Circular No 839

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

Caracas, 2 of December 2017 No. 839

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Dear Friends.

In this Circular, we have news on Orvis Noel, a new member to the List that is being kept by Kazim Abasali.

He must have graduated around 1964, from the emails that are included here.

When reading the CODE numbers on the pictures, please remember that the first two numbers refer to the year that the picture was taken, next by whom.  In the case of LK those are my initials, either I took it myself or I took it from Facebook or other locations.  If it was taken from Facebook you would see the letters FB after the four numbers.  I tend to be a good investigator.

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ANTONI MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>

To: orvis.noel@gmail.com

Nov 27 at 3:01 PM

Hi Orvis,

Welcome back… We missed you.  It looks like we probably spent some time together at the Mount... You graduated 2 years after me.

Per your request, I looked up Felix Reyes in our database. He is not currently listed but perhaps one of the brothers in the CC list may know him... Ladislao most likely.

As promised let me introduce below to the current key players in terms of dedicating lots of time to the alums and generating lots of info.

Again, a warm and loving welcome,

George

Ladislao Kertesz, Caracas.... kertesz11@yahoo.com... initiated the Abbey School Circulars in 2001....and over the last 17 years has issued 842 of these......lots and lots of materials, reminiscences, photographs, etc. to go through....many will probably bring back sweet memories to you.

Ladislao is our global leader and keeps up informed.  He is currently directing an effort to assist fellow alumni in Venezuela who are living through very difficult and trying times.

Here is a link to the Circulars:

http://abbeyschool2017circulars.blogspot.in/2017/

Don Mitchell, Anguilla... idmitch@anguillanet.com.... has been assisting Ladislao with the Circulars and helping the alumni in myriads of different ways

Nigel Boos, Toronto… nigelboos@gmail.com.... created and maintained until recently a database of known alumni around the world.  The responsibility for the data base was assumed by Kazim Abasali. kazim2u@hotmail.com...

Joe Berment, Trinidad... bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com ..... is the president of the Abbey School Alumni Association which resides in Trinidad. 

This team is also heavily involved in the Venezuela assistance efforts. 

Kazim Abasali, Sweden .... kazim2u@hotmail.com ....... created and is the "owner/gatekeeper" of the MSB AS FaceBook page...this is another communication portal through which a number of us stay informed and in touch on a daily basis:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/msbabbeyoldboys/

If you are interested in joining the MSB AS FB page, please send a request to Kazim

Glen McCoy, Halifax ..... mckoy43glen@hotmail.com ...... global cheerleader and oldboy jack-of-all-trades

There are also a number of Whatsapp applications....I am not part of them so cannot personally provide any related guidance.

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Hi Ladislao, Don, Nigel, Kazim, Joe and Glen,

Here is a note that Orvis sent me in response to my inquiry this morning asking if he was an Oldboy:

Yes I did, and would appreciate the connections.

Do you have a contact for Felix Reyes?  He also attended Abbey school.  I would like to make contact with him

Let’s keep in touch

I am in Vancouver, Canada

I visit home annually with plans to return soon

Cheers

Orvis

Let's all welcome Orvis warmly into our group,

George

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Boos <nigelboos@gmail.com>

Nov 27 at 10:12 PM

Hello Orvis,

Welcome to the Mt. St. Benedict’s Abbey School Old Boys’ Get Together. We’ve been looking for the few ‘Lost Boys” from our days at the Mount for about 15 years now, and it’s great that you stuck out your hand and said, “Here I am.” 

We’re a nondescript bunch of old fellas trying to keep in touch with one another, for no other reason than to share our lives with other Old Boys who have experienced exactly what we did experience by living at the one-and-only boarding school in Trinidad (and possibly in the Caribbean - anyone want to challenge that?). We had good times, and bad times, happy times and sad times, friendly times and not-so-friendly times. We fought, we played, we ate, slept and bathed all under the same conditions. We loved / hated volleyball, took part in the Scout Troop, sat exams, passed, didn’t pass, went on the University or not, got married, had kids, raised kids, wandered over the face of the earth, held decent / not-so-decent jobs, got involved in oilfield work, medicine, law, engineering, accounting, social work, consultative endeavours, and generally tried our best in whatever we did. 

And some of us have left us and gone home to God. Some are unwell and suffering.  Others are still ‘out there’, swimming, boating, camping, wood-working, exploring, still hoping to win the lottery, and still hanging-in there. But we hold the story of the Abbey School in our hands, and Ladislao Kertesz (in Venezuela, Class of 1960) continues to send out his occasional bulletins or newsletters to as many as we know about, and keeping us generally informed about the rest of us, how we’re doing, and so on.

It would be wonderful if you could spend a little time to tell us about yourself and what you’ve done with your life, and I’m sure we’d look forward to hearing from you.

I’ve managed to call up a few names of some guys who graduated from MSB around the same time as yourself, and I’ m copying this email to them in the expectancy that one or two might remember you and write to you. Specifically, I’m referring to Russell Cunha, Peter Da Costa, Simon de Costa, Howard Ho, Jan Koenraadt, Tony O’Brien and Peter Tang.

Wishing you all the very best, and again, welcome.

Nigel Boos

(Class of 1960)

95 Warwick Ave.,

Ajax, ON  L1Z 1L5

Ph: 1 (905) 426-8999

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Abasali <empowerwithart@gmail.com>

Nov 28 at 1:32 AM

Welcome Orvis.

Please share more with us so Ladislao can write something about you.

Also, feel free to join our Facebook group. Blessings!!!

Kazim

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 Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>

Nov 27 at 10:22 PM

Good to meet you, Orvis. 

I have added you to the list of email addresses to which I send a notice most times when I publish one of Ladislao’s Circulars.

Keep well.

Don

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O'Connor Elspeth <pethrich@westnet.com.au>

Nov 19 at 4:47 AM

Hi Laszlo,  

Elspeth here, I have been trying with Richard to dig out some stories about Scouts for you but he really does not remember much at all.  

His mind is quite good but he says he has forgotten all the stories.  

He does remember climbing El Tucuche with the scouts and picking strawberries on the way but not much else, so sorry we cannot help you more.  

Too old and too late.  

I am also trying to get him to remember stories to tell the children of where he grew up etc. but not having much luck.  

Glad I wrote down a few of those a few years ago.

All the best for Christmas and the New Year.  

We are both keeping reasonably well and looking to move into a Retirement Village in the near future.  

God Bless, Elspeth

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Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>

To: Tim Mew MHC

Nov 20 at 5:48 AM

Hello, Tim,

So sad to hear of your sister’s disaster with Irma and Maria in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.  Glad to hear she and hers are safe after all.

I have found Joe Berment-McDowald to be a thoughtful and perceptive person, and the president of our old boys’ Association. His ode to Fr Cuthbert is only one of his more recent literary efforts. I could publish your comments on the Blog if you would like that done, so others can read your words of appreciation.

The Trinidad Old Boys mainly function autonomously, but this Venezuela crisis has caused them to venture somewhat outside of the borders of the twin-island State.  They seem to be trying to assist our Venezuelan alumni with medicines and hard to get foodstuffs.  I sometimes see their WhatsApp (or maybe it is FaceBook) discussions when Ladislao publishes them at the foot of some recent Circulars.  Sadly, they are mostly so poorly written, and convey such little meaningful information, that I can hardly manage to read them! :-) But, then, I gather that FaceBook and WhatsApp are not really meant for essay composition.

Keep well,

Don

CC:  Some of our thought leaders.

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 Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>

Nov 28 at 12:02 PM

Hi, Ladislao.

My phone is a dumb phone. It has no internet. My phone is mainly for me to interfere with other people when I want to.

I have given up Facebook, and I don’t do Twitter, as being complete wastes of time.

Sorry, I mainly use my computer with email for communications.  When I respond to anyone’s message or inquiry, I do not allow it to “send” unless I first go over my response and correct any typing errors.  I wish everyone did the same as it would save a lot of effort in trying to interpret what is meant.

I don’t read the WhatsApps at the end of the Circulars because most of them are so badly written.  So few of them make any sense, that I do not even try to correct their spelling and grammar before putting them on the Blog.  As I don’t understand what is being written, I cannot even edit the messages to correct the spelling and grammar.  I leave them as they are and just ignore them.  I suspect most readers do the same.  Sorry, but there is so much else to occupy one’s time instead of trying to make sense of nonsense.

Not to worry, Joe is going to give me the directions to make my donation to the medicine and food project.

Keep well.

Don

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From: Tim Mew MHC

Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 5:28 AM

Don & Maggie, we are so far away in OZ, but are still in the know of your tragic and distressing situation in Anguilla, but how?

My sister, also Maggie, lost two small but valuable holiday homes in Virgin Gorda due to the hurricanes; but also severe damage to their home in PR.

However, as you pointed out for yourself, all their family of now some seven are safe and well.

Restoration, net, hot water, electricity etc. will take some time but it will happen.

I do not know of Joseph Berment-McDowald and when he was at MSB, but the words he so skilfully used to celebrate Fr Cuthbert’s life was just really incredible, he must be a writer of some kind, but he nailed it perfectly.

Stay well, and keep the faith.

Tim & family.

Tel:61398523222, Fax:61398523444, M:61428300640. mailto:E%3ATim-mew@bigpond.com

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Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>

Nov 18 at 7:50 PM

Someone wondered why it was taking so long to restore electricity to the little villages of Anguilla.

This photo attached is a good illustration of the problems we face.  It illustrates why a little spur such as mine in North Hill village will not be dealt with for months after the hurricane.

Our houses are separated by long stretches of dirt roads.  We don’t live in congested villages, far less cities.

Best,

Don

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz,  kertesz11@yahoo.com,  if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list or any old boy that you would like to include.

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Photos:

60LK0002LKE, Ladislao Kertesz at PAX Guest House

17DM0001DMI, Electricity Anguilla

15LK5029FBSBU, Stephen Bushe

71LK6367FBGRP, Dion Costelloe, Raymond de Verteuil, Gerald Kenny