From: Eric Motha

Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 11:43 AM
Subject: BENS- UPCOMING EVENTS

“DOOR IS OPEN” (Mother Teresa) – Project in Vancouver to serve meals to the needy.
SATURDAY JUNE 09,2012 – 8.00am to 1.00pm

16TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Sunday June 24 ,2012- 7.00PM

Sagewood Amenities Centre
8638-159 Street Surrey,BC

The notice of meeting,annual report & audited financial statements will be mailed in the first week of June 2012.
Meeting will be followed by fellowship & dinner.

BENS INVITATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT 2012
Date: Sunday August 26,2012 (tentative) – Details to follow subject to booking of Golf Course.

Eric Motha
604-951-3745

From: Franklyn

Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 5:36 PM
Subject: OBUK Elected Committee & Office Bearers for 2012/13

Hi Guys,

Here is a good news message from the new Secretary of the OBU UK Jerome Adams,
and I would like to share this information with the Benedictine Fraternity.

Congratulations to the new Team we wish you guys well.

Long Live the OBU UK.

Cheers
Franklyn

Hi All,

Please be advised the newly elected committee & the office bearers of the Old Bens UK for 2012/13.

http://www.oldbens.co.uk/?attachment_id=557

Best Regards,

Jerome Adams

Update provided for inclusion in the Annual Report of the ST.BENEDICT’S COLLEGE OBU Colombo – to be tabled at the AGM to be held on 24th June 2012

ST.BENEDICT’S COLLEGE OBA – BRITISH COLUMBIA (CANADA)

The current office bearers of the OBA are:
President: Eric Motha, Vice President: Michael Ramanaden, Secretary: Desmond Anthonypillai, Treasurer: Manoranjan Rasiah,
Committee: Ranjit De Vaz, Eugene Motha, John A. Fernando & Prabath Pullay
Auditor: Shehan Salgadoe

The OBA continues to be active with an increase in membership since our last AGM in 2011. The committee are planning to organize a Curry Nite in May and a Bens Invitational Golf Tournament in September 2012.

The members have been kept informed of all activities in Colombo thanks to the effective liaison between our OBA and the parent OBU. We actively foster an ongoing relationship with OBA’s around the globe in the bonds of Benedictinity.

We have sent a donation of C$1000 to augment the Retired Christian Brothers Fund,the Magnum Opus of the Bens in Western Canada/Western USA.

Our website, an effective link to Bens, is under the efficient purview of our Webmaster Roshan Irugalbandara. The site continues to maintain its excellent search engine rankings across all the relevant search criteria on the primary search engines like Google.

From: Eric Motha

Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 11:11 AM
Subject: FROM THE BENS NEWS DESK

Upcoming events :

Saturday June 09,2012

“DOOR IS OPEN” Bens Project in Vancouver -8.00am to 1.00pm
(Mother Teresa)

Sunday June 24,2012

16th Annual General Meeting
Sagewood Amenities Centre -8638 159 Street Surrey,BC commencing 7.00pm
The AGM will be followed by fellowship & dinner.

Eric Motha
President

Dear Member,

Wishing you & family a Happy & Holy Easter and Blessings of the Risen Christ now and in the year ahead.

Eric Motha

REMINISCING …. an article featured on the Daily News – Saturday 27th August 2011

(click the above link to view article)

Percy Pregasem turned 90 years on March 24, 2012. He studied at St Benedict’s College, Kotahena and was captain of the Cricket Team and Soccer Team in 1942, 1943 and 1944. He is currently umpiring in Scarborough, Canada.

image003

image004

Percy with Old Benedictines in Canada

From: Darrel Ludowyke
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 8:04 PM
Subject: Obituary – Old Benedictine Terrence Perera (Father of loyal Old Bens Adrian and Tyrone)

Dear Friends,

We are sad to inform the demise of Old Benedictine Terrence Perera (Father
of loyal Old Bens Adrian and Tyrone) this morning, 27th March 2012.

Late Terrence Perera was Sri Lanka’s oldest living schools Cricket Captain,
captaining the College Cricket team in 1933. Apart from Cricket Old Ben
Terrence represented College in Soccer, Hockey, Athletics and was an
outstanding Cadet. Later he coached the College first XI Cricket Team from
1973 to 1975 and also served the Old Boys’ Union and Old Benedictines’
Sports Club.

He was 101+ years old, at the time of his demise.

Remains will lie at No 56B, Weherakanda Road, Baddegana, Pitakotte.

Funeral will take place on Thursday. Further details with regard to the
funeral arrangements will follow.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy
of God, rest in peace. Amen

Please pass-on this message to all.

Kind Rgds,

Darrel Ludowyke

From: Franklyn
Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 3:52 AM
Subject: Bishop’s Felicitation Photos in archdioceseofcolombo.com

You can also have a good look of the College surroundings from these photos.
Thanks Darrel

Franklyn

Subject: Bishop’s Felicitation Photos in archdioceseofcolombo.com

Dear Friends,

Please Click on the following link…

http://www.archdioceseofcolombo.com/news.php?id=1371

Rgds,
Darrel Ludowyke

From: Elmo Rodrigopulle from Brisbane, Australia
Sunday, February 19, 2012

It is with profound sadness that I pen these lines on the passing
away of my 1958 cricket captain at St. Benedict’s College Neville
Casiechetty.
Neville was one, if not the best batsman to represent the green,
white and green school in Kotahena.
Right handed, stylish and a hard hitting right hand batsman, he
played for the school from 1954 to 1958 captaining the school in his
final year.
In that era where ever the Bens were in action and Neville playing
crowds would flock in large numbers to watch his daring and master
stroke play. He seldom failed to oblige his admirers.
He is best remembered for his 260 odd against the Sister Colleges
in 1958 in Kotahena. He just mauled the Sister Colleges bowlers
hitting them to every corner of the field and over it as well.
It was a classic knock that is still etched in my memory.
Neville toured Malaysia and was picked to play for the Board
President”s X1 against Peter May’s England side on their way to
Australia for the Ashes. But that game that was to be played at the
SSC was ruined by rain with not a ball being bowled.
Neville also played for the Tamil Union and had a short stint with
the Nondescripts Cricket Club.
In addition to his prowess at cricket, he was also an excellent
centre forward at soccer and captained the College in 1958. Along with
Sampoornam and his brother Nithi Nicholas and Denzil Walles, they had
no equals in the schools soccer teams in that era as centre forwards.
They were products of that coach par excellence Albert Fernando who
churned out champions.
Neville’s brothers, Francis and Freddie also sported College
colours at cricket wit Francis also captaining the team and later
playing for the Tamil Union team which won the Sara Trophy in 1948 if
my memory serves me right.
Those who played under Neville in 1958 were Anslem Ludoyeke,
Ranjit Jayawardena, Lionel Fernando, Lasantha Fernando, Cecil
Waidyaratne, Neville Wickremasinghe, Benjamin Silva. Anton Abeysekera,
Elmo Rodrigopulle, Fritzroy Ponniah, Dougla Faux and Allan Gunesekera.
At that time we had Bro Alban Patrick as Director of SBC and
P.Gananpragasam as Prefect of Games and together there were duo that
took Benedictine cricket to the top in that era.
May the turf that Neville walked like a colossus lie lightly on
him.His funeral takes place today.
He leaves his wife Evonne and son Clyde

Down Memory Lane With Capt Irenaeus

From: Eric Motha

Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 11:31 AM

Capt Irenaeus is the elder brother of our Bens stalwart Gaston Rajakaruna in Calgary. The article was published in the Sunday Leader over the week-end. Eric Irenaeus with Eric in Vancouver Recently some of us had the pleasant surprise of a visit to Vancouver by Irenaeus Ferdinandusz the former Benedictine athlete and took the opportunity to reminisce of our student days at St. Benedict’s on a wave of nostalgia cherishing the education we received under the tutelage of the De La Salle Brothers with emphasis on the College motto “Religio Mores Cultura”. Irenaeus Ferdinandusz had his early education at De La Salle, Mutwal and thereafter proceeded to St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena where he was a student from 1950 to 1959. During his student days at St. Benedict’s, the premier educational institution of the De La Salle Brothers in Sri Lanka, Irenaeus proved his mettle in athletics being crowned Juvenile Champion ( 1952) Junior ( 1954) and Joint Senior Champion in 1957 establishing College records in Long Jump, Triple Jump and 440 yards events. It was a remarkable achievement for Irenaeus establishing 8 College records during 1952 to 1957 when he reigned supreme in track & field. It is also relevant to mention that his younger brother Gaston Rajakaruna annexed the Junior Championship in 1957 sprinting with finesse. Irenaeus, in addition to his prowess at athletics played cricket at the under14, 16 & 2nd X1 levels. He was a student of good ranking in the Commercial stream and Prefect for 2 years in recognition of his achievements. I had the privilege of being a classmate of Irenaeus during the early to mid 50’s and could well recall his versatility in the disciplines of academics and extra curricular activities. Ireneaus paid tribute to his coach at St. Benedict’s Aldo Abeysena, also a former Senior Athletic Champion and the unfailing advice proffered by his teacher Mr. JF Jegarajasingham and the redoubtable Jayantha Seneviratne who won the Public Schools Pole Vault for College in 1953. He also recalled his feat in outclassing the firm favourite Maurice Fairweather in the 220 yds. event at the Mercantile Athletic Championships in 1961, establishing a new Meet record. On leaving school, Irenaeus joined Colombo Agencies and had a 4 year stint prior to embarking on a career at sea in November ‘63, sailing as a Cadet on an American research vessel, before migrating to Denmark on September 09,1964. Irenaeus referred to his excellent performance at the famed Nautical College in SVENDBORG having secured 71 out of a possible 84 marks in an array of 12 subjects. The success saga continued with Irenaeus sailing the oceans over a record 33 years before dropping anchor and opting at the age of 65 to siphon his innate talents to the role of a Nautical teacher and introducing the study of Danish & English languages to refugees in Odense & Nyborg. In his retired life Irenaeus has diligently focussed on completing his 450 page thesis titled “Mind the Mind” which he will defend for his PhD in Moral Philosophy either in UK or Denmark, the land of his domicile. He intends publishing this in the form of a book to harness funds for the philanthropic “Live to Give” project initiated by him in Odense. Irenaeus has always been imbued with a deep yearning to assist the less fortunate and marginalised in society in Sri Lanka, India, Sierra Leone amongst other countries. “Mind the Mind” is a tribute to the great Dane Hans Christian Anderson and in memory of some former iconic world leaders and his beloved mother Ethelreda. He is looking for a publisher in USA, UK or Canada with the sole intent of utilising monies from the sale for his mission to the poor. Irenaeus, citing a worthy deed, remembered rescuing a stranded fisherman from Trinidad drifting at sea for 17 days in the North Caribbean bereft of any food when the ship under his command was on a run to Rotterdam from Guatemala. In this act of helping someone in distress Capt. Irenaeus entrusted the stranger to the American Coast Guard. A year later when his ship anchored at Port of Spain the grateful individual and his wife rushed to greet and express their profound gratitude to the Captain for his noble deed, a clear example of his vision to help those in need sans any fanfare but wholly inspired by the desire to serve fellow human beings in the spirit of humility and brotherhood. During his stint sailing the oceans for 33 years Irenaeus had visited 171 countries and approximately 800 harbours across the globe as Sailor, 2nd Mate, Chief Mate and Master Mariner (Captain). He had made over 20 visits to the country of his birth and perhaps takes refuge in the famous quote of W S Senior: “My heart you will break with longing. For it can never be goodbye” http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/02/12/down-memory-lane-with-capt-irenaeus/

From: Darrel Ludowyke <darrel@starlanka.lk> Subject: View the OBU Dance 2011, photograph’s on the College Web Site To: “‘Darrel Ludowyke’” <darrel@starlanka.lk>, eludowyke1@gmail.com Date: Monday, January 30, 2012, 5:11 PM Dear Friends, You could view the OBU Dance 2011, photograph’s on the following website. Click on the following. http://www.stbenedictscollege.org/photogallery.php?album=39 http://www.stbenedictscollege.org/photogallery.php?album=39&rowstart=0%3E&rowstart=0 Best Rgds, Darrel Ludowyke