Naparima Alumni Association of Canada (NAAC)

Alumni Associations

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

About Naparima Alumni Association of Canada (NAAC)

Established On : 1978

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.March 4, 1978 – 50 “Old Boys” attended an Inaugural Banquet at the Hotel Triumph April 8, 1978 – “Old Boys” association transformed into the “NAPARIMA ALUMNI” April 22, 1978 – 1st Executive Meeting of the NAPARIMA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.Steve’s request to the Old Boys’ Association in San Fernando led to the letter of October 25, 1976. This started the chain of events leading to the formation of the NAAC.