MONTEGO BAY, St James – CORNWALL College’s observance of its ‘Homecoming Week 2011’ will step up a couple of notches starting today, when scores of former students from all over the globe will arrive in Montego Bay for the raft of activities.

The third staging of the event started on Sunday with a church service at Calvary Baptist, and continued last night with the New York Chapter honouring the entire teaching staff at the 115-year-old institution.

Roy Ten-Fah, president of the organising committee, said things were progressing smoothly, “we are expecting yet another successful staging of homecoming and the response so far has been very positive from both local-based and overseas old boys”.

“In addition to the obvious benefits of the old boys coming back to the school to see first hand what has been going on, this is also a great way to earn revenue for the school, as well as to highlight the positives there,” he told the Observer West.

Several souvenirs and memorabilia including bumper stickers, beer mugs, key rings, and lanyards will be sold to help raise funds for the school, he added.

The weeklong celebrations will climax on Saturday with the ‘Men of Might’ Awards Dinner and Dance at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort and Spa, where several Cornwall College Old Boys — who have made significant contributions to the school — will be recognised.

This year’s awardees are: Dr Albert ‘Bert’ McGann of the Tampa, Florida Chapter, Professor Horace Fletcher and Peter Buckley of the Kingston Chapter, as well as noted attorney at law Nathan ‘Natty’ Robb and Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Robinson of the Montego Bay Chapter.

A special Corporate Award will also be made to Restaurant of Jamaica for its contribution to the school.

The homecoming event has been twinned with the school’s Founders and Literary Week celebrations.

There will be a Literary Expo at the school’s auditorium starting at 9:00 am today with the official opening of the Carlton Chin Sixth Form block set for 3:00 pm.

Tomorrow will see old boys from various areas of society interacting with the present students in the annual mentoring sessions that start at the school’s devotions at 8:30 am.

Later in the afternoon, there will be a lyme/fete at the AquaSol Theme Park, hosted by the class of 1991.

The annual golf tournament will be held Saturday morning at the Ironshore course, same time as the Annual General Meeting of the Trust that will be held at the school’s auditorium.

Hundreds of old boys are expected to turn out for the daCosta Cup game between Cornwall and St James High at the Montego Bay Sports Complex later in the afternoon, while the ‘Men of Might’ Awards Dinner and Dance will bring the weeklong celebrations to a grand climax.