Notes for "Mount Boys" Visiting this Blog

1. Total Circulars: There were 53 Circulars issued by Ladislao in the year 2002. No 8 was the first, and No 60 was the last.


2. Viewing Circulars: Click on on the arrow next to the month in Archives in the column on the right to see the ones for that month. You can read each of the earlier ones, together with any comments posted by readers, by clicking on its headline in Archives. You are, of course, free to download the Circulars to your computer for reading at your leisure.


3. Copying Photos: You can save any photo to your own computer by right-clicking on it, and saving it to a suitable folder in your computer. Or, you go to the "file" button in the top left hand corner of your screen, and go to "save as" to do the same thing.


4. Making Comments: At the foot of each Circular there is a place for you to be able to make a "Comment" on the contents. If you recognise a face in a photo, or something similar, that you want to write about, just click on "comments" at the foot of the appropriate Circular and enter your remarks in the window that opens. In order to prevent strangers from posting nonsense and spam, I have set it so that I have to moderate and publish the comments. Anyone who would like to join as a moderator is welcome.  [Note:  I have now disabled this feature in the earlier Circulars, due to the amount of spam I was having to filter out every day.  I have retained it for the most current couple of years.]


Happy Reading.


Don
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Circular No 60

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. Caracas, 28 of December 2002. Circular No. 60
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Dear Friends,


I AM SORRY TO INFORM YOU, ALTHOUGH YOU SURE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE LAST CIRCULAR.
"http://www.theabbeyschool.com" restarted in May 2001 by Anthony Johnson where my secondary job was to assist Gabby when he required information and I have tried to keep the photos numbered, etc.
I hope that some of you enjoyed at least one of the circulars as I tried to keep you uptodate with them, as my primary job with weekly stories, photos, etc. to keep Class 1960 and all MSB oldboys informed and if possible communicated, while Anthony makes time to update the Web, because of his multiple duties. I am sure that a resume of the information of the articles, etc., that appeared in the circulars is being filtered and accommodate to be inserted in the Web site.
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Now a couple of short notes, old but interesting.
Date: Sat, 18 May 2002 09:06:06 -0700


The following was written by Geoffrey Golding

Ladislao,

Thanks for the info. I looked at the picture/photo and believe everyone is correctly identified. You probably know by now that my brother Jon has returned to Trinidad for an indefinite period of time - 2 -3 three years probably, or more. You guys should hook-up some time. Great hearing from you weekly and wish you all the best. This late in my working career I am getting more and more busy!!! No slowing down! I don't get to use the Internet as much as I used to. Anyway, the money is good.

Bye for now,

Geoff.

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This other from Eden Hutton
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 03:09:40 +0000

Dear Ladislao,

Thanks for the circulars. I do not have Julian's or Bruce's addresses. Christopher went to Mount and so did Andrew but they both died I'm sorry to say. I left Mount in the same class as Peter Laughlin, Paul De Verteuil and David Bratt ........ but I don’t remember what year it was.

Cheers,

Eden Hutton

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From: eden hutton
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 18:23:26 +0100

Hey Ladislao,

Thanks for the circulars, I really enjoy them.

It´s good to see Donald Goddard giving Wayne Brown some fatigue. Modern day "Political Correctness" was definitely not born at the Mount. Upfront fatigue is much more healthy, and I'm sure Wayne sees it that way.

So how about Brian and Christian Goddard, are they still in Venizuela? and Roberto and Luciano Savorgnan, Do you ever hear from them?

Wishing you and your family A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Cheers,

Eden Hutton.

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I have tried to get in contact with Roberto and Luciano Savorgnan but no luck, maybe some one can help, with information on their last known residence????


I am enclosing a large photo, this is needed to recognize our friends and be able to place names on the priests, brothers, photo taken in 1957? Feel free to guess and collaborate.
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Listado: C60.xls
Photos: DSC00100 msb M Lew
Abbey painting
Column: 021229 Wvb the old song
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ATTACHMENTS

Listado C60.xls

Names	Form V	Contact	Nickname	business address	Phone	e-mail
Rodrigues, Ian		boos		Ajax, Ontario		rodrigues_id@hotmail.com
Rodriguez, Alejandro		glen		YV
Rodriguez, Pablo		glen		YV
Rodriguez, Vidal		glen		YV
Rosendal,				surinam
Rosero, Jose Enrique		glen		YV
Rostant
Saab, Faicel		glen		YV
Sabga, Anthony				Club Pigeon Point Tobago???
Sabga, George					(686) 622 2596

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Circular No 59

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 23 of December 2002. Circular No. 59
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Dear Friends, a timely article from Anthony Vieira,


I thought that the events described only occurred in Venezuela. I could not have done a better description of my pre Christmas activities. Since it is long I shall let you read. I am sure that it is tropical event! Any comments are welcomed.
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Commentary Christmas. 12th December 2001.

Every year we celebrate the Christmas season, it is a season of goodwill and peace, a season when we concentrate on our families, our friends and our relatives, we exchange gifts, consume enormous amounts of alcohol and food at the many parties almost everyone has during the season. We decorate our homes, we paint and renovate them, since we have to invite our friends over to celebrate the season with us, and we want to impress them.

Some grumps, who think that all this good will and celebrating is a waste of time and consider it the biggest hoax in the history of the world, too commercialized to be truly reflective of its original intent, are of course welcome to that view.

The celebration of Christmas has its roots in the celebration of the birth of the Christ child. The beginning of Christianity. There are 2.1 Billion Christians on the planet nearly a billion of them Catholics, nearly one third of the population of the planet.

The Christian religion tells us that we must love each other, do good to those who persecute us, and turn the other cheek. And that we must have goodwill and peace to all men. It is important to remember all of this goodwill and peace business in view of what I will outline for you next. And I am speaking here from 31 years of experience in these matters.

Unfortunately, as laudable as all of this is, it is a time of the year which most of US, MEN, secretly hate. Goodwill to all men turns out to mean goodwill to all women and the children.

We men first become aware of the Christmas feeling when we come home from work around the 9th of December and find the entire house in total disarray. Our wives have decided that they must BREAK UP the house for Christmas and all the furniture is piled up in a corner and you have nowhere to sit, if you, like me, like your afternoon siesta you discover that your cozy dark bedroom, now devoid of all curtains, is too bright for a proper lunchtime nap, you also discover that YOU are required to climb up in the most inaccessible parts of your house, since the ladies can’t, and help to cobweb and wipe the walls, the ceiling and the windows.

You are then reminded that you will have to find several thousand dollars, you cannot afford, buying gifts for people you really do not like and you know that you will have to listen to the fall out of this exercise until the middle of the next year, that so and so, and THAT SO and SO got a present from US for three thousand dollars and they only bought US a present for one thousand dollars. It is very important to remember this ladies and gentlemen, only the good Lord in heaven will help you if you reciprocate with a present which is cheaper than the one you got, and believe me, prices are checked very carefully.

We men have to work harder at Christmas because we have to earn more to clean up and fix everything. We are for example presented with all of the old Christmas tree lights along with the old tree and we have to make sure that all of it works. Your wife, you very quickly realize, does not care if the lights are not working, you realize that it is a matter of complete indifference to her, that, if only one bulb becomes displaced in the packing up operation after the last Christmas, YOU have to spend 4 hours lying on the floor trying to get the things to work. Tell me men, Did you ever notice that all the adapters you had last Christmas which you thought was packed away with the lights last year, are now missing, so there is no way that you can put the lights on the tree without taking ISO bars from your favourite stereo player or your computer to make the tree work, and it does not matter if your stereo and your computer does not work anymore, only the tree is important!!!

In all of the financial planning that goes into the Christmas operation, not one cent is usually allocated to the purchase of new lights, and why should it? we men have to make the old ones work. How so many new lights are sold at Christmas time, is still a mystery to me perhaps some men after fighting with the old one for two-three days throws them out the window, Of course on Christmas day when we men accompany our wives and our children to the tree to see what Santa [YOU] brought for Christmas, you discover that you got nothing. You ask yourself how could I possibly have forgotten to buy ME, anything?

After everything is cleaned in the house you now discover that YOU have to help to put all the furniture back in place, have any of us men actually ever asked where the manpower required to pile up all of this furniture in one corner of the house came from in the first place? Even those of us who are lucky enough to have domestic help, have you noticed that the ladies can pile up all of the furniture in a corner but that YOU have to help to put it back? I wonder what the incidence of hernia among men is in December?

So by the 18th of December your house is now in perfect order and ready for the season, you are exhausted but relieved that all of the climbing and lifting is over. If you think that you can now relax and watch TV, think again! You have to write cards, you have to help in the decisions of who will get what gift,…. you have to have a response to ridiculous questions like “do you think that Kim’s baby will like this gift?” you discover that you and your wife have family which you did not even know you had, or care about.

Now we come to the most dangerous exercise of Christmas, men, the question of the various dresses that will have to be worn for the many functions during the season!!!! It is a matter of total indifference to most men what we have to wear for Christmas and whether we wore this or that pants or shirt last year to this or that function and whether, so or so will remember that we wore it. I don’t care if my brother Eddy thinks that I have only one shirt, not so the ladies.

So the fashion show begins, pretending to be interested in the proceedings, since you do not want a war on your hands or to sleep on the couch which is now dusted and clean, you are required to pass judgement on whether this or that dress for Christmas eve night, Christmas night, old years night, so and so’s party are NICE, now we are talking about at least six outfits here men, so this can be a protracted exercise.

And you better pay attention, this is dangerous ground, you have to know that certain observations regarding this ritual are completely unacceptable, observations like “that is a little too tight” is out of the question, even if she put on 15 pounds since last Christmas, you have to be cautious, you resort to the cowardly path “it looks great babe but didn’t you wear that one, eight months ago and the GIRLS saw you in it” that is always a good strategy. This ritual can go on for days and of course new dresses will have to be gotten and judgement will have to be passed on those as well, but here again extreme caution must be exercised, one wrong word can precipitate a war and destroy the season of peace, at no time must the words gravity or drooping be even contemplated much less mentioned.

You realize that fighting with the old Christmas tree lights and the cob webbing was actually relaxation compared to this. Especially when the shoes and the bags have to match, I love the one when they tell us that quote “I want to look my best for YOU”.

Now we know that this is a complete fabrication men, but we bite our tongues and nod our appreciation. We need to have a lot of good cheer indeed, to get through this season men, I guess that that is why we all get drunk on Christmas Eve and old year’s nights, we deserve it too, indeed we have earned it.

But seriously now, ladies and gentlemen my wife’s name is Jewel, she is arguably one of the most exotically beautiful women in the country, she is my whole life and despite our age difference she understands me better than anyone I have ever known, she is my best friend and to her and the two beautiful children we have, I would like to tell them that I do not just love them, I cannot conceive of life without them. I only have one other son living here, Anthony Jr. and I extend season’s greetings to him also.

To the rest of my audience I would like to extend the most heartfelt greetings and best wishes for the season and for the New Year. To you men who can relate to what I have laid out here, I offer you my sympathy.

We have problems, of that there is little question, but we make do with what we have, we give thanks and try harder, Dale Carnegie once said, that he was sad because he had old shoes until he saw a man who had no feet. Let us thank the Lord for what we DO have, and let us celebrate the season by remembering that it is a season of goodwill, peace and love to all men and women.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to you and yours.

Tony Vieira

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I want to join Tony in wishing you the best with a post card.


Ladislao
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Circular No 58

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 21 of December 2002. Circular No. 58
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Dear Friends, a couple of lines from the Circular Santa, OOOOOO!


Like last year I want to use this circular to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, envious of those that can, wishing them a white Christmas and those that have snow, slow down when driving. This reminds me of the time I was in Washington D.C. at the Catholic University, which is just in the borderline for any serious snow activity, how I waited for some of the white fluffs (movie type, big as a fist), especially during my first year. When snow arrived, the horizon was misty white, the air was still and I was happy even if these fluffs were rice sized. When they hit ground they melted fast, with it my illusion, at least momentary, for as a saying reads, a lot of grain make a mountain?
Last year I mentioned Graham Gonsalves who sent a FW on Nativity in TT, I had hoped that this year he would have contributed some so that I could include it in this circular.
Now backing up a couple, two figure, years. I can remember the pre Christmas moments at the Mount, everybody was talking about the Xmas holidays ( was it because of the illusion of presents?) and the impending school year end. The future trip home, away from jail, as we prepared to travel home to meet our families. Those that did not travel far it was a vacation with festivities and beach, and those, especially those that had to travel by air, there was the excitement of the gifts that were bought on one or more Wednesdays when we were allowed to travel to Pos and shop. The first stop was at George Habib´s store by Marine Square, then make the bags, load the green Bedford flat bed truck and the VW buses and go to the airport for the flight. The excitement of seeing our parents and family (freedom) at the end of the trip. Make up a lot of excuses for those of us for the poor qualifications and notes from Fr. Bernard.
I am including this new circular earlier than usual, to celebrate Xmas, I know all of you are busy playing Santa, with or without red robe and white hair and beard, pouch or not. The white hair, beard and all if not in evidence, shall be with us in a few more years ??
Here in Caracas we are not lucky to celebrate the holidays with snow and all the cold, but to emulate you snow bound folks, I bought a real West Virginian pine tree, the smell is here!. This manner of seeing things puts a question in my mind as I suppose that those that have to deal with installing chain on the tires, shovelling snow in the morning, keeping the grand children dressed up for the cold, etc. would prefer the tropics while we would like to see some snow and the accompanying cold for at least a few days, just for the taste. I presume that is why those in the cold and have the means, migrate to Florida and we tend to go North.


I have a special message for the following classmates from my Class 1960:
I have been asked by some of the oldboys that have known you during or stay at MSB, on your whereabouts and general information, I have not been able to satisfy the inquiries because of the silence, so if you can send a few lines they would be appreciated by all of us and by me specially.
Can anyone relay this to them I would appreciate it very much:


Richard Galt, Christopher Webster, James Seheult, David Pampellone, Egan Baichoo


All of us hopefully would make it to the 31th, if the children and grand children help us, after the big day!! (see the gif image I am sending of the typical granpa) The step from the 31st to the year 2003, I am sure is going to be easy and smooth as silk. Of course if we do not try to eat (or swallow) a grape per bell stroke at midnight as some traditions demand.
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Date : Mon, 20 May 2002 08:16:25 -0500
Phillip DE Pass wrote

Michael De Verteuil is a very good friend. Unfortunately his dad died on Wednesday last. He was a top class man. Michael is the rector of the seminary among other things.

Bishop Charles is in Grenada and Bishop Mendes is the auxiliary bishop of Trinidad

Send me your mailing address and I will send some more info on same.

If I had stayed at The Abbey I would have been in Form V in 64.

Good to hear from you.

Many Thanks

Philip

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I am sorry tell that I have lost touch with Philip as his email address cannot receive the Circulars, maybe some of you can telephone him my best wishes. If anyone meets Fr. Michael De Verteuil, Bishop Charles and Mendes, again give them my Christmas greetings.


I can mention that I have made contact with Richard Driver who left in Mount 1949 in Form I and would have graduated in 1953, maybe Leary O’Connor would remember him??


This circular would commemorate the 42 year since our class graduated from Form V in 1960.


I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and as a gift, that some of us would be able to meet and in some cases talk by telephone and share past friendships.


God Bless


Ladislao
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Listado: C58.xls
Photos: familia 01 Kertesz
carrito jugete ani
xtree 16
Column: WVB I have not received your column, sorry. Maybe we should try my way??
Column: David Bratt, No.88
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ATTACHMENTS

Listado C58.xls

Names	Form V	Contact	Nickname	business address	Phone,	e-mail
Prypchan, George Roman		glen		YV
Pugh, John (RIP)				Dominica
Quesnel, Paul		ornellas		12-14 castro st. chaguaramasTT	(868) 673 3447	Kissbaking@carib-link.net
Quesnel, Peter				UK???
Raffensperger, Fransisco	1963	lk	hugi	YV
Ramos
Ramos, Miguel Becar		glen		YV
Raydan, Guillermo		glen		YV
Reid, Arthur (RIP)		roger	Fido
Rezende, Michael		roge		TT	Pilot
Rezende, Patrick		roge

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Circular No 57

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 14 of December 2002. Circular No. 57
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Dear Friends, now a short conversation with Wayne Vincent Brown in answer to my inquiries.
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From: Wayne Brown
Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 14:43:25 -0400

I would like to ask you about your photo with the two pretty girls!! I do not have their names, please write me about them.

By the way I noticed in your articles that the letter "z" in organize, etc. is written with an "s", also in an article that I have from a newspaper of TT, is this peculiar, my corrector for British indicates "Z". Why would be this???

We are having our reunions about once a month here in Caracas but no luck with Manuel Prada as yet. At our last dinner there were two present, Bernard Fontaine and Peter Morvay. I am preparing a guest room at my house for when you come thru Caracas.!!, it should be ready by June.

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You must notice that there are no more Who is Where, I have lost contact with Roger Henderson since he left Bank of Scotia. I am expecting soon his new email address??


God Bless


Ladislao
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Listado: C57.xls
Photo: y wvb 020107dan
Wb saffrey(I)mariel 1994 T&T
Column: wvb no manuscript has been received
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Circular No 56

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. Caracas, 7 of December 2002. Circular No. 56
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Dear Friends,
In my effort to get Class 1959 names I sent out the Class photo to those that I remembered and believed to be in the photo and that left one year before us.
Here is the conversation with Kristof.
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On Mon, 30 September 2002, Chris DeMarothy wrote:

Hi Las,
I am getting ready to E-Mail you lotsa pictures and a short bio of myself since leaving MSB. I am in the middle of renovating my house so my time is a bit limited (MUST finish before winter sets in). Please send my e-mail to my home address. You are currently sending it to my work and my company would prefer restricting that to business (unless you always want to type "XXXPERS" in the subject area). Thank you.
The "mystery person" in the class of '59 photo, I believe, is Harry Guildner. He was Venezuelan and lived in Tigrito, Edo. Anzoategui.
Will contact you later
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LADISLAO KERTESZ wrote:
Caracas, 10 of October 2002.

Dear Christopher,
Thank you for the reply and encouragement.
Does Ronald Charles sound a bell???? I hope the house work is getting along and that you are placing aside the photos that you are finding for those winter months (they are close, specially in the North North) Maybe you
would like to come back for a few weeks to Caracas???
God Bless
Ladislao
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From: Chris DeMarothy
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 11:07:42 -0400

Hi Las,
Just a quick note. I have sent you a number of e-mails telling you the person you identified as Ronald Chin IS Ronald Charles. I believe he is a doctor in Trinidad. So I heard when I visited Mount in 1979. Unfortunately I could not meet with him although I did meet with Ronald Gokool. He was then the Food & Beverage Control Manager at the Hilton where I stayed. I also met with Randolph "Swami" Galt for a pleasant lunch and memories. I have finally scanned all the pictures that I have and will be sending them to you soon.
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From: kristof de marothy
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 20:02:40 -0400

Hi Laz,

Ronald Charles is the chinese boy with glasses standing 4th from the left in the 2nd photo of the 1959 graduating class. He is the 3rd boy on the left of the priest in
the 1st 1959 graduating class photo.

Again the unknown is Harry Guildner, he is the partially hidden boy with glasses standing to the right of the priest. He does not appear in the 2nd photo.

Swami (or Randal Galt) was in the 1960 graduating class with his brother Richard "Turtleback" whose is shown in the volleyball picture in circular #47 (it looks a lot like him at about 14-15 years of age)..

Like you, I remember my class and a lot of the guys from 1958 and 1960 but after that? Memory fades over 1/2 century but my good times at Mount and the bad ones (especially, when I was whipped by "BoBo" in front off the whole school) are cherished memories. I was really saddened to hear what happened to Mount. It is an ignoble end to such a great school. It gave us a wonderful education, built our characters through sports and discipline and saw us through our formative years.

I'll be in touch
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As you notice there is an effort to place names on the photos, and in the case of Class 1959 there has been some luck. I specially thank Michael Herrera, Nigel Boos, George Laquis, Bernard Johnson, Alex de Verteuil, and Kristof for help in the research. I am expecting confirmation from Christopher Date soon.

Class of 1959
PHOTO No. 1 .......................PHOTO No. 2
1. Pampellone, Gerard ..................1 ...............Whereabounts unknown help!
2. Laquis, George Dr. (Pud) .........9 ...............Flags@tstt.net.tt,
3. Johnson, Bernard (Flatop) .....10............... johnsonjb@candw.lc
4. Herrera, Michael .......................3 ...............mherrera@ghl.co.tt,
5. De Verteuil, Alex ......................X................ alexdev@trinidad.net,
6. Harry Guildner .........................8 ................Whereabounts unknown help!
7. Johnson, Claude ........................5 ................Whereabounts unknown help!
8. Donald, Charles Dr. ..................4 ................Whereabounts unknown help!
9. Serrette, Irwin ..........................6 ................Whereabounts unknown help!
10. Date, Christopher, ..................7................. juliet_chris@tesco.net,
11. Nigel Boos ...............................11................ nigelboos@yahoo.ca,
12. Gokool, Ronald ........................X............... Whereabounts unknown help!
13. Fr. Peter Nicholson C.S.Sp ....X ................Holy Ghost Father
De Marothy, Kristof .....................2 .................vze263ga@verizon.net,

Of course I would appreciate if anybody knows the whereabouts or having met any of the missing oldboys of Class 1959, please send me a message.

Gabby here is the best I could do with the group. At least 7 out of 13 is pretty good after 45 years.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Listado: C56.xls
Photos: Class 1959a 15cm no
Class 1959b 15cm no
Column: 021124 wvb: george Campbell rip
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ATTACHMENTS

Listado C56.xls

Names	Form V	Contact	Nickname	business address	Phone,	e-mail
Penasa, Dario		glen		YV
Penasa, Roberto		kenrick
Persad		glen
Peter, Fr.	OSB, Teacher	lk
Peters, Allan		M.donellas		TT San Fernando		peters@carb-link.net
Peters, Bruce		roge
Peters, Kirby		M.donellas		TT San Fernando
Petersen, Svend		glen		YV
Phillip, Colin				ca

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Circular No 55

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


Caracas, 30 of November 2002. Circular No. 55
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Dear Friends, now a few lines from Roland d'Abadie.
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Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 11:40:16 -0400

Ladislao:

Michael Howard, one of my many cousins who attended "The Abbey School", was good enough to recently send me some information about the Mount and now I must thank you for placing my name on the mailing list and bringing back many faded memories of days long past.

The Mount has many memories for me although I was only there for a few short years and left prior to graduation. My younger brother Bernard attended after I left, my sister worked with the addicts that used our old dorms after the school was closed and my Dad died at the old age home. The de Verteuils featured in the "recent photo's" are cousins and living here in Canada, and Richard and Randall Galt were also classmates of mine, just to name a few. The student list also reminded me of many names and memories that were tucked away in my memory bank.

While looking through the recent photo's, I also came across one of Pedro Castro, one of the three Castro brothers who were there during my day. Do you have any news of Timieno? He was a good friend and classmate. The last I heard, several years ago, was that he was living in Caracas.

I could go on forever but this is a starting point. Having left Trinidad in 1960 for Jamaica and then moving to Canada, trips to Trinidad have not been frequent and crossing paths with old friends, much too infrequent.

Unfortunately, I have no photo's to share of my days at the Mount but many pleasant memories. Playing soccer, cricket, volley ball, boy scouts "squirrel patrol" singing in the choir etc.

Thanks for the memories and yes I received circular No. 48 this morning.

All the best

Roland d'Abadie

Toronto, Canada

e-mail (roland@on.aibn.com)
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I would like to ask forgiveness from my collaborators regarding the date that their resume or story is published. I do not have a system that places articles in line, it is just my mismanagement keeps the order random.


I would like to ask Roland to keep his cousins informed of the web page and the circulars.

Also I would like to get the year of the would have graduated Form V date of all MSB boys that left early, as this way I can group the classmates together.


As you mentioned that your classmates were Richard and Randal, then you would have graduated in 1960, my graduation date. Your cousin Michael Howard
is 1960 also. Please confirm.


Those that sent emails inquiring about the circular, please do not worry, I had lots of work these two week. I promise, you are going to be informed the day I quit making these circulars.


God Bless


Ladislao

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Listado: C55.xls
Photo: pmy 1 150 10cm
msb Dont be cruel 72 8
Column: 021117 wvb: islands in the stream
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ATTACHMENTS

Listado C55.xls

Names	Form V	Contact	nicknames	business address	Phone,	e-mail
Pampellone, Gerald	1959	date		England
Partridge, Michael Todd
Patiño, Jose
Paul, Fr.	OSB, Teacher	lk		Holland
Pazos, Carlos		glen		YV
Peacock, Ian					980 24964
Pecquet, Jean Claude		glen		YV

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Circular No 54

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

Caracas, 23 of November 2002. Circular No. 54

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Dear Friends,

Here is the first scouting story written as such for our Circular by Nigel Boos.
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SCOUTING AT ABBEY SCHOOL

Maybe it’s because we grew up in the post WWII era, a time when uniformed soldiers were on every movie screen and were great role-models for us young ones. Maybe it’s because we loved to parade in our khakis, black and gold scarf toggled at the neck, badges there to show as proof of achievement. Or maybe we all simply enjoyed the challenge and the fun associated with scouting. 

But for sure, Scouting at the Abbey School was an unique experience. I believe it is true to say that we had more Queen Scouts than perhaps any other Scout Troop in the island. But what else would one expect than a fantastic record, with a Scout Master like Fr. Ildefonse in charge, a mighty man among men, followed after his resignation by the friendly, humble and caring Fr. Cuthbert, who had to learn everything about scouting from “scratch”, as the Canadians say.

Sunday morning band practice was something to which we looked forward, bringing with it, as it did, noise, music (of a type), discipline, and great efforts by our band to maintain a high quality of martial tempo. The trumpeters, who in my day included John Golding, Juan Marini, Pablo Figuera, Dennis Gurley, and others, led by Manuel Prada, set a wonderful, piercing tune, against the rat-tat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat-tat, ah-rat, ah-rat, ah-rat-tat-tat-tat beating of the side drums, played by (fill in the blanks, fellas, I can’t even remember the names), and backed by the Big Base Drum which was my job. (Wasn’t Stephen Clerk my understudy? I know he was involved, but exactly in which capacity eludes me now.) Frankly, I had the easiest job, as all I had to do was to hit the thing hard and keep time with everyone else. We marched around the School a few times, much to the annoyance of the volleyballers who had to pause in their game as we ducked under the net, and it was a blessed relief to everyone when, finally, we set off down the hill and along the roadway to entertain / annoy the rest of Trinidad and the monks of MSB. It was always a highlight of the parade when Mike Howard was invited to step out in front of the band, with his silver baton (a thing with a heavy wooden ball at the top end). Tall as he was, Mike led the parade from the front and inspired us with his wonderful, fancy marching style and handling of his baton.

Camping with the 1st Mount St. Benedict Scout Troop was an experience never to be forgotten. Fr. Ildefonse would choose his camping ground, after much consultation with the Scout Commissioner, local landowners, and I suppose, our Troop Leader, Gerard Pampellone, and plans would be made. Each Patrol Leader (mine was “Woodpeckers”) was responsible for ensuring that an adequate number of pots, pans, skillets, mugs, plates, cutlery, tents, poles, pegs, mallets, shovels, ropes, semaphore flags, etc. were packed into our “Patrol Boxes” and readied for departure. On the big day, we’d board the bus and accompanying cars in our uniforms and head out for a few days of glorious adventure. On site, the routine began, with unloading, unpacking, distributing, checking, choosing Patrol sites, pitching tents, cutting bamboo, building trestle tables, making gadgets, cooking, inspections, hiking, mealtimes, camp-fires, games and of course, sleeping. 

Each day began with a “Wake-Up” call, followed in short order by Holy Mass, from the back of Fr. Ildefonse’s / Fr. Cuthbert’s Volkswagen van. The back of the van was set up as an altar, and (these were pre-Vatican II days, so the priest had his back to us, facing into the van) we stood around respectfully as the holy sacrifice was offered, in Latin.

We camped at a number of memorable sites all over Trinidad and Tobago, and I vividly recall one camp in Tobago, in 1961. I think, when Mr. Bishop invited us to come to Tobago as guests of the Tobago Scout Association. The land chosen for us was a concave basin, and we were positioned at the very base of the basin. Mr. Bishop brought over the largest “grass-cutter” I’d ever seen (which he probably used to cut the bush between his coconut trees), a huge apparatus pulled behind his tractor. In no time at all, the area was cleared and we began to set up camp, pitching tents randomly around the inside of the basin. We cooked supper and were preparing for bed when the heavens opened up. Rain fell bucket a drop for the entire night and the water rose inch by inch inside of the tents. Everything was soaked, in fact, everything was underwater, and we were cold and miserable. An SOS call was sent out, presumably by Fr. Cuthbert, and in the middle of the night, cars began to arrive to extricate us from the bog which our campsite had become. We were taken to a local school-house and offered accommodation in a few of the classrooms, which thankfully were dry. We slept blissfully into the morning, all semblance of order having temporarily disappeared. But not for long.. . . . . . . as soon as we had woken up and cooked breakfast, back we went to the campsite to salvage everything, travelling back and forth in Mr. Bishop’s tractor-trailer unit to a new campsite chosen for us, a lovely spot right on the water’s edge, with a beautiful view of sea and sand as only those who know and love Tobago can understand. A very memorable camp indeed.

And so the years have flown. We graduated from Abbey School and moved on with our lives. Some of us went on to Form 6 at St. Mary’s, others attended Canadian, American, British and Venezuelan Universities, among others, and settled down, some with families, others not, but all retaining somewhere, in the backs of their minds, distant, lingering memories of those happy days of our youth, when we were ready to take on the world.

Ladislao Kertesz has been asking for someone to write something about Scouting at Mount, for the benefit of us all, and I have tried to fulfil his request. I knew that somewhere among my albums I still had a small collection of photographs which I had taken with my box camera and I’ve dug them up. Hopefully, some of you guys will recognize yourselves. Hopefully, these pictures will remind you of where we’ve been together. Perhaps some of you may feel inspired to write about your own memories of MSB and the Abbey School. At any rate, here they are, for your enjoyment. I recognize a number of the guys from these photos, but perhaps not everyone, so help me out, if you will:

Best regards,

Nigel

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Until my circular No. 55

God Bless

Ladislao

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Listado: C54 .xls

Photo: Jeffgransuallandh_11ba35 no Joeazarandhispatrol

Column: 010805 wvb The child of the sea

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ATTACHMENTS

Listado C54.xls

Names	Form V	Contact	Nickname	business address	Phone,	e-mail
OConnor, Leary				Booragoon, W.Australia		gilleary@hotmail.com,
OConnor, Richard				Booragoon, W.Australia		peth9@ca.com.au,
OConnor, Wayne		lk
Oliveros, Americo		glen		YV
Olivierre, David Fr.
Olliviere, Fr.		roger		TT
Ortega, Edgar		glen		YV
Ortega, Pedro		glen		YV

Circular No 53

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 16 of November 2002. Circular No. 53
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Dear Friends,


Here is the second episode of my adventure at the Abbey School.
Again I am enclosing a letter for Fr. Cuthbert, this time one that was sent a year later.
From the letter we can see the end of the motorbike that Fr. Ildefonse used.
Reference to Michael Azar, who by the way lives in Portland Oregon.
Fr. Lee Sing, whom I remember for his peanut eating, every night while he was watching us trying to sleep in the small boys dormitory?
Fr. Bernard being the Abbot after Fr. Adelbert van Duin who went on loan to the Port of Spain.
I met Fr. Bernard while in wheel chair, luckily he was speaking by then.
Fr. Gerome, my English teacher in Form I.
Fr. Benedict, who is very well for his age.
Bro. Bruno, and the dogs?? How many took German Shepherds back to Venezuela??


PART II


Now back to my story: In those days the refectory was an old wooden building near the main church. This two-storey building had the kitchen on the first floor and we eat in the second. There was a centre corridor with tables on each side. The prefect sat at the wall end of the table and four kids sat on either side of the table. There was an elevator that brought up additional food from the kitchen when there was need, although the tables were set before we arrived at the main door.

The prefect’s pets sat to his left and right and the youngest or less liked kids sat next to the corridor, the furthest position from the prefect, they were the last to get food if any was left!. This is where I sat during a couple months. First, because I was new and second because I did not know English, the third there was an empty place at the table. My arrival was not welcomed as the food had to be rationed from 8 portions to 9. All the kids at the table tried to teach me the name of the edibles but without luck. So next the prefect tried the rough way, he told Wayne Vincent Brown to get English out of me or there was no food. I got bounced about but English was not easy. Finally I got upset and decided call WVB “Topo” which is not offensive in Spanish but for those that only knew English found it puzzling and annoying. It worked because when WVB got rough, I called out. The end of this episode I cannot remember but I did not die of hunger and was not hurt except for my pride!! They got tired I presume or I began to assimilate English.

But this is not the interesting part, what was really intriguing was the quantity and quality of food that left the elevator to go in an open cart to the Priest´s refectory that was next to ours, while we eat in silence and had time to see and smell the food in the cart. I could not figure it out why this food was being carted while we eat, and in front of our eyes and noses. I presume that the kitchen had to serve us first and then the Priests. This always caused lots of comments and the effort to steal some of the edibles.

The procedure to enter the refectory was to wait until the priest in charge arrived and at 7:00 am., 12.00 midday and 6:00 pm?? (some of you must correct the times if I am not correct) the door were opened and we had to walk slowly down the corridor to our table. We had to wait until we said prayer and sat down. The Prefect had first choice of each plate of food that was passed down, he had to make sure that everybody got part of the dish that was passed. There was no authorization to talk, one, because the fight for food would have been loud and second because some kids would only talk and not eat, third, we were next to the priest refectory and there was a lecture being read while the priest eat.


The third part shall come soon.
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Another oldboy wrote:


Date. 30 July 2002

Dear Mr Tony Johnson,

Just found out about the ABBEY SCHOOL web site. It is fantastic; as I browse thru it I had tears in my eyes, I leap back in time to the Mount.

My name is SALVADOR COSCARART.

I attended the Abbey School in 1967 to 1975. as well as my brother Pedro Coscarart.

I now reside in Bristol Louisiana U.S.A. My phone # (337) 668-4595

My e-mail addresses:

salborbolla@hotmail.com and Salco56 @cs.com. I have been wanting to know about what happened to the Abbey School, its faculty and students. I am originally from Cumana, Venezuela. I am now a citizen of the United States.Married to Gina Beaugh of Eunice louisiana, we have three children Jonathan 20, Lander 18, Ansley Nicole 17.

Best wishes Salvador

Coscarart.

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Sun, 22 Sep 2002 13:49:08 EDT

[Unable to display image] We would like to say hello to all of our classmates (1967-1975) and the staff of Mount Saint Benedict.

We love you all and God Bless.

Salvador & Pedro Coscarart.

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Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:01:32 -0500

Me da mucha alegría de haber tenido noticias del Abbey School.

Muchas gracias Ladislao. Yo me llamo Salvador Coscarart, naci en Cumana Edo.

Sucre. Atendí el ABBEY SCHOOL desde 1967 a 1975. Vivo en Bristol Louisiana

Estados Unidos, mi teléfono es (337) 668-4595.

Una pregunta si no es molestia, como supo de mi y quien le dio la

referencia, de mi parte le saluda. .Estoy lleno de mucha alegría al ver el

web del Abbey School. muchas gracias otras ves.

Saludos muy cordiales,

Salvador Coscarart ABBEY SCHOOL 1967-1975

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Continuing the Who is Where,


35. Alan Date is living in Korea, teaching English at a University there. His e-mail address is alandate@lycos.com. If you are lucky to get a reply from him, he can give you Paul's address. Paul is presently living in Victoria B.C.
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God Bless


Ladislao
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Listado: C53 .xls
Photos: Carta Fr. Cuthbert 07 feb 89 1
Carta Fr. Cuthbert 07 feb 89 2
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ATTACHMENTS

Listado C53.xls

Names	Form V	Contact	Nickname	business address	business phone	e-mail
Muro, Alvaro		glen		YV
Muro, Enrique		glen		YV
Murphy, Philip		farcheg
Nacimiento,
Naime, Michael F.		glen		YV
Nassief, Michael		roge
Nassief, Phillip				Dominica
Nuñez, Joaquin		glen	big	YV
Nuñez, Simon	1958		small	yv
Obrien, Anthony	1964	gioannetti	inches	TT		toni@trinidad.net

Circular No 52

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. Caracas, 9 of November 2002. Circular No. 52

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Dear Friends,

Here is the article that we got from Down Under some months ago, better late that never???
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27 may 2002.

Elspeth O'Connor

Richard and Leary have been working on the list for some time but we never seem to have time to complete what they do know about old boy's whereabouts.

In the meantime we have been getting the Circulars from Esmond Lange, Richard's brother-in-law.
Could you please send them direct to us and register Richard.

His address is 44 Aldridge Road, Booragoon, Western Australia, 6154.

He was at Mount from about 1942-50 so he must be an elder in the Community now!
We immigrated to Perth in 1967 with Leary and Gillian and their children.

We have lived in Booragoon since then and have multiplied. We now have four children and ten grand-children. Richard worked in Oil all his life and retired in 1992.

We now enjoy the family, lots of friends and travel regularly keeping in touch with friends and family all over the world. Our email address is as per this letter. He'd love to hear from anyone else who remembers him. When he went to Mount he says he was the thirteenth boarder.

In 1996 he returned to Mount for a visit and met Fr. Ildephonse and was very disappointed to find that the College had changed so much!
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So we now know the date that the Abbey School opened, January 1942, since the start of the year must have been in January as the year end was December until 1962??? when it was changed to July, and of course there must have been at least 50 kids to start the school. I wonder what propaganda was used to entice parents to send their kids to this new school???

The School closed in 1985 July. Well this gives 43 years, an unfortunately a sad ending.

I wonder who was student number 1 or at least the names of some to the other students, and if anyone knows other old very old boys. There have been a lot of questions as to the years before 1958. I believe that I have the names and graduation dates for only about 10, in that period. I cannot believe that the information era started in 1958.

I am after all the old boys in a list that I have been sending you in groups of ten.

There has been very little response to the listing, so I believe that either the list is incomplete or our memory is hazy, which would be natural, since the event has been over 50 years ago.

Additionally there are no photos taken before 1958, which makes it difficult to reconstruct the era.

I hope that Richard will send me the list of his classmates, so that we can start with the 1950 group.

I am sending a photo of a group of students that was given to me by Fr. Benedict, can anyone recognize someone??? There is no date given but it must be around 1967.

Thanks to Myron Lew I have recent photos of the Mount taken a few months ago. Here is the first one of the series.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Listado: C52 .xls
Photos: DSC00102 msb ML
Group 1967+1 no
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ATTACHMENTS

Listado C52.xls

Names	Form V	Contact	Nickname	business address	Phone,	e-mail
Moreno,		glen		YV
Moreno, Fernando		glen		YV
Morgan, Trevor
Morson-Gittens, Wayne			Hopalong
Morvay, Peter	1962	kenrick		Caracas	(269) 248 2268 (212) 267 3521	peter.demorvay@lasmo.com.ve
Moses, E
Mosquero, Juan		glen		YV
Most, Gerhard					(212) 202 3479	Gerhard.most@empresas-polar.com, gmost@empresas-polar.com,
Mt. St. Benedict Monastery					(868) 662 5286
Muller, Maxim		glen		YV