Florida Alumni’s 80th Anniversary Gala Celebrates School, Teachers

On a searing summer evening in South Florida, celebration and introspection were in the air as the Excelsior Alumni Association of Florida hosted its inaugural Dinner and Dance on Saturday, July 16, at the Miramar Multi-Purpose Center to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the alma mater.

In her opening remarks, President Althea Brown Robinson, who also served as MC, saluted the audience for their patronage and delivered a brief history of Excelsior High School since its founding in 1931 by the late Hon. A.W. Powell. She also gave a synopsis of her chapter’s activities since its reactivation some fifteen years ago.

These activities included, she said, a robust effort to build a dance studio at the school; the continued long-term project to renovate the bathrooms at Excelsior; underwriting several scholarships for students; and contributing to the upkeep of the physical plant. In addition, as part of the Excelsior Alumni Association of Florida’s community outreach, the group made a significant contribution to the Haiti Relief Effort after the devastating earthquake. The President hailed the patrons—who included a cross-section of Excelsior past students spanning many decades—and thanked them for supporting Saturday’s gala, reminding them that the event forms part of the organization’s broader fundraising efforts.

At the stylish and tastefully understated event, the evening oscillated between laughter and somber reflection as members and supporters gathered to pay homage to alumna and former games mistress Mrs. Myrtle Cross. During the dinner, the organization also recognized the contributions of former teachers Mr. Hugh Jones and Dr. Selburne Goode. Mrs. Cross, who is currently contending with health issues, was honored in absentia and represented by members of her family, including her husband Ian, daughter Amanda Seaga, son-in-law Andrew Seaga, and niece Carol Ann Chin.

President Robinson shared a moving anecdote about the profound impact Mrs. Cross had made on her and her contemporaries while they were students at Excelsior. A video collage of photographs of Mrs. Cross was later projected on an overhead screen while the lilting, jazz-inflected song This Is Your Life played softly in the background. Miss Desreine Taylor, Consul and Acting Consul General from the Jamaica Consulate, presented the plaque to Mr. Cross and Amanda on behalf of the Excelsior Alumni Association of Florida.

Speaking on behalf of his wife, Mr. Ian Cross thanked the Alumni Association for the accolade and joked that for more than 40 years, few had known his real identity outside of being the “husband of Myrtle” or “father of Amanda.” Turning introspective, he delivered a poignant speech acknowledging the profound role Excelsior had played in his wife’s life. So significant was the school’s influence, he noted, that at the first sign of her health deteriorating, the family made the decision to take her to visit the school campus, confident that the familiar surroundings of her beloved alma mater would provide comfort and healing.

The President thanked members of the Cross family for their presence and extended special gratitude to Mr. Cross for his magnanimous gesture in declining the Alumni Association’s offer to sponsor his passage to Florida. Instead, he volunteered to pay his own way as his contribution to the organization’s fundraising efforts.

Throughout the evening, the organizers—including President Althea Brown Robinson and executive members Doreen Campbell, Debra Byfield, Owen Howe, Judith Pitter, Maureen Fidler, and Michael Aitchetson, as well as the advisory board—were showered with kudos for their outstanding work in staging the anniversary event. The food, highlighted by a cake rendered in the green and gold colors of the school and topped with the logo of the Excelsior Alumni Association of Florida, as well as a sumptuous blend of Jamaican and American cuisine, also drew special commendation from the appreciative audience.

But the evening was not all formality. Jeanne Powell—whom many felt was a virtual reincarnation of the late Hon. Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley, famed Excelsior alumna and Jamaican cultural icon—gave a riveting and wildly amusing performance that added levity to the occasion. In her humorous take on the Excelsior story, she mused about how the school got its name. Ms. Powell recounted an imagined conversation between the Founder, Hon. A.W. Powell (no relation), and a prospective student:

Mr. Powell: Why do you want to come to this school?
Student: To excel, sir!
Mr. Powell: That’s it! I will name the school Excelsior!

The comedienne said she always considered herself an Excelsiorian, although she never graduated from the school. She revealed that she wanted so badly to attend Excelsior that she even convinced her parents she was enrolled. She bought a school uniform, presented herself on campus each day, and helped her cousin with all assigned schoolwork—so much so that she felt she had done enough to be considered a graduate.

In recognition of Ms. Powell’s enterprising effort to become an Excelsiorian, President Althea Brown Robinson presented her with an “official” faux Excelsior Graduation Certificate, much to the amusement of the audience.

With the formalities completed, DJ Leslie Grant provided music for dancing, which continued into the early hours of Sunday morning.

Please see the photo gallery for snapshots of the event.

www.xlcrflorida.com