Newsletter for
alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 16 July 2018 No. 871 extra
------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Emails follow.
------------------------------------
On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 10:55:35 p.m. GMT-4, Joseph
Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>
wrote:
Dear Fellow Director/Specially Invited
Member,
Please find attached
Notice of Meeting and Agenda. The Meeting will be held at J.D. Selier + Co.'s
Port of Spain office.
The minutes of the
last meeting are also enclosed for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Joe
-------------------------------------------------------------
ASAA MTG AGENDA ITEM - FUND RAISING PROPOSAL
FOR VENEZUELAN BROTHERS-IN-NEEDS
-------------------------------------------------------------
GEORGE MICKIEWICZ
Dear All
Joe has asked me to resend this e-mail
which was shared with y’all last week.
He would like to
provide some feedback to all of us.
Please provide your thoughts, ideas,
concerns, etc….thanks in advance for your value adding inputs.
Blessings,
George
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Joseph Berment-McDowald [mailto:bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2018 10:35 AM
Subject: Re: ABBEY SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DIRECTORS MEETING
Next Wednesday at 4:30 PM
Dear Joe and Gabe…
Just transferred
$200US to Gabe’s account for upcoming assistance to Venezuelan oldboys via Dr
Aumitre.
---------------------------------------------
Dear
Brothers
Joe asked me to summarize some ideas/options
to continue the financial support required to assist our brothers-in-need in
Venezuela.
This is the first
item in the meeting agenda for next Wednesday.
Before the meeting
next Wednesday, please:
1. Say a
prayer so that the Holy Spirit will inspire and lead each one of us
2. Print the
attached 3 documents
3. Read them
4. Record your
comments and questions as appropriate
5. Bring item
3 above to review and discuss in the meeting
6. Bring your
ideas to the meeting
Attached are documents address:
1. Proposed
fund raising framework
2. Approach
that I have used in the last 2 months with family and friends….and its current
status
3. Some
additional ideas
To succeed in any Christian fund
raising effort, we will need:
1. Trust in
God to lead the way
2. Buy-in,
commitment and active support by all of us
3. Credibility
4.
Transparency
5. Sensitivity
to those being assisted in Venezuela
6. A bridge of
trust between potential donors and the ASAA
7.
Effective communication and follow-up.
8.
Expand the leadership role for this specific fund raising to other oldboys
living in key regions of the world where mini-reunions and other “social”
events can be organized within the country to raise funds.
9.
Good Stewardship….eg., recognize money transfer costs, options and
limitations…eg. Gabriel Faria is only allowed 6 free bank transfers per month
via the Zelle App. Have found Zelle to be the most effective way to
transfer US$ from my bank account to Gabe’s. Not sure if this option is
available in all countries. Wiring US$ is very expensive. Not sure
what would be the cost of transfers via Western Union.
Hope to see and
speak with each one of you via Skype next Wednesday,
Your brother in Christ,
George/Jorge/Yury/Shis (AB/MSB
1956-1962)
PS – Please acknowledge having
received and read this note…thanks
-------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Joseph Berment-McDowald [mailto:bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2018 10:35 AM
Dear George,
As I said earlier
after reading your fund raising documents.
They are very good.
I particularly like the Wikipedia page that you begun to build and the link
from your document to it.
I'll like to suggest
that you share the documents in an email chat with the widest possible
community using the email mail out list that Don and Ladislao use asking for
collaboration in their refinement and take it from there.
I suggest however
that you avoid the use of the word "smuggling" in correspondence
shared with the wider community.
--------------------------------------------------------------
On Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 9:24:21 AM AST,
ANTONI
MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:
Dear Abbey School Alumni Association
(ASAA)
In continuing our
"conversation" regarding the initiation of a formal fundraising
effort for our Venezuelan oldboy brothers-in-need, here is my response to the
thoughts presented by Joe in the ensuing email thread.
Below, in red, are 5
criteria that I got from the internet that the ASAA needs to consider in its
meeting next week:
Will your
fundraising project succeed?
It will, if it meets
the five criteria for fundraising success.
I have found over my
quarter century in fundraising that failure to measure up in any of these areas
means the program probably will not reach its goal.
So, assess how well
your program measures up to the criteria listed below.
Be objective. Don’t
let your dedication to the cause cloud your judgment.
Is your cause really
important to a majority the people in the community your program will benefit?
Are the funds needed
to support the program lacking in your organization or elsewhere?
Have you identified
the relatively small number of major donor prospects who believe in your cause
and have the resources to account for at least 80 percent of your fundraising
goal?
Do you have a staff
person, or experienced volunteer, who can devote the considerable time needed
to manage the program from start to finish?
Do you have a
written action plan for the fundraising program that has been endorsed by the
board and staff of your organization?
If your fundraising
project falls short of the criteria in any area, don’t give up.
You might be able to
correct the problem.
If you measure up,
get going because the best time to raise money for a worthwhile project is
always --now.
If the ASAA members
agree to initiate a continuing fundraising effort to assist Venezuelan
oldboys-in-need for potentially many years into the future....approve and
implement before embarking on the actual fundraising efforts.
If initiated, ideal
situation would be to convince an oldboy with fundraising experience...and
living in Trinidad...to volunteer to lead or mentor this effort.
Suspect that Father
Harold might be able to provide connections to the Church in T&T which has
been involved in "fundraising" for decades/centuries to assist with
strategies, the how, what, where and when.
Although I not have
the "experience" stated in Step 4, I am willing to assist as much as
I can in the stated role.
Cheers,
George/Jorge/Yury/Shish (AB-MSB
1956-1962)
------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Mar 21 at 9:24 AM
Faria Gabriel
Guys Joe asked me
sometime ago to put my thoughts to paper based on the work that George had done
previously stated below.
The methodology to
drive increased interest on donating funds consistently to the various causes
of the ASAA.
The prime one now
being support to our brothers in need in Venezuela.
The ease and cost of
making a donation is one aspect of persons making consistent contributions.
Trinidad, Canada and
the US each now allow electronic transfers between bank accounts for small sums
and in most cases they are free or a nominal cost which make it relatively
easy.
US: Zelle- phone or
email address needed.
Free limited # of
transactions Canada: interac- email address needed: C$1.50 per transaction
Trinidad: bank to
bank transfer: bank account needed:
Free service paypal:
paypal account linked to a bank account:
Free service the
next is a having a goal which most people buy into:
while many of us
are: from different places from different cultures live in difference countries
range in age from probably 50 - 85
We share one common
link: the Abbey School we made friendships anywhere between 35- 65 years ago
and while some of those friendships have grown and some of us have stayed in
touch and meet either frequently or occasionally in person or connect through
the blog, Facebook, email etc.
The thought that
some of our brothers are going through extremely difficult times not because of
anything they have done but due to the severe economic situation in Venezuela.
this is one thing
that we all can align to and bring us together to with a congruence of goals-
to support our brothers, even if we may not have actually gone to school with
some of the brothers it is something that pulls us together and gives us
purpose.
The other thing that
is needed is some method to understand the impact our contributions have had on
our brothers.
How much has been collected,
how has it been used, the impact it has had and on whom.
We must also have a
financial target and communication
---------------------------------------------------------
GEORGE
MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>
Jul 8 at 9:14 AM
Hi Guys
Per
the article below, CryptoCurrency might be the next effective/efficient step to
help our alums and their families in Venezuela.
Has
anyone tried using it so far? Perhaps we should run a test.
I will be glad
to run a test from my end but would need Adolfo to “open an account” and let me
know how to transfer the money to him.
This
is a suggestion and I will not proceed without the OK from the ASAA.
As
I recall, the next visit by Adolfo to Trinidad is tentatively scheduled for
October.
FYI
- I have been able to collect USA $240 so far from my family and friends versus
the estimated USA $3150 that the ASAA has been contributing via Adolfo, who
travels by boat to Trinidad every 6 months, to assist the 15?
alums
and the their families ($35/family/month)
As
of today it appears, approximately, that USA $1 = 3500000 bolivares in the
black market;
1
BITCOIN = 2900000 bolivares; 1 DICOM = 115000;
1 DIPRO
= 10 bolivares
May God continue to
bless Venezuela in its journey to freedom and for all Venezuelans to be able to
eat, be healthy and happy……
We Pray to the Lord,
George/Yury/Shis (AB-MSB
1956-1962)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jul 8 at 9:50 PM
GEORGE MICKIEWICZ
Thank you very much, Gabriel, for
taking the time to formulate this value adding proposal.
I will support
whatever effort the ASAA decides to pursue as long as God gives me the strength
to do it.
Suggest that we also
consider the use of CRYPTOCURRENCY which I addressed in a note yesterday to the
ASAA et al.
This approach, IF IT
IS WORKABLE, would not require someone to travel to Trinidad to obtain the
physical dollar bills and then run the risk of someone "robbing" him of
the money in Venezuela.
I have also read
that Maduro, in his need to get USA $$, is looking to opening "official
channels" for transferring $$$ into Venezuela; but I suspect that the
exchange rate into bolivares will be significantly lower than the "black
market".
May God continue to
bless and inspire the ASAA to help our Venezuelan alums in need,
George
----------------------------------------------------------------
Gabriel
Faria <gabefaria@yahoo.com>
Jul 9 at 7:44 AM
George,
I am not sure about
cryptos as they tend to have volatile exchange rate swings.
I also am not sure
how easy the conversion to traditional currency is in certain markets.
Maybe someone in the
group has more information.
Regards
Gabe
-------------------------------------------------------------
Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>
Jul 9 at 11:17 PM
George,
Whenever you are talking
about money that becomes something that people want to hold on to in the hope
of getting more of something else for it OR want to dump for fear of getting
less than what they paid for it or believe it is worth at any point in time,
that's a recipe for difficulty.
Crypto Currency is
not presently a currency but more of a commodity like wood, copper, oil or gas
or a precious metal like gold or silver, even then the comparison is imperfect.
I am sorry that I
didn't by $100,000 of Bit Coin when it cost just $300 per unit but I am afraid
to buy any at the present time.
I personally am
suspicious that it is being manipulated by friends of the Russian state and
criminals and could go bust any time.
Sincerely,
Joe
--------------------------------------------------------------.
GEORGE
MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>
Jul 12 at 7:43 AM
Thank you very much, Joe, for your
prompt feedback and sharing your value adding fundraising ideas with
us.
Very sorry to hear
that you have not been well...pray to God that you get back to good health
soon.
Agree with your
admirable confidence that it will all work out via the participation of the
alumni through the continuing efforts and commitment of the ASAA.
Get well soon,
George
------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
Photos:
13LK1688FBAMA,
Antonio Aman
17LK0002TRA,
Toddy Ramsahai
63BF0002CLASS1963, signatures
08UN1587REUNION2008, UNKNOWN, Manuel Prada, Gabriel Farias,
George Laquis and Christopher Knowles
