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Royal college’ 61-group celebates golden jubilee

April 3, 2011, 5:15 pm

Tuesday, March-08, 2011, 08.30-Hrs. Venue: Royal College, Colombo-7. Golden rays of sunlight cascade from blue skies via cumulus clouds; fresh foliage springs from trimmed lawns dividing tarred driveways leading from silver-grilled gates into a series of doorways at the brick-studded, stucco façade of the Assembly Hall.

Sixty-six old boys, some from overseas, reaching 60-plus, mostly attired in a neat confection of white shirt, striped navy blue and gold tie, dark blue and gold metal badge displaying the gold College crest and legend, The Class of 1961, Royal College – a gift from an overseas member, Eric Manny, from Vancouver - affixed on shirt pocket, dark pants, stride sedately through the Boake Gates from Rajakeeya Mawatha. To celebrate and rejoice its golden jubilee at Royal College, the RC-’61 Group, has arrived!

Inside the College Hall, at a special assembly, they sit in front row seats backed by two hundred and fifty students from senior grades. Onstage sits Principal Upali Gunasekara in white suit at centre table, right-flanked by Deputy Principal Lakshmi Attygalle, three teachers and Group Treasurer Rohan Abeygunawardana, retired accountant.His left flank covers three past masters: V Sivalingam, RBA Jayasekera and WA Wickramasena, Group President Shanthi Pathirage, chairman of Creative Blinds (Pvt) Ltd; and past Secretary Firoze Sameer, company secretary, American Premium Group.

Everyone stands, for the College song; sung from lusty throats in all its inevitable strains and cadences. One minute’s silence is observed for the 18-departed Group members: names are solemnly announced: Arulampalam Balakrishnan, Vigneswaran Balasingham, VSK Bamunusinghe, N Chenthil-Kumar, Amal De Mel, MV de Tissera, M Noor Deen, TG de S Gunasekara, MF Jaldeen, UKD Jayantha, AR Moosa, TRS Pieris, Rajeswaran, Lakshman Ranasinghe, NA Ranjith, HS Roberts, NS Wannaku, Dhammika Weerasekera.

The principal introduces the Group, explaining the day’s significance. While serving as compere, Sameer delivers the opening address followed by His Excellency the President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, addressing the assembly in Sinhala; Indrajith Coomaraswamy attached to the World Bank, and Special Municipal Commissioner Omar Kamil, both speak in English.

Rohan presents a cheque for Rs 323,426 to the principal for a proposed project, followed by special financial tokens of appreciation to the 3-past masters. Vote of thanks is delivered by past Group President Kumar Fernando, onetime director, General Treasury, closes this memorable, momentous occasion.

Old boys drift out chatting to each other; amble towards the tuck shop to snack and tea. Later, familiar corridors are explored, old classrooms are visited; the splendid 5-star washrooms admired; playgrounds are trod; past glories and times are discussed under the two inevitable tamarind trees; good ole days are reminisced five decades back; while group photo-catchers click intermittently on digital cameras and video units move about shooting the ever-changing scenes. Towards noon, a simple lunch at the tuckshop. One o’clock chimes and the Group departs; two luxury buses move out towards a hotel down south.

Waves break heavily on rocks in the azure Indian Ocean, a salubrious nip in the wind, coconut trees sway their fronds shading the floury sands; leisure hours spent protractedly; tea and snacks follow swimming and varied games, entertainment, competitions and prizes, into the long hours of the night; a Wok-special kitchen dinner amidst DJ-music and dance; special T-shirts emblazoned with College crest and legend 50-Years of Royalty. The following morn extends a sumptuous Sri Lankan breakfast washed down with steaming tea. And then, with undying memories to relive, the Group returns to base.

Friday night, 11 March, the revelry continues at Kumar’s Kohuwela home over dinner well past midnight. Each member receives a copy of the group photograph removed outside the College Hall premises and a DVD of the proceedings.

Friendships of over fifty years with former classmates, consolidated and relived perhaps for the last time. A splendidly memorable week to remember and reminisce in the years ahead. The RC-’61-Group moves on.

-RC-SixtyOnews