History of the Ananda College Old Hostellers’ Guild

After leaving the College hostel, most past students were longing to meet the friends who shared the hostel for about six to ten years and became inseparable during the school days. Some of the school leavers entered universities or other higher educational institutes. Some got employed and some joined their parents in their businesses. All of them had this yearning to meet and reminiscence about the past and enjoy the company of old friends. It was observed that most old boys came for the big match, mainly to meet the old friends. At one point, a few industrious old hostellers decided to meet on the first day of the big match for dinner at a convenient venue. This did not have any prior arrangements, and the organizers called friends on the phone and informed a day or two before about the venue and time. Most often was a Chinese hotel in Colombo situated in a convenient location, and each person was expected to order his dinner and drinks.

This arrangement kept growing for about twenty years. As time passed, the participating numbers grew and there was a need to expand the venue to accommodate more old boys. With the help of the old hostellers attached to the Army we got the Army Officers Mess.

At this stage the active members who operated as the unofficial organizers were Mr. Sunil Athapaththu, Dr. B.M A. Balasuriya, Maj. General Upali Karunarathna, Gen, Rohan Daluwatta, Mr. Rajith Dias, Mr. H.A. Jayasiri Dr. W.D.H.Perea, Dr. Percy Siriwardena, Mr. Sunil Punchihewa, Mr. H.S.Parakrama, Mr. Kirthi Nanayakkara, Dr. Kirthi Jayasekara, Mr. H.S.Jayasekara and Mr. Karu Jayasuriya etc.

In early 1986 Dr. B.M.A. Balasuriya had visited the hostel to see his nephew and was struck by the dilapidated state of buildings, toilets, electrical wiring and many other facilities. The P.H.I of the Colombo Municipality had complained about the poor state of the kitchen. Therefore, he suggested that the old hostellers should be contacted to organize a refurbishing program of the hostel premises. The old hostellers who were active at that moment arranged to upgrade the kitchen by  supplying gas cookers, cooking utensils, cutlery, crockery and many other items that were found to be of poor standard. Then they published a paper notice calling the old hostellers to congregate at the college on a given date to form the Ananda College Old Hostellers’ Guild.

As a result the Ananda College Old Hostellers’ Guild was officially established in the year 1987 and the first President of the Guild was distinguish senior Anandian Mr. Nelson Gunasekera. Upgrading and refurbishment of main kitchen and the other refurbishment and repair works which cost over Rupees 1.5 million was successfully completed immediately. Since the formation of Guild, all the past Presidents and the Executive Committee members had closely worked with the School and the Hostel Management, to carry out many projects for the betterment of the hostel and the students during the past.

Ananda College Hostel celebrated the Centenary Year in 2014 and we are very proud that our hostel was the second home to many distinguish Anandians during their school days.