Circular No 286

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

Caracas, 28 April 2007. No. 286

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Dear Friends,

The last four email from Christopher Knowles, and other miscellaneous lines.
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From: "Chris Knowles"
Subject: The truth - as told in Prep B.
Date: Wed, 17 May 22:11:23 +0100

Mr Rai, teaching in Prep B in late 1955, hearing a small boy talking at the back of the class, called out:

'Boy, empty vessels make the most noise!'

Mr Rai didn't think much of this boy's brainpower.

The small boy replied instantly replied:

'What about a chac-chac without beads, Sa!'

I heard it myself. I was sitting in the front, and was awed by such wisdom.

This boy was the youngest of three brothers, and they were all fighters, especially the younger two.

The middle one once took a bite out of Woon Sam (I think it was Woon Sam).

I know from the 'To' list above that about 22 of you were there with these characters.

And the mystery small boy was:

* Christian Goddard!!

Who else remembers this?

All the Best,

Chris Knowles.

MSB 1955 - 1960.
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From: Chris Knowles
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 12:44PM
To: "Me London"
Subject: Seasons Greetings!

Dear Friends and Family,

The highlight of my year has been that Cindy had a baby girl, Caitlyn-Ann, at the end of November, and all was and is well.

So, I am now a Grand. I don't feel any different, but no doubt that will change in a few weeks time when I am in Trinidad and greet the new focus of my attention.

Charles will be with me; I wonder how this visit of yet more relatives will be for the infant.

Just another day in the crib, I suspect!

Cindy is working in Trinidad in the same job as she got after graduation last year, and I think that in view of her recent status she will be staying in TT for the immediate future. Charles is within six months of completing his degree, after which he intends to stay in the UK to do further studies.

I finish my course in Occupational Safety and Health soon and later in the year I plan to return to TT to work.

It seems that there is a lot of need for people in that field, now that certain new laws etc are almost out of the pipeline.

When I actually make the move I will pass the word around.

To you all, and all others who you know that I know and can pass this message to, especially Aunts Suzanne and Mille, I send from the three of us (plus the new one) our Greetings and our wish that you and yours have a Happy Christmas and enjoy a Prosperous and Untroubled 2006.

With Love,

Christopher.
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From:Chris Knowles
Sent: Monday, July 31, 1:09AM
Subject: Moving on.

Dear All,

The time has come for me to move on.

This is to let you know that sometime between a couple of weeks from now and the end of September I will be back in Trinidad; my mission in the UK has been completed.

Eventually, all good things come to a pause.

My Trini address will be:

In a few days time my UK landline service will cease, but I can be reached on my UK mobile 07900 096 493 while I am still here, or on future visits.

Up until the end of September or so (I will let you know when), for those of you who email me, please send text only, no attachments please.

I will be doing likewise, in my sometime brief style, but maybe not as frequently as recently, until I am fully settled in.

All the Best, and Keep Well,

Chris Knowles.
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Back on Line! ...
Chris Knowles
Wednesday, January 3, 2007 4:12:17 AM

Dear Everyone,

Belated Christmas and New Year Greetings to you all!

At last, after some to-ing and fro-ming between the UK and Trinidad I am now reasonably settled in Trinidad.

My Trini contact address is:

Apt E6, 3B Rookery Nook, Maraval, Trinidad, West Indies. Telephone: +(868) 628 7487.

Cell (or Mobile, if you prefer) phone +(868) 345 7987.

This item is welded to my hip.

An alternative mailing address is: PO Box 140, Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies.

I have had various woes lately getting a local email address, and from 23rd December my ntlworld address mysteriously ceased to function (yes, my account is fully paid up), and I have not been able to contact ntl from this part of the world.

The present state of affairs is as stated below.

My thanks to those of you who have been

Restricting messages to text only - you can resume the full flow of attachments etc as before.

All the Best, and I hope to hear from everyone soon,

Chris Knowles.
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From: Chris Knowles
Sent: Monday, April 9, 2007 9:30 PM
Subject: Happy Easter.

Dear Friends and Family,

I composed this some time ago, and I can't find a better thought this time!

Greetings and Happy Easter to you All.

I wish you all the Blessings and Greetings of this season, and the continuing favour of the Almighty, difficult to appreciate sometimes, but always there for those of us who need it, and I suppose that just about covers everybody.

Keep in touch!

Christopher.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
The latest from David De Boehmbler.

From his lines I deduce that he was not satisfied with the way teaching was conducted at the Mount.

He is one of the few that have expressed discontent with the normal curriculum that was taught; maybe he should have tried the seminarian curriculum where I am sure his doubts would have been answered.

If we have had a larger dose of seminarian aimed education then most of us would have left the school, some of us were barely controllable.

There had to be a balance in what we were taught about God and what was expected as the Oxford and Cambridge requirements.
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Dear Ladislao,

I probably will not be doing much with the blog, I am not even too sure what it is. But I have to say thanks to you for putting my request on the site. I really do appreciate it. I did not get much of a response but I tried. Really this is such a failure on those men of the cloth at Mount St Benedict.

Even though they were being paid to give us a secular education they had a much greater responsibility before God to teach us about Him, and what he requires of those who are acceptable to him, after all our eternal future is dependant on what we know about God and what we do with it.

^{John 17.3} This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.

^{Math 1;21} "Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. ²² Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ ²³ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness.

Their failure to teach us is sad because the hope for those who worship according to accurate knowledge is so wonderful. It includes living forever on a Paradise Earth where there is no more war, sickness, crime or death.

Psalm 37;10,11,29 ¹⁰ And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be.¹¹ But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

²⁹ The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.

Thanks again Ladislao for your kindness.
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From: Ginny & Daniel de Verteuil
Sent: Sunday, January 7, 2007 12:24 AM
Subject: Address Change

Please note the change in our email address: ginidan@cogeco.ca

Bye for now,

Dan & Ginny de Verteuil
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Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2:04 PM
To: "Distribution"
Subject: Change of Address

Hello,

A brief note to tell you we have moved from Petawawa to Oakville.

Our new contact information is:

2131 White Dove Circle,
Oakville, Ontario
L6M 3R6

Phone: 905 469 6312

No change to email: deverted@renc.igs.net

Regards,

Ginny and Dan de Verteuil
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That's it for now, keep well.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Photos:
56UN0001CLASS61, photo taken in 1956 of Class 1961
61UN0002CLASS61, taken at graduation with all the names this time, any changes??
58DD0001UNKNOWN, Unknown volleyball player sent in by Daniel De Verteuil