At what was one of the last speeches he delivered in the United States, Michael Manley, speaking at a KCOBA dinner in New York, asserted that if he could not have been a Jamaica College graduate, he most certainly would have wanted to be a KC graduate. One might think that Michael, as he was affectionately known "far and wide," was merely patronizing us. However, because Michael was rumored to be ill, those of us who heard his speech theorized that his speech amounted to a "farewell" message.
When I left the banquet hall in Hempstead, Long Island, that night, it was quite obvious to me and many others that Michael's speech was a recap of his life.a sincere attempt to set the record straight on a number of issues. As such, we left with the impression that his thoughts and expressions were genuine.
Not only was Michael impressed with our school's achievements over the years, he was totally awed by the level of commitment the past students had shown our school. In fact, he postulated that no other Jamaican past student association had ever shown the devotion that KC boys have shown.
Who Are We, and How Did We Get that Way?
The question, then, may be asked: to what do we attribute the character of a KC boy? Essentially, what is it that makes us act the way we do? Why do we have such a strong commitment to service, and why do we display such tenacity, in the purely good sense of the word, in everything we do?
Bishop Gibson articulated in 1965 that there are five reasons for KC's success:
the type of education given, in which the aim is Christian character
the dedicated service of the teaching staff
the fact that KC is an embodiment of the Jamaican spirit
the continuity of policy, and
the loyalty and devotion of the boys, particularly those who have piloted the Old Boys' Association.
Those points of quality ring as true today as ever. Not only that, though: A number of related factors have had an ongoing positive effect on the shaping of the character of a KC boy. These would include:
Our school's primary color: purple (the color denoting royalty)
Our school motto
KC's "unwritten" mission
Our scholastic achievements, and
Our spectacular achievements in sports, drama, music and art, especially those achievements linked to the era in which I attended KC (merely coincidental, of course).
School Color - Royal Purple
Every KC student felt as though he were royalty. This indoctrination came very early in one's tenure, as the student came to understand the adopted significance and meaning of the school's "royal" color. Never mind the fact that purple and white represent, primarily, the Episcopal colors. We simply pay equal attention to the fact that purple was the official color of the Roman Empire, and that it was used by the Greeks to honor their Olympic heroes.
The KC Student: Brave and Valiant
Just consider our motto: The Brave May Fall but Never Yield. We "live" that belief. It's not surprising, then, that all KC boys see themselves as leaders, as well as brave and mighty "warriors." In fact, just a few weeks ago my wife and I were reviewing various hymns that we had sung at our individual high schools. As I recall, we at KC did not sing many of the hymns that she sung in school.
For instance, I don't remember hymns at KC such as "We Plow the Fields and Scatter," the beautiful German hymn which was originally termed a peasant song. I remember "Onward Christian Soldiers" and powerful hymns of proclamation such as "Hallelujah Chorus," played so majestically on the legendary pipe organ in the chapel by none other than Barry Davies (now Dr. Davies). Maybe it was just in my mind that we sang just certain hymns, or maybe it was part of the KC mystique and tradition.
The KC Mission
At a KCOBA-ATL dinner a few years ago the Rt. Reverend E. Don Taylor, Vicar Bishop of New York, gave us his thoughts on the unwritten mission of KC. He expounded that KC's mission was, essentially, to provide quality education, not just to the privileged, as many schools were accustomed to doing in the old days (even schools not 100 miles from KC, as Dougs would politely refer to certain schools). KC, instead, was one of the first major schools to open its door, affirmatively, to rich and poor students alike.
In time, just about every school saw the need to follow suit. It was so tragic to hear stories from Dougs, for instance, along the lines that he had the darkest complexion of any student during his time at Monroe College. Just imagine!
Scholastic Achievements .
Over the years KC boys have enjoyed spectacular achievements with their academic accomplishments. Needless to say, the achievements are too numerous to mention here. As a small example of our record, a KC boy was the very first winner, in 1962, of the Jamaica Independence Scholarship.
For easy reference, I have chronicled the impressive list of scholastic achievements for the period 1950 - 1965. You may view these on the Web at
I have not kept up with our achievements in sports in recent years. What I can tell you, however, our achievement in the sixties was nothing short of legendary. As an example, KC was the first school to accumulate over 100 points at Champs.a feat they accomplished in 1963. In 1964 and 1965, KC was simply magnificent at Penn Relays.
In soccer, it was total dominance during the mid-sixties. It's worthy to note that KC was undefeated in schoolboy soccer in all of 1964 and 1965. In fact, I recall that during KC's reign of dominance, KTHS had the gall to score first in a game. Needless to say, KTHS got "six of the best," as Jonathan Augustus Crick was predisposed to saying when he called a student to his office for caning. With a final game score of 6-1, KTHS certainly got a whipping for its insolence. Refer to the above listed URL for a sample of KC's achievements in sports spanning the period 1950 - 1965.
Music, Drama and Art.
I'll proclaim, in a way that's uncharacteristically modest (given our heritage), that KC had, arguably, the best boy's choir in the Caribbean. It's not surprising that we had the best choir, of course, when you consider that our choir master was the world-famous and well-credentialed Barry Davies, former director of the Jamaica School of Music, among other honors. In addition, I can still remember astounding "record" performances in drama. "Twelfth Night" stands out in my memory. Many will recall that we had, as our director on staff, the truly gifted Trevor Rhone, world-class playwright.
For art, we had teachers such as the highly accomplished Alexander Cooper, of which I was a student of his (which may not have made much of a difference as far as my artistic abilities were concerned). Truth be told, though: I might have been a better art student if they had brought in certain more interesting models to pose for our class. Don't forget, though, KC produced the likes of Barry Watson, boring models notwithstanding.
The Verdict.
Time and time again it has been said by many credible and influential individuals that no school had dominated so many aspects of the high school experience the way KC did during the sixties, especially. It is not surprising, then, to understand that the students from that era have a certain indomitable character and spirit that permeate their whole being.
In many ways, the KC-formed character and spirit are powerful and positive. That is inevitable when one is from an era where their high school totally dominates so many different aspects of the traditional high school experience.
Even so, I once overheard a prominent old boy comment on how KC boys do in personal relationships. This particular KC old boy, who lives not 100 miles from our KCOBA Atlanta meeting home, opined that we have more than our share of problems with personal relationships.
Could those perceived problems be an outgrowth of the KC experience? It remains to be seen. It would be nice to have an old boy research this.
Admiration for KC .