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Meet the Management Committee – A. J. Allum, President of the St Mary’s College Past Students Union |
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Anthony John (Johnny) Allum
Attended San Juan Presbyterian School – 1958 to 1963
Attended St. Mary’s College – 1964 to 1969
Leaving College at the end of Form 5 was something of a disappointment for me. At the time, competition for the limited number of places in Form 6 was very stiff and I just missed out. The months following my departure from College were very crucial in the final outcome of my working career and life in general. During that period, I contemplated going abroad with some friends to further my education, applied forjobs at Royal Bank of Canada (now RBTT Bank), Barclays Bank (now Republic Bank) and Bank of Nova Scotia (now Scotiabank). I was eventually offered a job at Scotiabank and started working in October 1969. This turned out to be a career decision for me as, not long after starting to work, I received a call from Fr. Pedro Valdez’s office (Principal of St. Mary’s at the time) offering me an opportunity to repeat Form 5. As I had just started working, I declined the offer. I also changed my mind on going abroad to further my education and decided that I would work my way up at Scotiabank. As it turned out, I remained with Scotiabank for all of 37 years and 2 months, reaching the Executive Management level, before opting for early retirement at the end of 2006.
I was always very proud of having attended St. Mary’s College and became involved with the Past Students’ Union, through the invitation of another Past Student, who encouraged me to attend the Union’s Annual General Meeting in 1998. I did, and was elected to the Management Committee. Over the past 12 years, I have served in the capacities of Honorary Assistant Treasurer (1 year), Honorary Assistant Secretary (1 year), Honorary Secretary (6 years) and President (since 2008). The Past Students’ Union has and continues to make significant contributions, monetary and otherwise, to the maintenance of St Mary’s as one of the premier Secondary Schools in the country and the school of choice. I consider it an honour to have been part of the many successes achieved by Saints over the past decade.
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By Roberto Ramirez
I come from a family with a long St. Mary’s history. My father and all his brothers attended St. Mary’s and so did all my mother’s brothers. My great uncle was one of the founding members of the St. Mary’s College Past Students Union 76 years ago. As fate would have it, my wife’s father and her brother also went to St. Mary’s. From what I can recall, at one time, while I was at College, there was a Ramirez in almost every form. While at college, I was the Vice Head Prefect, the Head Scout at 6th Trinidad Sea Scouts and was also involved with the swim club. In my final year at CIC, I represented the college at the intercol athletics, placing first in the zone for javelin, although having never thrown a javelin in my life prior to sports day a month earlier. I left St. Mary’s College in 1989 and pursued a BSc Econ. and MSc Economics.
Once I entered the world of work, I felt a strong urge to give back to the college. |
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Meet the Management Committee – Roberto Ramirez, Vice President, Fund Raising, for the St Mary’s College Past Student’s Union |
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Although serving as a member of the Past Students’ Union (PSU) Management Committee was one of the more obvious ways to do so, I was never sure that there was any way my services could be of value to the Union. I first got an opportunity to contribute to our Alma Mater through the PSU in 2002 by serving a dish at Dining With The Saints (DWTS). DWTS is one of the Union’s main fundraising activities. In 2003 the PSU hosted its first Carnival All-Inclusive fete, ‘Fete With The Saints’ (FWTS) and I was asked to serve on the organizing committee for that fete. In June 2003, I offered myself for election to the PSU’s Management Committee and was able to secure a position on the Management Committee. It was only then I realized how much the PSU contributed to the College and how much the PSU needed people with a genuine desire to serve.
At present I am the Vice-President Fund Raising and oversee all the fund raising activities for the Union. The College has many financial needs and the Union’s Fund Raising events are the main avenue to satisfy those needs.
The Union hosts DWTS in June/July annually as well as FWTS three weeks before carnival. We also host a Benefit concert in conjunction with St. Joseph’s Convent P.O.S. Past Pupils Association, the full proceeds of which are donated to an education-related charity outside of the Convent or CIC
Although serving on the Management Committee may not have its tangible rewards, the opportunity to give back to the Alma Mater is rewarding. Serving on the Management Committee and in particular the Fund Raising committees, affords the opportunity to interact with alumni of many generations and gives one a good history of the college while putting things in perspective. I advise any past student with a desire to give back to the college to contact the PSU office at 624 8468 or officemanager@cicpsu.org to volunteer his service.
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