Sunday 24 April 2016

Circular No 755









Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 24 of April 2016 No. 755
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Dear Friends,
Happy birthday wishes to you, Ladislao, from the staff of the Newsletter.
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Belated Birthday Wishes Ladislao
Happy Birthday young man
Happy Birthday,
From ALL your AB/MSB Brothers
Happy Birthday, Brother Ladislao, Abundant Blessings to You.
21 April 06:22
Ladislao ... no pasas por desapercibido el día de tus Cumpleaños!
Muchas felicitaciones y siempre agradecemos tu participación y colaboración de estar juntos por nuestra Orden de MSB!
God bless you!!
21 April 04:23
Hope you had a good one!
20 April 20:04
Jjajajajajaj Wow
20 April 20:04
Feliz cumpleaños
20 April 17:52
Happy Birthday, Boss Sir  Ladislao Kertesz.
The Knight from the Sky.
What can I say, because of you I am still here, you will always be my leader, a brother, a friend and a perfect example of what a Knight is.
We love you Sir, have a wonderful Birthday and a million more,
Cheers - one week party at LeClub. Drinks on the house.
20 April 07:11
Our Dear Leader with a vision....without Ladislao I would not be writing this HB note....
We would not: be in contact, share, read, complain, recognize, celebrate, lime, criticize, etc.,etc.,etc.
He is the Jesus to the other apostles: Nigel, Glenn, Don, Kazim, Harold, Manuel.........
"Cumpleanos Feliz te deseamos a ti.....
" Que Dios te bendiga hoy y siempre a ti y toda tu familia.
And, finally, a song in your honour.....and for all old boys.
19 April 23:38
Happy Birthday to our Elder Brother,  Ladislao Kertesz,
Abundant Blessings to You.
21 April at 05:22
Happy Birthday, young man
20 April at 22:24
FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS LADISLAO, UN ABRAZO.
20 April at 20:39
Here's wishing you all the best and hoping that this was all that you wanted.
Good health, laughter, joy, happiness and love.
Happy Birthday, Mount boy.
"Happy Birthday to our Elder Brother..."
20 April at 19:29
20 April at 16:54
Happy birthday, mon ami.
20 April at 15:52
Happy Birthday - Chief Mt Boy!!!
20 April at 13:30
muchas felicidades, Kertesz
20 April at 13:03
Have a great day.
20 April at 09:23
Happy birthday, Ladislao,
May you always be blessed with all the good things you do very much deserve.
20 April at 09:10
Ladislao, Happy Birthday!
20 April at 08:45
FELIZ CUMPLEANOS LADISLAO!!!
Espero que todo va bien por alla!
Saludos y hasta pronto.
20 April 01:12
Happy Birthday, Ladislao.
Today at 2:04 PM
My beloved Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Brothers',
Just a little update about myself and sharing some thoughts with you.  My loving regards to Ladislao, Don, Nigel, Jon, Fr. Harold, Glen, Joe, our Mount St Benedict Abbey School Executive, and all our Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Boys'.
 At present I am still coordinating our Mount St Benedict Abbey School Facebook Group together with Glen McCoy.  I am also continually updating our Mount St Benedict Abbey School Database that was started and developed by Nigel.  In addition, I am continuing to keep our Mount St Benedict Abbey School website going.  All this is to support the work started by Ladislao who continues to serve us steadfastly, his invaluable work which is supported by Don by means of a blog for our 'Boys'.
And I do this as a means to assist our Mount St Benedict Abbey School Group by the use of my computer skills.  Skills I have developed over the years, and continue to do so.  For many years now I have been developing websites, and have included blogs, and social media such as Facebook.  As I continue to develop websites, I am at present developing web apps and mobile apps.  It is an ongoing learning experience with so many computer languages constantly being developed and used in programming.  However, with an attitude to always serve others, this is a path I readily choose for myself.
Prior to attending Mount St Benedict Abbey School from 1970 to 1972, I attended Holy Cross College in Arima from 1965 to 1970.  I also serve our Holy Cross College Alumni with a website/blog, a Facebook Group, and a Database too.  And this I have been doing for a long time now.  At present I am working with our present Holy Cross College Principal helping to start raising funds for an extension building to our present Holy Cross College.  Incidentally, one of our Mount St Benedict Abbey School Past Students – Dr. Bernard Tappin served as a former Principal of Holy Cross College, and now serves on the Holy Cross College Board.  I am working with another Holy Cross College Past Student setting up a computer centre at Holy Cross College.  In addition, I have also created a website/blog for the Holy Cross College itself, this will be handed over to the Holy Cross College students when we have things set up properly.
Holy Cross College is an active college, whereas Mount St Benedict Abbey School is no longer active.  So there are different dynamics involved.  The work I do for Holy Cross College is to benefit the present and incoming students.  Holy Cross College was built by the community of Arima, by the active involvement of past students' parents, with business and community leaders, led by the Church.  And so Holy Cross College Past Students are involved in the present and future of Holy Cross College.  And I play a very active part in the affairs of the college by using my computer and communicative skills via the internet.
Now, I do not have the strong bonds as some of our other Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Boys' have, having attended college there for only 2 years.  Some of our Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Boys' have been there since childhood and have ties with their classmates and schoolmates for many years growing up at the Mount as a home.   I see our Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Boys' Alumni association as a foundation. So that our Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Boys' Alumni name lives on through our charitable deeds we do wherever we reside and that our children carry forward on our behalf.
My idea regarding the actual Mount St Benedict premises:  If we as a group can get together and purchase the sporting areas – the pool, tennis courts, football/cricket fields, and surrounding areas free and clear from the Abbot or whoever owns the property.  We can then rebuild the pool to international Olympic standards and rent out for its upkeep.  We can also build a gated community of condominiums and sell them to our 'Boys' who can have a home in their 'childhood home' again.  
There is an area above the football/cricket field on the western side overlooking the football/cricket field where we can build these condominiums and other buildings.  We can also have a common area to host functions and meetings for our Mount St Benedict Abbey School Alumni Association.  Facilities we can also rent to raise funds for the upkeep and maintenance of the properties.  If need be we can build phases of condominiums for sale or rent to international clients, where they can host conferences, events, etc, etc.  The ideas flow as we get more involved in the process.  We would need investors from the Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Boys' to materialize this project though.
That is my thoughts I share with you as I continue to support the work of Ladislao, Don, Nigel, Jon, Joe, our Mount St Benedict Abbey School Alumni Association and Executive and all our Mount St Benedict Abbey School 'Boys'.
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Jon  Golding <jon@goldings.net>
Today at 3:28 PM
Kazim,
Your idea is sound and worthy of exploration by all those who wish to devote the necessary time and effort.
I suggest you summarise it into a brief but business-like Executive Summary which can be circulated instead on an email narrative which will be read and forgotten.
Well done, Bro’.
Jon Golding
So the demand will be there is the facilities are upgraded.
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Kazim Abasali <empowerwithart@gmail.com>
Today at 5:20 PM
Thank you, Jon, for your advice of putting my idea into a brief business-like Executive Summary.
This I will do next.
Blessings.....Kazim.
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LOST OLD BOYS:
Ambard    fambard@nwe.ca
Douglas Agostini
Terrence Aking
Hector Ahow, last known address in Medellin
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EDITED by LadislaoKertesz, 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:
62LK0709FBSPORTS, Group of UNKNOWNS
08LK6512FBTHEWFE, Timothy Healy and wife
03DM0001DMIFAM, Don Mitchell and Maggie
16GM5204GMI, Gordon Mitchell





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Sunday 17 April 2016

Circular No 754









Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 17 of April 2016 No. 754
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Dear Friends,
Here is part two of the recent exchanges about how the Old Boys should redo their efforts to save the Mount.
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Glen G. McKoy
22/04/2016
Glen G. McKoy commented on Harold Imamshah's post in Mt St Benedict Abbey Boys Int'l
22 April 08:51
I am a little confused, I saw a few emails going around, going where??
12 April 15:24
The Abbey School is now New Life Ministries Rehab Centre and has been a very successful one for the last 20 + years
12 April 14:57
I would like to 2nd the motion, and will be able to be a volunteer if needed when that time comes, we have a few local brothers, we can also work with very knowledgeable business people, if called upon will.  Unity is strength.
Cheers, Glen.
12 April 13:49
Fr. Harold,
I propose that you, as a former monk at MSB and as a priest with good standing among the OB’s and, hopefully, with Fr. Abbot, have a clear advantage over the rest of us and as such, you might consider approaching him, on our behalf, to put a consideration before him: that there is a problem (to be clearly defined) at the Mount and that we, the old Boys of the Abbey School are seeking his approval to work with him in addressing this problem/s.
Should you have a problem with this, perhaps another of us (any volunteers?) would be willing to pick up the baton and run with it. . . . . . . . 
Would anyone like to second the motion?
NB
12 April 12:56
My opinion: We should do nothing unless we have the very explicit support and approval of Fr. Abbot, to work with us and to allow us to work with him as a team. 
NB
10 April 09:50
The Mount as I see it:
Dear brothers,
I was a monk at MSB, and an Abbey School Teacher in the years when the large number of Venezuelan boarders had been reduced to 3 in my time.
There were still about approximately 40 + boarders and the Monastic Community were at pains to find ways to keep the school open for the 100 or so boys.
One solution was to employ more monk teachers and pay out less in salaries;  Br. Theodore already taught Technical Drawing in both St. Bede's and Abbey School;  Bro. Ronald took over the Library from Fr. Edward Theunissen who was also a Seminary Professor (his cousin Fr. Christopher had been Parish Priest in Mon Repos, then Carapichaima), both cousins were the nephews of Fr. Bede who had originated the Tech- Voc School of St. Bede's.
Bro. Dennis Hamid came in to teach Gen. Science and Bro. Symeon Faria taught Geography, and I taught Art in Forms 2, 3 & 4 as well as religion in Form 3 as well as led the Choir which sang annually at the Prizegiving.
While I lived and ministered in Louisiana over 13 years, I became aware of the loss of the Tapia House, first seminary and monastic buildings before later wooden corridor when the Tapia Buildings had to be demolished amid the public furore and outcry at the loss of these heritage buildings.
Finally, I was to discover in conversations with monks, that there was a lot of public outcry about the demolition of these fragile and historic buildings.
When I returned to Trinidad (over 3 years now) I continued to visit the Mount and witnessed the decline of some of the monastic property including the swimming Pool.
It would appear that the monks had leased the Pool to an entity without much use or upkeep.
The Mount was more successful in securing the help of the Ministry of Education in up grading St. Bede's and continuing the use of it as a Tech-Voc School.
One Abbot tried with a Family for the Management of the Pax Gift Shop and when that couldn't continue, another Abbot succeeded in remodelling and relocation a much finer and well managed Pax Books and Gift Shop.
Is the Aqua Lads and Lasses Pool something that Abbey Alumni can take on?
We surely have the interest, nostalgia...
The Monastic Community numbered 36 in my day, and is now 9.
There are 3 from other Monastic Communities.
Let's keep the concern and this blog going with newer and fresh suggestions for improvements for the re-building and refurbishment?
Abbot John Perreira, current Abbot has spent months and months with WASA's astounding assistance in the installation of new iron pipes bringing water from the hills to the Monastery, Guest House and Seminary.
Now he begins work this week for the other Buildings at the Mount, the St. Peter's Home, the Carmelite Convent and the houses below the Seminary who are tenants of the Mount with newer pipes for water to their houses.
Please think of lending supportive words (financial and moral and physical) assistance to Abbot John, for all that he has achieved in his first and second terms as Abbot.
Sincerely,
Fr. Harold Imamshah
11 April 18:05
The government I think already helped the Mount with St. Bede's, so don't expect much from them.
Now the only choice the Mount has, are the Abbey boys, we have engineers, we have experts in so many fields and I know many will contribute in many ways, if called upon.
However money is the fuel here, well planned there will be success, #1 location, location,
We are the only logical group that care for the future of the Mount, in the hands of our best, the results will be amazing, the country will feel proud for what can happen on that mountain.
However we must not let small things stop this miracle from happening, it is in the hands of only 1 or 2 people for this to proceed, we must have faith,
I know someone bigger than us, is speaking to Fr. Abbot if he follows the light, the rest is history, we must think big, if you are still caught up in small petty arguments of the past is a road to failure,
We can only pray that Fr. Abbot does see the army of brothers standing behind him, the next move is his.
Fr Harold Imamshah you would not have made this request unless it was needed.
Well you have a few answers I hope are a start to which will be an historical event for this island country.
Cheers, Glen.
11 April 15:28
A lot of very straightforward suggestions from an aging Alum.
Kaz is on point that the largest obstacle has been the Abbot himself.
He did not have a bond or a relationship with the generations of Abbey students which respected that school as a major part of our growth.
Many of us learned the fundamentals of life at the Abbey.
With no serious links to the Abbey my perception of Abbot Pereira is that he doesn't need the Abbey Alum, only their and your financial donations are surely welcomed.
Jon Golding        11 April 14:43
Until there is a central GOTO person and place, the TT Abbot will continue to live in the clouds.
No disrespect to Abbot Pereira but no comparison memories with our Dutch Fr Adelbert Van Duin our original Abbot par excellence!
11 April 14:27
Also, a lousy typist.
I hate to see our unique, core growing-up memory era, which has led to such long term alumni relationships, going down the river with each passing day,
The Abbot and whomever he gets advice from, needs to 'GET IT'
The EARLY old boys are part of the architecture of the hill and without us he is in a room with 9 ageing monks and an overload of declining real estate they cannot manage.
OK for the water pipes he's been working on but this is nothing compared to the full picture. 
What is needed is an office in the Sports ground building with a Business Manager with full IT connectivity (where we can Skype not having the possibility to arrange meetings in TT).
This will be the most quick and accessible location for professionals and others who will be involved in the Restoration Project (my title).
11 April 14:20
Nigel, well said, and Kazin thanks for your compliments.
I'm an engineer and Mr Fixit at heart and I hate to see
11 April 14:19
Jerry,
You're off the page, man!
This fantasy is bar talk.
We need to think ahead to what our kids can be proud of if we can restore the School as well as the Monastery.
The use by date is fast approaching and extinction looming!
11 April 12:16
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there some talk about turning the Abbey School into a Hotel or Spa?
What ever happened to that movement?
It would however be an awesome place for Pan Trinbago to have as their HQ instead of that eyesore on the highway that I was on my last visit....
Kazim Abasali     11 April 09:39
Blessings my dear Brothers!  With my recent stroke and my ongoing recovery, this is not a project for me or even the faint of heart.  I really have to watch myself and taking on too much on my shoulders now, and as one member of the Alumni.
Having said that, I want to say that I have a lot of respect and admiration for Jon Golding, for what he did and tried to accomplish for the Abbot and MSB overall.  And the magnitude of Jon's vision is really commendable.  Others from our MSB Alumni group have also tried, and just like Jon, without much success.  And the one reason or person was the Abbot.
Fr. Harold Imamshah, you want to help the Abbot. You shared above that you were part of things before and have met with some success along the way. And you feel we should try again. And I wish you the best.
At this point in my life, as I shared above, I do not have the energy to take on a massive project like this, although every project can be broken up in manageable parts to complete the whole project eventually.  The thing is we need the Abbot to totally want this to save us from any wasted energy like before.  And like our Brothers stated, the Abbot has to take a Leadership role and be open, humble, and supportive of the team and other players in an undertaking such as this.
Also, this project has to be self-sustaining, with revenue generating income to take care of ongoing maintainence of properties, etc.  For instance, if the swimming pool is restored to olympic standard, then the rental of the facilities will pay for its upkeep.  And other ideas of revenue generation, even those already in existence like the yogurt factory, etc., will be necessary to avoid us from outside ongoing fund-raising and having to do this project all over again when there is need for another massive overhaul.
What this project points to is a picture of the extent of this undertaking.  And I come back to the vision and efforts of Jon Golding, the work he did.  That today is still the blueprint of the plan for this project.  Because if we do not do this project wisely, we will forever be having to work without meaningful solutions.
Now, who is going to shoulder this task with the Abbot?  Again, the Abbot himself must want this, and step up and take responsibility.  If there are souls willing and able to do so with the Abbot, I certainly wish you all the very best.  And you all too will have my utmost respect and admiration as I have for Jon.
God bless you Fr. Harold Imamshah, your vision, the Abbot, the Team, and our MSB Brothers.
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To Jeremy,
Thank you, Jeremy.
Could you write on the most remembered moment at the school??
Just two lines would suffice.
The last letter from you was in 2011, and you have no CV for posterity.
Let’s keep the Circular going.
Ladislao
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Jeremy de Barry <tobagojo@gmail.com>
26 Mar
Hi Ladislao,
Thanks for the posting and information; and for the marvellous effort of keeping it all together.
Keep it all coming.
Cheers to all those who are still around.
Very best regards,
Jeremy
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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:
11LK2688FBGGO, Gavin Gonzales
08JD0001JDM,  Jean de Meillac
62UN0001GRP,  Group of UNKNOWNS
11CD0010CDFFAM, Cornel de Freitas and grandsons






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