The KCOBA electronic newsletter was initially created in 2004 as a newsletter for the Atlanta chapter of KCOBA. Today, what stated out as a simple text email has grown into a monthly multi-color, web based publication that serves the wider Kingston College community. In fact, newsletter readership has expanded over the years to include a global audience of men and women who find our content interesting and informative. It is now read in countries as far away from Atlanta as Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Burkina Fasso, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Australia, Denmark, Korea and Japan, to name a few.
When assistant editor Basil Waite’s article about the coordinator of the Safe Schools program, Sergeant Ruth Anderson, and her claim to being a “KC Girl” was published, the newsletter received several letters from ladies who also made the same claim. Who knew?
When Phebe Bangle, a reader in the state of Wisconsin, read a story about Atlanta member Leon Tucker’s many trips to Zimbabwe, she contacted the newsletter for help in locating her long lost schoolmate from Wolmer’s Girls School who had migrated to Zimbabwe years ago. Using his contacts in that country, Leon was able to help Phebe and her friend reconnect. And when Veronica Codling wanted to contact her cousin, legendary KC footballer, Tony Keyes, she turned to the KCOBA Newsletter for assistance and was successfully put in touch with him.
And thanks to timely updates on the Asian Influenza or “bird flu” by veterinarian Cedric Lazarus, our readers have the most current information found anywhere on this potential pandemic.
The early impetus for a newsletter came from members such as former Atlanta chapter director, Karl Stewart, who highlighted the need for improved communication to our members and Atlanta president, Everton Barrett, who initially commissioned Glen Laman to start a newsletter and was instrumental in getting resources for hosting it on the World Wide Web.
The newsletter strives to make some improvement in design and infrastructure every month. It also includes an archive so past issues can be viewed from the current publication. Among the enhancements on the drawing board is a profile database where users will be able to select a name and pull up the related profile of the month. Another improvement in the works is a subscriber database which will enable readers to sign up for a mailing list that alerts them to the availability of new issues. Currently, much of the distribution is handled by people with large mailing lists.
The KCOBA newsletter is put together by an Editor, Glen Laman; a webmaster, Earl Adams; assistant editors: Ivor Nugent, M.D., Lance Seymour, Winston Stewart and Basil Waite; contributing editors: Cedric Lazarus, M.D. and Derrick R. Wright; and photographers: Ronnie Chin and Anthony Williams. The newsletter team operates in virtual mode--Ronnie Chin and Basil Waite are in Jamaica; Cedric Lazarus and Lance Seymour reside in Toronto while Earl Adams, Glen Laman, Winston Stewart and Derrick R. Wright are in Atlanta.
