Note from Bro Columba

Here's a brief note from Bro Columba to HBC based in the UK ...


From: columba gleeson
Subject: Re: Address
To: B C Ho
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010, 2:33 AM

Hi Boon Chiang,

Just returned to Belfast and found the '76-er's souvenir pack waiting for me. Thank you very much for taking the trouble to forward the items. Please also convey my sincere gratitude to the Committee responsible for issuing the souvenirs. Their gifts are much appreciated and will continue to refresh memories of years gone by!
.
Regards and best wishes to all.
.
Bro. Columba.

News of Bro Hyacinth and Bro John

Here's another note from Bro Columba ...


From: "columba gleeson"
To: "George Lo"
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 1:17 AM
Subject: Contacts

Hi George, It's me troubling you again! I note on your '76-ers Blog site that some bloggers were enquiring about the present location of Bros Hyacinth and John who served as Principal of St Patricks Private School for some years.

Hyacinth is still in Hong Kong but I believe not in good health and with memory in decline. His address is La Salle College, 18 La Salle Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. He is not on email.

Bro. John, who is a family brother of Bro. Adrian, is retired here in Ireland and is still active. His address is De La Salle Brothers, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland. His email address is gaulej@hotmail.com.

I hope you are keeping well and gearing up for the coming CNY! I wish you and your family, as well as all '76-ers Gong Xi Fa Cai for the Year of the Tiger.

Warm regards,

Bro. Columba.

A Note from Bro Columba

Here's a brief email and photo from Bro Columba, sent via Georgie-boy ...

From: "columba gleeson"
To: "George Lo"
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 9:51 PM
Subject: Fw: photo

Hi George,

Greetings again from Belfast. I revisited the '76-ers blog site again recently after a lapse of some time and was happy to see it is still very much alive! Some expressed a wish to get a pic of the Bros who served in SJS and are now retired in Ireland. I am forwarding to you the only one I have and hope it comes up all right for you. The full names of the Bros are Adrian Gaule, Columba Gleeson and Mark Blake. Mike Chew was in U6A in '73 and has been resident in Canada for many years. He was conducting a conference here last Sept. and I drove him to visit Adrian and Mark in Castletown. The pic was taken outside our Nursing Home where they are both resident.

Re. the suggested trips, if some do plan to visit Ireland it would be wise to get in touch well in advance, before finalising dates etc as I am often tied up with the running of Kilmore House, particularly at weekends and for some weeks in July and August. The house is used by a variety of groups as a venue for their own residential programmes and I need to be present at these times.

It is great to note that the Grand Reunion didn't end with the 23rd Dec bash but is being carried on in the form of continuing contacts and proposed programmes. Continue to enjoy it all.

Warm regards ,

Bro. Columba.

Post-Grand Reunion Message from Bro Columba

Here's an email from Ta Ker, sent via Georgie boy  ...


From: columba gleeson
To: George Lo
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 12:46 AM
Subject: Re: st joe '76


Dear George and fellow '76-ers,

Between Christmas festivities, visits to family etc I didn't get round to reviewing your blog of the events of 23/12 until New Year's Night, and what a feast of viewing and reading was in store for me! So much so that I eventually got to bed only at 3.00 am! I was delighted to see what a wonderfully successful and happy gathering you all had and felt part of the scene for a few hours.

The whole event seems to have been a masterpiece of planning, preparation, co-ordination and execution, as well as follow-up afterwards. It obviously made huge demands on time, effort and no doubt patience on the part of the core group of organisers, but I'm sure it was all worth while in the end. I spent hours trying to recognise all the faces, working out names (from initials, nicknames etc.), reading between the lines and deciphering hidden meanings etc. It was great to see Fr. Nick and also some fellow 'staffroom veterans' there, all still looking hale and hearty! In this respect I would like to pay a special tribute to your 'Website Jaga' for the fantastic job he has done in the months leading up to the event, in covering the big 'bash' itself, as well as the follow-up, including the visits to significant landmarks and post-event comments, tributes etc. It must have been a very time-consuming labour of love and is deeply appreciated, especially by distant 'exiles' like myself who could not be with you. Thank you most sincerely James!

It is particularly gratifying for me to read of so many from one particular year group, from various ethnic, religious and social backgrounds, coming together from far and wide 33 years down the road to refresh memories and celebrate what they share in common. Long may it remain so!

I take this opportunity, through the kind medium of your blog, to wish all of you and your families good health, happiness and success in 2010 and down the road beyond. May you continue to foster and to celebrate the memories and spirit you share, wherever you may be, and may this world of ours be a better place for our having been through it. For now best wishes and God bless all.

With fond memories,

Bro. Columba.

 
Glad you enjoyed the site, Bro Columba.
 
A very happy 2010 and sincere thanks to you, Bro Adrian, Bro Mark, Bro Hyacinth and all the others who have provided generations of Josephians a solid foundation for life.

The Mother of All Reunions - Part 3 (Special Messages)

We had a video message from Rev Bro Columba, which was screened at the Grand Reunion night, to the surprise of most of the attendees. You can view it here. Simply click on the "play" button on the figure below. Do remember to turn up the volume of your PC speakers before you play it.

The audience were held at rapt attention as they listened to their former principal.

We also had messages from about a dozen former classmates.

It was a heart-warming occasion, which brought together classmates, teachers and friends (both near and far), many of whom had not met each other for many years.

Pre Grand Reunion: Message from Bro. Columba

A few days before the Grand Reunion, we received this from our former principal in Ireland. GL had been in touch with him regarding the Reunion, and this was the latest of Bro Columba's message ...


From: columba gleeson
To: George Lo
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 11:48 PM
Subject: Re: st joe '76

Dear George,

Nearly there! Just 3 days to go! I've been following your blogs with interest and much amusement. Only now realising how many interesting things were happening in those days of which I was blissfully unaware!! Just as well! I enjoyed the latest very clear pics of primary school classes.. Can't recognise many of the little 'innocents' but nice to see some of the faithful old teachers as they looked then...Chai Chin Tu, John Phang etc.

I hope you have a wonderful few days together and will be with you in spirit, not this time to check on behaviour but to celebrate all that has been achieved down the years and to anticipate all that is yet to come. There are values in life which are important to cling to, but it is also important to grow and to change. I forget who it was that wrote, "To live is to change and to live fully is to change often". Fundamentalists of course cannot understand that but I hope we have all done so in our own way, including former headmasters!! There was a song somewhere, sometime titled "The best is yet to be"! Might be a nice theme for the 'Big Night' as you look to the next 50!

Have a great reunion. I think a big word of praise and thanks is due to all those who have worked so hard behind the scenes to make it all possible. They deserve your full support. Very best wishes to all and to your families for continued good health and happiness in the years ahead and thank you again for your kind and generous invitation to be with you. A special word of thanks to Dato Anthony for obtaining special travel concessions. Though I can't be there physically I will certainly be with you in spirit. Though I'm one year short of 76, I shall feel many years younger as I think of you on Wednesday.

With fond memories and best wishes,
Bro. Columba.

Bro Columba in Singapore

On 2 Jan 2008, ex-Josephians living in Singapore hosted our well-loved, former principal, Bro Columba, to dinner at Royal China restaurant at the Raffles Hotel Arcade. Bro Columba was on his way back to Kuching for a two week visit.

It was a most memorable evening, with almost 30 ex-Josephians (some with spouses) participating. The range of years that the attendees represented was very wide. Some were in Form 5 in the early 60's, others left in the 90's. I was kinda in the middle - the only attendee from the Form 5 Class of 1976.

Bro Columba spent some time with attendees at each of the three tables. There was obviously a lot of reminiscing, networking and photo-taking. The evening ended with the group singing the School Rally.

(photo courtesy of Dr Lee See Chung)

I understand there will be another reunion dinner in Kuching on 17 Jan. I've no doubt it will be an equally memorable occasion.