On Friday evening September 10, KCOBA USA Inc. Scholarship Dance Committee, chaired by Merrick Foster, hosted a lime at J & R Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. Coordinated by Clinton "Fatman Clarke," the event attracted over 60 old boys and served as a primer to our 18th Annual Scholarship Dance slated for October 18.
Reunion and raffle tickets were distributed and sold, the merchandise desk remained busy and complimentary food was provided. Music was provided by Ansell "Bushy" Barrett and Calvin "Cally" Hibbert and the domino tables remained crowded.
The Friday night get-together for me was a joyful experience. The most telling thing about the gathering was the way guys from different eras or generations interacted with each other. Friendship, laughter and camaraderie were displayed.
This highlights the family nature of KC and not a cult as claimed by some who can't fathom the level of brotherhood we possess. I saw a brother who graduated in 2005. This means I left KC before he was born. If we can get more of the younger alumni to get involved we will be able to continue the tradition of giving back and brotherhood long after we are no more in existence.
The mixing of the young with the not so young can only improve the benefits of contribution to the school. The young will come with energy and vision while the not so young possess experience and wisdom. By having this mixture, the Association's future will be the brighter and the better for the school we all love. As I have said many times to those who can't understand our family tradition, "we are proud of our school and we talk about our school, the arrogance you perceive is not about me or any individual it's all about KC."
The crowd that was present and the open joy and friendliness shown, highlight the family tradition of KC. I think we need to have a drive to bring more young men into the fold. The past students who started the KC give back should be honoured by us by maintaining that tradition and ensuring that the next generation learns from us and improve on what they learn.
We need to get more into the fold. Most organizations or associations depend on a core group for everything. The love of KC is strong among us all. We need to translate this love into give back by incorporating as many members as possible. One way of achieving this can be done by creating a directory of as many as possible. Plus we have to make sure the members that always support have contact numbers of friends and former class mates. By individually imploring others to come into the fold then we will be able to optimize the benefits of the love each and everyone has for KC.
As I said before I had a wonderful experience. An experience you only get from being a part of the KC family. Being a part of the KC family means seeing a member for the first time, or seeing someone you never exchanged a word with in school, yet friendship and bonding is instantaneous.