am not comfortable deviating from our original template by such a huge margin.   I agree

Tony

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From: "vcl28@aol.com" <vcl28@aol.com>

Sent: Friday, June 27, 2014 11:30 AM

Subject: Reunion 2014 committee - Programme reduction

Summary.

  We are on the same page now.

1. We change the day at the beach to Saturday.

2. For the tours the OB will make those arrangements directly with the hotel or the tour companies if they opt to go on one.  That transportation will be provided by the tour operators, if more than 3 people are involved those are their conditions..

3. The hotel accommodations will be booked by the old boys directly with the Regent Star hotel directly by credit card.

4. Transport to and from our reunion events, will be done with buses which we will contract, once we know how many we can expect to attend the Hotel and at the Mount. Payment will be in cash. The buses once contracted will attend for 1800 or 2500 [Maracas] a day [for the entire day] from 8-9 am to 6 PM.

WR - Proposal sent to OC

5. Gabe will handle the money transactions of all attendees [TT and overseas] and keep a record.

6. We will canvass the TT alumni to see if they will help us with some of the organizing.

WR - Prepare an Excel checklist and will call a few reliable ASA volunteers

7. We will still look for an event organizer with reduced responsibilities, to back up the persons who will undertake to assist in specific events.  Winston and father Harold have volunteered.

WR - Will volunteer for ALL Tours ONLY

8. I will write up a list of 'to dos' for each event by tomorrow.

WR - Excellent

9. Someone, Winston and/or Father Harold, will call the Centre of Excellence and book it for 2nd November 2014.  The number there is (868) 299-0646, and the extension for indoor facilities is 633.  We are booking the Andre Kamperveen hall.

WR- Called a few minutes ago.  NEED TT$5,000 to reserve -

a- UNAVAILABLE Kamperveen Hall 600 p cost $19600

b- Available "Grand Garden Partly covered”  300p  - cost $13,000 + tent rentals - AVOID its rainy season humid -

c- Available Ken Galt Hall 200p cost $12,000

Once we are getting below 200 several restaurants can provide ALL Inclusive lunch we just have to negotiate the bar cork fee - we need to book early. Christmas season is kicking in. Bearing in mind a LUNCH cost under $200.00 will be attractive for locals. 

All of this is fine.  It is the CoE and the Luncheon which still has me worried.

Tony

-----Original Message---------------------------------------------------------

From: Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>

Sent: Fri, Jun 27, 2014 9:44 am

My thoughts in green.

I sorry for my poor English :-) My attempts to explain follow in green Tony’s concerns which are in red.

Don,

I have merged your three emails in an effort to make this easier to follow and to offer my thoughts.

I thought you were joking about approaching Shira.  For one, it seems obvious to me that it was whatever Shira told Tricia that made Tricia so unreasonably demanding.  Second, having warned off Tricia, I cannot see Shira taking us back.  Third, a relationship of trust, once broken, can never be rebuilt.  This is not business, this is human nature.  Four, we know that she is so inefficient that nothing will get done.

But, I may be jumping to unfounded conclusions.  If Fr Harold and Winston think this is feasible, then by all means go ahead.

OK I agree to dropping the idea of going back to Shira.

At the meeting in TT, Peter Sammy was not prepared to take an active part in this.  Maybe Winston can ask him.  So, I think that we are back to looking for an event organizer.  I truly do not see us doing this by ourselves.   So, over to Winston.

If the Alumni are going to do the managing, I suggest:

1,. Change Maracas Bay from the Friday to the Saturday as more Trinidadians will be able to attend and help with transport, bring coolers, etc.

I am seriously telling you that Maracas especially on Saturday is not the place we remember.  There is everything you need there, cool drinks various places to buy food, etc.  So, there is no necessity to ask the TT boys to bring anything.  And I am looking forward to my Shark and bake.  As far as transport is concerned, who is going to drive from POS East to the Regent Star at Piarco, then back west to Maracas??  And do the same thing all over again in the afternoon?  Changing the Maracas trip to Saturday is fine.  In fact the first work sheet we did had it on Saturday.  I don't know who changed it.  Who goes to the beach on Friday?

I only had in mind that the Trinidadians will inevitably bring a cooler with some Coke and some beer if we give them a chance to attend.

I can’t imagine why Justine changed it from Saturday to Friday.  I thought that she had discussed it with you.  I always visualized that the TT boys will join us for the trip to Maracas.

2,. Cancel all the tours, and only advertise that the Hotel can organise tours for the Friday (I assume there is the usual Tour Desk at Reception).

I had visualized perhaps naively, that the tickets to tours will be bought directly by credit cards on the internet as will obtaining rooms at the hotel, where the overseas and even the TT guys will book by credit card.  This is a great link to the tours by a tour guide company which I found which explained where Justine got the information from. http://www.exclusivetourstnt.com/tours/down-the-islands.

I certainly did not factor in this in as part the commitment fee.  Old boys coming from far flung places may not be happy with a three day reunion, and in any case we negotiated a 5 day deal with the hotel, check in Wednesday check out Monday.  Reducing the period can derail the deal we have struck with them.

I only meant that we do not attempt to pin the OBs down to a specific tour in advance.  The Tours Desk can fix them up on the Thursday if they decide to go on a tour on the Friday.  It remains a four-day Reunion.

Don, if you read my power point you would see that on the day of the tours, now Friday the overseas guys may opt instead to spend the day with their TT colleagues who were in the same class, etc., to do something else rather than take a tour.  I have already invited myself to spend the day with Michael D'Ornellas for lunch, a few glasses of wine, etc.

3. Everything else remains the same. yes.

4. We have to agree the programme fast, yes

5. We have to make sense of Gabe’s information for remitting funds to put it on the Registration Form.

6. If we do the managing, who can we volunteer to keep the Register?

Ah Ha!  Who gon put de bell pun de cat!!  I am with Winston on this one.  Let’s see if he can suggest someone today.

It is a major responsibility, and will take someone who either does this as a job or is a volunteer with an obsessive streak.

We can reduce the work-load further by declining responsibility as a Committee for all transport.

This is no biggie, once we know the amount of boys staying at the hotel and at the mount.  One of them can assume the responsibility to communicate with the bus owner as to how many require transport to each event.  We will simply ask for so many buses to turn up at their places of accommodation and take them to where they are going.  Whoever is supplying the buses will do so by simply knowing how many buses to send. But this is the umpteen time I am cautioning you, Don, you can’t leave this to the overseas old boys to organize.

I did not have in mind that the OBs would organise their own transport.  We can organise transport for them.  Only, we would be wise, it seems to me, not to attempt to pin it all down in exact terms in advance.  We can leave it to the professional Tour/Bus/Limousine Operators who we will put in place for the use of those at the Hotel and those at the Seminary.  Suppose we promise in advance that a tour to the Caroni Swamp is TT$100, and it turns out on the day that it is TT$150.  Who will be responsible for the difference?

These are two different things, Don.  The tours are transport provided events once more than 3 are attending.  The ONLY transport I am talking about is to and from the picnic, Maracas, the Mass and the Lunch.  For any other transport everyone is on their own, and the hotel is across the street from Piarco so they can go and get a taxi there if they are going somewhere else..

One of the Old Boys has an interest in a bus/limousine company and has already offered to give us discounts.

This makes matters even simpler.  The price we have is now is that if we book the bus from morning until 6 PM is TT$1800 for 25 persons to the Mount, and TT$2500 for 25 persons to Maracas.  I presume that the higher price is for the greater distance.  Entry to the buses will be by chit with the 20% fee ASAA.  The chits can be bought and issued at the place of accommodation at the hotel or the Mount, whichever.

Personally, I would leave it to the Trinidadians to put the transportation in place, and let those that want to use it use it.  It may turn out to be a nightmare attempting to collect money and make commitments in advance.

If he gives his company’s contact details to all attendees on the Registration Form they can make their own transport arrangements to and from events.

I totally disagree with this one, Don.  I am going to be in this group, and they will be paying by chit to enter the buses.  We have to put that in place. or there can be no 20% ASAA organizing cut.

I have already explained what I meant above.  If we can find someone willing to account for taxi rides and bus rides up and down the country, with payments in advance, and issuing chits, I am happy.  I don’t think it will be easy to arrange.  It might be safer to leave it to the Transport Company we arrange to collect their own money for their hires.

Don, Tony Don

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Photos:

6003 East St. George Sports Event p15

62IF0012LROWFE, Lionel Roberts Bro. Vincent and wife

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03MD0004REUNION2003, Fr,. Cuthbert