\Çá|wx g{|á \ááâx - Queen`s College Alumni Association of Guyana

THE QUEEN’S COLLEGE OF GUYANA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (TORONTO) INC. NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2007
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President’s Message.....................2
Obituaries........................................3
Poetry Corner..................................3
Quiz.......................................3
Math for Health & Life....................4
Queens at Queen’s...........................5
ICQC 2007 ABM & Reunion..........6
Brunch is Back!...............................7
Tributes to Clement Yhap................8
TARANA dancers perform for guests at the Annual Brunch last June.
Theatre Review..............................11
Answers to Quiz...........................11
Amerindian Tribes in Guyana.......12
MyEncounter with Rodney............13
Congratulations to Alumni............14
Teacher Brain Drain......................15
Last Lap Lime Memories.............16
2008 Program of Events................16
Remember the 2004 Tsunami.......17
ICQC 2007 Images........................18
Some ICQC Delegates taking time out for relaxation and refreshments on Registration
night for the ICQC ABM and Reunion in Guyana.
President’s
Message
QCAA EXECUTIVE 2006 - 2007
PRESIDENT
Gerald Alleyne
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Mr. Lionel Mann
VICE-PRESIDENTS
Audrick Chung
Kemahl (ARK) Khan
Harry C. Singh
President Gerald Alleyne
I
t is with great pleasure that I send
sincere greetings to all QC alumni,
our friends, supporters and families.
As the festive season unfolds, it is my
wish that we may all have a safe,
peaceful and wonderful time enjoying
our distinctive Guyanese cuisine and
spending quality time with our families. As we look forward to the coming
year, 2008, it is incumbent on us to
review the past year so that we may
build upon our successes and mitigate
our weaknesses.
Firstly, I must convey my heartfelt
thanks to the members of the
Executive, our web-master, our dedicated members, all our friends and
supporters for all the hard work and
support over the past year. We have
had a most rewarding year. We executed an ambitious schedule of events and
I am pleased to report that each and
every event was a resounding success
both in terms of participation and
funds raised. Since the AGM in April,
we have had our most successful
Father’s Day Brunch in June. In
August, as usual, we participated in
Last Lap Lime, and I am pleased to
report that this year’s results were
indeed the best ever. Shifting gears in
September, we partnered with our sisters from Bishops’ to co-sponsor a
memorable dramatic presentation –
2
“The Last of the Redmen”. This event
was certainly well attended and was
also a financial success. Not resting on
our laurels, a nine-member delegation
represented your Chapter at the
International Reunion and ICQC
Annual Business Meeting which were
held in Georgetown, Guyana, during
the last week of September.
Given our success over the past year,
we do look forward to a banner year in
2008. With your continued support
and encouragement, we expect that our
results in the year ahead will exceed
last year’s. At this time, I would also
like to extend an open invitation to all
fellow alumni, young and not so
young, to join us in our quest to ensure
that the current students of our Alma
Mater enjoy the first class education
that we were privileged to receive in
our time.
Once again, I would like to wish all
of our members, friends and supporters
a wonderful and joyous holiday season
and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous
New Year.
Gerald Alleyne
President, 2007/2008
Attended Q.C. 1963-1971
Raleigh "B" House
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
SECRETARY
Saville Farley
TREASURER
David Singh
ASST. SECRETARY/TREASURER
Ataur Bacchus
DIRECTORS
Stanley Chan Choong
Andrew Knight
Conrad Griffith
Vivian Wong
E-Mail Address
info@qcalumnitoronto.com
Website
http://www.qcalumnitoronto.com
Webmaster
Colin Rowe
The Scribbler
Official Publication of the
Queen’s College Alumni Association
(Toronto)
P.O. Box 312
Westhill, ON M1E 4R8
Canada
Editorial Committee
Kemahl (ARK) Khan - Editor
Andrew Knight - Assistant Editor
Layout & Design
Colin Rowe
Phone Number.....................(416) 267-7227
Obituaries
We say VALETE to the following persons who passed away earlier this year:
Lala Rai in New York, U.S.A on July
13,2007.Attended Q.C. in the 1940’s
and was a member of the famous class
of the 1947 School Year. He taught
Mathematics at Queen’s during the late
‘60’s.
Ronald Langevine in New Jersey,
U.S.A. on August 27,2007 at age
68.Attended Q.C. from 1950 – 1957
and was a member of Raleigh “B”
House.
Joseph Anthony Downes
in Georgetown, Guyana on November
8,2007.Attended Q.C. circa 1950 –
1958 and was a member of Austin “C”
House. He was the Administrative
Manager of the Uitvlugt Sugar Estate
before joining the local T.V. Evening
News as Editor in January 2007.
Tributes to the late ‘Balance’, as he
was fondly referred to, are at pages 8, 9
and 10 of this newsletter.
Lynette Sommersell in North
Carolina, U.S.A. on December 8, 2007
at age 59.She was the last surviving
sister and sibling of alumnus Roland
Carryl of the QCAA Toronto Chapter.
1. Who was Guyana's first
Amerindian
Member
of
Parliament? He worked as a
surveyor on the International
Boundary Commission which
delineated Guyana's frontier
with Brazil and Venezuela.
Editor’s Note:
Please let us know if we have omitted
any names from our list and we will
certainly remember them in our next
issue of the “Scribbler”. Let us know
also if there are any errors in the information given
2. Who was the British geologist
credited with being the first
European to sight the Kaieteur
Falls?
ARK
4. Called "The Defender of the
Indians", this priest traveled to
Spain and pleaded with the
King and brought to light the
atrocities meted out (by the
Spanish) to the Indians.
Poetry Corner
DAWN
O Dawn, whose majesty I heed,
Whose beauty I esteem,
Oh, must thou hasten in thy speed
To bring daylight agleam?
O Dawn, wilt thou not hide with me,
So that my thirsty eyes
May readily imbibe of thee
The beauty of Sunrise?
At Nature’s most fascinating mould,
Lo, in wonder I gaze
At skies arrayed in silv’ry gold
With stars……. and all ablaze.
Clement P. Yhap in Halifax, Canada
on December 14, 2007 at age 91. He
was Headmaster of Q.C. from 19691971,after having joined the School in
1951 as a Mathematics teacher.
By Saville A. Farley
But now whilst I doth write thy lore,
Thy charm has me entranced,
And leaves with pain and grief a
core,
Ah, that’s been so enhanced.
Ashmat M. Safraj
Associate Member, QCAA (Toronto)
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
3. What is the meaning of
“Kaieteur” Falls?
5. When was the colony of
Berbice founded, and by
whom?
6. What is the Carib word for
“painted on rocks”?
7. When was the benab in
Georgetown in the vicinity of
the seawall built, and by
whom?
8. Who was the first governor of
British Guiana? A well-known
race-course was named after
him.
9. Where was our first native
Prime Minister born?
10. Where did the People's
Progressive Party hold its first
public meeting?
For answers, go to page 10
3
Balance: Math for
Health and Life
By Toronto Cardiologist V. S. Rambihar
Mr. Clement Yhap, who passed away a
few days ago, taught me math at QC
and was principal when I taught math
for a couple of years. I learnt a lot
from him, not just about math but also
about the concept of balance, from
which his nickname was derived.
When we try to figure out what to do
and how to adapt in the various countries we now call home, we should
remember him and think of math for
health and life.
Immigrants arrive in countries
abroad in good health and proceed to
lose it rapidly. It does not add up. The
reasons are complex and may include
social pressures, stress, and other challenges; but it is also simple. We were
not made for this environment. We
need to change and adapt. We do not
do enough physical activity, overeat
and consume unhealthy foods.
We all have our own reasons why
this happens but many of us have difficulty in changing. We hold on to tradition and customs for comfort and other
reasons. We eat and live as in another
time. We are all different and have different sensitivities and risks, yet we act
as if we will live forever and nothing
will happen to us. What we need is balance. Balance between the old and the
new. We have to shift that balance
4
according to our risks - a changing
dynamic balance.
Caribbean people, all of us, are sensitive to this new environment and
need to be more health conscious. Our
risks multiply rather than add up. As
the weight creeps up, the system
changes. The blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol rise and start causing damage early. This is why we are
now part of the epidemic of chronic
diseases which will get worse since our
children are developing these problems
even earlier than we did. This downturn hopefully will be our wake-up
call.
So what can we do? First we must
recognize the problem, then identify
and manage our risks. Waist size is one
of the best predictors. Work slowly to
reduce overweight and overwaist. You
don’t need exact numbers. The flatter
the abdomen the better. This can be
achieved by balancing calorie intake
against calories expended, getting sufficient sleep and reducing stress.
Liposuction won’t work for this since
it’s the deep visceral fat that’s the problem. Bear in mind that when your doctor tries to predict your likelihood of
developing a disease, he may be using
risk tables that are based on the
Caucasian population. If you are of
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
Indian, Amerindian or African ancestry
or have early family history of serious
illness, your risk may be doubled. Even
if you do not belong to one of these
ethnic groups, you may still wish to
live a healthy lifestyle. Many ‘skinny’
people suffer from diabetes or heart
disease and even low-risk people,
according to math, occasionally develop these conditions.
Our traditional foods are filled with
sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats and
are often deep-fried. High-risk people
should avoid these as much as possible. Everyone should try to eat a
healthy diet and avoid overeating. With
trans fats being banned in schools, the
easiest way our children can damage
their health is by eating traditional
Caribbean food.
Build activity into your daily
lifestyle. Unless you have already done
your exercise, try exercising while
watching TV. Tear your kids away
from the computer, TV or video games
and talk to them, telling them about the
time when you or they as new immigrants were healthier and slimmer.
Learn more about what you can do for
them, and listen when they bring home
health messages. Most importantly,
take away their cigarettes and make
sure you don’t use them .Seek pleasure
in more healthy activities and learn to
enjoy the simple things in life.
Now is the time to put some balance
back in your life. Don’t let that math go
to waste, or to your waist. Use it for
better health and to make a better life.
’Balance’ would be pleased.
VS Rambihar, Toronto Cardiologist.
Attended Q.C. 1962-1969
Taught at Q.C. 1969-1971
Weston "F" House
2007 Canadian Cardiovascular
Society Segall Award for Health
Promotion in Canada.
2007 Guyana Award (Canada) for
Community Service (Individual) in the
field of Health Promotion.
For more on healthy living please Google
Tsunami Chaos Global Heart, click on book
and go to page 117 and 137.
significant.
Queens
at Queen’s
[1] ‘Bas is indebted to Laurence
Clarke for all of the historical information. However, his Queen’s College
Book of Records does not show the
names of any of the officials for the
years 1940 to 1943, nor from 1958 to
1960.
(A History of Beekeeping
at QC by ’Bas)
Bas (seen on right) advising a client on Beekeeping technology during a Canadiansponsored assignment in Sadova, Moldova in March 2001.
ueen’s had a Beekeeping Society
from 1932 to 1934. It became
part of the Science Society from
1935 to 1937, and was again an independent entity from November 1938.
Mr. James H. Bevis, a biology master,
was President of the Beekeeping
Society from 1932 to 1946 with
Maurice Wylde Carter as Secretary
from 1943 to 1946[1].
In the autumn of 1944, and throughout the ensuing year, the honey flow
was poor so Mr. Bevis suggested that
we produce comb honey. In January
1946 we decided to hold meetings
every two weeks, with three members
in charge of each of the five hives. Mr.
Bevis left for Southern Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe) in July 1948. Following a
period of inactivity from 1947 to 1955,
beekeeping at Queen’s was revived in
1956 when Mr. Charles Malcolm
Boland, [2] a science teacher, obtained
a 4-frame nucleus from Ms. Graham of
Bishops’ High. Unfortunately Mr.
Boland left QC at the end of the summer term and was not present to witness the success of his efforts.
As a result of Mr. Boland’s initiative a meeting of the Society’s eight
dedicated members was held on
Friday, 16th November 1956 and
members resolved to maintain the
renewed interest in beekeeping at the
School. At this meeting Terry A.C.
Fletcher was elected President, while
Melvyn B. Sankies and Alwyn E.B.
Wharton were elected Treasurer and
Secretary respectively. In March 1957
eminent QC baritone Stanley Ridley
donated a strong hive and in April we
Q
received three nuclei from Mr. C. V.
Too-Chung. Later that month our
Society joined the British Guiana
Beekeepers’ Association (B.G.B.A.)
[3] in order to obtain certain benefits
for its members. Mr. Too-Chung’s
advice and recommendations throughout the year were invaluable.
Importance of Honey Bees
Honeybees are an essential part of
the agricultural economy and of the
overall ecosystem. They are undoubtedly the most important pollinators of
food crops for humans. Without adequate insect pollination, many crops
such as almonds, apples, cucumbers,
squash and watermelons could not be
produced on a commercial basis.
Pollination, the transfer of pollen
grains from the stamen (the male portion of a flower) to the female ovulebearing organs, is done mainly by
mature insects.
Honeybees are ideally suited to the
task of large-scale pollination because
while most other insects are solitary
and exist as adults for only a portion of
their lives, a colony of honeybees may
consist of up to 60,000 adult individuals (even Bumble bee colonies comprise only a few hundred individuals).
Beehives are often transported, even
over great distances, to wherever they
may be needed for pollination and they
may be moved to several locations
each year. This is not usually an option
with other insects, except alfalfa leafcutter bees and bumblebees, whose
populations are not large enough to be
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
[2] C. M. B. and his two brothers were
all old boys of the school. They were
members of Pilgrim (E) House. The
family came to British Guiana from
Trinidad in 1944 when the father
accepted an appointment as Puisne
Judge.
[3] The B.G.B.A. came into existence
in 1932 through the agency of
Professor Dash, a Director of
Agriculture in the colonial era.
Submitted by Abbas Edun
Attended Q.C. 1949- 1957
Austin “C” and Wooley “H” Houses
Do you have a large backyard or a cottage? Wish to produce your own
honey? Contact ‘Bas by e-mail: harisingh@sympatico.ca
Editor’s note: While Q.C., to the best
of our knowledge, no longer pursues
beekeeping as an extracurricular activity, beekeeping as a commercial venture is very much alive in Guyana. The
country currently has a project in the
North Rupununi area, managed by
local communities with training being
done by Iwokrama International Center
and the Guyana Bee Association. The
project’s objective is to produce honey
for both local consumption and the
export market. Sustaining and expanding the beekeeping industry - ‘apiculture’- is part of the Government’s
Agricultural Diversification Initiative.
Plans and preparations are already
afoot for holding the 5th Caribbean
Congress of Beekeeping in 2008 in
Guyana. Interested persons may
google “Beekeeping in Guyana” for
more information.
...ARK
5
ICQC
2007 ABM
and
REUNION
Some delegates watching QC Sports
eorgetown, Guyana was the Minister of Education, Mr. Shaik song,”Reginae Collegium”, robustly
venue for the 2007 Annual Baksh.Greetings were then extended sung by all present. Delegates were
Business Meeting and Reunion by the School Board’s Chairman, Mr. then escorted by selected students on a
of the International Committee of the Ronald Ali, and by the Presidents of guided tour of the School, whose corriQueen’s College of Guyana Alumni the overseas chapters of QCAA.
dors, classrooms and laboratories
Associations. Hosted by the local
The feature address was next and brought back many a nostalgic memoChapter, our Guyanese counterparts this was delivered by Professor Nigel ry. Afterwards, delegates proceeded to
laid on a memorable week of activities Harris, Vice-Chancellor of the the nearby Police Officers’ Mess at Eve
culminating in fruitful discussions at University of the West Indies and Leary where they enjoyed a sumptuous
the ABM itself. It was not all business, Chairman
of
the
Caribbean and delicious curry lunch during which
however, as our hosts ensured that the Examinations Council (CXC). Dr. they were entertained with lively music
delegates from the other chapters were Harris, recalled, among other things, provided by the Police steel band.
given the opportunity for social inter- his days as a QC “old boy” when excelThat afternoon two delegates from
action with the local alumni and others lence was the only expectation from each Chapter met with the Board of
from the Guyanese community.
students of Guyana’s premier second- Governors of the School at which
The program kicked off with the ary institution.
meeting several issues relating to the
registration of delegates on Tuesday
existing state of affairs of the
evening, September 25, during the
School were discussed. These
course of which they were treated to
included, inter alia, the current
liquid refreshments as they mingled
staff shortage (only 30% of the
with their fellow alumni, renewing old
full-time complement was availfriendships and sharing in “ole” talk
able to students) and the imporinterspersed inevitably with Q.C. remtance of identifying strategies to
iniscences.
assist in resolving this problem.
On the following morning at 8.30 a
The long-overdue priority needs
special General Assembly-the highlist for the School that had
Students
getting
reading
for
a
friendly
game
of
light of the week’s program- was conremained unfulfilled, despite frevened at the School’s new auditorium. soccer against visiting alumni.
quent requests by the various
After the introductory remarks by the After remarks by Ms.Valencia Bailey, Chapters, was emphasized. It was
President of the Guyana Chapter, the School’s Acting Head Prefect, and agreed that a temporary list would be
Laurie Lewis; hymns sung by the the vote of thanks by Mr. Stephen made available without further delay,
School Choir; and words of welcome Andrews (one of the younger students) with a more detailed list to follow withby the Principal, Ms.Friedel Isaacs, the for which he received a standing ova- in four months.
students, staff and invited dignitaries tion, the morning proceedings culmiThe ICQC Annual Business
and guests were addressed by the Hon. nated with a rendition of the School Meeting was held on Friday,
G
6
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
September 28, at the Georgetown Club
from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Delegates
presented their Chapters’ annual
reports and discussed various matters,
including ways of alleviating the
teacher shortage problem, the need to
resuscitate the prominence of sports at
the School, the establishment of an
ICQC website to serve as a portal to all
Chapters, and the status of the N.E.
Cameron History Book project. The
ICQC Executive Board for 2008 was
duly elected and it was agreed that the
next ABM would be held in Florida
that year. Lunch was provided at the
Georgetown Club, compliments of the
Guyana Chapter.
On the lighter side of things, delegates and guests enjoyed themselves on
various occasions that included a cocktail reception hosted by the Hon.
Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister of
Guyana, himself a QC alumnus; a creole breakfast; and a black pudding and
souse lime. They also attended football
and cricket matches, played between
present and past students, and the
annual QC Sports Day that was held at
the Georgetown Cricket Club ground.
Some delegates also availed themselves of the opportunity to tour the
GUYEXPO 2007 (business and trade
fair); to visit places of interest outside
of Georgetown; and to make getaway
trips to a few of the resort areas in the
interior, including the magnificent
Kaieteur Falls.
A very productive and satisfying
ICQC meeting and reunion was experienced by all those who attended, the
result of the hard work and excellent
organizational and other arrangements
that were put in place by the Executive
of the Guyana Chapter.
Toronto’s delegates were Gerald
Alleyne, David Singh, Albert
Ramprasad, Roland Carryl, Ron
Wharton, Leyland Muss, Eden Gajraj,
Ashmat Safraj, and Kemahl Khan, constituting the largest overseas representation at the event.
….. ARK
Attended QC 1951-1958
Weston “F” House
The Brunch is Back!
fter an absence of one year, and funds raised, was the result of
our traditional and ever-enjoy- careful planning and execution for
able annual Father’s Day which our Chapter’s Executive
Brunch took its rightful place once Committee members and all those who
more among our events in 2007.
helped to push the sale of tickets are to
Held on Sunday, June 10 at the be commended.
Cedarbrook Community Center in
Plans are already afoot for the 2008
Scarborough, the event was very well Brunch which we hope would be an
attended by some 230 supporters who even greater success; so all fellow
partook of a varied Guyanese cuisine alumni are being asked to mark on
while being
their calentruly enterdars- Sunday,
tained by a
June 8- for
mix of artistes
this popular
that included
event and to
both former
promote
it
and new peramong their
formers. The
relatives and
audience was
friends in the
loud in their
months prior
appreciation
to the schedof the musical,
uled date.
dance,
and One of many lucky door prize winners at the brunch. For details of
comedy items
the Brunch
that were selected to ensure variety and please visit our Chapter’s website at:
maximum satisfaction.
www.qcalumnitoronto.com
The resounding success of the
event, both in terms of the attendance ARK
A
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
7
Tributes to Clement Yhap
did not know Clem before I joined
the staff of Queen's in 1955. But I
certainly knew of him from my
brother, Geoffrey Moore, whom he had
taught at Saints. For Geoffrey he was
the greatest thing since the alphabet
was invented. I was bombarded with
stories about this man who brought
mathematics down to earth and whose
attitude to the universe was so engaging.
A week into my time at QC, Clem
drew me aside one afternoon and, with
a conspiratorial look on that normally
impassive face, he said -" Just a bit of
advice from one who, like you, did not
tread the hallowed corridors as a boy.
To get on well here, you have to live
comfortably with some unusual personalities." Then, with wit and stammer reinforcing one another, he treated
me to a run-down of the oddities and
eccentricities of a number of our colleagues, not leaving out his own.
Finally, he added with a broad smile"by its own confession this school is
unique and you will have, somehow, to
become unique yourself! “
This conversation was a boon to one
just beginning his teaching career and
who had known Queen's only from the
outside. In those early days Clement
was like a benevolent uncle to me, offhandedly passing on nuggets of his
own wisdom. Near the end of my first
year, Clem gave me what he called ‘my
report card’ - " Not bad for someone
not bred to this atmosphere but remember, in the staff-room, let your ear do
more work than your tongue."
I was his colleague for some 10
years and the better I got to know him
the more I admired him. He was a gem
of a man: humble, far-seeing, a teacher
whose methods were as unorthodox as
they were effective. Faithful to his
God, he was equally faithful to the
School. He had strong principles and
his hold on them was tenacious. He
knew how to keep in tandem the
authority of a master and the compassion of a very understanding man. The
’Balance’ was always there. The pride
he felt in being headmaster of Reginae
Collegium was matched by his
achievements. He was simply superb.
No one taught by him can ever forget that dead-pan countenance and the
stammer that made his wit both so
telling and so much enjoyed in retrospect. When we remember him, as we
will often do, it will be with a smile and
with the gratitude of many of us who
were taught by him. And those of us
who were his colleagues will continue
to feel privileged to have lived in the
same era as he.
The warmth his memory inspires
goes to his family in whom he had
great joy and who sustained him in his
magnitude. Like so many others, I feel
diminished at his passing and send my
heartfelt sympathy to Mrs.Yhap and to
his grown-up children.
am privileged to have been both a
student of Clem’s in my final year
as a student at Queen’s College in
1951 – 52 and also a colleague of his
on the staff of Queen’s College from
1957 when I joined the staff as a graduate master until he retired in 1971.
This was the very year the school
moved to its new premises at Thomas
Lands. On the staff we all called him
Clem.
Clement P. Yhap (I never did know
his middle name) came over to Queen’s
College from St Stanislaus’ College in
September 1951 to teach mathematics,
but more importantly from the point of
view of the Upper Sixth mathematics
students of that year, to allay their fears
that they might have to face their exam-
I
ination without having completed the
mathematics
syllabus.
Norman
Cameron, our substantive mathematics
teacher, had proceeded on leave and, as
was the custom at the time, was expected to be away for six months. Clem
threw himself into the fray from the
moment he arrived with fervour and,
with the solid, disciplined, academic
background gained at his Alma Mater,
Saint Stanislaus’ College, this rather
young, but nevertheless mature, master
took us safely through the rest of the
course leading to the London Advanced
Level examination in June 1952. He
had at the time a Bachelor’s General
degree but, within two years of arrival
at Queen’s and, perhaps after proving
his mettle as Q.C. master, he went up to
Campion Hall, Oxford, to read for the
Honours degree in mathematics. The
then Headmaster, V.J.Sanger-Davies,
was keen that his teaching staff should
be as fully qualified as possible. Clem
did qualify with an Honours degree and
he duly returned to the staff of Queen’s
College where he continued to teach
mathematics. He rose up the ranks in
due course to become Headmaster in
1969 after Doodnauth Hetram retired in
1969. He himself retired in 1971.
As Queen’s College students we
saw the act of leaving his old school, St
Stanislaus’ College, to take its arch academic and sporting rival, Queen’s, out
of the lurch as an act of broad-mindedness and genuine concern on Clem’s
part and as nothing less than magnani-
8
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
I
Bobby Moore
Former Q.C. Master (1955-1965)
mous. He taught with matchless efficiency. If you were fortunate enough to
have been his student in the late fifties
and the sixties, you would doubtless
have either been subjected to, or been
witness to, his dry wit and repartee. If
the occasion demanded, you would not
be spared a caustic reprimand. One of
his main pillars of successful teaching
seemed to have been home-work and
he would be seen entering the school
building through the entrance in the
eastern ‘basement’ laden with homework exercise books which could only
be carried on his two open palms at the
ends of his extended arms. This earned
him the fond sobriquet ‘Balance’. This,
it is generally believed, was the true
derivation of this famous nickname
which must have been one of the bestknown Queen’s College nicknames of
all time.
It was Clem Yhap who made the
bold attempt to counter the effects of
the scarcity and (sometimes) unavailability of foreign exchange at the start
of the seventies by encouraging the recycling of used school text-books and
by starting the Q.C. second-hand bookshop. He would himself supervise the
pricing of books and the general business proceedings of the book-shop, as
he would the selling of uniform materials, tetrex, shirts and school crests for
which he was largely personally
responsible. It became necessary to
have crests knitted locally, since no for-
eign currency was made available for
the purchase of any item of school uniform at that time. The running of this
enterprise was also undertaken personally by him. He found time to do things
as mundane as these as well as to
administer the affairs of the school as
Head at a time when funds were
extremely
scarce.
Clem,
as
Headmaster, understood the importance of ‘manning’ the classes that had
to be taught. He understood fully that
the main function of a school was to
teach. In order to fulfill this function,
one needed to have teachers in the
classroom.
He
personally,
as
Headmaster, initiated time-tabling procedures and would spend nights in the
school building along with other senior
members of staff ‘juggling’ the time
table which consisted of thousands of
coloured pieces of thin cardboard on a
large sheet of ‘sellotex’. He saw timetabling as an on-going process, especially when staff were constantly arriving or leaving and when there were
clashes which had to be resolved. In all
of this he took an important part. In
short, in spite of the tremendous pressures to which Q.C. was subjected at
the beginning of the seventies, he was
able to succeed in maintaining the standards to which Queen’s College was
accustomed. Perhaps one aim which he
failed to achieve was to upgrade the
status of School Prefects. He held the
view that prefects should be regarded
am sorry to hear of the passing of
‘Balance’. I do not know if Mr.
Yhap used it in all his classes, but I
was in a class in which he explained to
us that an algebraic equation has to be
equal. To demonstrate this, he held out
his two hands and moving them up and
down, simulating a scale, he said that if
you have a pound of saltfish in one
hand you must then put a pound of saltfish on the other hand, then you are in
balance.
I fondly remember Mr. Yhap putting me in detention - he would look at
me and say “Assanah duh-- duh-- dirt”,
meaning that I had to work in the garden in front of Sanger's house. I was
also privileged to be in another class of
his during which some workers could
be seen cleaning the trench alongside
Thomas Road. I was intrigued by what
they were doing so I was gazing at
them through the window. Mr. Yhap
came over to my desk, and said “Yes
Assanah, keep on looking at them - that
could be your chosen profession, sho-sh-- shovelling mud, shovelling mud!!”
The ‘Balance’ had a wry sense of
humour. I guess he needed that to deal
with students of our ilk. I feel compelled to recount these anecdotes following the plethora of e-mails that I
have received since his passing. It were
as though my fellow alumni were
reaching out to me, to share my
thoughts on Clement Yhap who is now
I
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
as Junior masters (the word ‘masters’
being used here as a generic term) and
that prefects should be addressed as
‘Prefect This or Prefect That’. This
view did not find favour with the staff
who saw some of the measures being
contemplated as an attempt to encroach
on and to erode their authority. These
proposed measures, needless to say,
caused a lot of resentment among the
staff and they were soon abandoned for
lack of support.
It is truly remarkable that a man
who truly believed in having the
‘courage of one’s convictions’ (a
favourite phrase of his) could have
striven so hard to advance the interests
of a school that did not nurture him.
Indeed he held nothing back in the professional performance of his duties,
either as teacher or as Headmaster. He
did behave in a manner that was true to
his convictions that, as a professional,
his mind and his loyalties were to be
with Queen’s College. His must be
seen as one of the ‘notable departures’
among the past headmasters of Queen’s
College.
Clarence Trotz
Student: 1945 – 1952
Temporary Member of Staff: 1952 - 1953
Graduate Member of Staff: 1957 – 1980
Headmaster - 1974
probably looking down on us all and
saying, “AH --- AH, I touched so many
lives, scattered in so many countries,
the world over”.
Maybe Bogus, Browsie, Ham, Dood,
Chuni, Eddie, Lynette, Bupps, Sanger
are giving ‘Balance’ a hearty welcome
to that place beyond our earthly
sojourn.
May he rest in peace, and may the
light of the Lord Eternal shine upon
him.
Patrick E. B. Assanah
Attended Q.C. 1954 - 1961
Cunningham "K" House
continued on page 10...
9
Tributes.........
I
received the news of the passing of
Clem Yhap (affectionately known
to so many of our classes of alumni, as ‘Balance’).
News of his passing invoked in me
deep personal reflection and sadness.
In fact, it was rather coincidental that
just about the time of his passing I was
chatting at my home out here in Liberia
with an electrical engineer gentleman
by the name of Ian Yhap whose father
is Guyanese and was married to a
Liberian woman. I was asking him
whether his father and he were related
to ‘Balance’. He was unsure, as he
himself never visited Guyana and has
lived most of his life in Liberia. But he
said that his father told him of an old
man named Yhap living somewhere in
Canada who was closely related to
them. Ian promised to check and let me
know. If indeed they are, then
‘Balance's’ lineage runs as far as
Africa. But ‘Balance’s’ impact and
spirit certainly does run that far and
well beyond Guyana, as he was
undoubtedly one of the many personalities at Queen's College that touched
my early life immeasurably and irreversibly. Throughout my entire years at
QC for some reason ‘Balance’ never
taught me Math (I am sure I would
have been better for it had he done so).
However, I do remember his taking
one or two classes when a master was
absent and what a special treat that was
for us all. A consummate, accomplished teacher and professional he
was.
But there was another side to
‘Balance’ .The principal reason for
‘Balance's’ special place in my heart
derived from when I was in the Sixth
Form. When the time came to pay for
‘A’ Level exams, my parents were
unable to meet most of the exam fees.
‘Balance’ took the problem to the St.
Vincent de Paul Society, a Catholic
society that helped the less fortunate in
Guyana. He convinced them to pay the
shortfall in the fees .In addition, there
were some funds remaining and he
allowed me to use them to have a
school blazer sewn. Prefects and leading sports personalities at that time traditionally wore school blazers on special occasions. That blazer, greenlined throughout with a yellow cord all
around the entire jacket and the three
pockets, together with a lovely QC
Crest on the left breast pocket, is one of
my most prized personal possessions
from QC. I am sure one day it will be
an invaluable and important relic for
our QC archives. So special is it for me
that over the past 40 years or so I have
taken it with me to every corner of the
ten countries I have lived in since my
QC days. I just went into my closet and
took it out, had a good nostalgic look at
it, and then said a quiet prayer for the
peaceful repose of ‘Balance's’ soul.
When he gave me the fees and the
blazer, I vividly remember what he
said to me in his characteristic trademark stammer; "Laurence----you have--this with the----full blessings of the
St Vincent de Paul Society----do your
best at ‘A’ Levels----and all we ask --is
that---when you ---start to work---after
‘A’ Levels---make a small donation to
the Society". I did exactly that from my
first pay check from Royal Bank of
Canada in August 1969 .He was most
pleased.
For the records (and as set out in the
QC Book of Records where there is
also a photograph of him), ‘Balance’
served at QC for 20 years 1951 to
1971. During that time he rose to the
zenith of his career as the School's 12th
Headmaster between 1969-1971.
Gerald Alleyne, Eric Phillips and other
cohorts of that 70-71 class, in particular, will be better placed to speak to his
tenure as Headmaster, which by all
accounts was a refreshing one for its
open, transparent relationships and
democratic governance between students and staff, not witnessed for a
long time before that at our School.
There is absolutely no doubt in my
mind that his soul will rest in peace for
‘Balance’ was a special and decent
human being- another one of my quiet
QC heroes.
Farewell ‘Balance’!
Laurence Clarke
Attended Q.C. 1962-1969
Q.C. Sports Day
10
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
Guyanese In Toronto
Treated To Theatrical
Gem By Michael Gilkes
QUIZ
Answers
By
Saville A. Farley
1. Mr. Stephen Campbell
2. Mr. Barrington Brown
G
uyanese were
treated to a
fine theatrical
performance by veteran
Guyanese
playwright
and
actor,
Michael
Gilkes, when he
gave a riveting
Michael Gilkes North
American
debut of his play
“Last Of The Redmen” at the
Armenian Youth Center Theatre in
Willowdale on Sunday, September
16,2007.
Relating to the theme of the gradual
disappearance of the Guyanese soul
and identity, Gilkes (the lone actor
playing six roles) took us back to the
forties and fifties in Guyana when
Guyanese were trying to come to terms
with their imminent political independence and endeavouring to preserve
something of what is uniquely "our
own".
Humourous at times, but, for the
most part, poignant in its themes, the
play, among other things, made
Guyanese in the audience aware of the
factors which Guyanese youths of
today have to confront.
By and large the 400 or so in the
audience were delighted with Gilkes’
performance and they were given
much food for thought as they spent
what was surely a profitable afternoon.
As Gilkes takes his play to other North
American venues, Guyanese and West
Indians of the Diaspora will certainly
be treated to a presentation which will
make them ponder the realities which
the up- and- coming Guyanese genera-
tion face as they come to terms with an
uncertain future.
Seen among the audience were former Q.C. masters Dr. S.R.R. Allsopp,
Dr. Robert Moore, and Mr. Aggrey
King. Our Alma Mater was well represented and so was our sister college,
Bishops'.
Let's hope that we would be treated
to similar gems in the future.
Mention must be made of the sterling efforts of the production team,
comprising alumni Vivian Wong,
Lynette Spence and Nancy Rickford,
admirably supported by alumni,
Audrick Chung, Denis Chow-Woon,
Hewley Chung, Andrew Rodrigues,
Patrick Chan and Kemahl Khan. A
word of praise must be given also to
those alumni who were responsible for
ticket sales. The tireless effort of all
those involved contributed to the very
successful presentation of the play.
3. Old Man Falls. It should have
been called ‘Kaietuk Falls’, but
Barrington Brown’s “k” was
mistaken for an “r”
4. Bartolome de las Casas
5. 1638; Abraham van Pere
6. Timehri
7. 1972; built by the Wai Wai
Indians.
8. Sir Benjamin D’Urban; D’Urban
Park Race Course.
9. Stanley Place, Kitty.
10.By the Railway Line in Kitty.
Saville A. Farley
Soccer Past Versus Present
Time out for a friendly soccer game wih
students between ICQC sessions.
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
President Alleyne and other Alumni
offering encouragement to young students.
11
Among the Different
Amerindian Tribes
in Guyana
T
here
are
currently
nine
Amerindian tribes living in
Guyana - Ackawaois, Arawaks,
Arekunas, Caribs, Makushi, Patamona,
Wai Wai, Wapishanas, and Warrau.
Volumes of literature have been compiled over the years by anthropologists,
missionaries, historians, travellers,
government workers, miners, and
many others. Notable authors include
but are not limited to Rev. W. H. Brett
(“Apostle of the Indians), Sir Everard
Im Thurn, Sir Robert Schomburgk,
Charles Waterton, Fr. C. Cary-Elwes,
Dr. Audrey Butt-Colson, Sister Mary
Noel-Menezes, Janet Forte, and most
recently, the author, a specialist in
compiling reference material.
Comprising over nine percent of
Guyana’s population of some 750,000
and occupying more than 90 percent of
the landmass, Guyanese Amerindians
live in over 130 villages throughout the
country. They have a unique relationship with almost every phenomenon in
life. For instance, creation myths; the
start of life itself; light and darkness;
the sounds and colours of jungle creatures; shapes of leaves; plumage of
birds; origin of strife; traits of some
tribes; reason for hunting, fishing and
farming; the existence of the sun,
moon and stars - all have a unique
meaning originating in fascinating
myths and legends handed down from
generation to generation.
Amerindian culture, unlike ours, is
a process of accommodation with
12
nature. They may scrounge, pilfer and
kill too, if need be, but they never
infringe the laws of nature and they
never hoard. Their concern for ecology
and the environment and the balance of
nature is part of their belief system.
Indeed, ecology is woven seamlessly
into the fabric of their culture.
Everything in the forest and the surrounding area has a role to play in the
overall scheme of things and nothing is
wasted. They live in harmony with
nature and do not adulterate the landscape or endanger plants or wildlife.
Many of the technological contributions of their societies have already
been recognised by the native terminology. In Guyana, quite a number of
native products became current only
after the Europeans and other immigrants settled on the coast – pepperpot,
hammocks, balata, medicinal herbs, íte
palms and troolie leaves (for thatching
roofs). In their widely differing environments, the Amerindians adapted
and poured forth a stream of unique
inventions, each one a distinct
response to a local necessity: asphyxiating fish by the ground leaves and
roots of specific plants in the absence
of hooks and nets; bending twigs to
mark a trail or preventing one from
getting lost in the forest and to mark
their route. It was through these bent
twigs in Guyana and an Amerindian
line as a guide, that the cattle trail was
cut (1916-1920) from Surama in the
Rupununi to Takama in Berbice.
Amerindians are superb mimic of
the sounds of animals and birds. They
can mislead even the jaguar. For
instance, they bring the yarrow fish to
the surface through a slow seducing
whistle and can even reproduce the
mating call for the tapir. They bring
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
other fish to the surface by splashing
the water in such a way to mimic the
falling of ripened seeds. The
Amerindians showed settlers a range
of dishes based upon the forest plants
and animals, e.g., food from root crops
like cassava and yams, and oil from
turtle eggs. They can recognize medicinal properties in hundreds of plants –
knowledge that is a priceless resource
of the rain forest. Armed with the
knowledge of these plants, they used
peaiamen to fight goiter, headaches,
malaria, constipation and other illnesses. Ipecac from Amazonian roots cured
amoebic dysentry. Quinine from the
cinchona bark cured malaria. Curare
killed without affecting the heart.
These medicinal plants were eagerly
sought by the early colonists to supplement the old world’s pharmacies.
The Amerindians’ greatest contribution to modern Guyana was the help
they gave to colonists and subsequent
coastlanders in penetrating and understanding its hinterland. All expeditions
into the heart of the country and
beyond relied on the skills of the
Amerindians as guides, hunters, boat
hands, woodsmen or canoeists, knowing every treacherous rapid, jungle
trail, mountain, hill, tree, cataract or
waterfall. Indeed, it was these expeditions that opened Guyana to its nonAmerindian settlers and showed the
riches of the interior – forest products,
minerals, natural scenes and other phenomena that brought tourists.
Through trade, alliances and cooperation, the Dutch cultivated friendly
relationships with these people and
protected them from unscrupulous
Europeans. Early Spanish incursions
and slave rebellions were all put down
with the help of the Amerindians. They
policed the interior, served as intelligence gatherers, tracked runaway
slaves and provided valuable information that enabled the Dutch to understand the geography, wealth and vastness of the Essequibo region. This
information also helped the Dutch in
delineating Guyana’s frontiers with
Venezuela and subsequently provided
good support for the British in the territorial dispute in 1899. British
Guiana’s boundary demarcation that
began in the 1840s and subsequently
revised in 1906 and the 1930s could
not have been done without the help of
the Amerindians.
The following three well-received
publications by the author have all captured the above and much more:
Encyclopaedia of the Guyanese
Amerindians
A Photojournal of the Guyanese
Amerindians
The Rupununi Savannas: A Visual
Journey
Author: Lal Balkaran, CIA, CGA,
FCMA, FCIS, MBA
These publications can be reviewed by visiting the website at:
www.lbapublications.com and additional
information may be obtained by e-mailing
the author at lalbalkaran@rogers.com
Editor’s Note:
The versatile Lal Balkaran has written several reference books and dozens of articles
on a wide range of subjects, including the
very comprehensive “Bibliography of
Guyana and Guyanese Writers”; the very
valuable “Timelines of Guyanese History: a
Chronology 1498-2006”; the world’s first
dictionary in auditing published by
LexisNexis (Butterworths) in Toronto in
2003; and another guide on global accounting and related certifications published by
Wiley in the US earlier this year. Mr.
Balkaran spent five years in the Rupununi
savannas as a primary school teacher in
the early 1970s and travelled extensively
throughout Guyana’s interior.
My Encounter with Rodney
I
t was a Friday night in the midfifties, and, as usual, the Literary
and Debating Society was holding
its meeting in the History Room.
That night was special for me. I was
going to cross horns against a relative
newcomer to the Society in the form of
one Walter Rodney. I had been a member of the Society since around 1955 at that time Mr. E. R. Burrowes was the
Chairman. Rodney had joined Queen's
in the Fourth Form and right away he
was making a name for himself. He
was being groomed for the podium by
none other than that master of skilled
oratory, Mr. Robert Moore himself.
As far as I remember the opposing side
consisted of Rodney, Mr. Norman
Cameron, and Laurie (Trinculo) Lewis.
My side of the floor was represented by Habiboola Niamatali, one other,
and yours truly. If my memory serves
me right, we were going to debate
something on the relative merits of the
distaff side. Some days before the
debate, Lewis had asked me for some
pointers and I had assisted him. During
the debate itself, I recall Lewis saying
something to the effect that "If Marilyn
Monroe were to use her guiles on some
of you guys here, I am sure that you
would succumb to them.”
Before the start of the debate, Mr.
Dr. Walter Rodney
Cameron strode majestically into the
room like a dignified Roman senator,
and declared to the President, “Mr.
President, I do not know who the
judges of this debate are tonight, and
hence I am going to take my seat and
keep my peace”. With a declamation
like that, the President had no option
but to introduce the judges.
We were going to be debating ‘one
on one’. As far as I remember, the
other members of the team gave creditable performances, with “Trinculo”
uttering his passionate reference to
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
Marilyn Monroe. In my encounter,
needless to say, I was overwhelmed by
my skilled opponent, Rodney. He
demolished me with his inimitable
style, wit and presentation of facts. I
recall after the debate Mr. M. T. Lowe
advising us: "When you marry, make
sure you marry a fat woman, then you
are sure to get your money's worth”,
advice which I have yet to follow. Oh,
and another fact - that was the first
time we had taped the proceedings of
one of our meetings. Yes, Mr. S.R.R.
Allsopp had just returned from France
and had lent us his Magnetofone.
It was a big, ugly monster-eons
away from the sleek, tiny marvels we
have today- but it rendered such crisp,
excellent reproduction of the human
voice that we were even able to make
out traffic noises coming from Long
Road. Sadly, the tape was erased soon
afterwards, or else today we might be
treated to the voice of Rodney decimating yours truly. But then again,
who knows? Probably such a treasure
might have gone up in a certain conflagration ten years ago.
Saville A. Farley
Attended Q.C. 1952 – 1959
Austin “C” House & Cunningham
“K” House
13
DONATION$ TO
QCOSA, GUYANA
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Q.C. Alumnus
C l e m e n t
Sankat who
was
chosen
earlier
this
month after a
worldwide
search to act as
the
new
Principal of the University of the West
Indies St.Augustine campus in
Trinidad. Professor Sankat replaced
Professor Bridget Bereton who was
Interim Principal for a period of five
months.
Professor Sankat, who is also a ProVice Chancellor of UWI, graduated
from Q.C. in 1969 and pursued his
undergraduate studies at UWI under a
scholarship awarded by that institution.
At UWI he obtained the Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees in Mechanical
Engineering. He later earned his doctorate from the University of Guelph
School of Engineering.
He is also a Chartered Engineer, a
Fellow of the Institute of Agricultural
Engineers of the United Kingdom, and
a Fellow of the Association of
Professional Engineers of Trinidad and
Tobago. His research, development
and professional interests lie in the
areas of Processing/Storage of Tropical
Crops and Food Engineering,
Engineering Graphics and Machine
Design, and the Management of
Innovation. He has also served as
Chairman of the Caribbean Industrial
Research Institute (CARIRI) as well as
Chairman of the T&T Bureau of
Standards.
It is expected that Professor Sankat
will be confirmed as Campus Principal
at the next Council meeting of U.W.I.
in April 2008.He will take up his acting
14
appointment from January 1.
Professor Clement Sankat attended
Queen’s from 1962 to 1969 and was a
member of Nobbs “L” House.
Incidentally and/or coincidentally
Clement was taught ‘A’ Level mathematics, in which he obtained distinctions, by another Clement who will be
remembered fondly by the sobriquet –
‘Balance‘.
t the ICQC Annual Business
Meeting held in Guyana on
September 28 last, the opportunity was taken to make the following
donations:
• President Gerald Alleyne, on behalf
of the Toronto Chapter, provided
QCOSA with $1,000.00 CAN
($200,000 GUY) to augment their
Special Awardees Fund;
• David “Dudi” Singh, Treasurer, T.O.
Chapter contributed $250.00 US
($50,000 GUY) to the same fund.
His donation was made in memory
of his late father, Mr. David Dudistil
Singh, Snr.
• Kemahl Khan, VP (Comms. &
Membership), T.O. Chapter handed
over a gift package of 700 ball-point
pens and 700 HB pencils, valued at
$170.00 CAN ($34,000 GUY) to
QCOSA for distribution to deserving students of the School. The gift
was made possible through the generosity of T.O. alumni David Singh,
Albert Ramprasad, Harry Singh,
Roland Carryl, Audrick Chung,
Saville Farley, Eden Gajraj, Kemahl
himself, and a friend of our
Association.
A
Q.C. Alumnus
Jamal
Deen,
Professor
of
Electrical and
Computer
Engineering
and
Senior
Canadian
Research Chair
in Information
Technology at McMaster University,
who has enhanced his already impressive career by becoming the 9th faculty member of McMaster to be elected a
Fellow of the Canadian Academy of
Engineering (CAE)- the most prestigious honour aspired for by Engineers ARK
in Canada.
The CAE is one of the three member academies of the Council of
Canadian Academies, the other two
being the Royal Society of Canada
(RSC) to which he was also elected a
Fellow in November 2006 (an account
50-50
0 DRAW
W
DOOR
R PRIZES
S
CASH
H BAR
R
of which was carried in the April 2007
Saturday, January 12, 2008
edition of ‘The Scribbler), and the
8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Canadian Academies of Health
Sciences.
Thornhill Community Centre
Bayview Avenue
Dr.Deen attended Queen’s from 7755
(NE Corner of Bayview Ave. & John St.)
1967 to 1973 and was a member of
Cunningham “K” House.
Music by:
ARK
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
Victor Shim & The Surefire Band
& D.J. Jones
$25.00
Stemming
The Teacher
Brain Drain
s my friends and acquaintances
know, I have always been prone
to radical ideas (It was I who, a
few years ago, floated the idea of
approaching the Guyana government
with a proposal to purchase Queen’s
College). My thinking was: instead of
us alumni sitting here in Canada and
bemoaning the run-down condition of
the school, we should put our money
where our mouths are, buy the school
and run it our way. That idea didn’t fly
but I haven’t gone away. In fact here I
am with another ‘lateral thinking’ scenario.
As the years go by, it becomes
increasingly obvious that very few new
QC graduates are interested in joining
the QCAA Toronto Chapter. The
Executive is made up of many of the
founding members and the age range of
the Executive is the late 50’s to late
60’s. We continually agonise over the
future of the Chapter; some of us question its relevance in the minds of
today’s graduates. Even though I suspect that our gifts of funds and equipment to the School are appreciated, no
new grads are joining our Association.
A
Some possible reasons are:
1.Students might not be aware of our
Association or of its efforts.
2.Today’s students might not view
the Alma Mater with the same
respect and adoration that we did.
3.It may be that the QC esprit de
corps has dwindled due to a general loss of enthusiasm among staff
and students.
4.Perhaps students have less fun than
we did in our time (my spies tell
me that students are constantly
being shuttled between pre-school
lessons, school, then after-school
lessons and simply have no time
for extra-curricular activities).
5.There could be a global loss of
school allegiance brought on by
the Internet, cheap telephone and
travel facilities and a widespread
sense of entitlement and cynicism
among students and young adults.
Although alumni associations may
contribute material resources, building
morale and school spirit is a function of
the school principal and staff and a
topic that the QCAA, to the best of my
knowledge, has never addressed.
Here is the conundrum: if teachers
were better paid they could afford to
spend more time and effort teaching
students during school hours and
supervising extra-curricular activities
(reliable sources tell me that in Guyana
many teachers can only survive by giving extra lessons before and/ or after
school hours).
This line of thought leads me to the
suspicion that perhaps our Chapter’s
efforts through the years might have
been misguided. We have been sending
equipment and funds to refurbish the
School and to improve its educational
facilities but, since it is the teachers
who really have the biggest hand in
shaping the minds of students, we
might do the greatest good for the students and the School by shifting our
focus to nurturing the teachers.
Teachers are also people and parents
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
who need clothing, food, transportation
and all the normal necessities of life for
them and their children in order to
function and be happy (see Maslow’s
pyramid). I am told a secondary school
teacher in Guyana makes a salary of
approximately $300 USD per month
before deductions while the cost of living is considerably higher.
There are probably serious political
reasons why alumni associations
should not subsidise teachers’ salaries,
but I could see alumni associations
offering grants, bursaries and scholarships to teachers who excel in the areas
of not only academics but also mentoring and leadership. Candidates for
these awards could be chosen by
polling the student body.
Perhaps some of our alumni who
are teachers or who trained in the legal
profession might have some comments
and/or suggestions to offer on this matter. It would be interesting to hear the
points of view of some of the QC staff.
“It is teachers more than any other single group who determine attitudes and
who shape the ideas and aspirations of
a nation.”
Julius Nyerere
The Power of Teachers, 1966
Andrew Knight, Asst. Editor
Attended Q.C. 1960 – 1966
Cunningham “K” House
15
LAST LAP LIME 2007
TORONTO CHAPTER’S 2008 PROGRAM OF EVENTS
ALUMNI DONATION
The following events are planned for the year 2008:
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JANUARY 12
FEBRUARY
MARCH 23
APRIL 27
MAY
JUNE 8
JULY
AUGUST 4
SEPTEMBER
• OCTOBER
• NOVEMBER
• DECEMBER 7
- BISHOPS/QC TWELFTH NIGHT DANCE
- LITERARY EVENING
- ANNUAL APPRECIATION AWARDS
- ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
- GAMES NIGHT
- ANNUAL FATHER’S DAY BRUNCH
- NIAGARA FALLSVIEW CASINO TRIP
- LAST LAP LIME
- DAY-AT- THE- RACES, WOODBINE
RACETRACK
- ICQC ABM & REUNION, FLORIDA
- CONCERT (PROVISIONAL)
- EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & SPOUSES’
BANQUET
Visit our website at www.qcalumnitoronto.com for confirmation and details
of all events.
Prepared By Audrick Chung
V.P. (Programs), Toronto Chapter
Attended Q.C. 1955 – 1960
Pilgrim “E” House
16
ARK of Toronto handing over gift of
pens and pencils to Laurie Lewis of
QCOSA.
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
Remember the
2004 Boxing Day
Tsunami
ead this publication by Dr. Rambihar on using the lessons from the Tsunami to make a better world. In this
book he mentions QC as the origins of his innovative
ideas bringing a new thinking on math and physics to medicine, health and this book is available free full text by
Googling Tsunami Chaos and Global Heart.
R
“This book is intended as a memento, something tangible to
remind us of that day in 2004 when the earth shook,
unleashing one of the biggest natural disasters in recent history, leading to the largest humanitarian aid effort ever, a
self-organizing emergence of support worldwide.
It describes the global heart emerging after the tsunami as a
manifestation of chaos and complexity and proposes its use
in creating change, from heart health to peace, poverty eradication and development. It invites us to “rethink the world
and to use chaos and complexity to make a better world”.
READ this book by Dr. V Rambihar,
Toronto’s first South Asian community
cardiologist and use the Tsunami Effect:
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to improve your health
to improve your community’s
health
to change the world
What Bruce W Powe, Professor of
English
at York University and author of
“Towards a Canada of Light”, says of
the Tsunami book:
“This is a work of visionary intensity,
of visionary range.
New, alive,
inspiring,
and in itself a model of the
dynamism of which it speaks.
The book includes a section on Heart
Health for all and Heart Health for South
Asians (p 136)
The entire book is available free full
text at femmefractal.com or by Googling
words from the title -Tsunami chaos global heart.
He brings back the magic of reading too
by changing your perspectives,
enlarging them,
while you engage his words.
Grow the soul,
grow the heart.
This is our imperative now.”
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition
17
ICQC 2007
18
Delegates Registering for ICQC
Students at Special General Assembly
Part of the Audience at Special General Assembly
Head Table on stage in School Auditorium
Police Steelband at ICQC curry luncheon
Delegates relaxing on outing to Essequibo River bank
The Scribbler – December 2007 Edition