Old Nalandians’ 69 Group declares open ‘English activity classroom’

The Old Nalandians’ 69 Group re-visited their Alma Mater last Thursday (November 9th), to declare open the long-awaited English Activity Classroom to which its membership generously contributed.

The establishment of a truly, state-of-the-art English Activity Classroom at Nalanda College, Colombo 10, is the brain child of its principal Iran Champika Silva who identified a need to further facilitate students to advance their English skills both in the written and spoken word, even among those who had already excelled in curricular as well as extra-curricular activities, be it in debating, drama, oratory, compering et al, with the limited resources available.

Having identified the need, the principal had conveyed it to the most senior and active Old Nalandians Group to date, none other than the 69 Group.

The 69 Group volunteered and undertook this arduous and exorbitant task and made it a reality.

They had collected approximately three million rupees from its membership to complete the project. The main contribution had been made by their founder Secretary Gamini Jayatilake, a renowned social worker and philanthropist who ceremonially unveiled the plaque and cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony amidst much pomp and pageantry.

A former President of the Group Asoka Subasinghe told one of their annual gatherings that they received their education for free and they undoubtedly owed much to their Alma Mater. “We are what we are today, because of Nalanda. Now it’s our turn to pay back abundantly”, he said.

The old Nalandians 69 Group was founded in 1996 with Ajantha Dias as its first President with the sole objective of offering and maintaining comradeship and healthy fellowship to all its members, ideals which they have sustained to this day.

Rohan Mathes