Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
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Dear Friends,
To change the routine, in this issue I am including a house construction project by Donald Goddard, and additional news on the Goddard brothers.
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From: Don Goddard (dgodda1@lsu.edu)
Sent: Tue 8/11/09 10:17 PM
Familia, amigos(as) y colegas:
Les tengo buenísimas noticias:
Por fin me jubile de LSU a partir del 31 de Julio.
Una pequeña empresa petrolera de California me contrato por dos años como asesor petrolero a tiempo completo.
Tienen varios proyectos de exploración y producción en USA, incluyendo uno en Australia.
Los dueños de dicha empresa, con sus ideas modernas, consideran que con estas computadoras y sistemas telefónicos de hoy sus empleados pueden trabajar desde donde viven.
Las reuniones se convocan cada dos semanas en New Orleans, que me queda a una hora. Que golilla!
Lo mejor es que no nos tenemos que mudar de Baton Rouge y la universidad me permite mantener mi oficina en LSU como se acostumbra con sus ex profesores viejitos, jubilados como yo. Por lo menos, estaremos cerca de nuestra hija menor quien comienza a estudiar en LSU dentro de dos semanas.
Para aquellos que necesitan visitar esta región de Louisiana favor avísenme. Aquí tiene un amigo.
Finally I have retired from LSU starting on the 31 of July.
A small oil company of
They have several exploration projects and production in the
The owners of this company, with their modern ideas, consider that with these computers and telephone systems of today their employees can work from where they live.
The meetings are summoned every two weeks in
The best thing is than we do not have to move from
At least, we will be near our youngest daughter who begins to study in LSU within two weeks
For those they need to visit this region of
Un abrazo para todos.
Donald
Donald A. Goddard
225.578.4538 (office)
225.975.0222 (cellular)
dgodda1@lsu.edu
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Casita Auto Sufficiente
From: Don Goddard (dgodda1@lsu.edu)
Sent: Wed 3/18/09 6:40 PM
The Godda...pdf (284.5 KB)
Mis Panas:
Debido a que varios de ustedes, así
Es para ser construida a la orilla
Teniendo todo los equipos y materiales, se puede construir en menos de dos semanas. La mía la pienso construir pronto en los "Florida Keys" al sur de
Esto no será un problema porque es a prueba de huracanes.
También tiene otra ventaja que es a prueba de "esposas cuaimas" por ser suficientemente incomoda que ellas no lo van a querer acompañar.
Que lo disfruten!!
Because several of you, as well as I, already viejitos and think to retire soon, here you have a self-sufficient small house.
It is for construction near the border of the sea. Having all the equipment and materials, it can be constructed in less than two weeks.
I plan to construct mine soon in “Florida Keys" to the south of
This will not be a problem because it is hurricane proof.
Also it has another advantage that is “spouses cuaimas" proof being sufficiently inconvenient for them that they are not going it to want to accompany you.
Hope you enjoy it!
Saludos, Donald
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From: Donald Goddard
Sent: Sunday, May 29,
Csaba:
I wasn't in the office because I took a few days off to go to
Regarding your trip, Christian and I will be in
Then on Saturday 25th Christian will head home to
I spoke to Christian about this and he is going to try to contact Mac Schuelt who lived in Anaco and I believe went to Mount.
All of us can go to dinner in
This fits in pretty well with your plans and you will also get to see Christian and perhaps Mac as well.
You'll notice that I'm copying some of the old farts here in order to make them envious of your trip and maybe convince them to make similar ones to visit old friends.
I've met my quota by visiting
The reunion was organized by Isaias and Urbano and we had wonderful time.
I'm very curious to know whether David's trip with Urbano to Canaima was an enjoyable one.
Have him tell you about his Venezuelan adventure so that you can pass it on to us.
We look forward to seeing you again after all these years.
Donald G.
. ----- Original Message -----------------------------------------------
From: Csaba Jakobszen
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 2:39 AM
Hi Donald,
Tried to call you yesterday but they told me you'd taken the week off.
I have contacted David Ames and Bill Groeschel and the latest standing is as follows:
We’ll be flying on June 15th or 16 to
Then, on Friday 24th, go to
In other words how about spending June 24 to June 28th with you.???
We are leaving for
Un abrazo
Csaba
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From: Donald Goddard
Sent: 7/15/2004 12:57:23 AM
Dear Ladislao:
As I read your discription of the daily mass we had to attend during our time at Mount (1953-1958), I recall that mass didn't seem to bother me too much.
What I didn't enjoy was having to go to confession once a week and invent sins.
This is no joke!.
I recall one time when I was probably nine or ten years old, I went to one of those weekly confessions and I began to speak with that lovely Trini accent with which we spoke in those days; "Forgive me Fada for I have sinned, it does be one week since me las confession but I cyant recall anyting I did dat was bad".
The priest answers me. "Well son, let me try to help you out and refresh your memory. Did you fight with anyone? Did you disobey anyone? Did you take anything that did not belong to you and did you tell any lies? Now let me hear you my son".
With such great prompting, I decided to come up with some terrible sins.
" Yes Fada now I does remember wat I did dat was very bad.
Two days ago I pelted Urbano wid one of Broder Joseph stale hops bread and he got one ugly black eye.
Yesterday I does stole some julie mangos dong de road and brother Swa caught me and pulled me ear, and four days ago I disobeyed me fada and me muda.
But as far as I does recall I have not tole no lies."
What was my big surprise after I felt so good that I had told all my sins, when all of a sudden he shouts at me through that little screen in his perfect Dutch accent.
"You are nothing but a big liar." I replied trembling. "Why Fada does you tink so."
And again I heard this loud voice from behind the little screen.
"First of all I just saw Urbano and he doesn't have any black eye.
Also, brother Swa as you so disrespectfully call that lovely, smelly man, has taken leave for the last two weeks and is not here.
And finally your mother and father don't live here at Mount."
All I could say was; "Ok Fada, you does be right .
For lying to you, instead of three Hail Marys I can say a whole rosary."
Quite upset by now, he finally said to me, "I make the rules here, not you and you will say not one but two rosaries, and next week you had better come back with some real sins and not such silly lies."
Well to make this long story short, from that day on and after having to say two long rosaries, I became so scared of lying that I started commiting real sins.
The following week I truely pelted Urbano and as many Mount boys as I could pelt with the hardest stale bread I could find.
Then I became the best mango thief at Mount and I ran so fast Swa could never catch me.
I even stole juicy and honey from dem behives.
Then I tried my best to disobey evey rule at Mount.
All of this, in keeping with the good Fada's advise to bring real sins to the confessional at not make up lies.
He was correct, and from then on for telling the truth and not making up sins, I only got three Hail Mary's and no long rosaries.
The moral of this true story is that you must commit as many sins as possible to keep our priests happy when you go to confession, but you must never lie. No, no, none of dat.
Well Ladislao, I'm quite sure that most Mount boys experienced similar situations when going to weekly confessions.
If any of you deny this you does be lying because I can name many mango tiefs and stale bread pelters like myself and you all know who you does be.
I won't name anyone out of respect.
Please pass this on to our group to see how many will admit to the TRUTH.
Best regards to all.
Donald Goddard
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From: "Donald Goddard"
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2003 08:06:39 -0800
Dear Ladislao:
Please don't even think about giving up your great work of maintaining the
I believe that most of us really do enjoy receiving your newsletter although our feed back at times is not continuous.
In my case, it's been two weeks since I checked my email at home and of the many I found this time, your MSB circular is one of those I like to read.
Best Wishes to all.
Donald Goddard
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From: "Donald Goddard"
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 20:36:59 -0800
Hola Ladislao:
Our brief history is the following:
None of the Goddard brothers actually graduated from Mount.
We arrived at Mount in 1953 at ages 8, 9, and 10.
In 1958, at age 15, Brian was sent to
He got his high school degree from here in 1961 and went on to study at
Also, in 1958 at age 14 years I was sent to another Catholic boarding school (Cascia Hall) in
Christian joined me at Cascia Hall in 1959.
We both graduated from here, in 1962 and 1963 respectively.
I went to
Christian stayed in
Brian still lives in
with my family in 1990.
In hindsight, we think that our parents took us out of Mount because
1) They couldn't understand our English since we had developed such a strong Trini accent,
2) Brian was getting too many licks on his hands with those leather belts and he kept running away, and
3) We kept complaining that we didn't like Mount and preferred to be at home.
So one day our Dad decided that perhaps schools in the States might be a better alternative.
Christian and I were very happy at Cascia Hall and like all Catholic schools it was very good academically and sports were very important.
Not wanting to offend anyone (this time), I must admit that the American priests at Cascia Hall were kinder, not as fanatic, and more down to earth than those Dutch Monks at Mount.
One of the things I enjoyed at Mount was listening to the Gregorian Chants that the monks sang in the early morning and evenings.
Still today I enjoy this wonderful music.
The other was having met such a great group of young people like us, some of whom became great friends for life.
We were all in the same boat, studying hard, playing sports under the guidance of Brother Vincent, stealing julie mangoes from Brother SWA and gobbling up that lousy food in the cafeteria.
The bread that Brother Joseph made was delicious (and the honey, juicy fruit, many apples and mangoes). However, after the bread hardened we would pelt each other and it hurt like hell.
Anyway, this is my short?? Answer to your question concerning the formV.
Perhaps Christian and Brian will add more news.
Best wishes,
Donald G.
----- Original Message ------------------------------------------------------
From: "LADISLAO KERTESZ"
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 6:19 AM
Dear Donald
Thank you for the email.
You and WVB did know each other.
If WVB graduated 1960 with me and I knew you??.
I enjoy your comments; your writing is a welcomed break with all the fun.
I remember those days when Christian used to go about with the leather jacket, in the 35C degree weather, with the inscription MGO.
Can you write me the Form V graduation year for the three of you?
I wish you a merry Christmas and happiness
God Bless
Ladislao
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------..
On Tue, 17 December , "Donald Goddard" wrote:
Ladislao:
Please convey to Wayne Brown (whoever he does be) that I also enjoy his stories.
I like reading them especially at night when I can't go to sleep because within in few minutes of his exciting penmanship I find myself snoozing.
Since Urbano and Peter never did learn to read very well in English, they will undoubtedly struggle to understand
By the way, the only reason that Peter Morvay showed up for the meeting was that he was expecting a free meal from those wealthy Caracas Oligarcas.
Manuel Prada no longer shows up because after forty years of listening to the same BS about Mount and having to see the same old farts as Urbano, Isaias, Pedro Castro, Ladislao, Azier, etc he has become fed-up.
Who can blame this poor chap.
However, I must admit that I miss those delicious dinners at the Alazan in
Best wishes to all.
From wise guy, always making sport,
Don G.
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For those that went down to the Sports field, here are some memoires on the small down hill asphalted track
Regards
Ladislao Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com
So now you have all the exchanges and photos.
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Photos:
House by Donald Goddard pdf, a full construction plan for a house to be built near the beach. [Sorry, Blogger does not do .pdf, so I have published one .jpg. IDM]
99DG0001DGOBRO, Goddard Brothers
03DG0002DGOCRAW, Donald Goddard and crawfish.
08BG3950BGOFAM, Brian Goddard and daughter
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