Newsletter for
alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 29 December 2018 No. 895
----------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Message from
Salvador Coscarart
----------------------------------
Attila
GYURIS <gyuris@yahoo.com>
Dec 4 at 7:33 PM
Attached pictures of
the Aqualads Swim Team circa 1965 with names.
And
some comments / stories and debates about the names.
Funny
how time makes for fuzzy memories.
However,
the picture with names on it are all correct, trust me.
These
photos are from my own album.
Attila Gyuris
----------------------------------------------
On
Saturday, September 22, 2012, 16:32,
Attila
GYURIS <gyuris@yahoo.com> wrote:
In case some of you
haven't seen this one, here is another photo of the Aqualads.
Swim
Team. circa 1965-1966 year time frame.
I am
sending two photos, one is higher resolution without names, the other has most
names but lower resolution.
Attila Gyuris
Abbey School 1964-1969
-----------------------------------------------
From:
Nigel Boos nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca
Sent: Saturday,
September 22, 2012 3:26 PM
Gracias, senor.
Here's
what we now have:
We're
in a debate at the moment as to ## 8 and 15, believing that they might be
2
Farah brothers (Frank and David). What's your opinion?
And what
year do you think this picture was taken?
Finally,
Peter, if you happen to have any photographs of the Aqualads in action, how
about scanning and sharing them with us?
Nigel
-----------------------------------------
On 2012-09-22, at 1:18 PM, Peter Laughlin wrote:
Yes 9 is Gordon
Mitchell, 5 is Gurley, 6 is Peter can’t remember his last name.
Peter
--------------------------------------------
From:
Nigel Boos [mailto:nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca]
Sent: Friday,
September 21, 2012 9:21 PM
Thanks, Peter.
#11 is Josh
Schoemaker, #12 is Attila Gyuris and #13 is a Cantore. Could #9 be Gordon
Mitchell?
Nigel
-------------------------------------------.
On 2012-09-21, at 12:01 PM, Peter Laughlin wrote:
Nigel,
Yes
that’s me. ‘Teta” better known as Peter Laughlin.
Please
update my contact info.
Sincerely,
Peter G. Laughlin,
---------------------------------------------------
From:
Nigel Boos [mailto:nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca]
Sent: Thursday,
September 20, 2012 3:16 PM
Touche!
Let's
ask "Teta"
Over
to you, Peter. Do you think that you could be the chap listed in the photograph
as #1?
If so,
can you fill in any of the unknown names as well?
Nigel
------------------------------------------
On 2012-09-20, at 2:06 PM, Roger Gillezeau wrote:
Nah. Nigel that
could never have been Bernard. As far as I can recall, he only got involved in
coaching after he had graduated, which would have been post ’68.
If
that picture was taken in ’64, Bernard would have been 13 or 14, and nobody was
going to be taking any instructions from him.
In my
opinion, a good candidate would be Peter “Teta” Laughlin who coached Aqualads
for a brief period around that time. Young Boxhead would know.
Also
Date got his date wrong. He deserted to CIC after the 1963 year along with
Alkins Correia and Ian D’Arcy.
-------------------------------------------------
From:
Nigel Boos [mailto:nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca]
Sent: Thursday,
20 September 2012 07:41 AM
Thanks for this,
Alan.
You
may have a point, you know - maybe #1 is Bernard Lange. It would make sense,
since, as someone has pointed out, there is a whistle hanging from his neck, as
would befit a Coach. So, unless anyone has an objection, I'm going to say that
#1 must be Bernard Lange (who died in 1994).
------------------------------------------------
Attila
GYURIS <gyuris@yahoo.com>
Dec 4 at 10:10 AM
I was in the Aqualads Swim Team from
1965-1967.
Attla Gyuris
------------------------------------------------------
laszlo
kertesz <kertesz11@yahoo.com>
Dec 3 at 6:26 PM
Hi Attila
Can you add a Part 3 ???
Need to read about the Acqualads in a
different perspective
------------------------------------------
laszlo
kertesz <kertesz11@yahoo.com>
Dec 3 at 6:25 PM
This is a good article George, shall try to
send it to acqualad members of the past for comments, like ATTLA
Ladislao
------------------------------------------
GEORGE
MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>
Dec 3 at 4:45 PM
OUR
HISTORY - SWIMMING PART 1....
We congratulate those alums who are
mentioned in the article.
Please
add those other "swimming greats" whom you knew and were omitted and
should also be included.
Trinidad
was chosen as the venue for the 1960 West Indies Swimming and Water Polo
Championships.
In
spite of limited facilities the tournament was a great success.
The
swimming events were held at the Abbey School Pool, Mt St Benedict, which at
the time had become the headquarters for swimming in Trinidad.
This
was also the venue for the 1960 Island Championships and the first official
times were recorded!
The
year 1959-1960 indeed saw local swimming history in the making.
Emanating
from age group competition were some of our top national swimmers of their
time: some of these included Richard Galt, Peter Laughlin, Johnny Littlepage,
Peter de la Rosa, Richard Knaggs, Randy Attin, the Santos Brothers – Chris and
Steve; the Ahloy Brothers, the Fahey Brothers – Roger and David; ‘Smiley’
Boland, Mike Perrin, Alan Date, Bruce Perreira, Rodney Bayne – to name but a
few of the growing list of those times.
Mention
must be made also of some of the first official Junior National Champions like
Brian Lewis and Roger Barcant who was the first and only Trinidadian to
represent the West Indies in the Junior Age group swimming.
Later
came George Bovell and Richard Fernandes both of whom won ‘Sports Personality
of the Year’
OUR
HISTORY - SWIMMING PART 2: BR RUPERT & AQUALADS/LASSES.
This club took our school into the
international arena thereby broadening the reputation of the Abbey School and
Mount Saint Benedict.
Congratulations
to Br. Rupert and all alums who were members of this illustrious club.
It
came as a surprise when, at age 19, this Woodbrook boy decided to enter the
Monastery at Mount St Benedict on June 1, 1952.
Brother
Rupert, his given name as a monk, has never been ordained priest:
“I was
never inclined to the priesthood and wanted to be a monk living that life in
the monastery where I still live to this day since monks never retire, and
through vows of stability, must remain for life with the monastery. Monastic
life starts as a novitiate, then goes on to different classes, taking five
years to be fully professed as a monk. I am immensely happy and would not have
changed this life for any other.”
Says the
quiet-spoken monk: “I was always involved in sports and thought I would have to
give it up, but actually got more and more involved in sport up there.”
In
1956, Brother Vincent Roberts, sports master at The Abbey School, asked the
then Abbot Adelbert Van Duin, if Brother Rupert could assist him in coaching
sports.
“My
first love is cricket so I started off coaching the two sports which I played,
cricket and tennis.”
In
1964, seven students, Gordon Mitchell, Russell Cunha, Bernard Lange, Peter
Boland, Edward Watson, Douglas Watson and Richard Knox, formed the Abbey Aqua
Lads swim club.
Brother
Rupert was assistant sports master to the late Father Gregory Kloeg, who
foresaw that while a student swimmer would leave after sitting their Senior
Cambridge exams, Brother Rupert, as a member of the Benedictine community would
provide continuity as swimming coach.
Bernard
Lange, one of the founders of Aqua Lads and Lasses also served as assistant
coach to the team, a position he held for 18 years.
“By
1967 the first four Aqua Lads had made the National swim team,” says the former
coach.
In
1970, while on a swim tour to Venezuela, the Venezuelan coach was astounded
that there were no girls in the club, and told Brother Rupert it was the norm
to have swim teams of both boys and girls.
How
was Brother Rupert to get girls into the Abbey in 1970?
“Such
was the attitude that the Abbey was off limits to girls. But always ready to
support change, I got the headmaster, the late Father Bernard Vlaar, to agree
to my sourcing girls from the Convent in St Joseph. A survey of the school by
the principal produced 45 girls to the 12 Abbey boys, so great was the
interest.
And
that’s how the club became Aqua Lads and Lasses.” “It’s like a whole other
family you have,” says Heather Hutton, who swam with the Aqua Lasses in the
mid-70’s.
“The
beauty of being a part of a swim club like Abbey Aqua Lads and Lasses is that
you have a whole new family, everyone is still in touch. It’s just great in
that sense. We have benefitted so much from being part of the club in
friendships, discipline and in life generally. This is why we are looking
forward to the reunion.”
“Obedience,”
says Brother Rupert, “a word never popular, more so today, but I obeyed the
sports master, gave up cricket and tennis and concentrated on swimming.” For 12
consecutive years from 1974-1986, Brother Rupert took the Aqua Lads and Lasses
to the Miami Springs Swim Meet and other meets in the United States.
“In
1987, we won a meet in Pennsylvania. It was the best bunch of swimmers that we
happened to get in all age groups,” says the proud coach.
Other
Abbey teams went to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Grenada and were in
winner’s row many times.
Although
the Abbey pool is currently under repair, the indomitable Brother Rupert is
sure “there could be a resurgence of interest when it is completed, with all
forms of competitive swimming including the masters, water aerobics, water polo
and life saving”.
“Bruds”
says Hutton “is still very much a part of our lives, we still go to him with
our problems.”
Says
this dedicated monk: “It is my joy from 40 years of hard work and discipline
with thousands of young people who have passed through Mt St Benedict and as a
result through the swim club.
“Meeting
them now and seeing their development into wonderful men and women, I thank God
for the opportunity which was given to me to deal with these youngsters, and
that He gave me health and strength to work with them for 50 plus years in
sports.
“Sometimes
my boys come back from large American universities and are always thrilled to
give me the news that the people up there cannot understand that their swim
coach was a Benedictine monk.
The
foreigners had never heard of any such thing.”
------------------------------------------------
What’sApp
29-08-2017 Kenny
Azizul: Interesting
29-08-2017 Joseph
Habib: It has been confirmed. Funeral this Saturday at 10 am, not 9. I will be
videotaping as much as possible, for those who would be able to make it. God
speed
29-08-2017 Alfredo
Montiel Bezara: Thanks !
29-08-2017 Coscarart
Salvador: Thank you , Joe appreciated.
30-08-2017
Luongo Humberto: Paz a los restos de father Cuthbert. Me uno en pésame
solidaridad y afecto a todos los Mount boys. Un abrazo Paz a los restos de
father Cuthbert. Me uno en pésame solidaridad y afecto a todos los Mount boys.
Un abrazo
30-08-2017
Zavarce Arturo: El punto donde se encuentran el océano Atlántico y el Océano
Pacífico. Llegan a tocarse pero no se mezclan entre si. Cosa maravillosa creada
por Dios. Osmolaridad
, salinidad y temperatura diferentes
02-09-2017 Farias
Gabriel: To remember Cutty
02-09-2017 Ahow
Hector Tx: Thanks 🙏🙏🙏
02-09-2017 Farias
Gabriel: His final resting place
02-09-2017 Zavarce
Arturo: R.I.P🙏🙏
02-09-2017 Kenny
Azizul: Great photos Winston but besides u and Fr Harold please introduce the
rest
02-09-2017 Kenny
Azizul: The one in the suit looks like specs Ah seeing Joe and Zef
02-09-2017
Cantore Oscar: La moto que usaba Attyla en sus escapadas a Tunapuna 😆
02-09-2017
Gyuris Attila: Asi es. Sino preguntale a Frank Malave que estaba de parrillero.
El Cutty casi nos cacha una vez.
03-09-2017
Ahow Hector Tx: Por si acaso:
03-09-2017 Joseph
Habib: Some memories of the send off for Fr. Cuthbert. It was a good and
blessed day for many who attended. It was great seeing some of the guys again.
Fr. Cuthbert was well represented.
03-09-2017 Ahow
Hector Tx: Thanks 👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏
04-09-2017 Kenny
Azizul: Well written Joe it was interesting
04-09-2017 Joseph
Habib: You ever play with your food.
05-09-2017 Berment
Joseph: Actually, Abdul Baha has a set of proofs of the existence of God and
other related subjects in a book called Some Answered Questions. I strongly
recommend it to you.
05-09-2017 Cantore
Oscar: I have no doubts ythat God exists I wonder where you get that notion
from my comment regards
05-09-2017 Berment
Joseph: Administrators, Dr. George "Pud" Laquis, has asked to be
added to this group.
05-09-2017 Kenny
Azizul: Actually I believe the only way we can know the existence of God is if
we can read the notes from Peter that is in the library in the Vatican do u
know anyone Joe who can give us access
05-09-2017 Cantore
Oscar: Enrique Zanelli is the administrator if I am not wrong
05-09-2017 Kenny
Azizul: I thought it was Salvador Joe sent a message for Sal if he is not he
can get it done right away
05-09-2017 Farias
Gabriel: Note administrators
05-09-2017 Cantore
Oscar: they both are group admin
05-09-2017 Berment
Joseph: Oscar, I wasn't questioning your spiritual beliefs. I don't interrogate
the conscience of individuals. Just wondering if the quotation may have
actually predated Newton and pointing to a place where other proofs of God's
existence have been written about, in the eventuality that they may be of
interest to you?
05-09-2017 Zanelli
Enrique: Send me his info and I'll add him to the group
05-09-2017 Berment
Joseph: George "Pud" Laquis 8686786323
05-09-2017 Zanelli
Enrique: Joe... unable to add Pud....is the nr correct? do you know if he has
WhatsApp ? I
05-09-2017 Berment
Joseph: Maybe, he hasn't installed the app: he may not be computer savvy. I'l
talk to him and get back to you, thanks.
05-09-2017
Coscarart Salvador: Both of us . mainly Enrique asi una ves mas.No darse por
vencido nunca
05-09-2017
Luongo Humberto: Las pruebas de la existencia de Dios las recogio San Agustin
,creo que ,de Hipona.en uno de sus manifiestos. Un abrazo
------------------------------------------
EDITED by Ladislao
Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com,
if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list please support the
Circular by sending 52.oo USD for a year. 52 weeks.
--------------------------------------------
Photos:
65AG0003AQUALADS, Still missing a couple of names
65UN0005AQUALADS, Still missing a couple of names
07NT0005GRP, Jean Kalideen and Maxime de Comarmond
74RV0001SCORVI, Salvador Coscarart and Rene Villafana
