Dear Editor,
I attended Saint Stanislaus (1977-1982) with Winston Brassington’s brother (my classmate). Winston was a class below us. We were smart, privileged and elitist. This resulted in us being aloof and arrogant. Our only focus was to become leaders and date those good looking girls from Bishops’ and St Rose’s, while beating the crap out of the boys at Queen’s as well as those at the aforementioned schools.
In addition to being smart, we were athletes taught by Jesuit Priests not to be wimps, but to be men. For example, we had to settle disputes by a pair of boxing gloves. I belonged to Etridge House, a bunch of tough guys. Other houses were Butler, Galton and Weld. Winning was all we wanted in love and in war.
The Jesuit priests were the foundation of our character. Aeterna Non Caduca. Father Bernard Darke is a martyr, he was tough and stood for the truth. Moreover, he was the scout master whose leadership caused us to be survivors under any conditions.
We were taught self sufficiency long before it was in vogue. We had the only functioning farm at Sophia where each class was bussed once a week to grow our own food, harvest eggs and fish as well as milk our own cows. Yes, slaughtered and pluck chickens. We got mud and bovine waste on our shoes. Our classmates from the rural areas taught us city boys a thing or two on the farm. For this reason, we became better all round leaders.
Most of us migrated to North America because there was very little appetite for mediocrity and political tomfoolery. As such, hats off to guys like Brassington, Minister Patterson, Nizam Hassan, Nigel Hughes, the Fernandes clan, and the rest of the Saints old boys and girls club that strive to bring Guyana beyond 1966.
I challenge those who are unaware of Saints’ (1970 – 1983) credo to do the research and interviews. We need more Saints guys and gals in leadership positions both government and private sector. Aeterna Non Caduca (Not for this life alone, but for eternity.)
Yours faithfully,
Keith Bernard aka Cheddie
