Bag of firsts

The Colombo Uptown club has been into collecting a lot of products to its "Bag of firsts". The first to have a different installation, the first to have a different policy towards rotaract, the first to hold a 3 phase eye camp, the first to start off the IRBT. Not Stopping here, we are looking out for further products for this bag of ours. Join in and help us collect more to this "BOF".

Its not about achievements, its not about who is the best, rather, simply, enjoying rotaract in our way.......the fun way.

K!

IRBT 2005

Finally, after months of planning, talking, collecting funds, its finally, the moment of implementation. The date of the first ever IRBT 2005 in Sri Lanka.
This event, was organised with the permission of the Basketball association of Sri Lanka, with professionals referees, equipments and consultants.

The premises, Otters Aquatic Club, had changed for a day, into a rotaract premise.

The Finalists were ANC and Colombo, of which Colombo reigned as champions, to whome we had given a grand prize ceremony.

Will they hold this ......for how long...?
K!

Prelude to IRBT

It was a normal day that we had planned out to have a basketball match amongst a few of us at the Colombo Campus, for which around ten had turned up to practice. This was prior to the IRBT, and was taken up as the idea generation for IRBT.

It was Rtr. Prassanna Devamanoharan's brainchild. The whole idea, blew large and saw its realization within months. But none could forget the days that we had practiced at the campus grounds with just 6 or 8 of us playing until we die.

Crazy were we those days....!

Rgds
K!

Six a Side Cricket Tournament

The Roataract club of Kandy and Katugastota jointly organises the TRR Trophy, held every year. This was the first time that we, the Uptown club had participated. It was a hyped up event where, Mike had arranged the vehicle. The planned pickup at 0430 hrs was delayed by an hour due to the opening of Club H2O and the road to nominations. Pickup, and subsequent travel and arrival at Kandy was spot on. We were just in time to place ourselves with the committee.

We played our best, which did not succeed in getting a place within the team heirachy. But, whatever said, we got the game we wanted, the liqour we deserved and the fun we expected.

Another memorable day.

Rgds
K!

The Third Installation of President

Two years have passed and Shan passes the reign to Benji. This was a joint installation with the Roataract Club of Colombo Midtown, organised at the DPL building down Nawam Mawatha. Shan introduced Benji and he inturn pledged to serve in true service and introduced the board for the year 2005/06.

The event had 3 new members being installed and also became one of the few joint installations in the Rotaract Calendar. Another achievement for Uptown.

Benji, is on his track with a power packed team.

Rgds
K!

Benji's Surprise Party

Benji's Bro Suresh calls me off the blue and puts out this amazing suggestion. Within hours, we had met at Merrybrown down Marine drive, and a surprise part organised for him at the terrace. Benji was taken aback and startled. something he had never thought of, just before taking up presidency from Shaan.

We ended up lightening up the premise with our usual jostling laughter that the whole area was lit up with the positivity. And what would we want more than Birthday Boy Benjamin, grinning form one ear to the other.

K!

Stationary to Deaf and dumb School

It is lucky to be born in this world as a human being. Its even luckier to be born as one with all organs working perfect. Just imagine persons with certain disabilities, it seems god almighty may not be fair in certain aspects.

We as rotaractors, humans who are perfect, got together to donate stationary products to a batch of members at the Deaf and Dumb school in Ratmalana.

Hope we have been able to help those mis-fortunate kids.

K!

Grim Period

One should indicate that Rotaract is indeed the ideal method for a youngster to involve him/herself in social service. However, its always second to your work and family. President Shan was indeed into a difficult time in his life with the new marriage, new work and changes in his life plan. This had made him to request Benjamin to take over for his short leave. It was indeed the right moment for Benjamin to prove himself as a worthy candidate to be president.

The year progressed with just a few projects and regular informal meetings and gatherings.

Benji, is about to take the club ....... off!

K!

The Second Installation

It was time for Karthik to give up his reign to the incoming president, Shan Jayasekera. One, well planned evening at the Russian Cultural centre, amongst the Rotaractors and the presence of Senior Rotarians the new board for the year 2004/05 got itself installed in grand style. Shan, at that time, lecturing at Mercury, had taken a good stand and pledged to get the club to its next level.
The second year began just after the Tsunami, and was expected to be a Tsunami for the Rotaract District.

K!

The First Community service project

While all the other clubs were looking at a fabulous, mind boggling project to take up the club, we though very simple plain and down to earth. Just looked out of our fairy god mother aunt "Sulo's" house at the beach and figured out as to what a dirty place it was. It was immediately decided to clean a small portion of it.

The date was set. Time was set. Things such as gloves, garbage bags purchased and the beach was in the process of being cleaned. Astonishingly, looking at us cleaning our own mess, the passers by also chipped their efforts by helping us pick a few things.

Within just 2 hours, we had filled 17 bags of garbage, exclusive of sand, and had it all dumped at Sulo's for collection by the garbage truck the next day.

What astonished us the most is that it just takes a few people to clean the beach, to begin the chain reaction that brings out the cleanliness within us.

We should do this quite often....else there would be no beach for the future generations to enjoy...!

Looking to see you at the beach to offer a helping hand...!

K!

Eye Camp - Thalawakela

It is indeed an asset to have an optometrist within our club, with whose assistance, one could work on a project to correct vision of those who may not even know that there could be a problem with their sight. Such was the case when we were in Thalawakale, where a project of Eye correction was attempted on a twin phase method, using the help of an uncle of our Rotaractor Shreapathy Attanayake of MPL Plantations.

Rtr Benjamin Yoga, planned this out so well that during the first phase, the eyes were tested and after a period of 5 weeks the vision corrective spectacles were given. We also had assistance of our Rotary Club of Colombo Uptown, who had given us frames for the same.

It indeed had given us great pleasure to see a whole plantation in Thalawakale, where nearly 125 pairs of spectacles were given to thos who were in need of eye correction.

A mission to correct someone's vision succeeded in grand fashion...!

Rgds
K!

The Christmas Party

Cancer is indeed quite a disease that has been affecting people of all walks and ages. The Uptown club with the assistance and idea of God mother 'Sulo' had planned a yearly event that helps us to make a few of these cancer stricken patients happy by spending christmas with them.

Santa Clause for our first year was no other than our own Rotaractor Prassanna. He did make them happy with his fake gruffy ho ho and belly.

When god closes the doors, he sees to it that another opens somewhere else. We had been entrusted with that open door to make this young ones feel warmth within their tender hearts. Trying our best in doing that.

Rgds
K!