Circular No 847 Extra

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

Caracas, 31 of January 2018 No. 847 extra

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Dear Friends,

Emails follow.

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On Jan 21, 2018, at 8:37 AM,

Gabriel Faria <gabefaria@yahoo.com> wrote:

I actually just tested it on my Bank of America app on my phone and I have 6 transfers per month free on my account. It can be done to any registered bank account in the US. So it might be free 

Regards

Gabe

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On Jan 21, 2018, at 7:59 AM,

ANTONI MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Thanks, Gabe.....

Valuable information to know. 

A wire transfer costs significantly more,

George 

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On Sunday, January 21, 2018 5:57 AM,

Gabriel Faria <gabefaria@yahoo.com> wrote:

Guys, 

For persons living in the US and Canada an ACH (interbank) transfer or interac transfer in Canada can be done electronically from your computer and normally cost $1.50 for transfers up to $1,000.00 I believe.

These transfers can be done to someone’s else’s account who is willing to convert it in their Trinidad account it need not be mine.

Regards

Gabe

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On Jan 21, 2018, at 7:42 AM,

ANTONI MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Thanks, Joe...

Will follow your guidance.

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On Saturday, January 20, 2018 4:14 PM,

Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear George,

We try to keep formality to a minimum.

The executive of the association generally accepts and supports all good ideas in the common interest (that reflect our mission and values and don't require us alone to find money to fund or expend effort them) from any Old Boy. 

I can say with confidence that any initiative like yours which you yourself are determined to champion is more than welcome.

Please be careful to let others know that this is only one of at least two ways that they can contribute and urge those of superior means to contribute as much as they can in advance, rather than restricting their contributions to the minimum.

In both instances what is important is that the contributions be regular and dependable, as far as possible.

The money for every project that we do has always been carefully and openly accounted for. We have never had any sort of scandal or impropriety.

You can take my word for it George: proceed !

If I receive any different instructions from the directors when we meet I'll get back to you immediately.

Sincerely,

JBM

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On Sat, 20 Jan 2018 at 5:37 p.m.,

George Mickiewicz <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Thanks for your comments and concerns, Don.  

Looks like my initial message was not clear. Please allow me to clarify it

.....I am offering that small amounts will be mailed to Fr Harold as paper money so the ASAA will get actual dollar bills in hand to share with the oldboys in Venezuela.....US$ 1, 5, 10 and 20 dollar bills which will hopefully add up to hundreds, and perhaps thousands with God’s help. I am not talking about hundreds of dollars....much less thousands.....that will be donated by single individuals. 

Not sure if there are any oldboys who can contribute large sums on money over long periods of time. I am hoping and praying that hundreds of old boys will participate and give more frequently if the amounts are small over long periods of time as there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for the current crisis in Venezuela. Venezuelan economy is projected to worsen significantly this year.

In this proposal, Not a single dollar will be wired to anyone.....no banking involved.....just dollar bills via normal mail ....perhaps euros, pound sterling, pesos, etc too.....in relatively small denominations.......or whatever other currency holds high value and can be readily used in Venezuela today. If a go, will need Ladislao to let us know what other currencies, other than the US$, are practical and used in Venezuela today. 

At this point I will wait for the decision by the ASAA before communicating and expanding this effort beyond the 9 of us. Joe shared earlier that the ASAA will probably be meeting sometime in the next two weeks.  

Will personally proceed with the mail test to see if the $ get to Fr Harold....and not stolen in the mail transit from the USA to Trinidad.

Any other additive and value adding ideas or concerns are welcomed.  

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On Jan 20, 2018, at 2:43 PM,

Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:

Hi, Joe,

Thanks for arranging for the funds to be remitted from overseas to Gabe’s account, with copies to the Treasurer of the Association. I am sure Gabe will transfer the funds from his account to the project immediately when asked, and that the Treasurer is keeping track.  There can be no more transparent system that you could have arranged for the transfer of funds to this worthwhile project.

Each of us should transmit whatever funds we can afford, whether US$1,000 or US$5,000.  I spent half a morning arranging the transfer of my small donation. I would not be prepared to spend that amount of time for an amount of $20 or $50. That is the main obstacle to George’s proposal. Let us each give what we can, and go back to our normal daily chores without worrying about trust.

Get well soon,

Don

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From:  George Mickiewicz

Sent:  Saturday, January 20, 2018 3:27 PM

Subject A PROPOSAL/IDEA FOR YOUR NEXT ABBEY SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ( ASAA) MEETING

Thanks, Joe. 

The cost of wiring will be more expensive than the type of contributions I have in mind. I think that it will be easier to get 50 old boys to occasionally contribute $10 US or equivalent versus one person contributing $500US or equivalent. Multiplying those numbers by factors of 3, 4, 5.....can potentially increase the funding.

The ASAA’s challenge will be to provide transparency and some type of accounting to keep these contributions flowing in a world that does not trust these types of activities.

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On Jan 20, 2018, at 12:40 PM, Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com> wrote:

If anyone wants to make a contribution now let me know and I will send you Gabriel Faria's US ($) account information.

Thank you,

Joe

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On Sat, 20 Jan 2018 at 12:44 p.m., Joseph Berment-McDowald

<bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hello George,

I just emailed you our WhatsApp chat history. In it you'll find all the information that you need and will facilitate you creative freedom in promoting the cause. Please be careful that individual identities go no further.

With kindest regards,

Joe

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On Sat, 20 Jan 2018 at 10:19 a.m.,

ANTONI MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Hi Joe

Please send me a short summary of what and how the ASAA is helping our brothers in need in Venezuela. Need it for the experiment that I am going to try on my own as mentioned in my earlier note.

Thanks,

George

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On Saturday, January 20, 2018 7:43 AM,

ANTONI MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Dear ASAA Brothers

May God continue to keep and bless you in your admirable work to assist our oldboys in Venezuela to survive in the current catastrophic economic environment in Venezuela. We are so proud and thankful for you. Please share this note with the other members of the ASAA that are not included in this note..thanks.

Have been praying to the Holy Spirit to provide all of us with the wisdom and the guidance of how best we can continue to help the ASAA in their challenges to get the dollars for those oldboys in need in Venezuela. This idea came from the Gospel story how Jesus was able to feed 5000 men and ???? women with just 7 loaves of bread and 7 fishes that a little boy had:

Asking our oldboys and our personal friends to send $ 1, 5, 10, 20 USA bills to Father Harold in Trinidad on a monthly basis if they are able and willing to do so.

Use cards to "hide" the money versus plain paper....an old trick that may no longer work with today's technology

Probably some of this will be stolen.... but ....even if half gets through....it will be that much more than the ASAA currently has.

If successful, it could potentially result in a steady stream of money for years to come from thousands around the world.

If it sounds hopeful and you want to try it...please send appropriate address and other guidance of how best to test it.

Are there any other denominations that will have value and assist the effort other than US$.....Canadian $, euro, pesos, etc.?

Recognize that this will create a potentially significant administrative challenge for FR Harold and he might not want to do it for other reasons to. In that case it can be addressed to Fr. Harold at someone else's address.....or administered by someone else....or some other way.

Others can build and improve upon this simple idea.

I am willing to assist the ASAA from here in USA in whatever way you believe that I can be value adding.

I will honour and respect your decision

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Dear Glen, Nigel, Kazim, Jorge and Michael

If the ASAA accepts this idea, would you be willing to join me in a test by sending one US$ 1, 5, 10 dollar bill or one equivalent bill of the money used in your country.....after we receive the ASAA's guidance.

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Dear All

I am going to try something else on my own and will let you know how it works out....probably by the end of February. I ask for your thoughts and prayers that it may succeed.

Blessings to you and yours....today and always,

George

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ANTONI MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>

Feb 17 at 7:29 AM

Muchisimas gracias, Jorge Iwaszkiewicz, for your generous $50 donation yesterday. 

So the total is up to US$500.

Sent $5 via Zelle to Gabriel Faria as a test per his request.  Once he confirms that he receives it, I will send the balance of the remaining $495 to his account.

To continue this valuable and charitable support, suggest that the ASAA issue a fund raising request to all our alumni via emails on a regional basis: Trinidad, Caribbean Islands, USA, Canada, South America, Central America, Europe, etc.  I would do it but I lack the credibility and, for some reason, am despised by some of our brothers.  Be glad to help in anyway that is needed and being able to do it.

With brotherly love,

George

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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:

03SC2135SCOFAM, Salvador Coscarat family

03UN0015MSBEDI, pax invitation card

65UN0020CARACASREUNION, Reunion with Fr. Bernard

59LK0001ABYFLD