Ole Boys Dey

If by chance yuh went to de Boys Grammar School, whether yuh like it or not, yuh are an “Old Boy” as in BGS Old Boy! On de other hand if yuh were ah student of Girls’ High School (GHS),it is unkind or maybe offensive to call ah twenty year ole female or even ah sixty year ole, foh dat matter, “Ole Girl,” so you are an Alumna (Ah-loom-nah) ah feminine noun; and the plural of Alumna is Alumnae and not Alumni, which is masculine and plural. Ah just teasing GHS Alumni to let dem know dey uses to come to Grammar School to do Latin. And de BGS Ole Boys Dey ah come foh dem. Never mind dey are miles ahead, but within catchable reach.{{more}}

Having said dat mouth-full, ah was asked to write, dat come next Sat-dey September 24, in an effort to keep alive de flame dat was rekindled last September, Head Master Cut-his King, Staff and Students will be celebrating “Old Boys Day.” Ah prefer to call it “Ole Boys Dey,” but de whole I-dare is to promote a greater level of interaction between past and present students of this noble Institution. Last year de celebration was stiff and formal wid past students visiting and talking to current students in dey classrooms. Ah overs dat Doc Cyrus was among the Ole Boys who gave ah pep talk to de youths. Commendable dat Sixty years ago, dis same Doc Cyrus was home on Summer break, came to de school and shared wid us his experiences as ah Med Student in de UK. Thanks Doc Cyrus!

However dis year, Ole Boys Dey will be more socializing, mix and mingle, eats and drinks will be on sale to raise funds; games etc, and since de event will take place at Arnos Vale Playing Field from 1:00 p.m. there will be sporting events including races. Ah was told dat de PM and Arm-in, both Old Boys, have been invited. Lie-Za has high hopes of seeing dem dressed in House colours, Ralph in Yellow and Arm-in in Red what ah sight! See dem running ah real Race like ah sixty metre Sack Race to de tape, no Polling stay-shun, Lie-Za has two concerns, one is dat we won’t get ah sack big nuff to hold either ah dem; and two, dem ULP fellars will rig down to ah sack. So ah ask her how is dat possible. She smiled and say cut two holes way de feet fit in de sack, and fit ah pair ah roller skates inside de sack. Good except de Come-red never step on ah roller skate, no boy days.

On ah more serious note, congrats to Mr. King, he trying, notwithstanding some cold treatment from de Administration, Lie-Za say he too brave, gone and honoured Major Leacock at de last Graduation, dey will Cut-his tail! . But we nah going down dat road. In my day at school dey was an Old Boys Association. Vibrant and active when compared to what exist oops, what does not exist today. How vividly ah remember giants like Frank and Moulton Williams, men over six feet four inches tall; and on de flip side was Eardley “Stump” Mc Kie and Doc Cordice, four feet six inches, ha-ha-ha!

Old Boys commanded ah heavy presence during Sports Day, officiating and participating. How can anyone from dat era forget de Old Boys Race. First it was ah 100 yards dash, later increased to ah 220 yards. Yuh had 18-year “Ole Boys” running against men twice and thrice dey age, using of course, de fair disadvantage and unfair advantage rule. Younger “Ole Boys” at de starting blocks, while Ole-dah Ole Boys like Stump Mc Kie and Doc Cordice wid ah 150 yards head-start, and still finishing last.

But after Sports Day, it was House Feed, again de Ole Boys gave financial support to dey former Houses. Oh, nostalgia killing me when ah think bout dat ‘bread and corned beef’ wid ah soft drink: Ju-C, O-so or Fru-T. Men like Doctor’s Care-not John and Adrian Fraser uses to consume ten bread and beef and six Ju-C, and still gone home meking noise foh dinner!

So let us turn up next Sat-day, September 24, to show “Ole Boys Dey” see who among us still around, and give support to de restoration of our Ole Boys Association, And de last thing is, dey ask me to invite Ole Boys where-ever to mek a small donation, call de school 456-1337 and mek yuh pledge $ 10, $20, $50, $100 even $ 5. 00. Nuff Love foh our All-me-matter!!

VIN-SEE MADNESS

Is real Madness taking place in Sin-Vin-sin. As Stephen Joke-him says, dey failing big time in de Prosecution Case against Dug-He De Freitas of Nice Radio, so dey Persecuting him, wid Mad-is-straight after Mad-is-straight recusing demselves from de Case.

And Physical Planning, may have pussy-footed foh too long wid de Bar-B-Q Smoke and Noise Pull-loot-shun operate-shuns at Arnos Vale. After five years of operate-shun, Planning knows dey can’t close dem down, it is now left to de Health and Traffic Departments to enforce regulate-shuns. Lie-Za done tell me it is ah Labour Love Thing, stay out!

And why Cess Mc Kie trying to set up his first cousin, Ricky Adams, meking him CDC Cheerman wid de same ole and tired committee, those fein retirement, still holding on as Add-Vice-Sir. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.