Circular No 1047

 

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

Caracas, 1 of March of 2022. No. 1047

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Dear Friends,

This week I continue with the emails that I received on the theme on how the Abbey School was managed and the consequences.

And have included a photo of Anthony Alloy Garner, Police Constable, City of Toronto - Police Service

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Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>

Sat, Jan 22

I found the group conversation (without email addresses hidden) more authentic than many others previously in other forum.

Possibly, some may want to ask new questions that will elicit more participation.

This is sure to provide some of the material that Ladislao has so earnestly sought.

I suspect that Pud Laquis, Miguel Gonzalez, Gabriel Faria, Rory Davies and Dennis Gurley may have much to contribute if they are interested and invited.

(PS. I have invited them, but no response, EDITOR)

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GEORGE MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>

Sat, Jan 22 at 1:51 PM

Hi Joe,

Agree with your assessment of these sharing’s over the past couple of weeks.

By the way….you did not answer my questions regarding your reaction, if this new person had become your teacher at our school?....

To which class would our headmaster assign this person to?

Hi All

Feel free to forward these emails to other friends and classmates as I do not have everyone’s email addresses and some have asked me in the past not to send my memos to them in the future. 

Be sure to include Ladislao so he can get the responses for future Circulars…..

Thanks

George

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Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>

Sat, Jan 22 at 2:01 PM

Hello George,

I may have missed something. I didn't see the question. If you are talking about Sidney Poitier in his role of the teacher, I think very well. 

As I intimated earlier there is nothing that works best with forming character and improving ability than firmness and discipline mixed with genuine caring and generosity, irrespective of either the teacher's or student's innate talents. 

One learns by teaching.

If this is the wrong reply or I have completely missed the question, please fill me in?

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Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>

Sat, Jan 22 at 2:06 PM

Maybe the thread could be renamed Authentic Abbey School Conversations

The reason oft given for not displaying email address is security.

Email and internet security have improved tremendously since I have been included in these conversations about 20 years ago.

The browsers that devices use have evolved to the point where whether or not further security is necessary (in the majority of situations) is an open question.

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Amickiew <amickiew@att.net>

Sat, Jan 22 at 2:46 PM

Joe,

My questions relate to the video attached to the original message.

Am reattaching it.

Subject: RE: WHAT IF THIS PERSON HAD BEEN ONE OF YOUR/OUR TEACHERS AT THE MOUNT?

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On Sat, Jan 22, 2022 at 12:28 PM, GEORGE MICKIEWICZ  <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

ANY REACTIONS?

Thank you everyone who has read and responded to my original note on this topic of pictures/movies in our school. 

It brought us back together for a few minutes in sharing common experiences and a little more of our historic recollections from those early days in our respective journeys in life. 

Hopefully we all enjoyed reading all the contributions by so many.

I sincerely appreciate those friendships with so many of you in the pre- and teen years of my life in that special school on a special mountain in a special island.

Please be extra careful and stay healthy, safe and sound,

George

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On Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 8:21 PM Father Harold Imamshah <frharold12@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks, Don Goddard,

Believe me I have had to grapple with some discipline problems either with corporal punishment or scrambling a Form 4 boy by the collar; 

There were no goody two shoes.

I have taught in Trinidad, St. Vincent, Grenada, Guyana and Louisiana in Boys High schools as well as mixed High Schools, and students are the same anywhere and any time.

Thanks for sharing and since I don't appreciate some of your disrespectful language in some of your comments, if you do choose to continue even in your new Book,

I will choose not to purchase or read.

Thanks,

humbly,

Fr. Harold Imamshah

Servant of Mary for Jesus

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On Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 10:05 PM Donald Goddard <liverpool.petroleum@gmail.com> wrote:

Friends & Amigos:

Our dear friend Harold was a very fortunate guy who arrived at Mount during the Enlightenment Period of the late 1960s, when most of the students were a "bunch of goodie two shoes", easily handled by Harold.

He was not around during the Dark Ages of the 1950s when life was quite different. 

At that time, most of the "Big Boys" were a bunch of pricks, except for the nice ones like Csaba, Isaias and Urbano.

Apart from studying and playing sports, our other fun pastime was stealing fruit, mostly mangoes and being chased by Brother Swa.

Occasionally, we would steal some honey as well.

When those delicious hops bread got hard, we would pelt each other with disastrous consequences.

Those daily masses were quite boring and inventing sins we didn't commit for the weekly confessions, needed imagination.

I plan to write my next book about Mount St. Benedict that will be titled:  

"The Hardasses at Mount of the 1950s vs. the Spoilt Pussies of the 1960s."

Donald Goddard

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On Wed, Jan 26, 2022

Father Harold Imamshah <frharold12@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello guys, of Theater & Dances on the Mount,

Since I was one of the last monk Teachers, it's both refreshing and sad to hear of the enjoyable and the jail experiences at Abbey School.

I hope I brought some refreshing moments through the Art Room at the top of the School, a room with windows all around and lined with sinks which I got an Alumnus to cover with ply wood slanted desks, so the boys could paint or sketch at.

Fr. Edward Theunissen was puzzled at how I managed to get the boys to sing Parang at the Annual Prize Giving...he shared that he could only have well behaved boys during his Music Class if Bobo was present.

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On Wed, Jan 26, 2022

Donald Goddard <liverpool.petroleum@gmail.com> wrote:

Gentlemen:

When I read the stories of the Mount Youngsters of the 1960s that have been coming out over the last week, it seems like you guys studied in a "country club of happiness" with theatre plays, girls, musical bands, etc.

My brothers and I studied at a much different Mount from 1953 until 1958.

What I recall was that the place was more like a "jail on a mountain" with lousy food and taught by nutty, Dutch priests.

However, a few of the brothers, especially Brother Vincent, were wonderful, normal people and our greatest pleasure was playing sports.

My question to you guys is:  

Did we study at the same school?????

Donald Goddard

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On Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 11:07 AM

Andres LARSEN <larsen.andres@gmail.com> wrote:

Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end, we'd sing and dance our life away, ta ra ra ra

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Enrique Castells

Nigel Boos

28 Feb 2022

For the MSB OB records.

Enrique played in the MSB Scout Band with me.

Great guy.

May his soul rest In peace.

Nigel

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From: Azier Atela <aaatela@gmail.com>

Date: February 27, 2022 at 6:45:59 PM EST

Estimados compañeros de Mount.

Hace solo un par de días me enteré de la enfermedad de Enrique. Hace solo dos meses le diagnosticaron cáncer de páncreas, y desde ese momento decayó velozmente. Hoy me enviaron la esquela que quise compartir con los que tengo direcciones.

Que en paz descanse.

Azier Atela

Dear Mount companion.

Only a couple of days ago I found out about Enrique's illness.

Just two months ago he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and since then he has declined rapidly.

Today they sent me the obituary that I wanted to share with those who have addresses.

Que en paz descanse.

Azier Atela

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idmitch@anguillanet.com

28 Feb 2022

He taught me to box.

Rather, he taught me to be a punching bag for his work-outs in the ring erected in the area beneath the chapel. 

Don

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GEORGE MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>

Mon, Mar 7

Please say a prayer for our good friend and brother Enrique and his family.

Please be extra careful and stay healthy, safe and sound,

George Mickiewicz (AS-MSB 1956-1962)

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From: Csaba Jakobszen

Sent: Monday, March 7, 2022

Hello George,

I pass you the e-mail that I had received from Azier Atela.

Was Enrique in your class at Mount?

I only vaguely remember him since he was quite a bit younger than me.

A hug for you and all your family

Csaba

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Bernardo Fontain <soincabf@gmail.com>

Mon, Mar 7

May he rest in peace RIP +

I knew him very well in Venezuela, his father was the Philippine ambassador to Venezuela

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I have deeply regretted the death of Enrique Castells, a champion and outstanding in everything, in our years and times of Mount...

We never met again but I was able to talk to him a couple of times and both times he promised to visit us in Caripe.

I always knew about him through a mutual friend, Manuel García Tamayo, who was also president of one of the basic companies in Guayana.

I extend to his family and friends and to the entire Benedictine family of Mount Saint Benedict in Trinidad, our deepest condolences.

God grant you eternal rest and holy Peace.

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Enrique Castells studied at MSB long before me; I was there from 1966 to 1970.

I think it was from the group of Luis Alfredo Mezzana, Humberto Luongo, Pal Kecskemeti.

I understand that he was president of one of CVG's basic companies.

May he rest in peace and my condolences to the Mount Boys of his day.

Greetings.

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CV of Shuan Gianetti

Experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the investment management industry. Skilled in Marketing Management, Negotiation, Business Planning, App Store Optimization, and Event Management. Strong entrepreneurship professional graduated from Texas A&M University.

Mt. St. Benedict - Abbey High School, Trinidad Mt. St. Benedict - Abbey High School, Trinidad

High School Cert.: English, Spanish, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography., Add. Math. , Cambridge O-Levels, High School Cert.: English, Spanish, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography., Add. Math. , Cambridge O-Levels1974 – 1979 1974 - 1979

Grade: B

Activities and societies: Founder Photography club, guitar club. [Note from Don Mitchell:  Do not click on the LinkedIn link above.  It appears to me to be a fraudulent website not in any way connected to the alumni of the Abbey School.  It may be a Russian botnet.]

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz,  kertesz11@yahoo.com,  if you would like to subscribe for a whole year and be in the circular’s mailing list or if you would like to mention any old boy that you would like to include, write to me.

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Photo:

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