Sir Bill (Nov. 11, 1926 - Sept. 1, 2009)

"What we do for ourselves dies with us;
what we have done for others and for the world remains
and is immortal."
(Albert Pike)

William W. Pool, my husband Bill, known as Sir Bill to all the students of One Candle Schoolhouse, has died. It was unexpected and shockingly fast--mercifully so--once we discovered cancer was the underlying cause of his recent health issues. Bill was a man who would not have undergone treatments just to add a few days or weeks. "I've had a long and full life," he told the doctors before his surgery, "richer than I ever thought possible."

Because we'd gone to the Veteran's Hospital in California for tests, his daughter and son were able to be by their father's side in his last hours. It was another blessing, one that all the children who knew and loved him would have wanted to share also, if we had been in the Philippines.

I have returned to Negros Oriental...to Tambobo and the school, and to the boat we began building thirty-five years ago--our home, PILAR. I will stay here and continue with the evolution of One Candle Schoolhouse into the two Bright Lights Community Learning Centers of Bonbonon and Siit. It is both a blessing and a curse to have so much work to keep me occupied...but it is good work, deeply satisfying, and through this blog I want to continue sharing the joy of seeing how the children blossom with what is offered to them.

I haven't felt able to continue updating the blog until first writing this post, but it has been difficult to know how or what to say. This blog wasn't intended to be about Bill or I, but instead, our way of thanking the people who have supported the school, and to let them see the students using their donations. Thus, it is appropriate that a tribute to Bill's presence in the school comes from one of the children. I am very grateful to be allowed to publish a former guest student's letter of condolence:

"A week ago, on Tuesday, it hailed at my school. According to everyone else in my family, it didn’t hail anywhere else in Wellington. Just over my school. By the time it was interval and I was sitting with my friends, the hail had subsided to rain. Two of my friends were jokingly making comments about the rain being ‘god’s tears’. “Wow”, one said, “someone really famous must have died for God to be crying this much especially for them.”

I thought as I sat eating, that though I don’t know much about God, I imagine him as the kind of person who wouldn’t give a monkey’s toenail if some rich, self-centred celebrity died (no offence to Michael Jackson). If God really was crying just for the death of a one person, it was probably someone who hardly anybody knew about, in some remote corner of the world, doing good things for people in need.

When I got home from school that day, Mum told me about Bill and I read your e-mail.

In trying to process the awful news, I was reminded of my thoughts on the rain that morning. Combined with Dad’s ‘premonition’ it would appear as though something was trying to alert us of the sad news.

I have thought a lot about the eerie link, and it seems to me that the bond between people and the people who have really inspired them, or altered their view on life must go beyond the physical and mental, and into a spiritual kind of bond. It seems unreal, but short of calling it a ‘coincidence’, I have decided that this connection must be to do with the way that you and Bill have inspired me, through your work with the One Candle Schoolhouse, to not just live with the hope and aim of achieving my dreams, but with that of assisting others to achieve theirs. He really was an amazing person, and you two have done so much to help the kids in Bonbonon, so selflessly.

I know that you are such a strong individual that you will be able to continue your life, with fondest memories of Bill to help you along. I send you my strength, through that same bond that alerted me of the event, and hope it will help you through this difficult time. He will be sorely missed, not only by those who knew and were inspired by him, but also by divine beings, who have already been crying for the loss to the world.

Lots of love,
Maya xx "

Since beginning this post much time has lapsed while I struggled to know how to complete it. I have wanted to assemble a slide show or a collage of Bill with the students, but the process for me is slow, so because quiet time is in short supply right now due to demands of the school and holidays, I have decided to post this--now, as is--and update when the additional pictures are formated. In the meantime, here is a 'posting' Bill made to the door of his workshop, and lovingly photographed by a special friend:

 As I write now, it is January 13, 2011, over sixteen months since Bill died. I have just finished publishing one of several new posts that signal a significant coming-to-grips with the changes in my life since September 1, 2009.  I have renewed energy and an increased ability to focus, although there are still areas of life that remain nebulous and difficult to address.  Relinquishing the special mementos I know Bill's children would appreciate is one such postponed project, as is the large memorial video I had envisioned creating when I first made this posting. Relinquishing the ideal for the practical, an assembly of photos made hurriedly the night before a gathering of friends for his Memorial will now have to half-way fulfill the promise I made to myself:

Grains of Sand

Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic
http://fineartviews.com

PS: "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Character is everything." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

PPS: Frank Outlaw added, "Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

"What we do for ourselves dies with us; what we have done for others and for the world remains and is immortal." (Albert Pike)

Annabelle Lee Adriano

Real generosity toward
the future
consists in
giving all
to what is present.

--Albert Camus--

A belated Thank You, Annabelle!

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by 1candleschoolhouse

Through the windows of One Candle Schoolhouse we can gaze out over the entrance channel to Port Bonbonon and see the end of the dragon-like tail of Antulang Peninsula. Several times a day the sightseeing vessel, the Annabelle Lee, of ANTULANG BEACH RESORT carries guests to and around the upper basin where cruising yachts are anchored. It was there in the upper basin, in the bamboo cottage at the end of a dock where One Candle Schoolhouse began, that Annabelle first visited our school. Busy schedules and the long drive between our two places have restricted frequent get-togethers but since that time--and more than once!--the crew of Annabelle Lee have been dispatched to deliver gifts to the students of OCS, from Annabelle herself.

Despite our infrequent meetings, Annabelle's generous friendship has remained a constant. Via email she helps us with websites of interest, encourages displays of the student's cards and crafts in the resort's gift shop, and offers support for special student's needs. We have much to be grateful to her for but because our internet connection is extremely slow, until now it hasn't been possible to either email the student's PowerPoint Presentation, or to post it to the blog.

I am happy to have found a hosting site that allows the children's animations to remain, but have yet to figure out how to delete the extra slide presentations that come after ours, so in the interest of avoiding further delay to honoring our friend, I will publish it as is and change it later...

A Marga Melange

"To truly be inspired for great work, you need to know that you're making a difference. That you're putting a meaningful dent in the universe. That you're part of something that's making a difference and that your role in that something is significant. . . "

--David Heinemeier

In this long-overdue return to posting I am going to rely on past emails to present the bountiful influence of Peace Corps Volunteer Marga McElroy to One Candle Schoolhouse. The quote above was chosen in response to a conversation we'd had when I tried to thank her for the many lesson plans she'd created and donated to us. Because her assignment hosts had not known how to take advantage of her vast knowledge and energy, she'd felt ineffectual until her self-motivated projects found a home within our school.

At this writing, Bill and I are again in California for sudden medical reasons, which means that I cannot be with Marga a last time before her assignment ends, in August, when she returns to the East Coast. However, the good news is that being away from the school now provides me with the time to return to updating blogs, so I will start with Marga, her passion for learning, the meaningful 'dent' she made upon us at the school...and my sincere expression of love and respect for a wonderful person.

On Tue, 4/28/09, Betty Halliwell <bettyhalliwell@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Greetings from Books for Peace. Marga McElroy informed me that you could use a shipment from us. Please see the attachment.

Our website address is <www.booksforpeace.org>

Marga had written:

Diane Pool in Brgy Tambobo, Siaton has One Candle School House, her own project where she uses art to teach kids crafts, writing about their illustrations (& vice versa),life skills & self esteem thru their art works. She would LOVE books on drawing! She does a 8-5 scool on sat yr-round at her house for nearly 20 kids (theres a waiting list) & a satellite learning center where they older kids teach the younger ones sun mornings at Siit barangay hall then they are actually BUILDING a learning center at Bonbonon Brgy. She had 90 kids show up for the 3 day/week summer school! Amazing! Chek out the web site or blog whatever--Onecandle school.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 9:34 AM<poolbilldiane@yahoo.com>wrote:

"(Dear Barbara)...the turning over of the school to the Learning Centers takes much more of my time than I'd anticipated, but is worth it. There are leaders emerging, and I'll paste a bit of a letter I just wrote to my relatives, telling them about the opportunity for getting books from the states for our libraries. It will fill in somewhat our activities. If I ever get back to our blogs, you'll see it pasted there, too:

Dear Aunt Maxine, Larry, Vicki, Michele, Danielle & Kyle -

Yesterday's email to you was probably confusing as I was pressed by an unexpected call to attend a Bonbonon Barangay meeting to discuss the need for more volunteers and donations, to continue building the Learning Center, but I think you could follow it from the successive emails attached.

It was an impulse to add all your names--born of your previous offer, Aunt Maxine, to send another donation. Your first made our Working Student program possible but I know the tax deduction makes it easier, so when you'd offered again, I'd not wanted you to do more. until we could offer that. However, when this opportunity popped up I immediately thought of you and how appropriate it was since you were the main influence for my love of books!...and then I thought of all you others who have also expressed interest in our school, and since Books for Peace is located so close to you it seemed a way to make it more real, more viable, to help us.

I have often quoted Tracy Kidder's observation about the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, in Haiti, about "Lives of Service need Lives of Support". Betty Halliwell and her husband are providing a much-needed service--not only to us, here, but many other places so it seemed a way to let others know about the work they are doing, in case you or someone else could possibly support her and us at the same time.

The forward below gives information about how Betty's system works. If you check the website, you'll see that it is connected to Peace Corps volunteers. I became aware of it because last weekend, Peace Corps volunteer Marga McElroy stayed with us and taught all the volunteer teachers for both Learning Centers how to teach a PowerPoint Presentation on Bio-Diversity.

Actually, it was also a lesson in how to Teach Interactively; not just lecture students. What is so fantastic about this is that the majority of "teachers" we have for the budding Bonbonon Center are our One Candle students! Ethel is the youngest--she's thirteen.

There were fourteen in all that Marga spent the morning with: eight who are still in high school; two former OCS students but who are now college scholarship students (entering 3rd year, 2nd year); two unemployed high school graduates who are starting our Working Student program; Gina, from another team of Working Students who is nearing the end of her Program, and Evelyn, the woman who took charge of establishing the very active Si-it Learning Center. Janefel (graduating Working Student) and Renato (#1 handy-man) were both working elsewhere Saturday, but they are my two right-hand persons for the Learning Center project.

When the group came downstairs after Marga had made her presentation to them (exhorting them to not think of themselves as simple volunteers, but as real teachers, LEADERS), it was breath-taking to see the light in their eyes. Igene, in particular--a seriously worried young woman needing employment and trusting that volunteering to help create a school will eventually provide an income--was actually relaxed and laughing spontaneously! It was amazing. And very touching.

While they were upstairs, I had one of my best days ever downstairs, teaching eight students the power behind both Literature and Paintings, with the fantastic material about National Artists that Marga had supplied; none of us had known that Rizal was inspired to write his revolutionary book, Nolie Me Tangere, after Luna won a Gold Award in Spain for the painting, Spoliarium. Imagine! A painting inspired a revolution..."

I would like to add here that because of the materials Marga provided, which included three story books that were based upon paintings by Luna, Zobel, and Amorsolo, several important breakthroughs were made with the students. The most pleasing to me was when, after reading a few pages from Boy With A Kite and Ragamuffin Kid, I noticed a distinct disinterest in Girl At The Fruit Stand. When I asked why they'd lost interest, they said it was "boring." Probing further for specifics, they revealed that the character was not as interesting as the first two because her problems weren't very compelling.

This discussion was the first where a thoughtful analysis and a voicing of their opinions came easily, confidently. This is revolutionary, because previously the students have been reluctant to express themselves independently for fear of 'being wrong'. Marga's introduction of the books, the unusual lesson plan of utilizing a famous painting as a springboard for creating their own original stories, broke through the conditioning.

BRAVO, MARGA!!!

...and now, here, is the book information Marga has brought into our lives that is so vital for the continuing growth of these students and I hope that visitors to this blog will be inspired to support BOOKS FOR PEACE and the good they are doing:

--- On Wed, 4/29/09, Betty Halliwell wrote:

Dear Diane,

Thank you for your enthusiastic response. Marga has told me that my shipment for your work should be sent directly to you, so I need your delivery address for my shipping company, Manila Forwarder. (A P.O. Box won't do.) The first shipment to a new address is limited to one box, so that box should contain as many samples as possible in order to get reactions which can guide selection of contents for a larger follow-up shipment.

Donations to Books for Peace are tax-deductible and are very welcome. They can be sent to Books for Peace, 13646 Hartland St., Van Nuys, CA 91405. (To let your aunt know what she is getting for her donation: Thanks to the shipping company's discount for shipments of donations, I pay $23 for shipping each box, including insurance, Customs clearance, tracking, and delivery to anybody anywhere in The Philippines. Charges are based on the size of the box; my box can weigh as much as 80 pounds, depending on the kinds of books being sent.)

Volunteers also are very welcome, since they can do things which take my time and strength and thus prevent me from getting shipments out as fast as I need to.

Prepare a wish list, as comprehensive and detailed as everyone wants to make it. An important tip: The Books for Peace inventory comes primarily from the discards of schools and libraries, and our materials for classroom use (such as reading anthologies) are usually in much better condition than our discards from libraries (such as popular children's books).

Best wishes,

Betty

Lives of Support

"Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. "
--Scott Adams

The Coastal Passage

Sunday, April 20, 2008 8:26 AM

From: mail@thecoastalpassage.com

To:"Bill and Diane Pool SY Pilar"

Greetings

TCP has been paying for contribution of late and has given authors the option of

a charitable donation in their name as a substitute.

I thought perhaps your 1 candle school could be a suggested option.

We are talking just a few hundred $$ at a time but perhaps useful to you.

Please consider and let us know how best to proceed.

BTW.. your school and the Lucas's are featured the #30 edition.

Cheers

Bob Norson

(April 20, 2008 10:35 AM, From:"TCP" )

Diane..
well thank you for the warmth that radiated from my 'puter just now..

Happy to help. And TCP is just the facilitator...

it's the contributors that make this work.

Australian sailors are such a good mob...

as sailors are everywhere. It's rarely a matter of if they can help

but mere direction to where the help

is most needed and...appreciated.

Bob Norson, along with his wife, Kay, is the founder and editor of Australia's foremost boating-friendly magazine, The Coastal Passage. He is pictured above, between Bill & Sandy Brosnan of M/Y Foreign Affair, who are contributors to his magazine--and now also to One Candle Schoolhouse. Several posts ago I said I would be featuring Bob and his magazine community of contributors, citing them as examples of Tracy Kidder's observation, "Lives of Service need Lives of Support."

Bob is a fearless champion of the need for Greater Good Sense in the face of Mindless Bureaucracy. His Don Quixote editorials are humorously harrowing assaults that can make your hair stand up on end, your legs jump up to run, and your mouth open up to shout, "HALLELUJAH, BROTHER, WHERE DO I SIGN UP?!" Reading his words, one can see he is that rare breed, a forthright good man who, believing that "...words ought to be a little wild for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking," * inspires others to share his vision of a less-uptight, truly community-based world.

"...most of us are doing this for the fun and satisfaction...if (people) have something from the heart (they) want to share, we’ll do the grunt work to get it published...TCP will never become too shiny but for those that do want to do the work, it is only fair to reward them if the paper is making a buck."

But there are some who prefer to simply write for the joy of contributing to the magazine's community, and thus, ask Bob to donate their earnings elsewhere. As a result, there have been FOUR (!) to the One Candle Schoolhouse, which have greatly assisted Allan Lajot's first year of college at Foundation University, in Dumaguete.

A selection of Allan's writings were were sent with each Thank You email to those donors, along with a request for pictures of them so I could insert the photos in this posting. However, it's a busy world and sometimes connections are hard to make, so today I say again to Allen and Barbara Southwood, THANK YOU SO MUCH! for your generosity to us, donating the proceeds from your lovely reminiscence of rescuing an old boat (issue #31, pg. 24) that was so evocative.

Bill and Sandy Brosnan are regular contributors to TCP, writing warm, informative cruising tales of the Good Life aboard their motor vessel, Foreign Affair. Twice now, Bob has sent us their donation--and though no photo of either them or even Bob has yet to come through the mail, I managed to download the one at the top from TCP's website.

(I warned you, Bob, that you'd be sorry if I had to resort to my own devices--the quality is truly rotten but probably better than the devilish caricature I was tempted to draw myself!)

Wendy and Ed's contribution (s/y Absolutely) to the neighborliness of Coastal Passage's back pages are the lively photos and interviews with boaters from just about everywhere. I greatly admire the professional quality of their work, but was Wendy's personal observation about donating that particularly touched me:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 10:59 AM
"Like most boaties, money seems to always be an issue, but Eddie and I like to keep things in perspective...I have never 'donated' to so called good causes, because I believe that a large % of money doesn't go to where the donater thinks it does - how refreshing to know that what little we can send goes straight to the spot... So pleased to know that our small gesture will make such a difference to Allan; have read all the attachments (and) all I can say is WOW! thank goodness he is getting a chance to make the most of his style & intellect."

Good Evening, ma'am
Saturday, May 10, 2008 8:39 PM
From: Allan Lajot
Hello!

Nice to hear about the OCS. So, what are
your new projects at school?
I miss all the fun there as I face
the new life of a college student here.
Nice news about my family!!! I know they will work hard for me.
The work here is just fine. I can do the work. I keep filling up the expenses list so I can show you anytime I am free. Maybe this Wednesday I cannot entertain you because it is our PRELIM Test. 596p is the payment.
Maybe I will go home tomorrow so that I can talk to my parents
and so that I can get more clothes and more stuffs.

Our work here is a work mostly for men, so I am not a boy right now, I’m learning to become a man. I have headache sometimes and muscle pain also. But thanks for the medicines!!!
Lovingly yours, ALLAN

Hello ma'am
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:46 PM
Good evening, I have attached a story. Hope you like it.

Math Wizards

By: Allan Lajot

It was in the morning when a working student who is assigned in the Office of Engineering told me that the Dean, Mr. Tanilon, wants to see me. I was thinking of what might be the reason. Maybe I did something wrong? I went up to the second floor of the said building, where I can find the office. While walking in the lobby, I saw a list.

Three names were there. My name is in the 2^nd number. I get nervous because maybe I have a problem in some of my subjects.

I went inside the office and ask a girl if Mr. Tanilon is around. She asks me why and then I told her, “I was asked to see the Dean.”

She let me get inside and Mr. Tanilon was there, sitting and did something in his computer. The girl told the Dean that I looking for him. I set in the chair near the Dean’s table. He stood up and said, “Congratulations, you are qualified to be a Math Wizard contestant for freshmen this year,” while we shakes our hands.

I was amazed. I feel so confused why I am one of them? Out of 1500 or more freshmen students, only forty-one were picked and I am one of them.

"Sir, how did they know about me that I know something about math?” I asked.

“The qualification is based on the entrance exam. Did you pass the test?”

“Yes sir.” I replied.

“Well, that’s your talent. Just keep on doing your best. Once again, congratulation!”

I thank him for the good news. But I forgot something; I forgot to ask about the schedule of the exam. He gave me a copy of a paper where schedules of the exams were found and the list of 41 students. There are only three engineering students who are involved in it.

I was so happy. I want to tell ma’am Diane the news that day but I have no load. I went to the Barracks and told my co-workers about it. They are proud in me. And I’m also proud to myself. I am a math wizard!

(To be continued)

Texting Messages from Allan:

18-Aug-2008 (1851 hrs) -- “Gud evening, ths Wednesday s our final round in FU Math Wizard Contest. Out of 41 picked freshmens students, thr r 12 left who wil take the final test; I’m one of them :-). I was now reading books in Math. But still have to clean my area.”

(1903hrs) -- “I’m the only working student ho s qualified in the contest. I’m so happy :-) thr wil be 3 out of 12 with highest scores who b qualified as FRESHMAN MATH WIZARDS. I am hoping I am one of the 3. I will do my vry best to show that OCSH and working studnts r VERY GOOD and Smarts.”

good evening

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:42 PM

Hello ma'am Diane,

We have our Final Test contest today. I really get nervous during the exam. HOOOOOH, I was thinking how hard the questions are. 20 items to answer just within 15 minutes. But still, I try my best. I answered 19 questions. There is one I haven't answered because its difficult to understand. I still try to solve it but I did not know if the answer is right. When the test has ended I was looking around me and some of them said, "Hooh! I only answered half!", and some says, "The questions was really hard!" And then a boy ask me, "How many items have you answered?" and I was proud to say, "Nineteen." Then I show him some of my solutions in my scratch paper.

Sad to say, I was not included in the top 3. I am in 7th placer. I will send you the continuation of my story this Sunday. That's just all for now!!!!

Lovingly yours, ALLAN

Just a reminder to note that out of an initial forty-seven students (from an enrollment of fifteen hundred freshmen) Allan was the ONLY Working Student (which means, in addition to his class load, he works five hours every day to compensate a reduced percentage of his tuition), and yet he still placed seventh in the finals.

I will also add that Filipino High School students graduate when they have completed the equivalent of tenth grade, which means that these rural youth are sixteen years old when they leave their families and small communities to attend college in Dumaguete (the "Big City"), more than an hour's journey away.

It has been a source of serendipitous pride to discover that the One Candle Schoolhouse scholarship students have, by virtue of their experience planning, budgeting and preparing our Saturday lunches, been better equipped for a smooth transition into adult responsibilities.

*quote by J.M Keynes