NEC launches alumni association

At a cocktail reception launch of the association, tokens of appreciation were also presented to retired school principal, poet and writer Eva David-Swain and Amelia Cooper, wife of late Asst Police Commissioner Winston Cooper, who was awarded posthumously for his contribution.

Like Cooseelal and David-Swain, Cooper was among the first batch of students to enter the school in May 1961.

Up until his death in September 2014, he was widely known as a proud North Easterner and never missed a beat in highlighting the school’s positive attributes and how the institution moulded him as an individual.

In accepting her award, Cooseelal, a retired teacher, said her heart has always been with North Eastern College.

“As I told Ms (Jeslyn) Ramlal, the present principal, I belong to North Eastern College,” she told the audience, which included five decades of elegantly-attired alumni.

“I have two grandsons who attend this college at the moment and one of my sons also attended this college. So my heart is buried in North Eastern College, just as Winston.

“Winston was my dear friend from the day we entered North Eastern and until he passed. We were friends for nearly 53 years and some of the students from my time, from 61 to 66, we still meet and talk about our wonderful days at North Eastern College under the principalship of Mr Ralph Laltoo.” Cooseelal, who thanked the interim alumni association for acknowledging her with an award, credited Laltoo with shaping the school into the model institution it has been for many years.Cooseelal said although Laltoo was revered as a disciplinarian, he had also worked feverishly to assist students from impoverished families in farflung communities.

“North Eastern College was not a third-class school but a first class-school,” she said in the presentation.

Before the ceremony, Cooseelal also was featured in a video presentation which gave an historical overview of the school, dating back to its early days.

She recalled that the school was initially known as Sangre Grande Government Secondary School but became NEC in September 1962.

In brief remarks, David-Swain said the school had lived up to its mantra of being a “pleasant seat of sweet learning.” “And when you receive you should give back,” she said, noting the importance of such an association in assisting and mentoring students.

At its inception, NEC had an enrolment of some 105 students and was considered the premier learning facility in east Trinidad.

Today, the school has a population of some 1,025 students and 77 teachers.

And while groups of alumni have kept the flame burning through various get-togethers over the years, it was largely felt that a greater attempt should be made to establish a full-fledged association to assist with building camaraderie and fulfilling a range of developmental initiatives.

Last Sunday’s cocktail reception, hosted by Brent Elder and Louanne Henry, was the first step in making that dream a reality. Among its highlights were the unveiling of the NEC Alumni Association logo and historical snippets from alumni Indera Rambara, Hermoine James, Shilohna Phillanders and Sanjay Santokie about their experiences at the school.

Ingrid Ignatius, who attended NEC during the 1970s, also moved the audience with a stirring rendition of Luther Vandross’ So Amazing, in tribute to retired music teacher John Baptiste.

Baptiste, who is fondly remembered for strumming his guitar along the school’s corridors, led NEC to several National Music Festival titles. Saxophonist Bob Cain, Diedre Rahaman and members of the NEC Alumni Choir also performed.

Delivering the feature address, interim association president Dale Scobie said alumni associations could play a fundamental role in minimising societal crises.

“We live in a society that has become very individualistic, where individuals have sought their fortunes and our institutions have been crumbling. The family, churches, schools – our institutions seem to be falling apart. And it is an opportune time for us to seriously take on the challenge of building an institution,” he urged the gathering.

“Our country needs this effort.

We have seen the spate of murders, the spike in criminal activity and it has a lot to do with the fact that our institutions are not effectively passing on values.

“They are not building relationships and because of that, many are falling through the cracks. It is like a house that is badly leaking. We could become involved in mopping up the waters or we can take time to repair the roof.” Scobie, an attorney, said the association provided an opportunity for pooling resources.

“North Easterners are all over the world. They are involved in various community-building disciplines.

We have resources that are untapped and this effort, if embraced by all of us, could build not only the institution of the association but also strengthen the school.” An alumni association, he said, also offered an avenue to bring alumni of varying age groups together.

He said: “In our society, we still see the impact of the generation gap. There is a disconnect between the young and the old. Alumni associations and fraternities generally have the unique feature that when one enters into an alumni activity, there is usually a level of commonality where we enjoy the feeling we normally have with the institution, the pleasant memories we have had there and in the process we learn to appreciate each other.” Scobie, who entered NEC in 1964, told the audience the committee was preparing a draft constitution, on which it would seek feedback.

“It is a document which we hope at a later date will be accepted,” he said. Scobie said an alumni association must also be sensitive to things that have transpired within the walls of the school.

Referring to late student Rachael Ramkissoon, whose body was discovered in San Rafael, in January, Scobie said: “An alumni association that is conscious and sensitive to what is happening to its school, wherever alumni are, they will say something about it. They would raise a hue and cry and maybe only because of the strength of our numbers, the security forces would take note.

“The Government would take note, because they would realise that we, too, are doing something about it. We are pulling ourselves together, bonded by this institution that we love.” Scobie said alumni in other countries had applauded the effort of the interim association and were willing and ready to contribute.

“They are asking when they can make financial contributions,” he said.

The interim alumni association’s first executive election is expected to take place within the next few months.

Among the alumni attending the event were retired Deputy Police Commissioner Mervyn Richardson; Oliver Roopsingh; Usha Garib; Lana Derek; Jennifer Giuseppi; Camcin Francis-Merrique; Cheryl Scott-Alvarez; Bernadine Carter; Harvey Murray Jr; Beverly Baptiste, Nichelle Farrell-Windsor; Owen Smith; Jamilah Draper: Shelly Sutton, Johnny Willliams; Lucille Wilkinson and Kevin Davis.

PHOTOS: COURTESY NORTH EASTERN COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION