The Naparima Alumni Association of Canada was founded in Toronto
in 1978. Its regular membership consists of past students and staff
of seven institutions established by Canadian Presbyterian missionaries
who began their work in Trinidad in 1868. These institutions are
Hillview College, Iere High School, Naparima College, Naparima Girls’
High School, Naparima Teachers’ Training College, St. Andrew’s
Theological College and St. Augustine Girls’ High School.
There is also constitutional provision for Associate memberships.
We support our alma mater schools through annual funding for student
awards, bursaries and classroom and library resources and equipment.
Special projects also receive financial support.
The funding for our associated Trinidad schools comes from the
net proceeds of a variety of events such as dinner/dances, tea parties
and concerts.
One of the aims of the Association is to provide an avenue for
educational and cultural interaction with the society at large.
In achieving this aim we provide financial support and expertise
for various activities in Ontario. These include bursaries for graduating
high school students, funding for the purchase and maintenance of
steelpan instruments used in Toronto-area schools’ music programmes,
donations to libraries, hospitals and churches and to various charities.
We also organize and run community-oriented programs such as steelpan
classes and educational and topical workshops.
Naparima Alumni Association of Canada is a registered Ontario non-profit
corporation. The income derived from licensed bingo sessions forms
the basis of support for programmes in Ontario.
Birth of the NAAC- Significant Milestones
The Naparima Alumni Association was born at a meeting on April
8, 1978 at the Head Office of The United Church of Canada on St.
Clair Avenue. This meeting was actually supposed to launch the Naparima
College Old Boys’ Association, Toronto Chapter. During discussion
concerning the “form” of the organization we wished
to have, a proposal was made from the floor that we create a broader
based alumni association that would reflect “our Canadian
reality”. This suggestion was accepted and thus the NAAC was
born.
The following sequence of events leading up to the birth of the
NAAC helps to put the age of the organization in perspective.
October 25, 1976 – a letter was received by Steve Ramsankar
from the secretary of the Naparima College Old Boys’ Association
granting him the authority to establish Canadian chapters.
May 14, 1977 – 16 former students of Naparima College
met to discuss the formation of a chapter of the “Old Boys”
in Toronto; a motion was passed supporting this and a working
committee was established to implement the motion.
