YORKISTS’ Class of 1978 celebrate 40 years
By: Haile Mika’el
RUNNAWAY BAY, St. Ann, Jamaica
May 26, 2019

“Two, four, six, eight,

Who do we appreciate;

Seven, eight, nine, ten;

Brave and bold,

Black and Gold,

Who are we,

Can’t you see,

We are the Victors of YC:

Hooray!!!”

Thus, sang the over forty YORKISTS; members of the Alumni Association of York Castle High School (YCHS), comprised mainly of the Class of 1978, following completion of their Labour Day Project 2019 held on Thursday, May 23 at the over ninety-year-old educational institution situated in the cool hills of Brown’s Town, St. Ann, Jamaica, West Indies.

Popular media personality and President of the Jamaica Chapter of the YCHS Alumni Association, Ms. Jennifer “Jenny Jenny” Small, who was present to lauded and support the effort, confessed that it was the first time she was hearing the cheer, which, her seniors assured her, was a regular feature at sporting events involving the school’s teams of the 1960’s and 1970’s – she having graduated in 1991.

Organized by the Class of 1978 led by Chairman Dave Mitchell and attended by members from over seven cities in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom plus Jamaica – spanning over three decades – the Labour Day Project was the first of a three-consecutive-days’ reunion event that included a Beach Party on the 24th and a Dinner and Dance on the 25th.

Current Principal Mr. Raymon Treasure, himself a YORKIST (Class of 1985) welcomed and prayed with the past students who volunteered to paint walls, benches, tables and flowers pots in the Black-and-Gold colours of the school, in an area on the 100-acre campus that is designed as a garden for relaxation and meditation by students and visitors alike. He was also present to give the “keynote address” at the Dinner & Dance held at The Cardiff Hotel and Spa in Runaway Bay.

Principal Treasurer, Retired Teacher Mrs. Dorothy Williams, Class of 1977 Student Council President Mr. Irwin Clare O.D. and Mr. James Walsh (Class of 1972 and member of the school’s history making JBC Schools’ Challenge 1971 winning team) were each awarded a plaque for their role in the development of the institution.

Walsh was unavoidably absent from the dinner but his arrival at Seaside Dutchie in Priory the previous day was met with loud applause from the Alumni, some of whom he taught at Brown’s Town Community College between the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Some of the YORKISTS and their guests made good use of the beach claiming they “can’t come so close to the sea and not go in” especially as they lacked that facility where they live overseas. Male and female sprint races were held there; wind-ball cricket and domino played; Karaoke sung; and a sumptuous meal consumed, washed down with a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

“The challenge is for each Past Student, from 1969 to 2009, to donate one dollar for each year since they have graduated, as a means of fundraising for the school,” Mr. Andre Robinson (Class of 1978) Treasurer of the New York Chapter told the dinner audience. “This means that graduates of 2009 will contribute one thousand dollars, graduates of 2008 will donate eleven hundred dollars, graduates of 1969 will donate four thousand dollars and so on.”

The challenge is meant to be an annual donation that will help to materialize the vision of Principal Treasure and his dedicated team of Board Members, Staff and students.

Throughout the event, the camaraderie displayed was genuine and at times very emotional, as old memories were shared and new ones created among the thirty-three Class of 1978 attendees, they being just over a third of the approximately ninety students who graduated in 1978. A minute of silence was observed at the dinner, for their five classmates who had died.

A plethora of photographs were taken, some of which were immediately sent via social media to former classmates who were unavoidably absent. Telephone and email contacts were also exchanged and pledges made to “keep in-touch”. Meanwhile, deeper reminiscing took place with the viewing of the 1973-74 and 1977-78 editions of “The EGYPTIAN” – the school’s yearly magazine.

YCHS Renaissance

Treasure, who was appointed Principal in 2009, revealed that members of the Class of 1978 were instrumental in the renaissance of YCHS in 20… that included reverting to the original collective name for students – YORKIST – to replace EGYPTIAN. He noted that from its inception in 1876 at York Castle near Claremont in the parish from which the school got its name, until it closed in 1906, students referred to themselves as YORKIST, and that name was changed to EGYPTIAN after the school reopened in 1958 at its present site at Egypt in Brown’s Town.

“After much discussion it was decided that we should revert to the original name,” Treasure said.

Among the achievements of the school of which the Principal spoke, was the fact that “York Castle is the only school in St. Ann that has gone solar.” This revelation elicited rousing applause from all present.

It was suggested that the reunion be made an annual event for all Alumni of YCHS.

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SUGGESTION: YC Day January 14 {1958} or 2nd Tuesday in January as both locations were established in January.
Established 1876 to 1906 and 1958 to the present (2019) [30years plus 61years and counting]

I am yours truly,
Haile Mika’el (Mr.)
Belmont District, Bluefields P.O. Westmoreland
1-876-865-4240 / hailemikael1@gmail.com