Devon Dick

As an almost Munro old boy, I had to attend the 150th anniversary banquet of Munro College held recently at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. Both my brothers, Leon and Ainsworth, attended Munro in the 1960s. They attended the banquet and so, as their little brother, I had no choice but to be there with them.

Leon won the Marcus Garvey Scholarship and attended Munro and he later got a scholarship to study medicine/surgery. Ainsworth while at Munro won the prize for the best G.C.E. O'Level results. And I was expected to go to Munro and follow in their footsteps.

One of our family traditions was that all the children would stay with our cousins, Mr. Jackson of blessed memory and Aunt Inez, who both served as principal of Glen Stuart Primary School, Maggotty, St. Elizabeth. So I took the Common Entrance in 1972 and naturally my first choice was Munro. However, when the results came out I was placed at Morant Bay High School, St. Thomas, apparently because my parents were living in that parish. I cried because I did not get to go to Munro.

Transfer to calabar

So contact was made with the then principal of Munro, Mr. Richard Roper, and he agreed to a transfer. However, fate had it that my big sister wanted me to stay with her and since she was living close to Calabar High School, I was transferred to Calabar.

But what did I miss not going to Munro? At the banquet, Ainsworth, who is a commissioned land surveyor, said I would not have been able to manage the boarding at Munro. He said I would have cried. And he is right based on what old boy Mr. Michael Elliott said.

Elliott in a witty presentation said that there was a time when boys graduated from one form to a higher form by running around the field and nearing the end would be whipped on their backs. In addition, the school had a rule that prevented a boy from a lower form entering the classroom of boys in a higher form. However, the senior boys had a rule which disallowed boys from lower forms from even looking into the classrooms of a form higher than theirs. Elliott in his profound presentation placed his time at Munro in a historical context, which was biased against children of African ancestry.

Then there was a presentation from a member of the sister school, Hampton, reflecting on life yesteryear. She said when Hampton girls and Munro boys were leaving Kingston to go to St. Elizabeth, the girls and boys could not travel in the same coach on the train. In addition, even from the train station they had to travel in different buses. The lady further added that when there was a dance for the Hampton and Munro students only students in fifth form and above could attend!

Best Décor

In one of the best décor I have seen at a function, with 'stone' arches and all, the 150th anniversary, chaired by Aubyn Hill, was a significant event to highlight the achievements, reflect on the traditions and outline the plans for a great institution. There was the usual crowing of the victory of Munro over Calabar in a football match in 1943 in which Calabar led 4-1 at half-time and thanks to the great Lindy Delaphena, Munro won 5-4.

At the function, it was also announced that Munro was the first school to install a windmill to generate electricity. Happily, it will soon be re-commissioned after the disaster caused by Hurricane Ivan.

The delightful banquet also recognised its outstanding graduates, namely Steve Harley for 50 years at Munro, and those who recently received Order of Jamaica, Ambassador Burchell Whiteman, Professor Owen Morgan and businessman William McConnell.

Well done, Munro. You have a rich legacy and I was almost a part of it.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot; the Church in Nation Building'.