The verdict is in.
“We were overwhelmed by the response.”
Ian Watson, president of the Combermere School Alumni Association in the United States, and Harold Jones, chairman of the association’s board of directors, used those words to summarize their report card.
Ian Inniss, immediate past president of the old scholars of one of Barbados’ oldest and most famous secondary schools, endorsed the assessment.
“It was fantabulous,” he said.
“We missed every Combermerian who wasn’t there.”
What they were commenting on was a week-long global reunion held in the New York metropolitan area towards the end of last month. It was the first of its kind arranged by former students of any secondary school in Barbados, and lived up to its theme of Unity among Combermerians who span the socio-economic and professional spectrum.
“It underlined the spirit of our school, unity, and the importance of coming together,” said Inniss, a coordinator of the unique event.
“It was an amazing venture, planned and undertaken by four organizations of former students in New York, Canada, Britain and Barbados.”
Highly respected Bridgetown business owner Rawle Brancker, Peter Lashley who represented the West Indies at cricket, Livy Goring who served as Barbados’ Consul General in New York in the 1970s, Brooklyn travel specialist Basyl Barrow, and Barbados Association of Retired Persons president Ed Bushell were among the students when the school was at Weymouth and attended the reunion in New York City.
Sir Wesley Hall, who attended Combermere in the 1950s, spoke to the matter of unity and the school’s traditions of moulding sound character, providing Bajans with a first class education and teaching the youth about life in and outside their birthplace.
Delivering the feature address at a gala awards dinner at Brooklyn’s Grand Prospect Hall, Sir Wesley, an international cricketing icon who served as a Cabinet minister and later as president of the West Indies Cricket Board, told the 300 plus guests that his alma mater played a vital role in fashioning his own life as well as the careers of thousands of others.
And it did so with aplomb, he said. That was why it was imperative that the present generation of Combermerians take up the baton and pass on the school’s tradition to succeeding alumni and the society at large.
Tribute
Sir Wesley paid tribute to the work of Ronnie Hughes, the noted historian who taught at the school more than a half-century ago, guiding and educating students while contributing to the development of the school’s sporting traditions.
Actually, the reunion began with a Sunday afternoon church service that in the words of Pernell Farley, head of the visiting Waterford Music And Cultural Society Of Barbados,
“set the tone for the highly successful reunion”.
The service at St Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, a mostly West Indian parish of worshippers led by Reverend Eddie Alleyne, a Bajan, was attended by more than 200 people.
Dr Sean Jackson, a Combermere graduate who is now an outstanding organist in the United States, was at the organ, while Rev. Steve Foster, an Episcopal priest on Long Island, preached the sermon, emphasizing the spirit of unity and the school’s traditions.
“It was certainly a treat to sing during the service with Dr Jackson at the organ,” said Jones.
“Father Foster’s message was in keeping with the reunion’s theme.”
Next was a tour of Columbia University in Manhattan, Lehman College of the City University of New York, and Brooklyn Technical High School – a highly specialized academic institution.
Then there was a bus ride to Atlantic City on Tuesday and it was followed on Wednesday by a concert at Boys And Girls High School attended by at least 250 people. The Waterford Music And Cultural Society, TC, Biggie Irie, MADD, and Ebony And Taylo, a drama group, appeared.
“It was a magnificent concert,” said Farley.
A discussion on education and unity was held in Brooklyn. Among the panellists were Dr Calvin Holder, a Harvard University-trained history professor at Staten Island College; Canon George Bonner, rector of St Alban’s Episcopal Church; Vere Parris, principal of Combermere School; and Gerry Hall, who led the contingent from London.
The principal spoke about establishing an endowment at Combermere, explaining that the funds would be used to assist poor students, an idea which Dr Holder, Jones and others in New York have been promoting for years.
Parris also talked about the ties that bind Combermerians and expressed the hope that in two years, the reunion would switch to London.
The gala on Friday night helped bring down the curtain on the celebrations, with awards being presented to Goring, Winslow Seale, the oldest alumnus in New York, and Verona Sandiford-Murray of Britain.
The late Colvin Johnson, a Combermerian who lived in Canada, was honoured posthumously.
Sports day
The final event was a sports day at Floyd Bennett Field where hundreds of alumni, their friends and Barbadian officials played cricket, soccer, field hockey and other games for more than seven hours. Among those present were Senator Kerry-Ann Ifill, President of Barbados’ Senate and a Combermerian, and June Browne, the school’s deputy principal.
