RE: Every time Ah Pass stage presentation Laventille Boys and Girls Government

2013-Nov-17-1600Hrs

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Orville Wolsey 73

RE: Group of Mausica Alumni with the Teacher (head tied) of the winning group

2013-Nov-17-1506Hrs

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Orville Wolsey 73

RE: The Mausica Alumni Trophy Best Folk Choir Living the Legacy

2013-Nov-17-1502Hrs

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Orville Wolsey 73

RE: Group of Mausica Alumni Anna Maria Mora holding trophy

2013-Nov-17-1453Hrs

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Orville Wolsey 73

RE: Presentation of the Mausica Teachers College Folk Choir Trophy

2013-Nov-17-1418Hrs

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Orville Wolsey 73

RE: Voices In meh head.

2013-Nov-17-0802Hrs

My Fellow Mausicans,

Ii's 3:35 a.m in Los Angeles, CA, and I can't sleep. I wanted to share some thoughts on our blog.

First, I want to thank Donald for liking my spirit. Most Mausicans have that spirit. It was planted there by the visionaries who taught us at MTC. They encouraged us to think big.; have big dreams.

So Donald, leh de wild animals have ah good time reproducing. More wild meat wen dey lift de ban!

Thanks for sharing the update on the status of the 2015 Reunion Committee. Perhaps we could have two events : one in Venice and the other in TNT.

Charity begins at home. Therefore, I would much prefer to cruise down the Caroni River and see the Scarlet Ibis roost at sunset. Many of us have never had that experience. Marj and I would prefer that cruise.

Another thought . What about putting up a monumental sign at the junction of the Highway and Mausica Rd?  Mausica Teachers Blvd. 1963-79.

I predict that next year the winners and most of the participating schools will sing folk songs that Mausica Teachers College Chorale Society recorded.

Okay, Maria. Time out over. Get back on de court or coach from de sidelines.

I remember those days when Mausicans were competing against one another at all those festivals. Competition was keen. Half a point separated  the winners who scored in the high nineties. It was mas.

By de way ,last week Wednesday, Nov 6th' I had a frightening experience on board a jumbo jet from Atlanta to Los Angeles. As the plane was about to land,  I felt it leaning precariously toward the left. I was upside down.  But why was nobody screaming? I may have wondered aloud, as a true Havenite, "Wat de *%#@ goin orn?" Like wen ah get ah bad drive on de freeway. Marj trying hard tuh break meh use of expletives. I really cannot recall everything. However, when the plane landed safely,

I had to rush to the washroom and void my stomach. I had to be assisted off the plane and take a wheelchair to Baggage Claim. I called a friend, Mike Nicholas, to pick me up and drop me to my hotel.  Early that morning, on my way to the bathroom, I fell heavily on my left side. I went down on all fours to make it back to bed. I called  Marj and requested that she take the next flight to LAX.  Later I talked to two friends, Dr. Delores Alleyne  and Dr. Rebecca Alleyne., mother and daughter, who suggested that I go immediately to either UCLA or Cedars Sinai Hospital. I called meh pardnah, Vince Samuel, who took me to Cedars. On my way there, my roommate, Carlsbury, called me to express his thanks for the birthday greeting I had sent him that same day,  Nov7th. When I described my symptoms to him, he informed me that he  had survived a similar experience. That information helped  remove my fears.

At Cedars, I had favorable MRI results and I spent the night for observation.  Presently feeling all right. About 90%. Marj is doing all the driving. .

By de way , if yuh see meh picture on Facebook, wit two different men entering and leaving ah hotel, doh jump tuh no outrageous conclusions. Efebo, Scratchie and Happy doh make no kaiso  on me! Ah was only holdin dey arm fuh support.

Wat! is 4:46 a.m. Ah gorn. Dey keep telling meh to take ah rest. So before wifey boof meh up. Ah gorn.

As usual,

Rodney Foster 68

RE: Codolences

2013-Nov-15-1541Hrs

Condolences to the family of Matthew James. I'm glad some Mausicans were able to attend the funeral. I remember him for the work he did in I. R. at the T&TUTA office, and the sessions he did in training Staff Reps.  He was very helpful in chatting with me when I was about to retire. His expertise will be missed. May his soul rest in peace.

Barbara Mellowes 66

RE: Posponement of forum carded for November 30.

2013-Nov-15-1317Hrs

Fellow Mausicans,

The men and women's forum that was carded for November 30 at UTT San Fernando has been posponed to early 2014.Will keep you informed as to the date,venue and time.

Praimraj Boodram

Sunset Villa

1969-'71

RE: "Living The Legacy"

2013-Nov-14-2125Hrs

Dear Errol and Mausicans,

Today we attended the The National Primary Schools Championship Awards Ceremony. It was beautiful.  It took all of us back to the days when we were at Primary Schools and involved as Choir Mistresses, Dance Tutors, Choral Speaking, Schools' Steel Bands, Drama,  and so much more.  You could always find a Mausican in Queen's Hall or in Naparima Bowl organizing, orchestrating or conducting.  Those of us who attended were Joan Parris Braithwaite, Yvonne Francois Pilgrim, Pamela Redhead, Annette Hunte Lessey, Liz Noel London, Alice Hume, Evangeline Vincent Davis,  Nginaa Uzoma (Valerie Thomas), Donald Graham and of course our every faithful photographer, Orville, and Maria, of course.    Thank you so much Orville for being there for us.  Now this is what happened.  We took the Challenge Trophy and the Replica.  Everyone felt that the Replica looked like a Challenge Trophy, it was the exact replica of the large one, but just a little smaller. When I took it to the Trophy Table, they were in awe and said that they were going to give the "replica" to the winner of the Secondary Schools' Folk Choir, because they had no trophy for them.  This Award Ceremony is happening today Friday.  Those of us there had not problem with this and I am sure that you all will have no problem with this.  Actually, the Sanfest Committee did replica plaques for each school, so that the schools received their replicas.

The school which won our Trophy was Laventille Girls' and Boys' R.C. Combined.  Would you believe that they won with "Every Time Ah Pass."  The teacher was so happy to meet us, she was ecstatic. She wanted to take a picture with us.  Pictures will be posted next week.  I presented the trophy to the winning school.  I cannot attend today so Nginaa (Valerie) will be doing the presentation.  Actually, she was actively involved years ago.  She is from the Southland.  Joan and others will be attending.  It was really a very spirit-filled experience for us all.    The school at which I taught when I left Mausica, Sacred Heart Girls' R.C. won most of the prizes.

After 5 of us went to lunch at a place calle Nichossa, at Gulf View. Joan introduced us to this and we really had some delicious food and the camaraderie was evident.  You all know that my brain is going a mile a minute now, so when the teacher of Laventille Girls' and Boys' Combined told me (of course, I had a chat with her) that she when she was searching for a folk song, that she went on the internet and found ""Every Time Ah Pass" and learned that it was from Barbados, she knew nothing else and was so happy to get a little history.  I thought ( when I came home) that I would go and share with her one of our CD's with the Mausica Folk Songs, so that she will have material to use in the future. She would not have to go searching.  I am again sure that you all will have no problem with this.  Enough now. Ah gorn. Ah need to sleep. Today was really great. Sorry that you all missed it.  PIcs will be posted next week.  Blessings.  Maria

Anna Maria Mora 70

RE: Rodney

2013-Nov-13-2009Hrs

My dear Rodney, I like your spirit. In case you haven't heard, hunting has been banned in T&T for the next two years. So that great Spirit, PAPA BOIS, must be smiling while wild meat mouths are grinin'. A wild meat lime could get limers spirited into prison. So your call may be too close for comfort in 2015. FYI, the 50th. Anniversary Planning Committee has passed the baton to an interim group whose mandate is to set up a 2015 Planning Committee. I expect this interim group to make its presence felt in due course. Before the 50th. Anniversary Committee ceased to function as a committee, it took note of the results of a questionnaire at the dinner which favoured a boat cruise for the 2015 celebration. So you can start imagining yourself on a half a kilometre long liner, looking over the starboard side as it is pulled by a tugboat through the "streets" of Venice. WOWWW!

Donald Graham, Sunset Villa, '71-'73

RE: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2013-Nov-08

2013-Nov-08-0621Hrs

Sorry to hear about Mathew James. Another Havenite gone. I still remember the intense debates we had over industrial relations and the role of representative professional associations. These debates though intense were also humorous.

Condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed.

Launcelot

Dr. Launcelot Brown 74

Re: Mausica Weekly Emails - Condolences

2013-Nov-06-2028Hrs

Condolences are extended to the family and friends of Matthew Leibert James who passed away on October 15th. Our Fairhaven brother attended college from 1969 - 71. Matthew who was originally from Tobago, taught at Mount Hope Junior Secondary School before serving as one of TTUTA'S Industrial Relations Officers.

Matthew was cremated at the St. James Crematorium following a service at the Tranquillity Methodist Church on October 22nd 2013. His funeral was attended by a number of Mausicans as well as other past and present members of the teaching fraternity. Glowing tribute was paid to him by his former Principal Mr. Clive Grayson, Immediate past General Secretary of TTUTA Peter Wilson and his brother Allister James.

Matthew will long be remembered, among other things, for his wit, his love of cricket and his knowledge of Industrial Relations which he never hesitated to share.

May his soul rest in Peace.

Angela McAlister, 1970-72.

Re: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2013-Nov-01

2013-Nov-06-0502Hrs

Rodney, your vision is huge!!!  Thanks for your commitment to what was once the beautiful campus of Mausica Teachers' College,  that magical place which attracted the best and the brightest, administrators, faculty, student teachers, and staff members, in general.  And where, I have always maintained, I spent the happiest 2  years of my life!  As I am sure we all remember, Mausica was born out of a vision of the Ministry of Education, in the awesome era of our then Prime Minister, Dr. Eric Williams.  And to which purpose, a special task force was established, and sent to England to study a variety of the best teacher's colleges in Britain.  Those members were charged with creating the plan for the one totally unique college of it's kind, the likes of which had never existed before in the entire Caribbean.  The college that would be a consolidation of all the insight they had received. The inimitable first principal of the celebrated and awesome. Mausica Teachers' College, Harry Joseph, was himself a member of that task force.  And may have been it's leader as well.  And here in keeping with our noble beginning, there is another vision, and call to action.

I will do whatever I can to assist.  I am also thinking that I can have my sister Marion scope around our many relatives in Trinidad for any suitable skills that may be applicable, and seek their contributions.  Maybe there are those of us that may feel compelled to do the same.  I also have an idea that the campus could be utilized in some way for a specialized, distinctive educational function, for specific target groups. What an amazing seed you have planted!  And what an exciting venture to propel us forward!!

Thank you much.  God Bless!!!  Joy Marshall Barnes, '64 - ' 66.  I really like this!

Joycelyn Marshall-Barnes 66

RE: Can We Talk?

2013-Nov-05-2011Hrs

My Fellow Mausicans,

Rodney Foster's vision of Mausica's 65 acres does not entertain our buying or maintaining those hallowed grounds.

Mausicans do not have the money nor the time to restore the Mausica Campus to its past glorious days. There will never be another MTC. The ruins have spoken and some of us have listened. Today calls for a new vision.  Can you imagine the reactions of those who first heard of the dreams of some visionaries to build a pre-service, residential teacher-training college on productive sugarcane fields and citrus groves? Fifty -five young men and fifty-five young ladies  receiving free room and board, plus a stipend of   sixty dollars a month. Let's thank God and the government at that time for taking action to fulfill the dreams of those" crazy people".

Opposition must have been fast and furious.: " You want to pay dem young people three hundred and thirty dollars a month? Harry Joe, Carlton Gomes, allyuh must be crazy. Tuh besides all dey go want tuh do is play "sports and "chess".

Fast forward the clock to July, 2013 and let us shape  responses to what we saw on our last visit to our former MTC.

Foster sees us as well- qualified consultants, not using our money to fund the development of the campus, but working together with the government of the day to maximize the use of that land. It's the government's land and they have the money and responsibility to help the community. We have the expertise in several areas to help complete the new masterpiece.

Recently, Foster read an article about a name change in Laventille. Old St Joseph Road will now be called Bertie Marshall Boulevard. What a deserving tribute to an icon in the history of pan. Foster recalls jumping in Forsyth Hylanders, de young people band. A band of panmen and inventors who introduced   electrified pan and the tenor base.They mastered the classics playing such tunes like Gypsy Ronda and  Let Every Valley Be Exalted and others by Bach, Mozart and Bethoven. Dose were de days of chipping down Frederick Street and going down by Police Headquarters tuh listen tuh sweet pan.

My friends, all it takes is a few of us to present our visions to the right sources. Finbar gave credit to our Mausican Brother, Jack , for making the call to facilitate our "Return To Mausica".

By de way, will there be a reunion in 2015? Let's start the planning now. Inform us on the costs so that we can put them in our budget.  Let's take a poll.

"All in favor of a return to TNT say Aye".

Let's go further East. Like Grande. Maura Couselall and Graham, what about ah wildmeat lime in Grande or Toco. Up North, a day down Pier 1 or Chagville and of  course a big concert at MTC.

Enough fuh now. Ah gorn.

Rodney Foster

66-68

Rodney Foster.

66-68

RE: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2013-Nov-01

2013-Nov-04-0848Hrs

Yes, Ansel.  It is true.  This was a concern for me that it passed without the Mausica community having too much info. about this.  I was at another funeral, while his was going on.  There was nothing on this blog.  If anyone knows any details or attended the funeral, please give some feedback.  Maria

Anna Maria Mora 70

Re: Fwd: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2013-Nov-01

2013-Nov-02-1626Hrs

Greetings to all my fellow Mausicans.This is an open invitation to attend a MALE ONLY and FEMALE ONLY Forum at the UTT San Fernando Campus,formerly the San Fernando technical Institute on Saturday 30th November,2013.Come and hear some great lectures and have your questions answered.This would be a great experience especially for the diabetics among us.

This Forum is made possible by the Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago.For further information you can call  672-2379,0864 or 293-0007.Please make every effort to attend.It's in your best interest and it's FREE!! FREE!!  FREE!!!

Yours truly,

Praimraj Boodram,

Sunset Villa'

1969-71.

Re: Fwd: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2013-Nov-01

2013-Nov-02-1143Hrs

Mausicans:

Perhaps a wilderness, a bandan, is the legacy we want? Could this be the message that is being sent? Silence and inaction for nearly forty years may be message enough.A few may whip a dead horse, but that will not make him run.

I have seen old ruins, in Herculaneum- excavated from the explosion of Vesuvius, in Rome, Genoa, in Barcelona, in London and other parts of England,in Saudi Arabia and in Bolivia. Ruins tell their own story. If we "redo" Mausica at great expense, who will inherit it, care for it, prevent it from going to ruin again? Perhaps, like the American soldiers who liberated Europe in WW11, we could met until only one of us is left standing. The real memorial is that we changed the lives of many young people, in a unique place.

These buildings and land are government property. The same government(CIVIL SERVANTS STAY ON. POLITICIANS CHANGE)that closed it down must want it as a ruin.  Centeno lives on. "Take That, you young people who thought you were so much!" may be the attitude of those who did not go there.

Linda Edwards

RE: From Mausica to you!

2013-Nov-02-1122Hrs
Lunch anyone?
Kent Rennie 68

Re: Fwd: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2013-Nov-01

2013-Nov-01-1252Hrs

Great idea as usual Rodney and Marj. Even if a small caucus concur, there remains the need for the next steps to be put in place.

1. Agreed Vision for the building... Performing Arts, Learning Institution / a specialist Centre for the slow or the brilliant and should the building be residential?

2. Architect designs

3. Land acquisition process

4. Approved Planning

5. Financing for Building

The ball needs to start rolling and tasks/responsibilities assigned

Blessings

Dr. Merle Baker 68

RE: Rodney's ideas

2013-Nov-01-1010Hrs

I hear what Rodney is saying. And I listened to Efebo on this while we were on campus as part of reunion celebrations.

I think we have to be realistic. That 64 acres of absolutely prime land will not be set aside as a museum by any government. 

I think that some of the activities for which the space is currently used --mainly the training and moulding of Youth are vital and in keeping with our values...the idea of Moulding a nation.

The Milat /Mypart Academy now occupies the space. Here is the url.

http://milatmypart.blogspot.com/

If they could develop the space more fully to hone these youth, that I think will be satisfying for most of us.

I also think that the space could also be used to consolidate UTT teacher education programmes.

I would like to see the whole place modernized and used for education purposes, rather than,say, to expand a chicken farm.

We need a human project for posterity. Many Mausicans are now in the third semester of life, and we are seeing weekly the consequences of that. Perhaps a document that tries to include a photograph of every single Mausican who ever graced the hallowed place, including lecturers, along with a paragraph about them.

Scratchie

Theodore Lewis 69