Circular No 462

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

Caracas, 11 September 2010 No.462

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Dear Friends,

Some oldie goodies, interesting reunions.

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From: nigel@adcam.ca

Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:38:50 -0500

Hi Terrence,

I'm afraid that I really made a boo-boo when I sent out my first report on "Roti Night" by referring to you as 'Trevor'.

Please forgive me - as Egan suggested, I must have had a 'Senior Moment'.

Cornel, Egan and you too have asked me to correct the report.

I have now had the time to edit the report, such as it was, and to use your name as your parents and not I, wanted, and I've attached this hereto, for your records.

It was really great seeing all you guys again, and how marvellous that, in spite of the fact that some of us had never met the others, we were able to instantly connect and share our common memories. 

I look forward to another visit from you in the future.

Don't forget - Lent starts tomorrow. 

God bless you.

Nigel

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Well, Roti Night has come and gone and we're left with some beautiful memories of friendships formed and associations re-made. 
Terrence Ferreira had come in from New Jersey to visit his mother and we decided to get together to meet other OB's, even though we might have come from different MSB "eras", to share a roti and a Carib together. 

And so it was that Terrence (59-65), Egan Baichoo (59-60), Cornel de Freitas (60-65), Carlos Guio (74-79), Hudson McKoy (69-74) and I (55-60) met at Rotilicious.

Cornel brought along his son Michael and his two grandsons, Lorenzo and Christian.

We also were privileged to have our wives, Maureen Baichoo, Linda McKoy and my wife, Jackie, with us.  
It turns out that Carlos and his brother, Luis, were the last two Venezuelans to attend school at the Mount. 

Apart from the fact that the roti was wonderful, we were given a special treat when Terrence revealed his treasure box of memorabilia, containing masses of sports and athletic medals, his scout uniform, bushman's thong, scout belt, scarf, and badges including the treasured and now seldom seen Queen's Scout Badge. (The Circular is awaiting patiently to get the photos of each medal etc, for the record)

Terrence seems to have been quite an athlete and sportsman, and, as I understand, he was also the Captain of the Football and Cricket teams. 
And therein lies a story. 

Apparently, the Abbey School was in the habit, as we know, of regularly challenging St. Stanislaus College in Guyana to number of sporting events, and, from what I hear, we seldom, if ever, won at football.

Apparently, Terrence's dad, Mr. Ferreira, had always said that the Abbey School would never win until a Ferreira led the team.

And so said, so done. 

After his death, a neatly filed collection of newspaper reports was found among Mr. Ferreira's belongings, and Terrence presented these to us during our 'Roti Night'.

He asked me to hold onto his medals, paraphernalia and reports, and it just might be that these would be nice to have in any proposed Abbey School Old Boy Museum at MSB.

I have these items in my keeping now, and would be willing to hand them over to someone responsible, once the Museum idea is further developed. 

Thanks, everyone, for coming along.

Enjoy the pix.

Nigel 

(The circular need the photos of each memorabilia if you want it published, ed.)

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Attila GYURIS

18 Mar 2010
Nigel: 
Here are a few more updates for the next revision of the Old Boy database, that I remember regarding the list of Teachers and Priests at the Abbey School. 

- I don't see the name of Fr. Theo.   

He was at the School from approximately 1966 to 1968.

He was not a monk but a parish priest from Rotterdam, Holland and brother to Fr. Gregory (the Duck). 

He did not wear the Benedictine order monks' habit with the hood, but a parish priest's habits (in pure white) with a waist sash.

The story goes that he was sent to MSB as a punishment (temporary exile) because he had done something bad back in Holland, I think he broke his vows of celibacy or something like that.

It was never made clear. 

Anyway one year he showed up and he became the Fr, "counsellor" or disciplinarian at the school.

He had his office on the first floor centre, and that's where he administered the "licks" with a cane. 

I remember one time I had been sentenced to receive 5 "licks" on the butt for not doing my homework, and that evening, after showers, I went to receive my licks.  

I wore triple underwear and stuffed some newspaper into my pants, but he found out anyway and he burst out laughing so hard that he forgot to give the licks and he let me go. 

He was a very fair and practical man with a great sense of humour.

He was generally liked by most of the boys as a fair man, very personable and approachable when you had a problem.  

His sermons at Mass were always hilarious and interesting. 

He was also a heavy drinker.

He loved Scotch whisky.

On many occasions he reeked of alcohol and was a bit tipsy.

Then in 1968 he returned to Holland.

I understand he is deceased. 
Maybe someone else can fill in more details.... 
-  98 - Mr Chow Fatt was not only a Geometry teacher but he was also my Advanced Math Teacher and my Physics Teacher. 

- 104 - The first name of Mr. Basanta was David.

He had been a student at The Abbey School in the past (don't the years but it was in the 50's) 

He lived down south of the sports field.

Every time we would take the School VW bus down to St Augustine, we would pass his house on the left (East side of the road) 
- 114- Mr Julian was my Prep A teacher in the school year 1964-1965. 

- There was a Mr. Carter, my English teacher in approximately 1965-1966 or so.

He was the butt of jokes around the school because once in class he insisted that when you were in deep trouble and needed help, instead of yelling "HELP !", the correct way to say it was "I need some assistance please!"... He never lived that down. 

There is a few more missing. I can see their faces but I am trying to remember their names. I will let you know when I remember them.

Attila Gyuris

MSB 1964-1969 

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From: Rafael Echeverría

Date: 9 February 2010 21:23 

Great Attila .... I know the feeling... I remember when I met with Norman Smith after 41 years at Key Biscayne ... we were so close and we didn't know.

Regards to both of you !!!!!!! .... Mount Boys are really like brothers. 

It's incredible !!!

Take care !!!

Rafael / CheChe  

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On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 1:26 PM, Attila GYURIS <gyuris@yahoo.com> wrote:

Well, it finally happened last Saturday Feb 6, 2010.

After having to postpone this reunion for one reason or another, we finally met. 

We were able to carve out some time out of our busy schedules for a long-overdue reunion at Joe Schoemaker's beautiful house in Orange County California.

We had been living only about 40 minutes away all these years without knowing it.

The last time we saw or heard from each other was when we said goodbye at the Abbey School Senior dorm on the third floor as we were furiously packing in our cubicles to go home, after having sat for the last "O" Level GCE test, sometime in June 1969. 

We used to know him as "Josh" at the Mount, but since his real name is Joseph, when he and his family moved to Hilo, on the big island of Hawaii, (right after we both finished Form V in 1969), his name in the US became Joe. 

So it is Joe from now on. 

Joe and wife Adrienne have 3 children, two older daughters (in their mid to late 20's), and a younger son, Matthew, 20.

His two daughters were not there, as they have moved out for jobs elsewhere.

One daughter is in Singapore and the other is married and living in the Middle East. They are both chefs.

Youngest son Matthew is still living at home and is studying at a local college to work in the food and beverage industry.

His charming wife, Adrienne is from Texas. 

Joe has dual degrees, one in pure Chemistry and then one in Chemical Engineering. 

He made a career working in the food processing industry and now he owns his own engineering consulting company, TriTek Inc.  

He is fortunate to be working out of his home.

His wife Adrienne runs the home office and keeps the books. 

It was a magical evening, meeting Joe after 40 years of not seeing or knowing of him.

He was one of my best friends at the Mount.

We were together in the house of St. Anthony, in the Aqualads swim team, in the Woodpeckers patrol in Scouts, and of course in all the same Forms in school for the entire 5 years we were there. 

During  "Parent's" day at the Mount, Joe's mom and dad always "adopted" me as my surrogate parents for the day.

Sometimes, during the long holiday weekends, and once for the entire Easter vacation, he would invite me to spend it (when we were allowed to leave) as a guest at his house in the sugar plantation, where his Dad worked as a manager.

Those outings were always so special for me since all my family was far away in Caracas.  

Also, there were quite a few girls in that beautiful compound where they lived in the sugar plantation, so you can imagine me, a Mount boy, suddenly let loose on unsuspecting girls,... girls,.. real girls, everywhere!!! 

It didn't really matter what they looked like. : - ) 

All in all it, was a wonderful evening.

Joe and Adrienne are looking terrific and in good health.  

We did a lot of "catching up" about our lives during the last 40 years.

Interestingly, we hardly reminisced at all about the old Mount days. 

Time just flew by, and suddenly it was time to leave. 

We will leave the Mount reminiscing for our next get-together at my house in Lake Mathews, where I will bring out all the old photos. 

Attila Gyuris

MSB 1964-1969 

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Glen Mckoy

9 Feb 2010

Absolutely wonderful to see these two brothers meetings, after 40yrs, what a friendship we all share, in so many ways, thank you for sharing this with all of us, best regards and its 2010 and we doing it again, have a good year you all. 

Best regards

Glen McKoy. 

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Hi Jeremy,

I went down memory lane today and came across your picture of Circular No.186, and lo and behold, I found a picture of me partially hiding my face when I went to align my glasses.....a habit I still have to date.

Anyway, my name is Raphael Benedict How Chung and I was able to identify some of our class mates which are as follows:- 

1-Russell Cunha

2-Tousy...I think Terrence Ferreira...from Guyana

4-Raphael How Chung

6-Richard Clerk..actually Richard and I studied Medicine

7-Christian Quesnel

8-Paul Tadros

9-Dennis Gurley

10-Peter Tang

13-Mr Julien

14-Charlie Kong Ting

18-Fernandes

19-Kenneth Kong Ting

20-David Chow Chong

21-Mervyn Assam

22-Allan Apo

23Hamish Herrera

26-Bernard Tappin

27-Alejandro Lew(Nazi)

30-Herbert Wong Sing

31-Costelloe 

I have always wondered what became of you fellas, and this picture has brought back pleasant memories.

If you have any contact numbers or e-mail addresses, please forward same to me.

Also, I share a private practice with my wife in Woodbrook, so please let us get together in the future.

My telephone numbers are 625-6106(H), 623-4371(O), 684-5385(M). 
 (Note from the editor: Does anyone know the email address of Jeremy de Barry)

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Now to the photos.
Ladislao Kertesz at kertesz11@yahoo.com,
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Photos:

10LK0001FRAFAM, Fransisco Raffensperger and wife.

10LK2926DBAWRA, David Basanta and Winston Ramsahai

10AG0002JSC, Joe Schoemaker

09NB1880ROTIREUNION, Photo form the ROTI reunion