Circular No 711

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

Caracas, 20 of June 2015 No. 711

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Dear Friends,

Our new in-house writer, Brian Goddard.

Give him a short email to encourage him to write.

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Hey guys:

As long as you all are telling stories, here's a true but funny one.

I enjoy resending (pass it on).

Brian forgets because he's an old man; but we were both at Mount from 1953 to 1958 (five very long years).

Brian might have fond memories but I couldn't stand that jail on the hill.

Christian and I were then sent to another Catholic boarding school in Tulsa Oklahoma which was a country club compared to Mount and with good food.

Enjoy.

Don Goddard.

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From: brian goddard bgcaribajan@live.com

Sent: Monday, March 3, 2014 1:15 PM

Great circular Don

Thanks for the opportunity of catching up with my past at the mountain above Tunapuna ... jeje !!

Although I seldom respond to your circulars, I have visited with the Caracas Mount group, or try to anyway, at least once a year; not so often as I would like but have made it up to Caracas several times in the past two decades.

Ladislao is quite determined in inviting me often but not living in Caracas has made it difficult to get up there fm Valencia where I live. 

My fond memories of MSB are still quite vivid of the developing stages of my Christian upbringing at the Abbey Mountain School, as I use to call it; although I didn´t spend the same amount of time there as my brothers and most of you. 

The referred circular helped me regain memories that took me back to our very enjoyable scouting trips to Maracas Valley road, the Chagaramas Naval base, and other beach area outings.

Of course how can we ever forget the magnificent Port of Spain Carnivals where my Caribbean blood got the most of me; as I danced the time away to the calypso beat while holding on to those hot Trinidadian girls.

I really enjoyed reading John Golding´s story about our grand mutual friend Richard "Mousy" Farah.

By the way during my trip to Trinidad last year on my way back fm Barbados, I had the opportunity of visiting with Mousy, still as active and high spirited as ever.

I also finally went up the hill to check out the old school and the abbey; thus again remembering, that short period of my youth which I had not had the opportunity to see, in over five decades. 

Thanks again all of you that make the Mt Boy Circular possible and so I now saying farewell with a "ciao for now" 

All the best to all,

Brian Goddard

PS: If any of you would like to read my short story copy on a few grand and wonderful, adventuresome carnival trips I made to Trinidad in the late 60´s and early 70´s, just let me know and I will be glad to e-mail you a copy, ok.  And by the way, pls re-send this message to Nigel and John Golding!

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INVENTING SINS CAN GET YOU INTO TROUBLE AT MOUNT

From: Donald Goddard

Sent: 7/15/2004

Dear Ladislao:

As I read your description of the daily mass we had to attend during our time as students at Mount Saint Benedict (1953-1958), I recall that going to mass didn't seem to bother me too much.

What I didn't enjoy was having to go to confession once a week and invent sins.

This is no joke!

I recall one time when I was probably nine or ten years old, I went to one of those weekly confessions and I began to speak with that lovely Trini accent with which we spoke in those days:

"Forgive me Fada for I have sinned. It does be one week since me las confession but I cyant recall anyting I did dat was bad".

The priest answers me. "Well son, let me try to help you out and refresh your memory. Did you fight with anyone? Did you disobey anyone? Did you take anything that did not belong to you and did you tell any lies? Now let me hear you my son".

With such great prompting, I decided to come up with some terrible sins.

"Yes Fada now I does remember wat I did dat was very bad. Two days ago I pelted Urbano wid one of Broda Joseph stale hops bread and he got one ugly black eye.

Yesterday I does stole some julie mangos dong de road and Broda Swa caught me and pulled me ear, and four days ago I disobeyed me fada and me muda.

But as far as I does recall I have not tole no lies."

What was my big surprise after I felt so good that I had told all my sins, when all of a sudden he shouts at me through that little screen in his perfect Dutch accent.

"You are nothing but a big liar."

I replied trembling. "Why Fada does you tink so." And again I heard this loud voice from behind the little screen.

"First of all I just saw Urbano and he doesn't have any black eye.

Also, brother Swa as you so disrespectfully call that lovely, smelly man, has taken leave for the last two weeks and is not here.

And finally your mother and father don't live here at Mount."

All I could say was; "Ok Fada, you does be right . For lying to you, instead of three Hail

Marys can I can say a whole rosary?"

Quite upset by now, he finally said to me, "I make the rules here, not you and you will say not one but two rosaries, and next week you had better come back with some real sins and not such silly lies."

Well to make this long story short, from that day on and after having to say two long rosaries, I became so scared of lying that I started committing real sins.

The following week I truly pelted Urbano and as many Mount boys as I could pelt with the hardest stale hops bread I could find.

Then I became the best mango thief at Mount and I ran so fast Brother Swa could never catch me. I even stole Juicy and honey from dem behives.

Then I tried my best to disobey every rule at Mount.

All of this, in keeping with the good Fada's advise to bring real sins to the confessional and not make up lies.

He was correct, and from then on for telling the truth and not making up sins, I only got three Hail Mary's and no long rosaries.

The moral of this true story is that you must commit as many sins as possible to keep our priests happy when you go to confession, but you must never lie. No, no, none of dat.

Well Ladislao, I'm quite sure that most Mount boys experienced similar situations when going to weekly confessions.

If any of you deny this you does be lying because I can name many mango thiefs and stale bread pelters like myself and you all know who you does be.

I won't name anyone out of respect.

Please pass this on to our group to see how many will admit to the TRUTH.

Best regards to all.

Donald Goddard

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3/314  don

Hello, Donald,

That is a great story. 

It will make Glen pant for more. 

You will be bound to be promoted to the highest level in his pantheon.

But, for Ladislao to include it in the Circular, and for me to be able to post it on the Blog when he does, can I beg for a copy to be sent to Ladislao in Word?  

We can post “.doc” and “.jpg”, but we have a problem posting “.pdf” files.

Keep well.

Don

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 21 june

A TODOS MIS ESTIMADOS AMIGOS:

Mis mejores deseos de felicidad a todos aquellos, quienes hemos tenido la bendicion, dicha y felicidad, de ser padres de las familias que hemos, con mucho orgullo, creado.

Mis mejopres deseos, no solo a los padres y madres de dichas familias sino tambien a los hijos y nietos tambien formados.

QUE DIOS BENDIGA A TODOS.

CARLOS DVORAK

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FW: REPLY TO LADISLAO FROM PHILLIP NASSIEF

Nathalie Sampson <sampsonn@CWDOM.DM>

Thursday, April 16, 2009 11:52:09 AM

To: 'nassiefp@cwdom.dm'

Dear Ladislao,

Thanks for your email of April 15. I have forwarded your email to Gregor.

Also, for any information on Dominica these are the following websites:

www.discoverdominica.com

www.fortyounghotel.com

I will try to put together my happy and treasured memories of my years at the Mount.

That period was one of my happiest and memorable days where I became a much better student and keen sportsman.

Some of my best friends to this day, at age 76, are the wonderful friends I made while attending the Mount.

My only regret was that chemistry and physics were not taught at the time and my father always wanted me to become a chemical engineer.

I finally decided to follow my Dad’s wishes but must admit that these first two years were rough – especially chemistry.

Regards and best wishes. (Seems you can extract 50 words)

Phillip

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Photos:

Bandit p30 The Early Times

05RO0002ROC Oconnor Richard

75WO4974WOCCAR, Wayne Oconnor,

12LK4538FBWO, Wayne Oconnor, Brisbane Queensland