Saturday 31 May 2008

Circular No 343





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

Caracas, 31 May 2008. No.343

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Dear Friends,

Some news on Scouting, from kids who got their Queen´s Scout badge.

Gmail Jan jankoenraadt@gmail.com

Monday, January 7, 2008 4:37:25 PM

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Hi Attila,

Thanks very much again for your picture Scout_Camp_1968_Sir_John_Chancellor_Flag_Competition_Captioned.jpg.

After so many years I can still feel the hearts of scouting at a scout camp when I see your picture.

All these bamboo tied up with ropes, I am still tying those knots with rope.

Don't remember the bamboo if it was cut with a handsaw, we did it with a cutlass.

You were all dressed up nicely with all the badges, waiting for the winning flag maybe.

I still have my badges, but can´t find them yet, doing a thorough search in my house.

I still have my scout belt you were wearing on the picture.

As for cracking the list of names of Form V Class 1968-1968, I hold you for the most bright one amongst us, but I hope I can add some records.

I left Mount in summer 1967 when I finished Form IV and passed exams to go to Form V.

If I had stayed I would be in Form V during 1967-1968.

You were first a Prep A boy but you caught up fast and were only one year behind me in summer 1967.

So to my knowledge it is correct that you would have been in Form V during 1968-1969.

The boys in your list, Lindsay Moffat, Paul Quesnel, Charles Devaux and Douglas Watson, I know them as being in my class Form IV during 1966-1967.

You can see them in the picture 1965FormIIclasswithnames.jpg in the same order numbered 8 (Lindsay Moffat), 6 (Paul Quesnel), 27 (Charles Devaux) and 1 (Douglas Watson). (Me = nr 2 next to Douglas Watson).

That picture was my class between 1963-1967.

There were a few add-ons like Trevor Davis (20) from Georgetown Guyana, Antonio Scanone (12) and Michael Sucre (3) both from Venezuela and maybe one or two dropouts.

I think Lindsay Moffat once said to me that he failed GCE exams and had to stay a year longer with Douglas Watson.

In that case he would be in your Form V during 1968-1969.

About Paul, Douglas and Charles I am surprised because I remember them doing well at school.

Maybe if you search the names of this class picture there may be more for your list?

I wrote the names at the back of the picture long time ago, that's why I remembered most of them.

I did not know that Paul Quesnel had become the head-prefect, I just read it in one of the mails.

He was the sort of Dr. Kildare type I would expect he would be a good prefect.

Lindsay was the art master in playing piano.

He taught me a few tricks on the piano with these calypso songs, I can still play them.

Antonio Scanone could do the butterfly swimming so beautiful like a dolphin although he was fat.

Greetings Jan Koenraadt

MSB 1963-1967

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When did end of year change from Dec to July?

Jan Koenraadt jankoenraadt@casema.nl

Monday, February 11, 2008 9:12:32 AM

Dear Nigel,

I got this request from Ladislao to try and figure out in what year did the end of year change from December to July.

See his mail below.

To my best guess I think it was in 1960 that the school year started in September and in 1959 it started in January.

You wrote me that you gradated in 1960 and went to St. Mary's College in Trinidad to follow A-level.

My brother was ten years at the Mount from January 1956 to summer 1966 but I don't remember if or when he skipped a half year.

If you know more and how they did it, maybe you can write it to Ladislao?

Much greetings

Jan Koenraadt

(Year 1960 ended on December, so it must have been later. Ed.)

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Gmail Jan jankoenraadt@gmail.com

Monday, January 7, 2008 5:39:18 PM

You surprise me again that you stayed at the parents house of Josh Schoemaker at the Sugar Mill & Plantation.

And you recall Frances . . . wow.

That name I forgot, but now you mention, it all comes back.

They were nice girls, but everybody will say that about the first girls he met . . .:-).

Yes the house was on stilts with the staircase outside.

The mother had a lot of glossy Dutch magazines in the living room near the window and I read them all I think.

We could watch television there, every morning there was this Green Giant . . .

The roads in the compound had big bumps to force the cars to drive slow.

One day we went to see the Sound of Music with his parents in the open air cinema in Port of Spain, you know, where you can watch the movie sitting in your car.

Maybe we will find Josh one day and we can catch up with him.

Greetings Jan Koenraadt

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Gmail Jan jankoenraadt@gmail.com

Friday, February 15, 2008 4:59:06 PM

Nigel,

My compliments for your idea and realisation and all your efforts in creating the database of MSB Old Boys!

For everybody it will suit fine, for some maybe not right now but in due time they will discover how it will be handy.

Even my corrections I brought in the last day are taken into the file. Great job!

I still do remember a Father Theo who is not in the database.

He came as a priest from Holland to the Mount to help out at the Abbey School.

I think he came about halfway 1966. I heard he died in 1972.

Vaguely I remember that he probably was kicked out of the church in Holland because he didn't fit in and that he was advised to make himself useful at MSB.

I am not sure about this.

He brought in some modern ideas. For example, in addition to the black- and honors list, he created a court with a lawyer and a judge, I was his first guinea-pig.

Somebody had stolen my marble in my locker.

So I shouted "who stole my locker".

The prefect put me on the blacklist.

That case I had to defend in court.

I didn't even know what I was accused of.

The result was I had to write lines in studies for the rest of the term.

This was all father Theo.

Maybe you recognise the system, guilty until proven innocent.

Father Theo offered me to appeal, but I didn't know what the word appeal meant at that time.

So I said no thanks.

But a week later I heard how heavy the penalty was, but then it was too late for an appeal.

I hated this father Theo for this very much later on.

The judge only shouted at me.

Because I had no decent reply in my favour I was convicted.

It took me years to discover that it was the other way around, innocent until proven guilty, you don't have to testify against yourself, you have the right to remain silent, that sort of thing.

They should have taught us these things.

When I was a student in Holland, I tried it out and went to court for a parking ticket.

You won't believe it, two times I succeeded.

In one case I got free because there was a parking forbidden sign at the road, but the police could not produce the order of the county to put the sign there.

Therefore the sign was illegal, in fact that was anarchy of the police. Ha ha.

But if you want to add father Theo, these are my thoughts about him.

On the other hand, he would let us smoke in the toilet, and when saying mass I got the Host twice, he didn't care.

Bit funny man, almost a prelude to Woodstock.

Wish he had thought us how to appeal in court for a parking ticket instead.

Much greetings

Jan Koenraadt

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Gonzalo Montiel gonzmont253@cantv.net

Monday, January 7, 2008 5:00:25 PM

No me enviaron la foto

Gonzalo Montiel Form V 1969

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De: Alfredo Montiel Bezara [mailto:amontielb@megaval.com]

lunes, 07 de enero de 2008 11:11

Attila,

Probably Gonzalo, my brother, can remember those names, I am sure do not remember any names at all, but of course, you, Andres, Fulvio, and Roberto.

Best regards,

Alfredo Montiel Bezara

Form V 1972

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Attila GYURIS ...

Monday, January 7, 2008 11:53:58 PM

Yes, those were the days, my friend! We thought they would never end....

as Mary Hopkins would say....

I had so much fun with the gang of boys and girls in that plantation.

Attila

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Attila GYURIS gyuris@yahoo.com

Thursday, February 7, 2008 6:29:50 PM

Hola Alfredo:

Gracias por la anecdota.

Entonces Alberto Ache es Medico?

Espero que tu hijo se haya recuperado bien del accidente con el motorizado.

Que dato le paso?

Yo estuve por la Gran Sabana y pase por Santa Elena de Uairen, llegando hasta Boavista en Brasil por alli en los anos 70, con unos companeros de la USB.

Anos despues estuve volando un helicoptero por Canaima y mas al sur por los tepuyes, a principios de los 80, para un proyecto de unos gringos que estaban interesados en el cerro Autana.

Ahi tambien andaba Charles Brewer Carias con nosotros, con quien todavía mantengo contacto.

Saludos,

Attila Gyuris

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Thanks for the anecdote.

Then Alberto Ache was a Medical Doctor?

I hope that your son has recovered well of the accident with the motorbike.

What damage he have?

I was in the Great Savannah and passed through Santa Elena de Uairen, arriving to Boavista in Brazil in years 70, with companions of the USB.

Years later I was flying a helicopter by Canaima and to the south by tepuyes, at the beginning of the 80, for a project of gringos who were interested in the Autana hill. Also there we were accompanied by Charles Brewer Carias with us, with whom still I maintain contact.

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Alfredo Montiel Bezara <amontielb@megaval.com> wrote:

Attila,

Que buena memoria !!

Revisando, me acuerdo que Alberto Ache de San Tome, Form V '67 me lo encontré casualmente en Santa Elena de Uairen, Edo. Bolívar como Director del Hospital Tipo I del IVSS, donde accidentalmente tuve que llevar a mi hijo Andres Enrique el dia 31 de Diciembre de 2.001 por un atropello del un motorizado Brasilero en el sitio de la Línea, frontera con Brasil.

Allí el día 01 de Enero de 2.002, fue cuando salía de la Emergencia en avión privado para La Clínica Metropolitana en Caracas,

Me percate que el Director era Alberto Ache, con quien intercambie unos recuerdos de MSB y me presento a sus hijos tambien, estos ya universitarios.

Me comento que llego alli, por una solicitud de transferencia del Ministerio de Sanidad, en virtud que le interesaba muchisimo el tema de las enfermedades de transmisien de mosquitos, producto de su larga investigacion en Maracay con el Dr. Gabaldon. y así fue .... en verdad posteriormente perdí contacto y no he regresada mas a Santa Elena.

Bueno una anecdota no muy agradable recordar por el accidente de Andres, pero Gracias a Dios hoy día está muy bien despues del accidente.

Un saludo,

Alfredo Montiel Bezara.

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What a good memory!

Reviewing, I remember that Alberto Ache of San Tome, Form V ' 67 I accidentally found him in Santa Elena de Uairen, Edo. Bolivar as Director of the Hospital Type I of the IVSS, where accidentally I had to take my son Andres Enrique on the day 31 of December of 2001 who was ran over by a Brazilian motorcycle in the place called the Line, border with Brazil.

There on the 01 of January of 2002, was when he left the Emergency Ward, in a private aeroplane for the Metropolitan Clinic in Caracas,

I became aware that the Director was Alberto Ache, with whom I exchanged MSB memories and he presented his children, who were already university students.

He commented how he arrived there, by requesting a transfe to the Ministry of Health, in virtue that he was interested in the subject of the diseases of transmission of mosquitoes, product of his long investigation in Maracay with Dr. Gabaldon. and thus it was. in truth later I lost contact with him and I have not returned to Santa Elena.

A good anecdote and not a very pleasant one for remembering by the accident of Andres, but Thanks to God nowadays he is very well after the accident.

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Andres Larsen ...

Thursday, January 10, 2008 11:37:46 AM

T & T 2004 018.jpg (810KB)

Salvador !!

Que buena memoria tienes !!!

Te felicito, y te comento al margen de la buena memoria, que recientemente en un programa de TV espanola se le preguntaba una distinguido panel de Medicos y Psiquiatras sobre el tema de la FELICIDAD, y de manera muy aguda responde unos de ellos:

Para ser Feliz en este mundo, los requisitos mas importantes son los siguientes:

BUENA SALUD y MALA MEMORIA ....de esta ,manera la gente olvida ... y sigue p' lante !!!!

Pero este no es tu caso, me parece increíble que mantengas estos buenos y gratos recuerdos de la gente de Mount Saint Benedict y del The Abbey.

Un abrazo fuerte, me alegra saber que Ustedes estan bien, sobre todo Pedro que tenga 35 anos que no le veía el rostro porque a tí si, ya me habeas enviado unas fotos.

Un abrazo fuerte y esperemos que en algun momentos coincidamos para vernos.

Alfredo.

What a good memory you have!!

I congratulate and comment besides the good memory, that recently in a program of Spanish TV a distinguished panel of Doctors and Psychiatrists on the subject of the HAPPINESS, one of them responded in a very acute way:

To be Happy in this world, the most important requirements are the following:

GOOD HEALTH and BAD MEMORIES. This way people forget and follow p' lante!

But this it is not your case, it seems to me incredible that you maintain these good and pleasing memories of the people of Mount Saint Benedict and of the Abbey.

A strong hug, cheering knowledge that you are well, mainly Pedro who had 35 years that I did not see his face, you had sent me your photo already.

A strong hug and we hope that at some moments we might coincide.

Foto de Oscar Cantore, Jose Maria Costa y Alfredo en T&T, 2.004. Biblioteca Nacional in Down Town.

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So now to the photos and start the next circular !!!!

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Photos:

08LK0528BGO, Brian Goddard, dinner in Caracas

67JK0001Firstclassbadgep1, PAGE ONE OF SCOUT BADGE Booklet.

04AM0018AMOGRP, Oscar Cantore, Jose Maria Costa, and Alfredo Montiel in PoS.

58IF0005THEATER, UNKNOWN and Isaias Farcheg in a theater play?

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