Club News

SLESA Australian branch gifts beds and wheel chairs

THE Australian branch of the SL Ex Servicemen’s Association (SLESA) has once again given a generous gift of 42 hospital beds and six wheel chairs to its parent association.

The hospital beds are equipped with wheels and mechanical devices to raise and lower them to desired configurations. They also have trays on either side to place bottles and other requirements of the patient.

Being informed by Major W. M. Weerasuriya, former President of SLESA whilst on a visit to Australia of the decision to shift the ex servicemen’s wards from Baladaksha Mawatha to the new wing of the Army Hospital, Narahenpita, and of the need for equipment due to the increase in the capacity of the military hospital, the Melbourne unit decided to make this presentation.
 

Dr. Asoka Gunasekera, Director Kurunegala District Health Services was instrumental in helping the army clear the beds from the harbour quickly.

The President of the Australian Branch of SLESA is Leslie Fernando who served in the Ceylon Signals. Mr. Perkins served in the ClI and an old Trinitian is the Vice President. He was the winner of the Earl of Caithness Shield and Baton for the best recruit in Intake 30 at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa.

Mr. Perkins mentioned that he was very grateful to Lieutenant (later Major) Eshin Fernando, CLI, who was his recruit platoon commander, also an old boy of Trinity College, Kandy, who trained at Sandhurst, for the encouragement given and the tremendous effort made to enable him to win this singular honour.

Whilst making this gift to the Military Hospital Narahenpita, Mr. Perkins said that the Australian branch of SLESA will continue to make such gifts in the future as their members remember the country of their birth with affection, especially in its hour of need.

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Lanka Lions Clubs One of the best in the world - UNO

A. W. GUNAWARDHANA, Matara Central Correspondent

Our organisation is dedicated to serve society with humane feelings free of race - creed or religions differences. If the government is ready to provide lands, our organization is ever willing to build houses for the needy, said Lion President Lester Aponso.

He said so when he addressed a gathering of combined Lions clubs of 306-A-1, Matara Millennium Ladies Club - Matara Mid City and Dickwella clubs met to assess the progress of projects launched by them.

The congregation was held at Vijitha Central College Hall, Dickwella.

The occasion was further marked with clinics held for the poor - with the participation of specialist consultants.

Chief Guest at the occasion, Lions President Lion Lester Aponso further said, as a mark of appreciation of the duties and obligations carried out by the societies of Lion Clubs in Sri Lanka, United Nations Organisation has named the organisation of Sri Lankan Lion Clubs as one of the best and efficient one in the world.

At this occasion Lady President of the 306-A-1 Millennium Ladies Lion Club of Matara Mrs. Yasodara Galappatti was honoured with the pinning on her of the Lion badged by Mrs. Lester Aponso.

Present at the occasion were Ministry Secretaries of Southern Provincial Council Member A.M.P. Gunawardena and A. Nigamuni. Members of the Lion Clubs were also present in the large number at the occasion. At the conclusion ceremony 300 expectant mothers were served nutritious food parcels, 2313 were gifted with spectacles while 190 others were selected for eye-surgeries for removal of cataracts.

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Lions Club of Matale Installation Ceremony

The 29th Installation Ceremony of the Lions Club of Matale was held at Aladin Reception Hall, Matale recently. Immediate Past Region Co-ordination, Region 5, Lion Jayampathy de Silva of Lions Clubs International District 306 C1 installed the office bearers for the current Lionistic Year 2007-2008.

President: Lion U.A.C. Jayantha Wickremanayake, Immediate Past President: Lion Reggie A. Ratnayake, Secretary: Lion A. Muhuseen, Treasurer: Lion N.A.K.J. Perera, First Vice President: Lion Palitha Dalpatadu, Second Vice President: Lion Vijitha H. de Silva, Third Vice President: Lion Dr. Ajantha de Silva, Tamer cum Deputy Treasurer: Lion C.K. Samarasinghe, Tail Twister: Lion Ajith Kulatunga. Directors: Lion Hemasiri de Silva - Advisor to the President, Lion Sarath Sumanatillake. The Guiding Lion, Lion K.O. Perera, Lion Mahinda Somaratne, Lion Mahinda Wewala, Lion Punyakanthi Wijeratne, Lion Thusitha de Silva, Lion Thilak Wijesekera, Lion Priyantha S. Herath.

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Walawa-Embilipitiya Lions to train unemployed youths

Bandula GUNASEKERA, Matara Staff Correspondent

The Lions Club of Walawa-Embilipitiya has made arrangements start vocational training programme for benefit of unemployed youth in Ruhunu Walawa area.

A batch of 500 unemployed youth have been selected for the initial stage of the vocational training.

Ten courses including computer Science, English Language, Juki training, Confectionery Making and cordial and Jam production are few other subject for training under the project.

Applications for the project are to be called from unemployed youth shortly, said. Lion Priyantha Rupasinghe of Embilipitiya, Walawa Lions Club.

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Lions donate Eye Clinic and Secretariat

An Eye Clinic and Secretariat were built and donated by Past District Governor Lion Gratian Gunawardene, for Lions District 306 B2 In the picture (second from left) Chief Minister, Central Province, Bertie Premalal Dissanayake cuts the ribbon to open the clinic.

Also in the picture from left are Past District Governor, Lion Gratian Gunawardene, Provincial Health Minister, Gamage Weerasena and District Governor 306 B2, Mahesh Pasqual.

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Lions District 306 B 2 donates wheel chairs

Lions District 306 B-2 donated wheel chairs to the children of Prithipura Home, Hendala at a cere mony held recently.

Here Lion Lady Kushlani Amarasuriya handing over a wheel chair to a child. Lions International President Lion Mahendra Amarasuriya. District Governor, District 306 B-2, Lion Mahesh Pasqual, Immediate Past District Governor, Lion Ajith Devadasan, Vice District Governor, Lion Jeyarajan, Cabinet Treasurer and District 306 B-2 Lion P. Chandrasekeran are also in the picture.
 

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Service award for Charter President Lion Padmasiri de Silva

Lion Padmasiri de Silva who was inducted Charter President of the Lions Club of Piliyandala in 1975, was presented with an international award for dedicated services to Lionism for 32 years. Here Lion Padmasiri de Silva (left) receiving the award from International President Lion Mahendra Amerasuriya (MJF) at a ceremony held recently. Lion Rohantha de Fonseka, past Governor of District 306 is also in the picture.

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Lions Club of Colombo Waters Meet donates wheel chair

The Lions Club of Colombo Waters’ Meet District 306-B1 donated a wheel chair to a needy person of Kattuwa, Kochchikade to mark their installation day at Lion President Lanappan’s residence at Kotahena recently.

Chief guest on the occasion Zone Chairman Dr. Malcalm Stanilaus, Lion S. Sivapathasundaram PDG, Lion Prameswaran, Lion Edmund Fernando, Lion Ranjith Chelliah, Lion Sri Patmaraj and Lion Chandradasa are in the picture.
 

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Lions Clubs:

Biggest service organisation in the world

Raja WAIDYASEKARA, Tissamaharama special correspondent

The International President Lion Mahendra Amarasooriya said at Siribopura Hambantota that there are 11,700 members in Lions Clubs in Sri Lanka. He said so addressing a meeting that followed the handing over of 112 houses to the tsunami affected families in Hambantota.

He said that there are 46,000 Lions Clubs the world over. It is functioning in 200 countries. As such the Lions Club Organisation is the biggest and the most reputed voluntary service organisation in the world.

The Financial Times Magazine published in America conducted an investigation recently and declared that Lions Clubs Organisation has achieved the first place out of all the Voluntary Social Service Organisations in the world.

That shows the volume of social service the Lions Clubs render to the people of Sri Lanka and other countries, Lion Amarasooriya said.