EXECUTIVE
President:
  Annette Xavier
Vice President:
  Lalitha Dayananda
Secretary:
  Margie Sivathondan
Treasurer:
  Hermion Tevarayan
Membership Secretary:
  Vacant
PRO/Editor:
  Astrid Blackson
Committee:
  . Nirmalie Anthony
  . Nalayinée
    Shanthakumar
  . Nira Rudrakumar
  . Sunimal Fernando
  . Angelina Jothinath

Ex-Officio:
(Past Presidents)
  . Nellie Fernando
  . Lalitha Dayananda
  . Nirmalie Anthony
  . Sonia Vitarana
  . Freda de Silva
  . Kumari Ratnayake
  . Astrid Blackson
  . Olga Foenander
Fourteen blooming roses met in June 1991 to inaugurate the Colombo Shepherdians in the UK





 Sonia Vitarana (née Edrisinghe)
 Past President and Vice Patron
 Colombo Shepherdians in the UK

The idea of forming an alumni association for all past pupils of Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena, who were living in the United Kingdom was an objective that I had been actively considering for some time. Nevertheless, the idea started becoming a reality when I published an invitation in the free Sri Lankan newspapers circulating in the UK, i.e., the Newslanka and Silvarrow, inviting past pupils who studied at Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena, to attend an inaugural meeting at the Rose Garden in Regent's Park, London on Sunday 30 June 1991.

The weather in England, even at the end of June, is notoriously unpredictable and many past pupils who saw the invitation in the newspapers rang me requesting a change of venue: as it was too late to make any changes fourteen blooming roses - “I cannot call them rosebuds!” - braved the weather and we met at the Rose Garden as planned.
fourteen blooming roses-I cannot call them rosebuds!



I recall walking in late with my husband and two very young children. I had had a catering order the previous day and I brought the left over chicken tandoori to share with those who were present after the inaugural meeting. Some of the husbands who accompanied their wives enjoyed the Rose Garden whilst we were busy forming the association.

The following were elected:-
Executive
..Dr Nellie Fernando (née Perera)- President,
..Lalitha Dayananda (née Sangadasa)-   Secretary,
..Nirmalie Anthony (née Wijesekera)   Treasurer,
..Bernadette Perera (née Bastianpulle) -   PRO/Editor of the newsletter
..Sonia Vitarana (née Edrisinghe)   Membership Secretary.
Committee
..Manel Olivelle (née Fernando)
..Shanti de Zoysa (née de Silva)
..Rosemarie Fernandopulle (née Laity-  Ramenaden)
..Canice Rajamahendran (née de Silva)

I declined a proposal to be elected as the president because I had just started my own business and volunteered to be elected as membership secretary.

We discussed the name that the newly formed association should have and it was unanimously decided to call it the Colombo Shepherdians in the UK.

As soon as the association was formed there was a slight drizzle which was like a shower of blessings.



Amongst the other past pupils who attended the inaugural meeting were Hermione Tavarayan, Rukmani Perumal (née Cassie Chetty), Shiroma Dabrera (née Dias}, Shiranthi Liyanage (née Perera), and Yvonne de la Harpe (née Caspersz)

I presented a draft constitution at the first Committee Meeting which included a requirement that two newsletters would be circulated to the membership one in May and the other in December.

Bernadette Perera, the editor of the newsletter, was unable to publish the first newsletter due to family commitments and resigned from her post. I then stepped in and published the first newsletter to the 40+ new members of the association.

The Colombo Shepherdians organised its first fund raising event at Shanti de Zoysa's home in Maidstone in November 1991. There were more new members recruited who attended the function. We were treated with packets of lamprais1donated by a generous member.

We then held our first serious fund raising disco in April 1993 at the Ealing Town Hall. The hall was packed with members and their guests. It was a joy to see the committee all working together in fellowship with even the husbands lending a hand to decorate the hall. I compered the show which was a great success. Three more eager and devoted past pupils joined the committee namely Freda de Silva (née Anthonisz), Claudette Carter (née Blake), Astrid Blackson (née de Silva). Freda took over the reins as PRO/editor of Newsletter.

The boys of St Benedict's formed their association, the Old Bens UK, in November 1991. The Colombo Shepherdians then joined with them and we held our first grand dinner dance at the Skyline Sheraton in September 1992. Michael Fernandopulle and I were the comperes for the evening. It was indeed great fun organising the arrangements for the dinner dance. We attracted some 280 members and their guests for the dinner dance which included a grand raffle.

The Colombo Shepherdians in the UK have not looked back since the inaugural meeting in June 1991 and, indeed has gone on from strength to strength.

We the Colombo Shepherdians in the UK stand by our motto THEY CONQUER WHO BELIEVE THEY CAN.

1 Not lump rice! but “lamprais” from the Dutch word “lomprijst”