HELPING YOU NAVIGATE SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH WHAT WE DO: TAX CONSULTING BUSINESS ADVISORY SMSF FINANCIAL PLANNING LENDING P: +61 3 9706 0122 F: +61 3 9701 3290 E: [email protected] 26 Mason Street Dandenong, VIC 3175 www.dsagrp.com.au
My fellow Royalists and Guests, My heartfelt greetings to the proud alumni of our alma mater from across the seas! It fills my heart with immense joy and pride to extend a heartfelt welcome to every one of you, to our annual signature event “Royal Gala Night 2023”. With 50 plus years of history and more than 350 financial members in Melbourne, the Royal College Old Boys in Australia Association (RCOBAA) has been instrumental in promoting fellowship amongst Royalists and their families who live in Melbourne, Australia. Royal Gala Night, Royal Thomian Cricket Match, the Stag Night, Inter-batch Indoor Cricket and Badminton tournament and the Seniors’ Luncheon are some of the popular fellowship events that RCOBAA organizes annually. We have had participation of 900 plus Royalists and guests every year. Through the power of fellowship, RCOBAA has also shown that it not only strengthened the bonds among us Royalists but also provided us the opportunity to make a positive impact on the institution that made us who we are today. On the humanitarian side our contributions to Loyalty Pledge Scholarships have provided disadvantaged deserving and talented Royalists opportunities and choices in life. We are proud that today many of them can follow their dreams. I encourage you to read the letter written by Mr. Abhaya Amerada’s, Chairman of the Loyalty Pledge Management Committee on page 8. The joy we experience at our fellowship events has a ripple effect. It fuels our passion for philanthropy, and through our generosity, we have made a real and lasting difference in the lives of these Royalists. We all should take a bow! On behalf of RCOBAA, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to our sponsors and donors who are fellow Royalists, for their unwavering support and generous contributions over the past number of years. Thank you DS Advisory, OYOB Property Group, Spine and Orthopedic Center, and The Doctors Werribee; and our donor Dr Janaka Seneviratne for your continuous support. Tonight, we have an exceptional feast prepared for you, with an array of delectable dishes that will tantalize your taste buds and an assortment of unlimited spirits to add cheer and joy to our Gala Night. As the evening progresses, we have arranged a special cognac station, where you can savor the richness and complexity of this refined spirit. It will be a delightful journey of taste and sophistication for those who choose to indulge. I would like to sincerely thank each member of the dance committee who are passionate and committed Royalists. They poured their hearts and soul and a lot of thought into organizing this Gala Night to make sure that it will be a memorable and enjoyable night. Finally, I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to every one of you for your support and much valued presence tonight. I am certain that you will have a memorable evening with laughter and fellowship. Until we see you in 2024, have a fantastic year ahead! Dhammika Perera President – Royal College Old Boys in Australia Association PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
RCOBAA gratefully acknowledge fellow Royalist' Rez Rahim & Dinesh Rahim for their generous sponsorship which assists in fulfilling our commitment towards our worthy causes. Mr Rez Rahim Spine & Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr. Rez Rahim is Australian trained and specialises in: fifffflffifflflfifififi fi ffl fflfifi fi fififfi fi fiff fl fi fflflfi fl fifififi fi fi fifi fi ffl fifflflfi fflfffiffi flffl fi fflffl fiff fflfififfi flfflfiffl fi fl fflfi fifififlfl Mr. Dinesh Rahim - CEO Suite 1A, 9 Clyde Road, Berwick VIC 3806 E : [email protected] www.saoc.com.au T : 03 9796 2992 F : 03 9796 2998 Operating at : Berwick Frankston Mulgrave – St. John of God Hospital – Peninsula Private Hospital – Mulgrave Private Hospital Other Consulting Locations Frankston Mulgrave – Peninsula Private Hospital – Mulgrave Private Hospital
fifffflffiflflffffl Sitting left to right Akvan Gajanayake (Secretary) Soba Ranasinghe (Immediate Past President) Dhammika Perera (President) Ranga Perera (Vice President) Dinesh Perera (Vice President) Charith Jayathilake (Treasurer) Standing left to right Shanka Gunawardena Dinesh Rahim, Sonny De Silva Lochana Premarathna Aynkaran Sivaratnam Pasan Gunesekara Nisindu Mithraratne Tisara Gunasekare Shanaka Perera Absent George Fernando Shyam Sideek
Doctors you can trust. We are a family oriented General Practice, providing personalised quality care with you as the centre of our focus. We invite other interested doctors to join us www.thefamilydoctors.com.au The Doctors Werribee 88 Cottrell Street Werribee, VIC 3030 Fax: 03 8579 0977 Email: [email protected] Tel: 0385 790 976
7.00 pm – 7.35 pm A Royal welcome to all our guests!!! Go back in time before the fun begins. Catch up with old mates and renew school time memories with a welcome drink. 7.35 pm – 8.15 pm Head to your seats. Enjoy the delectable appetizer served to your table. President’s welcome and address followed by a brief presentation on our contributions to the RCU’s Loyalty Pledge and Lady Ridgeway Hospital. (Detailed account in Dance souvenir.) Spotlight turns on our valued sponsors. All hands on deck to “Raise a cheer for Hartley, Harward, Marsh and Boake….“ 8.15 pm – 9.15 pm Welcome, Un-Limited!!! Warm up, Swing and Sway to their catchy melodies. (Dinner buffet open from 8.30pm – 10.30 pm) 9.15 pm to 10.10 pm Now the timing is right for Solid Sri to bring back memories from Sri Lanka and make your hidden dance moves to come out. Dig that beat, shake a leg and let go! 10.15 pm to 11.00 pm Un-Limited is back to rock you with more. 10.45 pm to 11.15pm Desserts will be served to your table. Dig deep and try your luck at the raffle draw. All proceeds go towards charity. Quite a few worthy prizes are on offer. 11.00 pm to 12.00 midnight Round up a sumptuous meal with a nip at the Brandy station! Savor a nip of Cognac or a liqueur to round up the feast at the Cognac corner. 11.15 pm to 12 midnight: Back on the floor with Un-Limited. 12.00am to 1.00am Take it away!!! All-in for the last session of the night with Solid Sri. Dance like there is no tomorrow and no one’s watching!!!! PROGRAM FOR THE NIGHT
Royal College Old Boys Association in Australia Melbourne Victoria Australia 21st July 2023 Dear President, Re: Recognition and Appreciation of RCOBAA’s Support over the last 10 Years Loyalty Pledge this year celebrates 20 years of service to deserving Royalists. Loyalty Pledge has awarded 2,488 “Help a Needy Student” Scholarships since 2003. Our contribution to the Royalist community helped a number of students to achieve their academic goals despite their financial obstacles. These obstacles might have prevented them from succeeding in their goals had Loyalty Pledge not been there. Loyalty Pledge has awarded 2,488 “Help a Needy Student” Scholarships since 2003. Our contribution to the Royalist community helped a number of students to achieve their academic goals despite their financial obstacles. These obstacles might have prevented them from succeeding in their goals had Loyalty Pledge not been there. Loyalty Pledge has awarded 286 Tertiary Education Scholarships up to 2022. Large number of doctors, engineers, IT professionals who are already graduated from the State Universities have been benefited from these scholarships. If not for Tertiary Education Scholarships, they would not have come out in their lives as worthy Old Royalist professionals. They are also encouraged to contribute their skills and time back towards delivering various Loyalty Pledge projects benefiting present day students. They learn to care, share and give back to school, whilst being a beneficiary. 63 honorarium scholarships have been awarded to number of Royalists who were selected to represent Sri Lanka bringing glory to the Country up to 2022. The Loyalty Pledge Management Committee of Royal College deeply appreciates RCOBAA's dedication and commitment over the last 10 years. RCOBAA has donated the highest number of scholarship donations as a group to the Loyalty Pledge for the past 10 years. RCOBAA has provided 176 scholarships enabling deserving financially disadvantaged students to pursue their career dreams. Your active engagement with the programme and your sponsored children’s ongoing progress is commendable. RCOBAA’s unwavering support has positively impacted and continue to impact the lives of many students, providing them with hope and opportunities for a brighter future. We understand the Annual Royal College Gala Nights is the source of funding for the RCOBAA Loyalty Pledge Scholarships. As you prepare for the 2023 Royal Collage Gala Night, we would like you, your sponsors and guests to be proud of the impact that you have had on the children you have sponsored. 1 Boxer won the "Stubb's S hield" in 2017 3 Cadets and one of them was selected as a President Cadet. 5 Volleyball players were part of the school team, out of whom 4 received colors. 1 Karate player represented the school team. 1 Fencing champion in 2018 and 2019, who also received colors. 1 undergraduate who has also been the Volleyball captain of the under-19 team These are just a few students’ lives that RCOBAA have positively impacted. RCOBAA has also made a difference to Adeepa Kularathna life. He hails from Kadawatha and a proud recipient of a Grade 5 Scholarship excelling with 185 marks. He passed the ordinary level examination with 9 A’s. His ambition was to become an IT Professional. The journey of life does tend to throw its own challenges. Adeepa’s life changed when he met with an accident in 2020 resulting from his right leg being amputated. Loyalty Pledge, with the assistance of RCOBAA and other donors, supported Adeepa financially to cover his tuition fees which enabled him to take private lessons from teachers around Gampaha. This unwavering support given by Loyalty Pledge resulted in Adeepa obtaining 2 A’s and 1B, qualifying for the B.Sc. IT program of the University of Moratuwa. Adeepa has now started his career in developing websites. He is a professional developer of websites. We should all be proud of the impact that we made in Adeepa’s life journey. I would like to commend RCOBAA for fostering fellowship amongst Royalists in Melbourne for nearly half a decade whilst making a difference to humanity. We wish RCOBAA yet another successful gala event on the 12th of August and to the guests a memorable and enjoyable night. Thank you Abhaya Amaradasa Chairman – Loyalty Pledge Management Committee
The Royal Gala Night organising committee would like to thank the following sponsors and donors for their goodwill and continued support towards making this event a success and for contributing to our humanitarian initiatives. The following fellow Royalists for their generous sponsorships for this event. Mr. Sonny De Silva, Principal Partner, DS Advisory Mr. Rez Rahim, Spine and Orthopaedic Centre Dr. Chamira Ranatunga, The Doctors Werribee Mr. Aynkaran Sivartanam, CEO, OYOB Property Group Dr. Janake Seneviratne Raffle Prize Donors Sri Lankan Airlines Dream Art Photography Mallika Hemachandra Jewellers Secure Parking Australia The Entertainers UN-LIMITED Solid Sri Master of Ceremonies Mr. Rez Rahim, a fellow Royalist We also thank the following service providers for their support in making this event a success. Mr. Krishan Chawla and staff of Cathies Lane Receptions Mr. Gihan Medis of NC PrintHub for handling all our printing needs Mr. Nilantha Peiris of VIK Global Designs & Printers for the brilliant Graphics and design of the Souvenir and our other print material Mr. Sanjeeva VanCuylenburg of Dream Art Photography Glen Smith Event Production Hire Melbourne Our Table Captains for organising the tables. Members of the RCOBAA committee and their families And finally, our fellow old boys and their guests for your continued support and helping us make this event a night to remember. Hope you have a delightful evening. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
fffflfflfflffl fiflfi Thy spirit first to life awoke In eighteen hundred and thirty five; Beneath the sway of Marsh and Boake, Thenceforth did Lanka’s leaning thrive. School where our fathers learnt the way before us Learnt of books and learnt of men, through thee we’ll do the same. True to our watchword ”Disce Aut Discede” We will learn of books and men, and learn to play the game Within thy shade our fathers trod The path that leads to man’s estate; They have repaid the debt they owed; They kept thy fame inviolate. And we their loyal sons now bear The torch, with hearts as sound as oak; Our lusty throats now raise a cheer For Hartley, Harward, Marsh and Boake.