“THIS
WEB SITE WAS NOT ACTIVE SINCE MID 2003. IT IS REACTIVATED
IN THE HOPE THAT IT WILL ASSIST THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION
AT GURUTALAWA IN ITS EFFORTS TO REVIVE THE COLLEGE”.
We set out below for the information of All Thomians Near and
Far a
Calendar of Events:
DATE
EVENT
March 20, 2010
07:30 p.m. onwards
STC Preparatory School – OBU
PREP MEMBERS BASH
Venue: The Capri Club, 62, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 03
March 20, 2010
STC Mt Lavinia –
35th Royal Thomian Limited Overs Encounter
Venue:- SSC
March 27, 2010
Uva Thomian Big Match-
Between STC Bandarawela & STC Gurutalawa
March 27, 2010
STC Bandarawela
Junior School Sports Meet
April 2010
Old Thomian Association of California
–
Big Match get together
April 4, 2010
STC Bandarawela
Easter Programme
April 8, 2010
STC Bandarawela
Boarders Association variety programme
10th April 2010
7.30 a.m. to 6.00p.m.
Old Thomians Rugby Football Union
13TH JUNIOR RUGBY CARNIVAL 2010
Venue: College Grounds.
24th to 27th April 2010
STC Bandarawela
S.L.A. Ratnayake Memorial All-Island under 16 Badminton Team Championships
May 22, 2010
6.00 p.m. onwards
STC Mount Lavinia OBA
50th Anniversary of the Student Christian Movement.
Venue: College Hall.
This session will be followed by a fellowship dinner. Please indicate your participation at the above 15th March 2010 in order that we may make the necessary arrangements. Your responses may be directed to stcmlscm@gmail.com or the Teacher in Charge Ms. Rosana Kulendran (0775 245 546)
May 26, 2010
STC Guru Prize Giving-
Chief Guest:- Warden STC Mount, Rev. John Puddefoot
Proposed by S. Skandakumar
(6th March 2010, Cinnamon Grand Oak Room)
We are placing the following e-mail dated Feb.22.2010, from Merril Aluvihare with reference to Warden De Saram and the Communal Riots of 1958 as it would be of interest to most of the Old Boys of our vintage- LJ
My dear,
Thank you for the interesing CENTURION. Over the years various old boys have written articles about the role played by the warden during the communal riots of 1958 but everyone of these is not accurate. I thought I would put the record straight once and for all as I was residing with my late parents in our home 51 Hotel Road Mt.Lavinia where this incident actually took place. The previous day most of the tamil speaking people had moved out either to the Mt.Lavinia Police Station or to safer locations , except for the Kanagasabai family who bravely stood their ground at de Soysa Avenue Mt.Lavinia.. One Mr. Kanapathipillai an employee of Ceylon Theatres Jaffna had come to Mt.Lavinia the previous night and stayed over at his relations house at Abeywickrema Avenue namely one Mr.Moorthy. On this tragic morning he was walking down Abeywickrema Avenue when just outside our gate he encountered a hostile mob led by one Diamond Perera a carpenter from Dhakshinarama Road then known as Wattumulla Road. On seeing the mob he ran into our portico. The mob chased him and hurled abuse at me saying I was sheltering tamils. I ran next door jumping over the parapet wall to the house of the Mt.Lavinia A.S.P. the late Mr Allen Flamer Caldera father of Maxim but the telephone wires had been cut. On my return the mob had poured petrol on this victim and set him on fire. Just then the warden was passing by and he got down from his car and he and I put out the flames as best as we could. Some senior school boys too arrived and the warden sent for a stretcher from the collehe sickroom. Just Inspector Dudley Ludekens from the Mt.LaviniaPolice arrived and he stopped a Socoman truck as Socomans were laying the water pipes at that time. The warden was not touched by anyone and he was never bleeding nor was his cassock torn. I was the only prosecution witness who identified Diamond Perera and for this we too had to flee our home and live in a rented house at Torrington Avenue for some time. I gave evidence in Magistrates Court and then in Assize Court and the accused was sentenced to death purely on my evidence. His sentence was commuted to life inprisonment and after about eleven years I spotted him after release at Mt.Lavinia junction and went up to him and asked if he remembered me he said he didnt I said I am the man who sent you to the gallows which you cheated he replied he couldnt remember me, a few months later he suffered a heart attack and died and even the house his family occupied caught fire. These are the absolute facts of this episode. Mr Month Abeywardena was O.I.C. Dehiwala at this time and for the identification parade he made all arrangements providing a Police car for the wWarden and my late father whilst Maxim and I had to go in the van. The Magustrate was Mr. Wimalaratna an old Thomian and the Commissioner of Assize was Mr Earl Wijeywardena and prosecution was by Mr Basil White crown counsel before a Jury. I withstood a gruelling cross examination which the judge commended me for to the Jury. At the identification parade the Warden my Father or Maxim could not identify anyone, although I had received several threats I identified the main accused Diamond Perera. I might have known some of the others too but I was so terrified that my mind may have gone blank to some extent. The late S.S.P Mr. Bennet Perera who was assasinated by theJ.V.P was a young police officer who along with another Mr Jayasena handled the investigations.
Best Regards Merril
OBITUARY
Sad Demise of Jebamani's Father
It is with profound grief we announce the death of Mr. Jebamani,
father of our OBA members Arulkumar Jebamani, Jebakumar Jebamani,
and Devakumar Jebamani. His mortal remains are kept in their
residence at 5A, Judges Hill Path, Mediriya Road
(Badulla-Bandarawela Road), Badulla.
We convey our deepest sympathies to Arulkumar, Jebakumar,
Devakumar and members of their family. Your participation and
contribution of thoughts is much appreciated.
Cortege leaves residence for service at St. Marks Church,
Badulla at 3.00 p.m. on 9th March, 2010 (Tuesday). Thereafter the
burial will take at the family cemetery, St. Marks Church
premises.
On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 1:33 AM, Dilsiri
Dassanaike wrote:
Dear Milinda,
The BBC as usual has got it all wrong!!! This is not
surprising at all as they appear to be getting everything
wrong about Sri Lanka in the recent past. The Eton of
Ceylon and now Sri Lanka was and still is S.Thomas'
College Mt. Lavinia. The founder of S.Thomas', The Rt.
Rev. James Chapman D.D, born 1799 (a distinguished Etonian
himself) the first bishop of Colombo of the Church of
Ceylon had a vision. It was indeed to conceive and give
birth to a school in Ceylon on the absolute traditions
of that great school in England, Eton. Consequently,
on his arrival in Ceylon, he gave birth to his dream
in 1851 and went about making his dream an actuality.
The rest is history!
Whilst Royal is indeed a great and highly rated educational
institution, with tremendous traditions and is about
15yrs older than STC, lets get our facts right.
1. Royal is a government funded school.
2. It never was referred to as Eton because it is predominantly
a buddhist school and had no connections to Eton whatsoever.
3. Royal now has in excess of 8500 students and if I
remember correctly it was the late president H.E. J.R.
Jayawardena himself who referred to his
alma mater as "Royal Village." (Private schools
like Eton and STC as a rule and indeed a tradition have
a very much smaller attendance).
4. STC is a predominantly christian school although
many non christians have attended and will continue
to attend this wonderful school and one of the pride
and joys of STC is that all denominations have and will
continue to enjoy this great academic institution as
brothers, as we all did.
5. STC is a privately funded school and is also part
of the constitution of Sri Lanka.
6. Isn't it absolutely mind boggling, has been and will
continue to do so that, more than 8500 students still
cannot get the better of us 2300 students. This is an
approximately 4:1 ratio advantage to Royal. They still
can't do it??????
7. It is indeed clear that whilst Royalist pride themselves
in the learning of books, etc. we at STC pride ourselves
in a more rounded education ie books, sports and above
all, "being men and gentlemen always." This
is indeed a Thomian tradition.
8. The creme a la creme is that, the present warden
of STC(The Rev. John Charles Puddefoot M.A.(Oxon) B.D.)
an absolute scholar, is himself an ETONIAN!!! Need I
say more!
In conclusion, I would say that all reporting must be
absolutely accurate, otherwise the truth is distorted.
To Charles Haviland of the BBC I say
The only Eton of Sri Lanka has and will
always remain S.Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia Sri Lanka.
I also say to him, please do visit our website,
www.stcmount.sch.lk
ESTO PERPETUA / DISCE aut DISCEDE
Dilsiri Dassanaike
30th January 2010
Dear Old Thomian,
STC GURUTALAWA INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Warm greetings from Guru.
I have decided to write to you as I know
many of you old boys of STC at Gurutalawa and indeed
of STC at Mount Lavinia are not aware of the steps that
have been taken to raise standards here at the unique
campus of S. Thomas' College in the hills of Uva. Despite
continued limitations we are taking one step at a time
to pursue the goals and ideals that made this great
school what it was and can be again.
Since January 2007 there have been many
improvements effected that have enhanced the quality
of life for those who live here as students or staff
and undoubtedly contributed to the continual raising
of standards at Guru. For your information I am including
below a list of the major items of our Infrastructure
Development Programme that we have attended to during
the period up to December 2009 to improve the infrastructure
and facilities we offer Guru Thomians.
I have deliberately not referred to the
improvement of standards in other spheres of life at
Guru about which I have elaborated in my Prize Day Reports
and annual Report at the STCG OBA AGMs of 2008 &
2009. Needless to say there have been considerable strides
taken.
With funds contributed by the Bishop,
Board of Governors, Old Boys and Friends of Guru.
1. The Water Problem that plagued the school in the
past has been solved to a great extent by the restoration
of unused storage tanks and the utilization of the deep
well and other wells on the campus.
2. The kitchen, dining room and toilets of the Headmaster's
Bungalow were renovated. 3. The Chaplain's Rooms adjoining
the Chapel and occupied by Revd H. C. Goodchild were
provided with a brand new toilet and bathroom
4. Brand new Night Toilets with up to date facilities
were installed in all the dormitories [other than the
former Winchester (now Hayman Junior) by the Basket
Ball Court, Illangakoon near the Sick Room (part of
the old Dining Hall) and Jayasinghe by the Stores] with
the help and support of the OBAs in the UK, Australia
and Sri Lanka.
5. A brand new set of day toilets and wash rooms for
the Junior Dormitories were opened in 2008 thanks to
the efforts of the STCG OBA in its 50th anniversary
year.
6. The roof of Read Junior was given extensive repairs
although only the timber could be replaced due to the
cost.
7. The Davidson Dormitory by the Headmaster's Bungalow
was restored and rewired and is now being used to house
the aesthetic subjects, agriculture and practical technical
skills classrooms.
8. A model classroom was renovated and furnished in
the Middle School by an old boy.
9. The former Chummery that was in a state of dilapidation
and on the verge of being demolished was converted into
the stables for the four horses donated by Mr. Jacques
Huyghebaert who functioned as Advisor on the revival
of Guru and overlooked the infrastructure development
programme in 2007 & 2008.
10. The drainage system of the Keble & Blanchard
dormitories was completely replaced.
11. An entirely new set of toilets and wash rooms was
erected for the Blanchard Dormitory for Girls at Keble
by Ladies' College, Colombo.
12. The Staff Quarters allotted to Mr V. W. Dikkumbura
was restored with funds provided by an old boy.
13. New school-time toilets were built for the girls
and boys of the Middle and Upper School and for the
main Staff Room in the Upper School by Brandix
14. The College Office was computerised and networked
with funds from an old boy.
15. Two Dialog TV connections were provided for the
students by an old boy and a parent.
16. The 'Isolation Room' of the Sick Room that was once
the home of Dr and Mrs Hayman has been given a new look
and now serves as the College Guest Room that can be
booked by old boys, parents and others for short stays.
17. 5 brand new Computers were purchased for the IT
Unit with funds from the OBA in Canada
18. 50 new desks and chairs were provided through funds
from the OBA in California.
19. Iron Bunk Beds were provided by an old boy in Australia
through the STCG OBA
20. The College Bakery was recommissioned and a dough
mixer was donated to the bakery by an old boy through
the STCG OBA
21. A multi chopper was donated by an old boy for the
purpose of making our own compost etc out of our large
amounts of waste available on the campus.
22. A new sound system, vestments, altar linen, hangings,
hymn books and bibles were provided for the Chapel by
an old boy.
With Funds from Sherborne School (Dr R.
L. Hayman's alma mater in the UK)
23. Pavements and drains were constructed for the Keble
dormitory block, the Keble classrooms, the main Dining
Hall, the Middle School and Upper School classroom blocks
24. A new Chummery for single male staff was opened
below the Simon Perera Block of Classrooms and houses
6 to 8 single male staff
25. The entire roof of the Upper School block was replaced
with new timber and asbestos sheets
26. The Middle School classrooms were renovated
27. A platform was erected in the Dining Hall for the
High Table on the lines of the old Dining Hall
28. A dining room was put up in the space between the
kitchen and squash court for the Support Staff to have
their meals and an Office Room for the Food Warden was
put up in the Pantry.
29. A ceiling was installed for the entire Office Section
while the Exam Room was enlarged.
30. A Duplo Machine and Computer were purchased for
the purpose of Examination work.
31. The roof of the Lower School classroom block was
repaired and replaced where necessary.
32. The roof of the Keble Dormitory was repaired and
repainted.
At present there are three major projects for which
I am trying to raise funds as priorities.
1. The upgrading and renovation of the
Swimming Pool – Phase 1 is almost over at a cost
of 2 million rupees donated by three or four old boys.
Phase 2 requires at least 1.8 million to 2 million.
Once completed the Guru Pool will not only have a new
look, but as the only pool in the area will be able
to generate an income for maintenance etc.
2. Urgent repairs to the Headmaster's Van and College
Van that will cost approximately Rs 250,000/- per vehicle.
3. The upgrading of the IT Unit with Broadband, new
computers et al – Rs 510,000/-
The long term wish list includes the following:
1. Replacing of the roofs of the remaining Junior Dormitories
2. New day toilets for the Senior Dormitories and the
Primary Dormitories on par with those of the Junior
Dormitories.
3. Renovation of single staff accommodation for lady
teachers at Keble
4. Repairs to and renovations of the various bungalows
and quarters for married staff
5. Renovation of the College Hall
6. More double (bunk) beds for the dormitories
7. More desks and chairs for the classrooms
8. Repainting of the Chapel and polishing of the Chapel
furnishings in time for the 65th anniversary of the
Chapel in December.
9. Upgrading of all classrooms with a large white board,
shelves and a cupboard for each class.
These are projects that may be taken up by individual
old boys or Class Groups. Should you feel inclined to
support your alma mater and join with us in the raising
of standards over the next two years, please contact
me to find out how you can be of help or how you could
send a donation for the projects identified as priorities
for this year. Be assured that donations received will
be utilised only for the purpose for which they are
made and all donations will be duly acknowledged and
receipted.
“Our College has not reared us without expecting
from us in return some nurture fee. She has given us
nurture in order that she might engage for herself our
best energies and talent, permitting us to use for our
needs so much and so much only as she does not require
for her own. The College needs your help to survive.
Every Old Boy must give the College the nurture fee
he owes.” [Warden Neville de Alwis
to the Old Boys of STC ML, 1984]
Gurutalawians, you owe Guru a nurture fee and I look
forward to your collaboration and solidarity.
ESTO PERPETUA!
Warm regards,
The Revd Marc Billimoria
Headmaster
Junior
Dorm Toilets and Washrooms - A project undertaken by the
STCG OBA Project in progress - View
the PowerPoint presentation This project has now been completed. View the PowerPoint
presentation New Junior Dorm Toilets and Read Junior Dorm Roof
Project Accounts - Part
1 & Part
2
We continue to receive images of various events from time
to time from old boys. Please bear with us as we are in
the process of scanning and resizing same for uploading
THOMIANS
YOUNG AND THOMIANS OLD,
THOMIANS STAUNCH AND TRUE!
RALLY ROUND THE COLLEGE FLAG
THE BLUE THE BLACK AND BLUE
TO YOUR ALMA MATER SING
THOMIANS NEAR AND FAR
LOUDLY LET THE ECHOES RING
FOR ALL, WE HAVE, AND ARE
ESTO PERPETUA, ESTO PERPETUA
ESTO PERPETUA
THE BLUE BLACK AND BLUE FOR EVER!
College Song by the Senior
Students of STC Mount - in .mp3 format (5.9 MB).
