Dear Editor,
At the height of Rome’s power and influence in the ancient world it used to be said that a thousand roads forever lead to Rome. This past weekend it would have appeared that all roads led to Toronto, the capital city of the Province of Ontario and the hub of Canada’s commercial, financial, industrial, and cultural life.
Toronto was the conflux not only of the world’s leaders attending the G8/G20 Economic Summits, but also of alumni of the JC Chandisingh Secondary School (formerly Corentyne High School) who were in town to attend the school’s seventy-second anniversary reunion dinner and dance (R2010) at the Empire Banquet Hall.
A June moon in partial eclipse early on Saturday morning, followed by several hours of rain, was taken by some as a prognostic of a most memorable and eventful day ahead. By 5pm the rain abated and grads, elegantly dressed in evening formal, began streaming into the Empire Banquet Hall. The long-awaited Reunion had begun. It would be successful beyond all expectations.
The cocktail interlude is regarded as the Reunion’s first blush and is for some perhaps the most magical because one never knows which long-lost classmate, former teacher or student one may meet or get introduced to. As one grad put it, it was a tumult of “everybody looking for everybody” and of time coming to a standstill as everything appeared to happen all at once. It was indeed an hour full of many pinch-me and Kodak moments.
The MC of the evening, Ms Jackie Seecharran Janki, moved the programme along with engaging charm and clockwork timing. The formal part of the programme started with a stirring rendition of the national anthems of Canada and Guyana by Ms Jennifer Sohan. Syd Latchana, Reunion Co-coordinator, delivered a rousing welcome address thanking the more than three hundred grads who had come from various parts of the world at great personal sacrifice.
He also thanked the R2010 committee comprising Ms Dee Sheiker Baldeo, Ms Jackie Janki, Ms Shiran Haripersaud, Ms Beauty Ramotar, Rajin Balkissoon, and Aslim Khan for the many hours of work needed to pull off so admirable an event of such magnitude. Special thanks were expressed to Ms Valerie Madhoo and her daughters Anita, Camilla, Sabrina, and Ruby for the crucial duties they performed on Reunion night. Valerie’s father, Parmanand Singh, was one of our grads from the Class of 1947. As one may expect, “the labour is great, the glory there is none.”
Special mention was made of the monumental contribution of former Headmaster JC Chandisingh, MBE to the quality of education students of the Corentyne were privileged to receive at high school. Posterity must allow every man his true value and his proper honours, and Mr Chandisingh has earned his full measure of respect.
A touch of sparkle was added to the evening’s entertainment by the captivating dancing of Ms Amber Deonarine and Ms Rachael Indira Sonley. Amber is the daughter of Harry Deonarine (Class of 1976) and Nalini Raghunandan Deonarine (Class of 1980). Rachael is the daughter of Douglas Sonley and Suenaina Raghunandan Sonley (Class of 1977). Later in the evening grads were treated to a sumptuous buffet dinner. The food was catered by Calypso Hut, a restaurant owned and managed by one of our grads, Peter Jaikarran.
It should be mentioned in passing that one of the owners of the Empire Banquet Hall, Mr Mohan, is also a grad of JCCSS.
One of the high points of the evening was the launching of a book Improving Public Accountability written by Dr Anand Goolsarran (Class of 1968). Dr Goolsarran, who at one time served as Auditor General of Guyana, will donate the net proceeds to his old school.
We also wish to pay tribute to grads of our school who are officers in the Toronto Police Service, especially Lieutenant Kevin Sarjoo, for courageously keeping the peace in downtown Toronto while the G20 Summit was in progress.
There was ample time in the course of the evening to meet classmates, schoolmates, and former teachers.
Our school, founded in 1938, produced many legends marked out for the highest distinction, and Reunion night provided a precious opportunity to get to meet some of them and capture the moment on film. Friendships were renewed, new friendships forged, email addresses and phone numbers exchanged against the din of music¸ laughter, happy conversations – all the things which give relish to life and meaning to existence.
Alas and all too soon it was time say our goodbyes. I recall my high school English master quoting Cicero many years ago, “I am not aware whether, with the exception of wisdom, anything better has been bestowed on man by the immortal gods.” Cicero was speaking about friendship.
Yours faithfully,
Rishi Singh
