Seven KC Old Boys (KCOBs) -- Basil Waite, Hamlin Pagon, Leaford Grant, Roderick Reid, Wilfred McKenley, Richard Bowen and Lenford Salmon have spearheaded several projects to assist with the renovation of the classrooms at KC and by extension complementing KCOBA Jamaica’s 20/20 mentoring programme and to identify, mobilize funding and resources and implementation of special projects..
The outreach project is called Helping Hand and will have three aspects which will run concurrently. Phase I is to adopt a form for refurbishing; Phase 2 is mentoring in consultation with coordinator Dr. Patrick Dallas and Phase 3 is special projects which is to interest corporate Jamaica and individual old boys to fund major refurbishing of the school plant. The strategy employed is to target old boys, especially those with a son at KC to come on board as a group or individually. The group is defined as the collective of old boys at a particular work place or professionals such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, insurance underwriters, architects and playwrights. Cost benefit analysis will be done to assess the viability and impact of the projects. The overall objective of the project is to enhance the learning environment by refurbishing the school plant and providing guidance to the students.
What has the oversight group achieved so far?
With respect to Phase I, work has been fairy advanced with the refurbishing of 9 Miller and 9 DeCarteret and a group of old boys have come forward to tackle 9 McDonald and have pledged contributions to renovate others. Plans for refurbishing the 10th grade block which is considered the worst affected block at the North street Campus. Over the summer holidays Hamlin Pagon has been busy with a work crew from the ancillary staff and the industrial arts department in refurbishing 9 Miller with the installation of whiteboard, fitting new widow panes and latches, installing new doors and electrical fittings and patching affected concrete flooring. The students will be asked to paint the classroom.
Wilfred McKenley has commenced installation of a whiteboard, a teacher’s desk and chair in 9 DeCarteret and has donated several gallons of paint for repainting the class. Some five KCOBs who are employees of CSO have agreed to refurbish 9 McDonald as their initial contribution. They have met with Principal Rupert Hemmings and inspected the class room. The group has proposed to fund the project through salary deductions and will be meeting with some 15-20 old boys presently working at the Central Postal Office for final approval. It is hoped that the project will expand to other areas of assistance to the school. Richard Bowen will head up a group to adopt 10 Holding, whilst Roderick Reid has identified two groups to undertake 10 Hardie and 10 Francis. Lenford Salmon and Patrick Brown have pledged $20,000 to renovate a class room and undertook to mobilize other old boys to make similar commitments for other class rooms
Where the special project aspect is concerned, KCOB Leaford Grant has been working with the ground staff, the sports master, members of the football team, Harbour View Football Club and Waterhouse Football Club in the restoration and landscaping of the football and track field at Clovelly Park. This involved seeding, aerating, installing a sprinkler system and laying topsoil. Today the field has been restored to a lovely green and it is hoped that this is sustainable in view of the imminence of the Sinking Well project .
Wilfred McKenley has also approached a major financial institution to donate $JA5m towards the redevelopment of the Melbourne campus. It is hoped that as the projects unfold, the old boys will be re-energized and galvanized sufficiently to be enticed to become a part of the mentoring programme .
All the above have been done in consultation with the school authority, the teachers and also recognizing the lead role of the school Board of Governors.
