Newsletter
for Alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and
Tobago, W.I.
Caracas,
21 July 2012 No.559
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Dear
Friends,
Another
push for the 100th year Anniversary celebration.
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Tuesday,
May 1, 2012 6:19 PM
To
all my Mount Brothers,
Just
some thoughts to share with you in celebration of our 100th
year anniversary of Mount Saint Benedict Trinidad.
This
is a personal reflection of the road I have travelled and what
purpose it has served me. And where does this leave me in the overall
scheme of things.
So
here goes. First of all, as someone who feels much affection for our
Mount Boys fraternity, I am so very happy to serve the group in
whatever ways I can with my skills. I have sought to build on the
mammoth work that Ladislao Kertesz, Don Mitchell, Nigel Boos, Arthur
Knaggs, Jon Golding, Glen McKoy and all the past and present
Executive of the Alumni have done for us. It is a very humbling
experience to witness the years of commitment you all have afforded
the group with your precious time, resources, and dedication. It
inspires me to do what I do to support the group, for I am standing
on the shoulders of you giants.
So
my contributing is a way of saying thank you to my “hero brothers”
who have kept the Mount Flag flying high. You make us proud and my
heartfelt appreciation to all of you.
This
year 2012 I will like to celebrate with you and your families in
whatever ways we can.
We
are now at a time in our lives where we are witness to two
generations growing up – our children and grandchildren. We are
leaving our legacy to coming generations.
What
will be written of us? Mount Boys what is our overall legacy as a
group? And what is our own personal legacy to our family and to
ourselves?
My
suggestions for 2012 - our Mount Saint Benedict 100th
year Anniversary - is to do what we can in our own unique ways to
commemorate this occasion. Wherever we are in the world, let us
gather together our Mount Brothers, especially with our families, and
continue the trend of reuniting and getting together as we have been
doing over the years.
Bringing
together family is significant, for the coming generations are the
ones we sacrificed for with our life’s work, who we helped
nurtured, as we now pass over the baton.
Recently,
I was successful in acquiring my US citizenship. I will be sworn in
as a US citizen in mid May, and I immediately apply for my US
passport paying extra fees to expedite the process.
I
am going to Toronto, Canada in mid June to do some creative work with
a musical act there, as well as work on a documentary. It would love
for us all Mount Boys up there to get together and have a 100th
year Mount Saint Benedict Reunion of our own: An event for us and our
families to enjoy in a relaxed atmosphere.
In
addition, Ladislao is visiting Trinidad (from Friday 18th
May to Wednesday 23rd
May) while Don is there. Again it would be nice to see how many of
the Boys and their families can do a get-together. We do not have to
make it formal. Just find a place, invite everyone, and who can
contribute in any way to make the event memorable is what it is all
about.
And
my friend Jon Golding shared with me that he will be visiting
Trinidad in October. So, I feel another reuniting and get-together
could be organized, for that is the month that the monks came to
Trinidad and took up residence, (what I read on the Mount website).
Concerning
the idea of a Church Mass, we can ask the Mount priests to give a
mass on our behalf to celebrate the occasion. We can pay for the Mass
to be held, as is done all the time when someone wants a Mass for any
reason once the date is reserved. And once we have the date to hold
the Mass, we can then invite all the Mount Boys and their families to
attend, and even have a family day. Everyone can bring food and
drinks and have a picnic together.
Lastly,
what a fitting tribute as our legacy to the coming generations, we
could set up a Foundation to support our Mount Boys who have
emergency needs, and for any charities to which we want to
contribute. The funding of the Foundation can be done with
fundraisers, whether it is barbeques, raffles, concerts, whatever we
can do to build a fund. And then we can look to our financial
professionals in our group (like Jon Golding and Shaun Gianetti) to
have the money – this capital - be wisely invested and managed.
This
Foundation is going to be in our name and will be a fitting legacy.
We may not be able to do something sizeable on our own, however, as a
group, we can surely make a huge impact together with all our
fundraising efforts.
These
are my thoughts of celebrating 100 years of Mount Saint Benedict in
2012, by getting together all over the world wherever we are,
especially with family: For we are leaving our legacy to the coming
generations – our children and grandchildren.
With
much love to you all……
Kazim
Abasali
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Tuesday,
May 22, 2012 2:37 PM
Thanks,
Elspeth and Richard,
I'm
putting all the info together, which I can collect, and you're the
first to respond. So thanks again, and have a great day.
Nigel
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On
2012-05-22, at 8:17 AM,
Elspeth
O'Connor wrote:
Hi
Nigel,
Richard
is dictating to me what he remembers about Oscar.
He
was a short, stocky fella.
He
might have been a trainee boxer or wrestler or one of those body
sports.
He
learnt English very fast because he was the only Venezuelan boy at
Mount.
He
was liked by all the other students.
That
is about all I remember.
Richard
-----
Original Message
------------------------------------------------------
From:
Nigel
Boos
Sent:
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 1:14 AM
Shish,
I'm
proud of you, and the fact that you cared enough to do this bit of
research.
It
would be wonderful if we could find out whatever happened to Oscar,
and to this end, I'm sending this email to the earliest OB's from MSB
to ask whether they can add anything, anything at all, to our slowly
growing understanding of old Oscar Schnell.
Gentlemen,
First,
I hope I haven't forgotten anyone, but in case I have, this is not
intentional.
If
so, would you please pass on this request to anyone whose name is
missing.
Thanks.
So here's the request:
Recently,
we heard of an Old Boy of the Abbey School, MSB, who, apparently, was
the first Venezuelan student at our school.
I
guess he must have attended MSB sometime between 1944-49.
We'd
like to know more about him, and I'm coming to you to see whether you
can extend our limited knowledge of him.
Please
see the latest notes, below, prepared by George Mickiewicz (OB
1956-1962).
Please
share any news you can about Oscar, any photographs, etc. , and
please accept our sincere thanks in advance.
Nigel
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On
2012-05-21, at 10:16 AM,
A
Mickiewicz wrote:
Keeping
the ball rolling on this quest, through the magic of today’s search
machines, I was able to find the following:
*
He apparently was involved in the Venezuelan oil industry (not a
surprise)
*
Came across some Venezuelan articles suggesting that an Oscar Schnell
was very involved in the Venezuelan democratic political process (see
attachment)
*
He may no longer be alive but has been honored in the creation of a
library in his name
25/05/09
Aniversario.
Cedice inicia la celebración de sus 25 años con una acividad
señalada para las 11 de la mañana en el auditorio de la Cámara de
Comercio de Caracas en Los Caobos.
Habrá
una misa en acción de gracias que oficiará el padre Carlos Zancajo;
bautizo de la biblioteca "Oscar Schnell" y del salón de
formación Ricardo Zuloaga; inauguración de la muestra histórica
Cedice 25 años defendiendo la libertad.
Las
palabras de apertura estarán a cargo de Rafael Alfonzo Hernández y
como invitados especiales asistirán Oscar García Mendoza, Carlos
Eduardo Hellmund, Carlos Henrique Blohm, Roberto J. Ball Zuloaga,
Jorge Botti, Ignacio De León, Carlos Alberto Granier y Rocío
Guijarro, entre otros.En el comienzo de la semana internacional por
la libertad y la democracia, estarán presentes representantes de los
medios de comunicación.
*
He still lives or may have a son/grandson who lives in Valencia
(Perhaps someone in Venezuela can follow-up with a telephone call to
the number below) and get more details on our brother Oscar:
----------------------------------------------------------------.
From:
Alfredo
Montiel Bezara
Sent:
Monday, May 21, 2012 8:07 AM
What
a good research !!
How
did you find out ?
Was
it at MSB records ?
Where
is Oscar Schnell ?
I
wish today dinner with Fr. Coty be the best !!
Best
regards to all,
Alfredo
Montiel Bezara
MBS
1972
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
De:Nigel
Boos [mailto:nigelboos@yahoo.ca]
Enviado
el: Domingo, 20 de Mayo de 2012 10:30 a.m.
Wow!
Quite a find, this . . . . our first Venezuelan brother.
Fantastic.
Thanks, Bandit, and thanks Trevor, for eventually coming up with this
new information.
Does
anyone, perhaps, have a photograph of Oscar in action as a
centre-forward?
Wonder
where he is today?
Nigel
------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
On
2012-05-20, at 8:29 AM, Glen Mckoy wrote:
My
Dear Trevor,
Thank
you for this, you just solved a part of our puzzle.
It's
so good to hear from you man, but ah guess we had to ask the right
question ha! ha! to get your attention, I will like to know what ever
happened to this 1st Venezuelan brother, now we have the full name.
I
hope all is well best regards to you and the family, have a great
summer, Mi amigo, Cheers,
Glen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
From:
tevelyn@rogers.com
Date:
Sat, 19 May 2012 18:37:08 -0400
Guys,
The
first Venezuelan at the mount was Oscar Schnell the best centre
forward we ever had.
Trevor
E.
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Sunday,
May 27, 2012 6:52 AM
Greetings
Laszlo,
Sorry
to hear about your Mom, you will also have a long life.
An
Indian tradition says spending these precious moments with your
parents leave lasting memories.
I
also prepared a P Point with the aim of getting a small group to
think it over and then go to the Board with a structured plan of
action.
It
will be a virtual project and when you are settled kindly review and
comment on PP.
It’s
always a pleasure hosting you.
Regards
Winston
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From:
laszlo kertesz kertesz11@yahoo.com
Date:
Sunday, May 27, 2012, 2:34 AM
Dear
Winston,
I
read the brochure, it would be good to look in but as the association
is set up and since we want to get a go ahead it is necessary to have
two guys volunteer.
Can
you get anyone to accompany you???
This
is to make it easier to have it approved
What
are the plans of implementing your no smoke agenda???
Maybe
we should talk this implementation procedure before I present it
formally.
Thank
you for the excellent help you gave me,
God
bless and my best wishes for the family
ladislao
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Photos:
ASAA+anti+smoke,
No smoke brochure by Winston Ramsahai
12LK6312TWRGRP,
Union Towers Lunch
12LK6303TWRGRP,
Union Towers Lunch
12LK5799NCALKE, Natividad
Cabello and Ladislao Kertesz
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