The most exciting story of 2006 for the KC community was our winning of Champs for a sixth consecutive year--nothing energizes the Old Boys like a win on the sports field. I had the honor of meeting coach Lennox Graham at the KCOBA Atlanta banquet where he was honored for his work with the track and field team. It brought back memories of my own days at school.
The other big story of the year was the news that a KC student, Dayne Ashman, had won the 2006 Jamaica Scholarship. While this news may not have been greeted with as much fanfare as the Champs victory, it is nevertheless, equally if not more important. This achievement is the distillation and culmination of many years of effort by many people—including the dedication and hard work of the student himself.
Of course, there were many other good stories. Hopefully, you have read about them in this newsletter throughout the year. But there were also some not so good stories. I will mention the two that I find most distressing.
The continuing saga of the school’s failing infrastructure has reached a point where students could actually get hurt if action is not taken. It brings tears to our eyes to see and hear of the current condition of the campus. Last year, the Atlanta chapter, teaming up with the Florida chapter, sent off its small contribution to help refurbish the lower school canteen and social services building. We anxiously awaited news of its completion. Yet, from all accounts, these many months later nothing has been accomplished. Winston Stewart eloquently discusses this and other issues in greater detail in his article elsewhere in this edition.
The other troubling story is the realization that KCOBA Limited is determined to maintain its policy of a men’s only reunion. I am told that many Old Boys boycott this event in protest against this throwback to another less enlightened era. Yet the call to maintain tradition is strong.
