pirit: - that part of a person that’s not the body; the mind; the soul; a ghost; one’s mood. Take all of the aforementioned and apply the purple……”Toto cake, gizzada, bun, KC have them on the run; shall we win it? Well I guess, rah rah KC yes! yes! yes! oho!!”
Winston F. Barnes revisited Champs in 2009 after a forty plus year hiatus. Indeed it was a good week for KC, winning Schools’ Challenge Quiz on March 31st then a wonderful, warm tribute to our teachers at Waterfalls Club on April 2nd and then the almighty performance of the Kingston College athletes inspired the useful thought that every KC boy should delineate what the Purple Spirit means to him.
Here are some of my thoughts:-
Seeking excellence………all the boys 5th grade at Chetolah Park Primary in 1968 had KC as first choice for high school placement. Our alternative choices varied tremendously and in my case I just asked which high school was nearest to KC.
Having the privilege of representing an august institution with pride; I was not alone sleeping in my first purple and white basketball jersey.
Learning to endure a joke made at my own expense.
Developing a sense of discipline and commitment………I recall Ralston ‘Perry’ Bloomfield at KCOB New York’s 2009 Dinner lauding his basketball Coach Keith ‘Smiley’ Daley for being a father figure who led by example. Coach Daley (then a student at U.W.I Mona) faced with a bus strike walked to KC to conduct basketball practice, so who was he (Perry) to ever miss practice?
Each one help another always……..prescription spectacles by Old boy Dickie Coke for this 6th former whose parents had warned, “if u bruk dis one u de pon u own” and meant it!
Wearing purple garments to inspire fortitude on those anticipated rough days.
Euphoria for days when a KC student excels
Eternal friendships by which all others are judged………the most complimentary words for my brethren who did not attend Clovelly Park are, “the only thing wrong with you is that you did not go to KC”
I trust this will ignite many thoughts on the KC spirit filled with all the funny stories and jokes that seem unending when we gather to imbibe that other spirit!(in moderation of course).
