GSSAWorldcon, Washington DC, (Aug. 7 to 9, 2009)

Summary of Convention and Key Highlights:  Introduction  On the weekend of August 7 to 9, 2009 at the Sheraton Washington North Hotel, close to the historic capital of the USA, more than four dozen men gathered for the third annual convention of the Government Secondary School Afikpo Alumni Association (GSSAAA), an association born out of a need to organize alumni resident outside of Nigeria. This is a summary of what these Mgbomiams (as they call themselves) did over three days. In attendance  They came from far and near; they came from Nigeria, they came from the UK, they came from Canada, and they came from every region of the USA. They came with their wives, they came with their young adult children, they came with their minor children, and they came with their friends. They came to celebrate their pedigree, to celebrate a bond, a bond made strong by a kinship, a kinship of common values and of common outlook, mindset, ideas and orientation. They came to re...

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GSSAAA World Convention 08, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA (Aug. 1 to 3, 2008)

Purple means royalty. It is a mystical color that stands for nobility and spirituality. On the first weekend of August 2008, GSSA alumni  painted the city of Charlotte, North Carolina PURPLE. The aura of a small town in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, graced big town Charlotte, NC in the USA.  The event and the environment brought out the kids in men. There was an extra spring in their steps. Faces lit up and beamed with joy. And happiness sat softly on every brow.  Dredged up from the deep recesses of the mind, memories of GSSA days of yore resurfaced, lingered and were savored. But, sad to tell now, little did we know that one of our own was next door in Fayetville, NC waiting for his call to glory. Sylvester Nnoruka (SMO); May your soul rest in peace. GSSAAA convention 2008 kicked off without fanfare Friday evening (August 1) in Charlotte, NC.  As the sun set, groups formed informally in generational patches of five or more persons signifying classes by seniority.  P...

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