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.
-----------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------,
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
-----------------------------------------
From: Glen
Mckoy
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 9:09 AM
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
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)
-----------------------------------------------------------------.
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
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
