Circular No 284

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

Caracas, 14 April 2007. No. 284
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Dear Friends,

To make sure that your address is in the Blog site, I urge that each one should send their email address information to the Blog site to concentrate all the information.

The Blog address is: http://abbeyschool2005circulars.blogspot.com/ or to Robert De Verteuil bobdev@tstt.net.tt, in Trinidad, this is a request that I would like you comply as the Editor of the Circular or Newsletter.

I hope that finally the oldboys in Trinidad would retake the monthly dinner reunions as I believe it was done in the past, just as we do here in Venezuela.

Also the Association of Oldboys would be revived with the over 250 Alumni strong living in TT.

I shall be cooperating with this effort by including all the email addresses of all correspondents that have actualized their DUES. (50 words per year).

I am making this request as I have had difficulties with the listing I kept.

I am trying to recover from computer problems, hopefully all is not lost.
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1956-1962 REFLECTIONS - STUDIES
George Mickiewicz
Saturday, January 27, 2007 10:52:17 AM

While at MSB, the major part of the day, other than sleeping, was spent STUDYING.

These studies increased in Form V when the boys would stay up late and/or rise early in the morning to prepare for the GCE examinations.

My memory is pretty blurry as to what subjects we took in which Form and which teacher taught which class/subject.

Do remember that we were expected to be quiet, pay attention, be organized, participate, do our homework and study hard.

This focused approach developed a discipline within me that helped me very much in my university studies and subsequently in my work.

It is helping me today in my consulting efforts.

Related glimpses:

Bernardo Fontaine mailing me the results of how our class feared in the GCEs.

Miss Kitty sending me the certificate which is the only memento that I have found so far of that era. It is attached. (Please resend, ed.)

Performing crazy experiments in Biology, Chemistry and Physics in the Lab.

Our books were small in size compared to the ones used by kids today. Also significantly lower cost.

Having to perform all mathematical calculations mentally versus the calculators, slide rules and computers that followed in subsequent decades. Abacuses did exist then but we were not allowed to use them!!!!!

Penmanship and spelling were very important; today I deal with the corresponding differences between the British and American versions of the English language.

A real problem if one truly needed to go to the bathroom during class.

Taking piano lessons from the Polish gentleman.

Writing a letter home every week during the evening study period.

Being rewarded for good grades by my mother with Bolivares (at that time 3 Bolivares = 1USA$)

I am also attaching a family picture taken in 2006.

Be blessed, be good and be safe y’all,

George (Shish, Yury)
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Rafael Echeverria

Dear George,

I am a Mount Boy of 1963-66 ... I guess we did not coincide ... but I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your India trip tale.

You should become a writer !

Entertaining and incredibly amusing.

Regards,

Ralph Echeverria / CheChe
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Glen Mckoy
Monday, April 2, 2007 8:57:53 AM

Hi Neil,

Though I heard something like that about Gary Lambkin, I heard he went to west coast of Canada, I believe Vancouver,

I will check with a friend of mind here he knows Gary father, who was a old boy on the mount.

Later Glen
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From: nchacha57@aol.com
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 12:40:15 EDT
Glen,

I heard that Gary Lambkin died in a motor cycle accident a few years ago, do you know anything about that?

Neil
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Don Mitchell CBE QC
Sunday, April 1, 2007 9:36:12 AM

Hello Ladislao,

I hope you enjoyed your vacation in Spain.

I have a suggestion for you.

This will keep you sane.

It is intended to reduce pressure.

Consider it carefully.

Do not try to post the missing months of Circulars.

Do not try to complete the ones you have been preparing.

Do only one Circular to bring you up to date.

Just do an apology and say you are doing one Circular to cover the missing period.

Then you can go on as usual.

Everyone will understand.

We will be completely happy with that result.

So what if in one year there are only 30 Circulars?

Keep well.

Don
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Glen Mckoy
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 6:13:04 AM

Hi David,

Will cc. Glen Evelyn also so he can contact you some time, as lives in Florida when he is not on the rigs, he might be in Indonesia at the moment.

My brother writes and arranges a few songs and his son Gino sings them, if you ever go to Toronto-lime.com he has 3 songs listed there.

1) Sweet pan music (aka Michael riddem (gino Mckoy)

2) Soca warriors

3) West Indies forever, I think.

I can also send you a cd of these songs next time I speak to my brother.

O.K Well just in from work going to sleep, thank you again for the jokes, ha ha very good, take care

Glen. yeah I work nights.
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From: "david decastro" thecalypsobandit@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:17:43 +0000

Hi Glen,

Glad to hear you got the cd and like it.

I would sure like to get a cd of glen.

Can you arrange that?

As a song writer I love when other people sing my songs will send you another cd of spice and co singing THE GUNS.

Byron Lee doing the GUNS a big hit in 1994 also a cd of SAGA BOY singing my latest song CONCHITA .

He won the Montreal and Ottawa calypso crown in 2006.

Have some new songs but it is very difficult to get people to sing them even though they are always for free,

I do not ask for money just for recognition.

Will be touch soon regards to all

"The bandit"
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From: "Glen Mckoy"
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:13:11 +0000
Hi David,

I received the CD yesterday with great thanks.

I listened and just loved every thing I heard, just like when I left Trinidad in the 1974, the quality, the bass , the brass and you have that classic voice for that stuff, I really have to thank you for making my day with that cd it's really good.

Every song, you covered so many different feels also, you seem to have no limit to where you can go.

I will share it with others here also.

I have a good friend Steve Hart, from Trinidad also, he lives just up the road from me, his uncle Edmund Hart (the mass maker) well Steve is now the coach for Canada soccer team.

He goes to Miami all the time, I will play your cd for him, as I am out of touch with home really, Steve keeps me up with the music, he will be surprised when I play your cd.

Any how if you ever need a guitar player for free, I'll be there.

Glen Evelyn won a calypso contest on the mount and makes great guitars as a hobby, he sent me one, this guy is talented and lives in Florida also, he went to mount around the same time as me, he works on the rigs, so he's in and out, Glen also has a cd of some songs also.

Any how thanks for the picture of the CN tower, well I was there but it look like I was in the wrong place... send me your phone number so I could call

Best regards to you and the family

Glen Mckoy...........
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George Mickiewicz
AddSaturday, January 27, 2007 10:12:43 AM

Ladislao:

Number 14 in the CLASS 61 picture is Ernest Castillo.

Thanks for your continuing your very valued effort as it takes time, energy and commitment to put together and share the information from the boys,

George.
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To complement the photos I have included the book cover for the Visual Basics english language course, Form 1 maybe??

Also, a slip of paper type on the latest calypso songs that were sold by Frederick street roadside vendors.

That is for now

God Bless

Ladislao
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Photos in this issue:
Doc. Good Friday received from Mickiewicz
Visual Basics
See you later Alligator, lyrics (Has anyone a recording of this calypso song? Ed.)
61UN0002CLASS61, Have added new name, thanks to George.

ATTACHMENT

ABBOT John Perreira of the Abbey of Mount St Benedict in his Good Friday message to parishioners said social injustices in society must be addressed as millions of innocent people are suffering just as Christ did 2,000 years ago.

Perreira gave his address yesterday during morning prayer at the Abbey of Mount St Benedict, a more than 2,000 parishioners participated in an re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross. The parishioners of St John the Baptist RC Church in St Augustine gathered from as early as 4 am at St John’s Road , where in a candle light procession both young and old made their way up the Mount. The procession ended at 6 am, where parishioners joined the monks at the Abbey of Mount St Benedict for morning prayer.

Perreira, in his address, said as Christ suffered innocently 2,000 years ago when he was condemned to death, people today are also suffering because of structural evil forces in our society. Perreira said the high cost of legal fees are having an effect on poor people who are unable to pay for a good lawyer. These people who can be innocent are then made to suffer.

“Life is more than just about money, hedonism and pleasures. Establishing right relationships with ourselves is the only way to happiness,” said Perreira.

However, Perreira said he was pleased with the high turnout of young people during the procession. Perreira said more youths have been moved by the suffering of Christ, which he said was a positive sign that there is still hope for society. Perreira said Good Friday should be a solemn day of reflection, when we recall Christ who died for our sins.

People were indeed reminded of the suffering of Christ, as earlier in the morning a re-enactment of Christ’s journey to Calvary was portrayed by Matthew Eversley. The winding road to the Abbey of Mount St Benedict came to life as women wailed at the cracking of whips and the ever present Roman soldiers. Eversley travelled to the 12 Stations of the Cross just as Christ, depicting important scenes in which Christ’s mother Mary witnessed the suffering of her son.

Eversley carried the cross to the top of the Mount where he was nailed to the cross and later placed in the arms of his mother.

One woman who was impressed with the production said the portrayal was much more animated than last year.