Here we are celebrating yet another reunion together. How time flies! Taking that walk down Memory Lane and rekindling old acquaintances, shared memories, intellectual stimulation and much more, makes it all so special indeed. We all must cherish every reunion as we and a few who come after us are the last of a legendary group that passed through this august institution, namely, The Dr Ribeiro Goan School (DRGS). There will not be others following in our footsteps as the school we once attended now exists as a different entity with a different name and different goals and aspirations.

This reunion would not have materialized had it not been for the pioneering efforts of three ex-students of Form II, Modern Class of 1959, who emigrated to Canada in 1968 and despite demanding jobs, having children to put thru school and undaunted by all the challenges of recent immigrants found the time to come together, nostalgically reminiscing on days gone by in Kenya realizing that something was missing in their lives. Finally, after much contemplation, a light bulb just popped in their heads to have a DRGS Alumni Reunion. These individuals namely, Roque Barretto, Tony and Vivien Fernandes, were instrumental in founding and organizing the very first DRGS Reunion here in Canada in Brampton, Ontario. Through their initiative they became the flag bearers who laid the foundation of these first events and carried the torch for yet another 3 consecutive reunions. Although they had humble beginnings and experienced tough times through the harsh Canadian Great White North, these three pioneers, started a vital tradition here in Canada enabling DRGS Alumni to recall with pride which they will hopefully continue to pass the baton on to future organizing committees. Roque Barretto proudly held the position of being the first and sixth President, Tony Fernandes was the Vice President for the first Reunion and President for the third reunion. Needless to say they had a strong team of committee members to support them. All these events were hugely successful. The women, not to be outdone, took up the gauntlet when Vivien Fernandes, followed in hot pursuit, proudly accepting to be the first woman to hold the position of President for the fifth reunion!

As I turn back the pages of time, I recall the happiest years of our lives were indeed our years at the Dr.Ribeiro Goan School. Time really flies! So much has changed. Our looks, our receding hairlines, our waistlines, our addresses, our lifestyles, etc etc.

Our classmates were like extended family. The bond we had forged in the same school school for nine to eleven years will never be broken for us and is most likely not understood by those who did not share a similar experiences. It most definitely has shaped our lives, not thru the classes we took, nor the things we learned or the school reports but thru the deep friendships we made. The friends who have genuinely cheered us on, who have consoled us and inspired us and the friends who have challenged us and laughed and cried with us and the friends who came back to the many reunions to meet up with us again and again and speak of the good old school days.

For example, every day from Standard 1 through Form II, we began our day together. Walked to school (Via Forest Road), a great time to chat or play tag along the way. Sometimes, running to be on time to attend morning assembly and prayers. Ending up with a Hymn to our Patron Saint - St. Joseph. Marching two by two to class, giggling and often getting glares from our Teacher. Once settled in our respective classrooms i.e. divisions A - B - and C .....we again rose to say a prayer before beginning a lesson. Only watching the clock for recess bell to ring to head for the school cafeteria to buy that appetizing bag of chips for 25 cts, and always sharing that bag with a bunch of our classmates that went without. Our lessons consisted with more emphasis on Religion, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. And History, Geography and Science were interesting enough. Memorization was a must, no questions asked. As noon approached and the Church bells rang we all put our work aside, rose, and recited The Angelus. We kept plodding on till lunch bell rang. Most went home for lunch (those who lived round the corner, of course). We walked back to school after lunch, with a lot of time on our hands. Enough time to spend another ten cents at the local candy store, or peanuts wrapped in newspaper (Jugu Karanga) or have that mouth watering mango sliced up with a lot of chili powder and salt for 15 cts! Yummy!

We continued our lessons until the last bell for the day and dashed out to meet up again on the trek home! It did not stop there. Once home, we changed out of our uniforms donned on casual wear as quickly as possible and went out to play with the same kids we just said good-bye to at school. There was no technology back then and you only stayed in the house if you were sick or you were being grounded for something terrible. Television was in its infancy and therefore not an issue. We played numerous games, i.e. seven tiles, hop scotch, skipping rope or hide and seek and a lot of made up games.

The boys ganged up together and played sports like Soccer, field hockey etc. Or, just hung around watching all the girls go by!!!

Some of the older boys owned bicycles which they rode everywhere and always with friends. They would even sometimes ride them in the gutter instead of the sidewalk! So much for that. Those were not the only options we had. We could go to a friends house or invite your friends to your house to play. At dinner time we would all go home, bathe first, recited the Rosary and then sit down together as a family and enjoyed a warm hearted dinner cooked with a lot of TLC and exchanged stories with our parents on the days events. Sigh!! When I say that everyone knew everyone, I really meant it. It wasn't just us, it was our parents too. A lot of them had gone to school together back in the early days, or had grown up in the same neighborhood. Many were good friends and had been for years.

Saturdays were great as there was no school ! You could start playing early in the morning and continue until dark, only taking breaks for a snack. Help with a few chores around the house and out to play again! Of course, a lot of Saturday afternoons were spent at the movies. Who could miss seeing flicks of Elvis, Marlon Brando, James Dean, John Wayne, The Three Stooges, or Batman and Robin Hood and the famous Black Board Jungle!! Not forgetting Rock Around the Clock, (which is still famous till today)! Or, we had the option of sticking our ears in the little transistor radios listening to the King of Rock Elvis again, Cliff Richard the Beatles, and Bill Haley and the Comets etc. Sports, of course, were taken on more seriously by the boys.

In later years in Modern Form I and II, the girls had a choice of opting out of Math class and had a great opportunity of taking Needlework and Cookery Classes, headed by Mrs. Philphot and Mrs. Ophelia D'Souza. After our cookery class, we often returned with our goodies and safely tucked them into our desks, only to return after recess to find our goodies had disappeared! At times, we caught the boys red handed! Much to the dismay of our poor mothers who were anxiously waiting to see their daughters bring back their prized delights home, after spending so much money for the ingredients! The teachers finally resorted to letting us keep our culinary delights under lock and key in the cookery classroom, much to the consternation of the boys!! Ha! But it did not stop there. The boys who took up Science class, after dissecting little frogs or toads, saved some specimens and taunted us by putting one or two in our desks, as we screamed in fright to their delight!!

On a more serious note, I would be remiss if I did not state that the feast of St. Joseph, The patron saint of our school was a day of great celebration, whereby there were no classes held, instead, the whole school including the teachers and Principal marched to St Frances Xavier's Church across the road in Parklands for a full Mass service with a choir in the background. After which, we marched back to school for a concert conducted by our individual class teachers. The students in every class put on amazing shows, ranging from singing, dancing, acting out a Shakespearean plays like Macbeth or a comedy performance by the students. Several skits stole the show in every classroom. It was a day of feasting and fun. For 50 cts the school provided a loot bag with all sorts of goodies and a drink. Last but not least, our School Sports day was held towards the end of the year. The whole school participated from Standard 1 to Form IV. We were all selected to form mixed teams of boys and girls together separated into 4 different groups called houses, namely, St. Patricks, St. Georges, St. Andrew and St. Davids, to conform to the patron saints of the four countries of the United Kingdom Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Each house had a Captain at the helm and there was keen competition between the houses. It took several weeks of practice heats and eliminations until the actual finals. Many took trophies home in each category of the race, i.e. the sack race to the relay race and finally the track and field, hockey and football, etc. The coveted floating cup rotated to the house that scored the most points. It was a great ending to a beautiful start to the holidays.

In the 50's conformity was all around us like a straight jacket. Life was completely different. It is a totally different world today. The world is beyond all that we endured, but the memories never fade. It is etched in our hearts forever.

So there you have it. A little background into our little class and days of yesteryear. Might I add, schools are the mother lode of group memories. We were fortunate to spend our formative lives from childhood to adulthood with the same classmates. Developing deep bonds and great memories, along the way, was inevitable. These are the indelible faces of those who you started life with, and still, after decades, coming to our adopted country, Canada, still continue to do so. Kids today cannot get that! But I digress.

Unfortunately, we have lost many of our classmates and schoolmates. A memorial service was held a few months back in the East End for all the deceased ex-students.

It was a tough job trying to locate all our classmates. I think those who helped out can testify to that. It would indeed be a great pity if somebody missed this wonderful opportunity just because the news did not get to him or her in time, and I am afraid we may have missed out quite a number of our classmates. This underlines the importance of keeping in contact with one another. Ensuring and facilitating the continual bonding of our alumni is also one of the main objectives of the DRGS Alumni association. Hence, on - the 15th Sept. it is a great opportunity to document all the attendees list of addresses and emails!

The joy of the whole reunion is to be there and celebrate life lived with those who still stand above the turf rather than below it! This is the time not to rebel but to savor every minute of today and what better way than to renew and celebrate friendships after many years than at the next DRGS Alumni School Reunion!

To One and All – I wish you all A Happy United Reunion.

Muriel Lucas.

Class of '59 - Modern Mainstream Form II

(Circa 1990)

Some of the folks referenced in the article are in this 2012 Reunion Photo (click here)