A New Year’s Message From KCOBA (Atlanta) - Everton Barrett
Greetings my Brothers and Sisters, may this new year bring the satisfaction and peace of mind that you strive so fervently to attain. For most of us, the struggle continues and the constant battle to improve your status in life grows increasingly more challenging. Yet those who have endured and prospered before us leave one distinguishable message, “Never give up.” And so we must find the inspiration along with that dogged determination to march into 2006, and make this our best year yet. While it will take every ounce of ambition and commitment, let’s not get lost in our singular pursuits, but understand that it isn’t just about us, but also about a commitment to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
Last year saw us achieving some enviable firsts for our organization:
First to host a KCOBA summit outside the island of Jamaica
First to establish a successful media organ like this newsletter
First year we undertook a major pageantry and Gala event at a premier establishment like the Cobb Galleria Convention Center with first rate entertainment.
We established the theme: “It’s Time to Give Back;” and hundreds of supporters came on board and propelled us to a successful end-of-year campaign that saw us achieving some of our most moderate goals established earlier in the year. We assisted the Schools Challenge Quiz team with monetary contributions and donated footballs to the Football team. We were also able to establish reciprocal relationships with the Miami, Toronto and Jamaican chapters.
We committed financial assistance to the KC choir and to assist in the completion of the Melbourne Park Social Services building, plus to purchase library software for the Kingston College campus. We are prepared to honor those commitments now. Our organization is more active than it’s ever been and the establishment of joint relationships with other organizations is imminently poised.
The KC family endured another year of losses, in which some were taken from us physically, but others separated from us spiritually and left the family temporarily weakened by their absence. We lost Principal and Football Coach, but we gained Choir Master, Bursar, Basketball Coach, and Acting Principal. We give thanks for those who served, and for those who offered themselves for service. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for those good men who gave the better part of their lives to the betterment of Kingston College and often left with meager compensation that will take them into an uncertain tomorrow, let’s never forget them, we owe them much.
Most of all, let’s be re-assured that in our unity we have found strength. From the soul of our tiny chapter to the expanse of the international family, I believe we found Love and we found a commonality of Goals that united us with a spirit and kindredness that won’t easily be lost. We’ve realized our sense of purpose and raised our consciousness about our responsibility as big brothers to give back. Let’s take this indomitable spirit into this year and fulfill every promise that we made to the college, whether publicly or privately. Let’s walk the walk and talk the talk; and each one take it as a personal challenge to stand behind acting
principal Keith Bryant and make each daunting step lighter by offering to carry a little of the load. We owe it to our school; we owe it to our nation. God Bless you and a prosperous 2006 to you and yours.
