Viji's Thoughts

Dear All,

I was present last evening at the CR & FC Grounds to witness the “Royal Rugby Fiesta 2007” project organized by the Royal College Group of 91, for all the Old Boy Groups. They had published a souvenir to coincide this event and saw this article written by Sir . Viji Weerasinghe and thought that I should share this with all of you.

Rizan Nazeer

Hony Secretary - RCU

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Having been within the precincts of Royal College, in one capacity or another for a total of 73 of my 80 years, the sprit of this wonderful school of ours has found its way into my blood and penetrated my bones!

I started as a student in 1933 at the former Royal Preparatory school from where I crossed over to the Royal College in 1939 and left in 1947. For the next two years I taught at St. John’s, Nugegoda while studying for examinations and was then requested by my former principal at College Mr. J.C.A. Corea to stand in for one of my own teachers – Mr. V.O. de Alvis Gunawardana who had retired prematurely and so in January 1950 I came to teach and what started as a temporary assignment became my life’s work. In 1971 I was appointed Head Master by the then Principal Mr. D.G. Welikala and in 1978 elevated to Deputy Principal by Mr.L.D.H. Peiris. I reached the age of retirement in 1987 but two successive Principals requested me to continue on a departmentally approved contract. Ten years later in 1997 I decided to accept the old boy’s request to work in the Union Office where I have been to date.

Mine has been an eventful stay during which I took the rough with the smooth and enjoyed every minute of it. If I were given a choice to live my life all over again I would not choose differently,

I have seen many generations of Royalists come and go, many teachers and many Principals come and go and I have watched the changes that the winds of the passing years have brought – but one thing has remained constant – the Royalist student community which has not changed radically. Let us bow our heads and thank the Powers that Be that the present Royalists from the Andersons to the Zaheeds the assorted Pereras, Fernandos and Silvas, Saldins the Pillais and the Weerasinghes are no different from their counterparts of earlier vintages and that they are even now laying in their personal treasuries of rich and golden memories of forbidden fruit which they enjoyed.

Let us all pray that the spirit of Royal will remain as it is till the end of time!

Vijitha Weerasinghe