SVAB Annual General Meeting Honours Past Presidents &;amp; SVAB Pioneers

The 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB) under the new chairmanship of Mrs Damayanthi Ratnayake, got underway at Colombo Galadari Hotel on Sunday (22) with a huge gathering of SVAB members participating in the sessions.

The meeting, attended by more than 300 members, comprising past SVAB Presidents, all Seva Vanitha Unit Chairpersons at Regiment levels, former and current members of the Executive Board and all SVAB members, giving pride of place, honoured past Presidents, presenting them special tokens of appreciation and gift parcels and afterwards mapped out the SVAB’s collective future roles and projects during those friendly sessions.

‘Since the founding of the SVAB in the year 1984, successive past Presidents have done their best for the organization and completed impressive welfare projects of different nature for improvement of the lives of our War Heroes. The success of a family depends on the dedication, courage and strict tenets of discipline of the mother or the housewife of that family, and therefore exemplary conduct of a member is an asset to anyone and is a paramount requirement. I therefore call upon each and every SVAB member to cooperate with us for further progress of our future projects as a mother or a proud member of the organization,’ said Mrs Ratnayake paying a glittering tribute to the SVAB membership and delivering her presidential address to the occasion.

The day’s proceedings commenced with a tribute dedicated to the memory of fallen War Heroes by observing a two-minute silence soon after the traditional oil lamp was lit, together with past SVAB Presidents and several other invitees in conformity with age-old practices.   

Past SVAB Presidents, Mrs Thilaka Waidyaratne (1991 - 1993), Mrs Jayanthi Daluwatte (1996 - 1998) and Mrs Gnana Balagalle (2000 - 2004) during the sessions were felicitated, offering them with mementos and gift parcels as the house roared to a thundering applause.

On a proposal made by Mrs Ratnayake, Mrs Sandamali Abeysekera (Secretary), Mrs Nilanjani Peiris (Asst. Secretary), Mrs Roma Rajaguru (Public Relations Officer) and Mrs Shirani Ambanpola (Asst. Public Relations Officer) as new executive members were included into the SVAB Executive Board on the merits of their seniority for the year 2013.

The AGM sessions also reviewed numerous SVAB projects that had been completed in the period between August 2012 - September 2013 and discussed ways and means of further improving those projects while continuing more and more fund-raising programmes.

Matters concerning SVAB Pre-schools, Yoghurt production, Lakviru Sevana, Eye clinics, Beauty culture workshops, Bakery, Sewing training, Mulleriyawa Hospital ward, Welfare sales outlets, House construction, Rehabilitation Centres, Brave Hearts project, Paper recycling project, Rana Aruna Fair, etc were among major topics that were taken up for discussion and review during the meeting.

On the sidelines of the day’s programme, reputed lecturer, Prof. Daya Rohana Athukorala of Colombo University delivered a special lecture on ‘Positive Thinking’ and encouraged attending ladies to further improve their capacity-building and right thinking.

Meanwhile, singers of Ranaviru Real Star programmes, magic displays and music added colour and entertainment to the occasion as the AGM was adjourned afterwards for a friendly get-together.

Before their exit, all attendees, including spouses of retired Chiefs of Staff were awarded each a gift parcel as an appreciation of their participation in the AGM.