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Disbursements - JPAA Canada Trust Fund

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Disbursements – JPAA Canada Trust Fund

Posted on 01 October 2018 by admin

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

This report is authored by Upali Obeyesekere, Founding President of JPAA Canada based on hard facts and documentation at hand. The following quotes were our guiding light in dealing with the challenges the Joint Trustees had in safeguarding the funds in the JPAA Trust Account.

 

QUOTES: 

  • Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing. John D. Rockefeller 
  • Leadership is about doing the right thing, even if it is going against a vast number of naysayers and mediocre people. N. R. Narayana Murthy 
  • With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. Zig Ziglar
  • The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • One of the best paradoxes of leadership is a leader's need to be both stubborn, strong and open-minded. A leader must insist on sticking to the vision and stay on course to the destination. But he must be open-minded during the process. Simon Sinek

 

THE STORY

The JPAA Trust Fund (In Canadian Dollars) was created at the turn of the century to conserve funds from JPAA Canada fund-raising events such as "Fellowship Nite" and "JPAA Annual Dance". What started off as a sound financial move turned into a nightmare that posed an ongoing challenge to the two trustees who were entrusted to manage the funds. It is alleged that the funds in this trust account was the bone of contention that may have eventually led to “sabotage” and the formation of the two breakaway groups in 2012 and 2017. There were ongoing attempts to move funds from the trust account for frivolous projects in Sri Lanka that were turned down. It transpired that the parties who recommended the transfer funds of the JPAA Trust Account were working in liaison with interested parties in Colombo. Subsequent investigations revealed this to be a correct revelation.

The trust fund was originally opened in a Canadian Bank branch in Scarborough where the Branch Manager was an Old Peterite. In one instance the Manager of the Bank showed Upali Obeyesekere and Christy Joseph a letter written by the then General Secretary and Hony. Treasurer requesting total withdrawal of funds. On seeing this unauthorised letter, Upali & Christy promptly took pro-active steps to close the account at Scotiabank immediately and move it to another Canadian bank to secure the funds. Strict instructions were issued that only the assigned two trustees are authorized to deal with the bank with regards to the funds in the JPAA Trust Account. This safeguard was necessary as it was alleged a handful of deceitful members were attempting to withdraw funds from JPAA Canada Trust Fund surreptitiously. Had it not been for due diligence of the two trustees (Upali Obeyesekere & Jeevan Pragasam), this could very well have happened.

In the case of the initial bank, the branch manager apparently had been a classmate of the then Hony. Treasurer at St. Peter's College. This same bank manager made a startling revelation to Upali Obeyesekere and Christy Joseph. He claimed to have attended a meeting in new millennium where a group had gathered in the basement of a house in Scarborough and formed a breakaway Peterite Association with the specific intent of giving the new organization legitimacy and authenticity to manage the JPAA Trust Fund. He also named a past-president of JPAA Canada (name withheld) as the 'president-elect' of this breakaway group that never took off after this illegitimate initial meeting. Probably this rebellious group realised it wan not that easy to fool all the people in this fraudulent plan and abandoned the idea. Had it not been for the due diligence exercised by the two trustees and Christy Joseph (JPAA President), the trust fund may have got hijacked at some point in time in the last 8 – 12 years. Upali Obeyesekere, Jeevan Pragasam and Christy Joseph should be commended for securing the funds of JPAA Canada and ensuring it was diverted to the alma mater.

The founding President Upali Obeyesekere (SPC) was entrusted to manage the "Trust Fund" along with co-trustee Jeevan Pragasam (SJC). A strict policy was established that disbursements from the 'trust fund' would be made only to the Alma Mater for specific projects. All donations from the trust fund would only be sent directly to the two rectors and not to the respective parent OBUs in Colombo. Word on the street is that this policy was not a popular one as the OBU had leaned on getting the funds directly to them.

 

JPAA Canada Select Committee comprised of incumbent President Christy Joseph, Executive Committee Member Aubrey Atton & Founding President Upali Obeyesekere

Incumbent JPAA Canada President Christy Joseph, founding president Upali Obeyesekere and Interim General Secretary, JPAA Canada Aubrey Atton formed a three-man Special Committee to manage and disburse the funds in the "trust account" and the "operating account". After much deliberation and reconciliation – the special committee decided to disburse balance funds in two separate payments to the two Rectors of SJC & SPC, equally.

The first disbursement of $5,713.20 each was mailed by JPAA Canada President Christy Joseph to past-president SPC-OBU Roshan Dharmaratne who personally handed over the bank drafts to the two rectors on behalf of JPAA Canada, along with SPC-OBU President Asela Lihinikaduwa.

The second and final disbursement of $2,167.03 was personally handed over to Rev. Fr. Trevor Martin – Rector, SPC and Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel – Rector, SJC by JPAA Founding President Upali Obeyesekere in the presence of SPC-OBU past-president Roshan Dharmaratne. This was done last December (2017). Specific projects were identified when the donations were made and Fr. Trevor and Fr. Travis both agreed with our direction on this matter. In total, a sum of $7,880.23 each was given to the two schools by JPAA Canada in 2017. This amount in Sri Lankan currency came to slightly less than a million rupees, per school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-THE END –

 

 

 

 

 

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Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (JPAA Canada)

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Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (JPAA Canada)

Posted on 01 July 2018 by admin

TWO TRUE BROTHERS OF ONE FAMILY….

The Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association – Canada (JPAA CANADA), was formed in 1984.

The year was 1984, and the total number of Old Boys from SJC & SPC living in Canada may have totalled less than one hundred. With this backdrop, the history of the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association (JPAA) in Canada can be traced back to a thought, that turned into an action that produced a result. Rest is history!

The formation of a joint Josephian-Peterite Old Boys Association was the brainchild of Old Peterite – Upali Obeyesekere. The thought originated in Toronto over a drink when St. Elmo Obeyesekere (Upali's dad) who is a proud Old Josephian suggested a Canadian version of Josephian-Peterite Cricket Series. Mr. Obeyesekere was a renowned cricket promoter in his hometown of Kurunegala along with Sir John Kotelawala. He suggested to Upali in the early eighties to start a Josephian-Peterite Cricket Match in Toronto. Upali made this happen in 1984, one year after his father passed away. As a tribute the main winner's trophy is named – ST. ELMO OBEYESEKERE MEMORIAL CHALLENGE CUP".

At the outset, he had informal discussions with an old friend who happened to be an Old Josephian – Benito de Silva. These two agreed in principle with the most practical methodology of a joint association, and set about picking a cohesive group to take the project from  concept to execution. The two visionaries turned to their immediate circle of friends who had attended the two schools. 

Upali and Benito decided to form an Ad-Hoc Committee to kick-off the formation of the first Sri Lanka Schools' Alumni Association in Canada. The two looked for candidates in Toronto who attended the two schools – SJC & SPC. This action led to the formation of the Ad-Hoc Committee of the Josephian-Peterite Old Boys Association (Canada) in 1984. In random order Upali and Benito enlisted Sunimal Perera, Roy Alles, Hamzee Hameed, Anton Perera, Jimmy Raymond, and Nihal Perera into the committee. Altogether the team consisted of an equal number of Joes & Petes (4-each) so as to strike a balance. Lyall Bakelmun, Raymon Lord and Lucky Ranchigoda were invited to join the Ad-Hoc Committee in 1985 and later years.

The Ad-Hoc Committee was totally committed to the cause. Most had come to Canada in the sixties or early seventies and had settled down well. Led by Upali Obeyesekere, the group were very passionate in forming the Old Boys Association primarily to help their Alma Mater and to create a forum where the alumni could meet and greet each other in fellowship and camaraderie and build a strong bond of friendship with each other. This group contributed in no small measure to the strength of the larger Sri Lanka expatriate community in Canada. Mind you, at this stage in time there were just over 5000 (five-thousand) Sri Lankans domiciled in all of Canada. This number has increased to just over 190,000 permanent residents.

The history is laced with the pioneering efforts of this core group who got together to form what is known today as JPAA Canada, which pioneered the start-up of the first Sri Lanka Schools Alumni Association in Canada. Second to follow was a joint Royal-Trinity-Thomian combination about five years later.

The original members of this select group were Upali Obeyesekere, Benito de Silva, Sunimal Perera, Jimmy Raymond, the late Roy Alles, Anton Perera, Nihal Perera and Hamzee Hameed. In 1985, Lucky Ranchigoda and Lyall Bakelmun were co-opted to the ad-hoc committee. In later years (1986-1990), Ian Joseph, Raymon Lord, Rohan Vanigasooriyar, Chris Cooke and Basil Gurusinghe were invited to serve on the committee. Care was taken to always ensure the group was balanced equally to justify the tag line – Joint JPAA OBA. It must be said that the formation of individual associations at the time was a near impossibility that would not have gone anywhere. In retrospect, the joint committee decision was a brilliant idea that grew with time and after twenty-nine years, JPAA Canada still remain a strong viable joint association of alumni from St. Joseph's College & St. Peter's College.

Standing L to R: Chris Serpanchy (Hony. Auditor), Bhanu Wijeyesekere (Membership Secy.), Hamzie Hameed (Social Secretary), Nihal Jayawardene (Sports Secy/SPC & Chris Cooke (Sports Secy./SJC)

As time went by, it was apparent that a formal association was the need of the hour with the growth in numbers of old boys from St. Peter’s College and St. Joseph’s College coming into Canada. In 1993, a ‘draft’ constitution and by-laws were formulated and subsequently approved giving birth to what is known today as the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association (JPAA). At a preliminary meeting of the old boys held on Saturday, March 27, 1993 at St. Bonaventure Parish Hall in Toronto the old boys decided to continue to function as a joint entity and proceeded to elect office-bearers. The inaugural committee comprised of President Upali Obeyesekere; Vice-Presidents Ian Joseph and Anton Perera; Secretary Benito de Silva; Treasurer Srilal Perera; Social Secretary Hamzie Hameed; Membership Secretary Bhanu Wijeyesekere; Joint Sports Secretaries Chris Cooke and Nihal Jayawardene. Chris (Sandy) Serpanchy was appointed Honorary Auditor. The name Josephian-Peterite Old Boys Association (JPOBA) was subsequently changed to Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association (JPAA) at an Annual General Meeting held on April 8, 1995.

The end objective of the association is to promote goodwill and camaraderie amongst old boys living in Canada who studied in Sri Lanka at St. Joseph’s College or St. Peter’s College. Other objectives are to assist the Alma Mater in Sri Lanka on an ongoing basis and to provide a forum for the old boys and their families to meet and greet each other socially. The association was built on a solid foundation by its pioneers and the progression has gone on splendidly over the years. Interestingly, even though the numbers of old boys from both schools had increased the consensus has been to function as a joint alumni association. In fact, the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association in Canada is the only known joint association of its kind within the two schools anywhere in the world.

For the record, the Canadian version of the “Battle of the Saints” cricket encounter was first played in 1984, at the picturesque Marigail Cricket Grounds in Orangeville – about sixty miles northwest of Toronto. The annual Josephian-Peterite cricket encounter was popular and considered ‘the sporting event of the year’ in the Sri Lankan community in Canada. In 1985, the committee was blessed by the presence of Rev. (Dr.) Fr. Stanley Abeysekara, Rector of St. Joseph’s College who graced the 2nd Battle of the Saints as Chief Guest. This was a momentous occasion. Over the years, the venue has moved to other locations within and around Toronto. Today, the Old Josephians meet the Old Peterites in the 40-over Premier cricket game while the 25-over Masters game is also played giving more old boys the opportunity to participate in the sport.

The Inaugural Dinner Dance “Joe-Pete Nite”, organized by the JPAA Canada took place on May 27, 1988 at the Japanese-Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto. The event was an unqualified success attended by a large crowd of old boys, their families and well-wishers. Buoyed by its popularity, the dinner dance has become an annual event and attracts old boys not only from Canada but also from the United States of America. In 2007, the legendary band from Sri Lanka – The Gypsies provided music and attracted over 500 people. This perhaps is the largest crowd to ever attend a dance organized by the JPAA.

The Rectors of St. Joseph's College and St. Peter's College in Sri Lanka are ex-officio, Patrons of the Josepian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada.

From 1993 to present, the following have provided stewardship to the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association in Canada. Upali Obeyesekere was inaugural president of the association in 1993, followed by Jimmy Raymond (1994); Anton Perera (1995); Robin Rode (1996); Hamzee Hameed (1997); Chris Cooke (1998); Bhanu Wijeyesekere (1999); Milan Gunawardena (2000); Nihal Jayawardene (2001); Lloyd Wijesinghe (2002); Rehan Goonetilleka (2003); Jeevan Pragasam (2004); Roderick Diaz (2005);  Victor Santhiapillai (2006); Ranier De Lambert (2007), Valentine Balasingham (2008), Roshan Navaratnam (2009), Christy Joseph (2010/2011/2012), and Upali Obeyesekere (2013/2014/2015), Christy Joseph (2016/2017).

Profile of the founder of Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada.

Upali Obeyesekere had his entire high school education at St. Peter's College, from the Prelim to HSC-I. It was a stroke of fate that triggered Upali to enter SPC as opposed to SJC.

In 1956, Rev. Fr. Arthur Fernando was appointed Rector of St. Peter's College. A few months prior to his appointment, Fr. Arthur met with Upali's dad and decided his fate. Instead of SJC, Fr. Arthur advised Mr. Obeyesekere to enrol Upali at SPC since the former was taking over as Rector. His dad and Rev. Fr. Arthur Fernando were close friends. This led to Upali Obeyesekere starting his high-school career at St. Peter's College in the Prelim A class.  Though an Old Peterite, Upali's loyalties were divided between both schools and this is one of the genuine reasons why he modelled the group as a joint association.  Upali's father St. Elmo Obeyesekere, his Uncles and many Cousins attended St. Joseph's College and excelled in Cricket, Rugby, Athletics, Basketball and Soccer. The family had two past cricket captains. Upali's paternal grand uncle Claude Wijesinghe captained St. Joseph's College in 1935 and thirty-four years later his cousin Brian Obeyesekere captained St. Joseph's College in 1969.

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Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada - JPAA Canada  (1984-2017)

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Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada – JPAA Canada (1984-2017)

Posted on 01 July 2018 by admin

 

 

 

 

 

Benito de Silva & Upali Obeyesekere

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

The Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (JPAA CANADA) was formed in 1984, at a time when there were less than 100 'Old Boys' from the two schools in Canada. It was the brainchild of Upali Obeyesekere (Old Peterite) who invited Benito de Silva (Old Josephian), a close friend from back home (Sri Lanka) living in Toronto to help form a cohesive group that would make this project a reality. Upali and Benito then sought out Old Joes and Old Peterites within their immediate circle of friends and then came up with a balanced team to take the project forward. Since the numbers were small, Upali wanted it to be an Ad-Hoc committee instead of a structured Non-Profit Corporation. This was the most practical format for the new association at the time.

The original members of this select group were Upali Obeyesekere, Benito de Silva, Sunimal Perera, Jimmy Raymond, the late Roy Alles, Anthony Perera, Nihal Perera and Hamzee Hameed. In 1985, Lucky Ranchigoda and Lyall Bakelmun were co-opted to the ad-hoc committee. In later years (1986-1990), Ian Joseph, Raymon Lord, Rohan Vanigasooriyar, Chris Cooke and Basil Gurusinghe were invited to serve on the committee. Care was taken to always ensure the group was balanced equally to justify the tagline – 'Joint Association'. It must be said that the formation of individual associations at the time was a near impossibility that would not have gone anywhere. In retrospect, the joint committee decision was a brilliant idea that grew with time.

But as time rolled by the numbers started to increase as more and more Old Joes and Old Peterites had made Canada their adopted home. This gave rise to dissension amongst the membership and also the formation of a meaningless rival group by a few Old Peterites in 2012 – people who were non-members of JPAA Canada.

The 2016 AGM held in April 2017 at Markhan Rugby Club was an unqualified mockery where a group of JPAA Members were known to consume alcohol prior to the meeting and behaved in an irresponsible manner during the sessions for reasons best known by the offending parties. It seems that a few in this dastardly group had their own agenda and conducted themselves in a manner that was un-Peterite and un-Josephian.  It was a sad display of adults behaving like children. A few, including five past-presidents showed scant respect for leadership and abused the intrinsic values of dignity and decorum. This was the day many passionate members of JPAA decided that 'enough is enough'.

Post-AGM, a couple of past-presidents intimidated the scribe (member) who was assigned to take down minutes of the 2016 AGM. The unholy request was to doctor the minutes but this failed due to honesty of the scribe who showed his personal integrity by refusing the request. False motions were spoken and written about by these two past-presidents that was tantamount to falsehood and absolute lies. The sanctity of JPAA Canada was laid to rest in a coffin due to such erratic behaviour. The pathetic  conduct of these two past-presidents joined by a few others with hidden agendas contributed to the eventual demise of JPAA Canada. 

Then in 2017, the Josephians too started to branch off and formed its own group – St. Joseph's College Old Boys' Association Canada. While all this was happening, the original JPAA Canada was still actively functioning with Christy Joseph, incumbent president of the joint association in 2017. The incumbent Hony. Treasurer & Hony. General Secretary were removed from office due to conflict of interest issues mid-year. The 2017 Hony. Treasurer of JPAA Canada cut a sorry figure when he surreptitiously joined the Josephian breakaway group as its Membership Director, while in office. The Hony. General Secretary was removed for initiating mis-leading electronic mail to members of JPAA Canada, without consulting or getting approval from JPAA President Christy Joseph. This was deemed 'professional misconduct'. 

JPAA Canada Select Committee comprised of incumbent President Christy Joseph, Interim General Secretary Aubrey Atton & Founding President Upali Obeyesekere

With this backdrop, a 'three-man strategic committee' was formed to review the new breakaway developments that had taken place during the year (2017) and arrive at a balanced decision on the future of JPAA Canada. Founding President Upali Obeyesekere chaired this 'special committee' with incumbent president Christy Joseph and Executive Committee Member Aubrey Atton.

It was important for the special committee to uphold the values of the alma mater at all costs. It was also important to recognize that the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada was the first Sri Lankan Alumni Association to be formed in Canada. Also at issue were monies that were in the JPAA Canada Trust Fund that was "frozen" by the bank due to serious administrative issues arising from the improper action of two past presidents and the newly appointed Hony. Treasurer of JPAA Canada in the 2017 Executive Committee of President Christy Joseph. These people, it is alleged misled the bank as to the proper signing authority in relation to the JPAA Canada Trust Fund.

The bank in question conducted a forensic investigation into the legality of the 'Trustees' and came to the conclusions that a few members (in the Committee and outside the Committee) had been spokesmen for JPAA Canada and presented false and misleading information. Consequently, at a meeting with bank officials two past-presidents behaved in a pitiful, irresponsible and arrogant manner that caused the bank to decide firmly that the funds in the JPAA Trust Account will continue to be "frozen" and the matter was then escalated to the legal department of the bank. The bank made a final decision that the funds will be frozen until the trustee on record who has signing authority approves the release of funds – viz: Upali Obeyesekere.

The three-member committee looked into all aspects of continuing JPAA Canada as a joint association but realised that this was not practical due to the dissensions that had been created by the formation of the two breakaway groups. After careful deliberation, the special committee unanimously decided to dissolve JPAA Canada effective December 31, 2017, and send the funds in the JPAA Trust Account equally to the two schools – St. Joseph's College & St. Peter's College. This was a courageous decision that had the blessings of several long-standing passionate members of JPAA Canada in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ottawa, and Hamilton. All agreed that this was the best way to go. It was a classic illustration of 'when the going gets tough, the tough gets going'!

The question of dividing the trust fund monies between the two breakaway groups in Toronto was a definite 'non-issue'. It was important to do the right thing.  The JPAA Select Committee decided it was time to cease and desist any activity (operational, administrative and financial) since there were two breakaway groups formed in 2017. As such, it was decided to dissolve JPAACanada effective December 31, 2017, and divide the JPAA Trust Fund, in addition to the balance funds in the Operating Account to the two schools equally. This was the most fair course of action to be taken under the circumstances.                                                                                                                                                                                         

JPAA CANADA TRUST FUND (In Canadian Dollars) – The JPAA Trust Fund was created at the turn of the century to conserve funds from JPAA Canada fund-raising events such as "Fellowship Nite" and "JPAA Annual Dance". Word on the street is that the funds in this trust account were the bone of contention that may have led to the formation of the two breakaway groups. There were ongoing attempts to move funds from the trust account for frivolous projects in Sri Lanka that were turned down.

The trust fund was opened in a Scotiabank branch in Scarborough where the Branch Manager was an Old Peterite. In one instance the Manager of the bank showed Upali Obeyesekere and Christy Joseph a letter written by the then General Secretary and Hony. Treasurer requesting withdrawal of funds. Upali & Christy promptly took pro-active steps to close down the account at Scotiabank and move it to another Canadian bank to secure the funds. Strict instructions were issued that only the assigned two trustees are authorized to deal with the bank with regards to the funds in the JPAA Trust Account. This safeguard was necessary as it was alleged a handful of deceitful members were attempting to withdraw funds from JPAA Canada Trust Fund surreptitiously. Had it not been for due diligence of the two trustees (Upali Obeyesekere & Jeevan Pragasam), this could very well have happened.

In the case of Scotiabank, the branch manager apparently had been a classmate of the then Hony. Treasurer at St. Peter's College. This same bank manager made a startling revelation to Upali Obeyesekere and Christy Joseph. He claimed to have attended a meeting in new millennium where a group had gathered in the basement of a house in Scarborough and formed a breakway Peterite Association with the specific intent of giving the new organization legitimacy and authenticity to manage the JPAA Trust Fund. He also named a past-president of JPAA Canada (name withheld) as the 'president-elect' of this breakaway group that never took off after this illegitimate initial meeting. Probably this rebellious group realised it wan not that easy to fool all the people in this fraudulent plan and abandoned the idea. Had it not been for the due diligence exercised by the two trustees and Christy Joseph, the trust fund may have got hijacked at some point in time in the last 8 – 12 years. Upali Obeyesekere, Jeevan Pragasam and Christy Joseph should be commended for securing the funds of JPAA Canada and ensuring it was diverted to the alma mater.

The founding President Upali Obeyesekere (SPC) was entrusted to manage the "Trust Fund" along with co-trustee Jeevan Pragasam (SJC). A strict policy was established that disbursements from the 'trust fund' would be made only to the Alma Mater for specific projects. All donations from the trust fund would only be sent directly to the two rectors and not to the respective OBUs.

Accordingly, as decided by the special committee the balance funds in the 'trust account' were disbursed in two separate payments to both rectors equally. The first disbursement of $5,713.20 each was mailed to past-president SPC-OBU Roshan Dharmaratne who personally handed over the bank drafts to the two rectors on behalf of JPAA Canada.

Upali Obeyesekere handing over $2,167.03 bank draft to Rev. Fr. Trevor Martin in December 2017

Upali Obeyesekere handing over bank draft for $2,167.03 to Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel in December 2017.

The final disbursement of $2,167.03 was personally handed over to Rev. Fr. Trevor Martin – Rector, SPC and Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel – Rector, SJC by JPAA Founding President Upali Obeyesekere in the presence of SPC-OBU past-president Roshan Dharmaratne. This was done last December (2017). Specific projects were identified when the donations were made and Fr. Trevor and Fr. Travis both agreed with our direction on this matter. In total, a sum of $7,880.23 each was given to the two schools by JPAA Canada in 2017. This amount in Sri Lankan currency came to slightly less than a million rupees, per school.See below for detail report in pdf format.

JPAA CANADA TRUST FUND DISBURSEMENTS 2017

This report is authored by Upali Obeyesekere, Founding President of JPAA Canada based on hard facts and documentation at hand. 

 

QUOTES: 

  • Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing. John D. Rockefeller 
  • Leadership is about doing the right thing, even if it going against a vast number of naysayers and mediocre people. N. R. Narayana Murthy 
  • With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. Zig Ziglar
  • The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • One of the best paradoxes of leadership is a leader's need to be both stubborn, strong and open-minded. A leader must insist on sticking to the vision and stay on course to the destination. But he must be open-minded during the process. Simon Sinek

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

 

 

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MAINTAINING DIGNITY & DECORUM

Posted on 31 October 2017 by admin

 

DIGNITY IV

 

The messages that we give to others is in a combination of actions and words. Once spoken, harmful things cannot be taken back and instead can create a darkness for all. Elevate yourself above the realm where negativity exists and dwells. Make a vow to live your life with dignity and decorum so that it can be the platform for your light.

CHOOSE TO WALK AWAY

There will be those that want to stir the pot and embroil you in their cause. Examine what their purpose is and if it doesn’t bring positive, turn around and walk away. They will continue to try to draw others in, but for you it will not bring you hope. This is the life they have chosen and you are not required to participate in it. In taking a higher path you can continue on your own quest.

SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mulling in the details can entrench us in confusion. It can cause frustration and the loss of thought and in that we can lose our way. Step outside the darkened clouds and look out to view the larger scope of things. In this you can tap into your calm and reach out in a positive way. In dignity and honor you can live your life and know in your heart you chose true.

In taking a higher path you can continue on your own quest.

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JPAA Canada donates over Million Rupees to Alma Mater – SJC & SPC

Posted on 04 October 2017 by admin

NEWS RELEASE No: 2017-1001

JPAA LOGO

 

 

 

 

Toronto, Canada – October 1, 2017.

The Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (JPAA Canada) was formed in 1984, and prides itself as the first Sri Lankan Schools Alumni Association to be formed in Canada. JPAA Canada is also the only joint association in the world for the Joes & Peterites. It is headquartered in Toronto. Next year the association reaches its 35th year of serving the alumni of the two Catholic Schools – St. Joseph’s College & St. Peter’s College.

Download pdf version JPAA NEWS RELEASE 2017

Donations to the two schools

Over the years, JPAA has donated funds to the two schools for infrastructure work that is needed to maintain old buildings or to build new structures. The donations have been regular and has helped the two schools defray expenses for these projects. It goes on record that the largest donation made to the two schools was this year (2017).

  • A sum of CAN $5,713.20 was sent in August to Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel – Rector, St. Joseph’s College for the reovation of the College Chapel that is close to 90-years old. On March 19, 1929, the foundation stone for the College Chapel was laid by the Arcbishop of Colombo. The College Chapel is a fitting memorial to Rev. Fr. Maurice Legoc – 4th Rector of SJC. According to Fr. Travis Gabriel, the renovation of the college chapel is his #1 priority project;

 

  • A sum of CAN $5,713.20 was sent in August to Rev. Fr. Trevor Martin – Rector, St. Peter’s College towards expenses related to the construction of a new Rugby Pavilion. The foundation stone was laid in August and expected completion date is September 2018. The proposed Rugby Pavilion will be state-of-the-art and plans to house visiting teams and have a multitude of uses. Fr. Trevor Martin considers this as his #1 priority project.

JPAA Canada was formed primarily to create a forum for the Josephian and Peterite alumni domiciled in Canada. Once this was done, the next major objective was to assist the two alma mater on an ongoing basis. We are proud to record that this has been achieved without reservation. We pledge our continued support and assistance from Canada to the two schools that is amply demonstrated by our mission and vision!

 

 

 

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General Communique of 9/26/2017 from JPAA Canada President 2016-2018

Posted on 26 September 2017 by admin

E-MAIL FROM JPAA PRESIDENT CHRISTY JOSEPH DATED 09/26/2017 AT 20:35 HOURS

To: All Past & Present Members, JPAA Canada

Dear All,

I took over as JPAA President in April 2016, and currently serving a 2-year term till 2018. As explained in my general communiqué of 8/22/2017 (shown below) all accounts of JPAA were frozen by the bank from November 2016 until July 2017. The account balances as at the time of freezing in November 2016, were as follows:

A. JPAA Operating Account $4,775.91

B. JPAA Trust Fund $11,499.73

The bank released the hold on the two accounts on July 12, 2017, and issued us two cheques made in favour of JPAA Canada in the following amounts.

I. JPAA Operating Account $4,741.46

II. JPAA Trust Fund $11,531.41

As explained in August, the Operating Account funds in bank stands at $ 4,741.26 while the GIC Trust Account funds were disbursed to the two schools equally. Two bank drafts in the sum of CAN $5,713.20 each were made to Rector, SJC and Rector, SPC. The two bank drafts were sent by Purolator Courier to the two rectors and acknowledgement obtained. It was only last week that the bank in Toronto confirmed that the drafts had gone through processing and have been realised. These transactions will be recorded in the Financial Statements of JPAA Canada for the 2017 fiscal year (January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017).

Detail discussions were had with both schools and it was revealed that the two rectors had future projects listed in priority order. For St. Joseph’s College, Fr. Travis Gabriel identified his #1 priority to be the College Chapel Renovation Project. For St. Peter’s College, Fr. Trevor Martin identified his #1 project to be the construction of Rugby Pavilion. The budget for both projects far exceeds the amount we sent but it all adds up. 

  1. St. Joseph’s College – CAN $5,713.20 will be utilized towards the renovation of the Josephian Chapel that is over 100 years old. This project was on Fr. Travis Gabriel’s #1 priority list; 
  2. St. Peter’s College – CAN $5,713.20 will be utilized for the construction of a new Rugby Pavilion with an expected September 2018 completion date.

Download pdf  JPAA DONATIONS 2017

To: All past members (2016) & current members (2017)

Please take note of a few other important messages listed below:

  • All future correspondence related to JPAA Canada 2017 operational activity will now be handled directly me, as JPAA President. No one else is authorised to send any communications to JPAA Members (past and present) with immediate effect;
  • Mr. Anu Kandasamy (Asst. Treasurer) and Mr. Radley Perera (Hony. Treasurer) have both resigned their posts on the ex-co effective September 15, 2017;
  • I have asked Mr. Radley Perera to complete the Financial Statements for 2016 and hand it over with all supporting documents to Hony. Auditor Chris Serpanchy or Roger Payoe, ex-co member. But he has failed to do so. I will be following up with Mr. Perera next week and if he fails to cooperate we will take further appropriate action to secure these documents;
  • Mr. Lloyd Wijesinghe has ceased to function as Interim General Secretary, JPAA Canada as of September 12, 2017. I have advised him to cease and desist sending any form of general communications (verbal, written e-mails or letters) to any of our 2016 or 2017 members;
  • We request all our 2016 members to send in their $15 subscription to continue membership in JPAA Canada in 2017;
  • We hope to hold the Annual General Meeting for 2017, no sooner the financial statements for 2016 are audited. I will be contacting the Hony. Auditor in the next few weeks to finalise arrangements.

Assuring you of my best attention at all times.

Christy Joseph – JPAA Canada President – 2016/2018

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

 

From: Puvi Ravi
Sent: August 22, 2017 11:53 PM
To: Christy Joseph; Distribution List
Subject: Re: Subject" General Communiqué to all paid-up members, JPAA Canada for 2016 – Batch 1

 

Hi Christy,

This is awesome news. Thank you for sharing. Can you please tell us what was the split in $ amount. That way we all know how much each school got. Thx.

 

 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

 

From: Christy Joseph <christy17joseph@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 9:25:56 PM
To: Distribution List
Subject: Subject" General Communiqué to all paid-up members, JPAA Canada for 2016 – Batch 1

To: Members, JPAA Canada

Dear Members,

As you are well aware, the bank account and trust account of JPAA Canada has been frozen since November 2016, due to a dispute arising of authorized signatories to said accounts. This problem was ongoing and we tried to resolve this with the bank at branch level, district level and legal department ending up finally with Customer Care. Many attempts were made to resolve this issue and a few past presidents were also consulted but nothing came right. After renewed discussions with the branch manager, district manager and legal counsel the issue was placed in the hands of the bank’s Customer Services Manager. The consensus between all was that no resolution was possible without bringing the disputing party to the table. Had we failed to comply with the bank’s request, the funds would have gone into a dormant account where we would not have been able to access any funds from the accounts at all. Our inaction would also have caused the bank to charge us legal fees that may have amounted to well over the funds we had sitting in our operating account and trust fund account (GIC).

At this point, I requested Mr. Aubrey Atton (Committee Member) to mediate on behalf of the president (JPAA) and the disputing party to settle this issue in an amicable manner. Mr. Atton was successful in bringing the disputing party and myself to the table and together we informed the bank that we had reached a joint decision to sign release documentation agreeing to split the trust account (GIC) in half and send it to our alma mater in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The bank agreed to release the funds once we sign the agreement by way of two bank drafts for the GIC balance and also a second draft  in lieu of the operating account. Let me confirm that no funds were held back and/or that no bank charges were levied as legal or administrative fees. This was a major win for JPAA Canada.

The bank wanted us to consult legal opinion after which the bank was prepared to deal only with our lawyer on this matter. However, timely action on the part of Mr. Aubrey Atton and myself with the disputing party resulted in us jointly agreeing to work together for and on behalf of JPAA Canada. Had we gone the route of consulting legal opinion on this matter, we would have faced heavy charges that may have even exceeded the funds we had in the 1) Operating Account and 2) Trust fund account (GIC). Our main objective was to safeguard the funds and also restore our account status with the bank.

The GIC split was sent to the two schools for the following work.

  • 50% to St. Joseph’s College – JPAA funds were sent for the renovation of the college chapel that is Fr. Travis Gabriel, Rector’s top priority project. The chapel is 100 years old and breaking down.
  • 50% to St. Peter’s College – JPAA funds were sent towards the construction of a new Rugby Pavilion which is Fr. Trevor Martin, Rector’s top priority project. Estimated completion date is September 2018.

The above communiqué is for your information. I will not be available to field any calls on telephone or respond to any e-mails sent in this regard.

Any concerns you have may be addressed at the Annual General Meeting 2017, that will be held once the Financial Statements for the Operating Account are audited by the Hony. Auditor and returned.

 

Sincerely,

Christy Joseph – President, JPAA Canada

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Communication dated 9/20/2017 from Founding President, JPAA Canada

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Communication dated 9/20/2017 from Founding President, JPAA Canada

Posted on 20 September 2017 by admin

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

  

 

 

 

 

JPAA President Christy Joseph

Christy – please see e-mail trail below that is self-explanatory.

I am very disturbed with the thoughtless and impetuous e-mails going around from past members (2016) of our association. They have demonstrated bad judgment.

A few concerned JPAA loyalists have brought to my notice that you are facing intimidation and interference from four past presidents (two of whom are time-time residents of Canada) and their followers.

The other complaint is that the interim General Secretary has sent out a malicious e-mail in March 2017, from Sri Lanka that is libelous. His e-mail has been copied to countless number of non-members of JPAA Canada. This action on the part of Mr. Lloyd Wijesinghe tantamount to defamation of character and absolute mis-representation of facts. Publishing a false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation is one thing, but to copy over twenty Canadians who have nothing to do with JPAA Canada is another thing. Two wrongs don’t make a right. This intriguing issue with Mr. Lloyd Wijesinghe’s errant e-mail will be dealt with legally next month.

Having said that, the intent of this e-mail is not about Mr. Lloyd Wijesinghe and his unauthorised e-mails. It is about the legality of the Special General Meeting held in April 2017, and the proposed Notice of SGM of 09/30/2017. This is absolute poppycock.

Let me categorically state, without reservation, that the Special General Meeting held on April 8, 2017, at Markham Ruby Club is ‘null and void’. Same applies to the SGM Notice of September 30, 2017, inadvertently called for by the Interim General Secretary Lloyd Wijesinghe.

Point at issue is that the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association is a member-driven organization incorporated under the Ontario Statute of Not-For-Profit Corporations Act. The fiscal year is from January 1st to December 31st. This leads me to advise you that annual membership of all have ceased as of December 31, 2016. JPAA does not have any Members in good standing in 2017, and any meetings conducted in 2017 with 2016 members is not binding in a court of law. Any business transacted in 2017 by 2016 members is also not binding. Present status of JPAA can be equated to a “car in operation sans license plate”. These people are violating the laws of Canada.

The only statutory meeting you may conduct this year is the “Annual General Meeting” that shall be held on or before December 31, 2017, at which all Members in good standing for 2016 may participate.

Members of 2016 who are stubborn, conniving and manipulative can very well go ahead and have Special General Meetings all they want. But any/all decisions taken at these meetings have no ‘legal binding’ and I will vouch for this with the backing of legal counsel. So, you do not have to worry about nuisance telephone calls, or e-mails. I understand that you are at the receiving end of badgering, bullying and harassment by a handful of 2016 members.The Laws of Canada protects you, and you are entitled to report the matter to your closest police station if this continues.

As a general comment, I find that most of the ‘shit-disturbers’ within the organization have hidden agendas and do not have an iota of loyalty to our 33-year old organization. It is therefore my fiduciary duty to intervene at this point and offer you assistance to restore and maintain a semblance of decorum back to our joint association. Let’s work together and bring JPAA back together to serve the purpose and end objectives for which it was started.

People who wish to breakaway from JPAA and form other organizations may very well do so. No one is holding them back. But they should act with dignity and not deface the integrity of JPAA nor its loyalists. Nor should they expect JPAA to hand over its coffers to them. This is hitting below the belt and their cheap behaviour may be construed as Un-Peterite and Un-Josephian!

Please feel free to contact me as and when needed. JPAA is like a child of mine. I brought it forth, and I will nurture and stand by it.

 

Sincerely,

Upali

………………………………………………….

Upali Obeyesekere (Tel: 416-445-5390)

58 Sundial Crescent, Toronto, ON. M4A 2J8

Date: September 20, 2017.

 
N.B. (Collins Dictionary definition of shit-disturber: ‘person who enjoys causing controversy or upsetting people)
 


To: Upali Obeysekara – Immediate Past President, JPAA Canada

 

Cc: Christy Joseph ; Valentine Balasingham ; Srinath Wijeyeratne ; Radley Perera ; Nelum Attanayake ; Aubrey Atton ; Anu Kandasamy ; Adrian Wijeweera ; Angelina Wijeweera ; Roger Payoe ; Upali Obeyesekere ; Milan Gunawardana ; Bhanu Wijeyesekera ; Puvi Ravi ; Srimantha Wijeyeratne ; Anthony Perera ; H ; Rehan Goonetilleke ; Taguram Thiagarajah ; Glen Ragell ; Peter Ragell ; Jerome de Kauwe ; Lyall Bakelmun ; ShirleyNirmali Perera ; larry.landersz@yahoo.de ; Jaywardena Nihal J ; Rod Diaz ; Ranier De Lambert ; Rajive Benedict ; jifernandez@rogers.com; jifernandez@rogers.com ; Philip Navaratne ; percynagthall@rogers.com ; Jeyer Rodriguez

 

No, I did not authorize this e-mail that you refer to sent by Lloyd Wijesinghe who goes by ‘rylewijes’.

 

I will deal with the matter directly with the sender who is Interim General Secretary appointed by me.

 

 

 

Please note that I, as JPAA Canada President did not summon a Special General Meeting for September 30, 2017.

 

We have other administrative issues that have come up in the last two months that need immediate attention.

 

 

 

We hope to have 2017 Annual General Meeting no sooner the 2016 Financial Statements are audited. This will

 

happen before December 31, 2017. You will be notified.

 

 

Regards,

 

Christy Joseph

 

President, JPAA Canada

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Upali Obeyesekere

 

Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 9:55 AM

 

Cc: cda.nattanayake@cmacgm-log.com ; Aubrey Atton ; pbwijey@hotmail.com ; Philip Navaratne ; Jerome De Kauwe ; JPAA CANADA ; Lyall Bakelmun ; Distribution List

 

Subject: Fw: SGM Sept. 30,2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

JPAA President Christy Joseph

 

 

 

Good morning Christy,

 

 

 

This is in reference to the e-mail below.

 

 

 

I have just one question? Did you authorize this e-mail?

 

 

 

As far as my records show, Philip Navaratne is the lawfully elected General Secretary of JPAA Canada at the 2016 AGM held in April 2016. When did “Ryle Wijes” assume the role of General Secretary, JPAA Canada? As a rule, I do not accept e-mails from anonymous senders. Authencity of this e-mail is questionable.

 

 

 

Sender obviously is not aware that JPAA Canada is a member-driven Not-For-Profit Corporation. Rule of law dictates that only paid up members in good standing are privy to communications from JPAA Canada.

 

 

 

It violates the “privacy law” when an electronic communication is sent to non-members. This tantamount to “hate mail”. Why is Arvind Luxman copied? He is not a member of JPAA Canada in good standing for 2016?

 

 

 

Your response to this e-mail is expected sooner than later!

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Upali

 

……………………………………………

 

Upali Obeyesekere

 

Founding President/IPP JPAA Canada

 

Tel: 416-445-5390

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Ryle Wijes

 

Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 3:34 PM

 

To: Christy Joseph ; Valentine Balasingham ; Srinath Wijeyeratne ; Radley Perera ; Nelum Attanayake ; Aubrey Atton ; Anu Kandasamy ; Adrian Wijeweera ; Angelina Wijeweera ; Roger Payoe ; Upali Obeyesekere ; Milan Gunawardana ; Bhanu Wijeyesekera ; Puvi Ravi ; Srimantha Wijeyeratne ; Anthony Perera ; H ; Rehan Goonetilleke ; Taguram Thiagarajah ; Glen Ragell ; Peter Ragell ; Jerome de Kauwe ; Lyall Bakelmun ; ShirleyNirmali Perera ; larry.landersz@yahoo.de ; Jaywardena Nihal J ; Rod Diaz ; Ranier De Lambert ; Rajive Benedict ; jifernandez@rogers.com

 

Cc: jifernandez@rogers.com ; Philip Navaratne ; Arvind Luxman ; percynagthall@rogers.com ; Jeyer Rodriguez

 

Subject: SGM Sept. 30,2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pursuant to the General Communique dated August 23, 2017, issued by Christy Joseph, the President of the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada – members of good standing in the JPAA, Canada requests a Special General Meeting under section 10 of the JPAA, Canada Constitution.

 

 

Notice is hereby given that:

 

 

 

A Special General Meeting of the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 9:30 am to 12 noon

 

at the MARKHAM RUGBY CLUB, 150 AUSTIN DRIVE, MARKHAM, ONT L3R 6M7

 

To require the current President, Christy Joseph to produce details and documentary evidence of the transactions that took place with the TD Bank,         Fairview Branch prior to the closing of the JPAA, Canada accounts held at that Branch.

 

To require the President, Christy Joseph to produce documents relating to the opening of any new JPAA, Canada bank accounts with supporting bank statements.

 

To require the President, Christy Joseph to provide proof of remittances made to the two Colleges mentioned in his General Communique.

 

Based on the information provided by the President, Christy Joseph, pass a suitable resolution relating to these and other matters.

 

 

 

R. Lloyd Wijesinghe,

 

General Secretary,

 

Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association, Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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JPAA Canada – alive and well

Posted on 01 September 2017 by admin

JPAA CANADA

JPAA CANADA

 

 

 

Contrary to unfounded rumours floating around, the 34-year old Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (JPAA Canada) is alive and well in Toronto. JPAA Canada is unique in that it is the only joint association for the Josephians and Peterites, in the world. JPAA Canada goes on record as the first Sri Lankan Schools Alumni Association to be formed in Canada in 1984.  The association was founded thanks to the pioneering efforts of a core group of Canadians of Sri Lankan origin who were domiciled in Canada since the early seventies. It is a member-driven association of Josephians and Peterites who have attended their alma mater for a minimum period of 365-days. St. Joseph's College and St. Peter's College are two leading Roman Catholic institutions located in Colombo.

"Our end objective is to ensure that we assist our alma mater as and when possible. There are many infrastructure projects in the pipeline at both schools (St. Joseph's College & St. Peter's College) and our mission is to contribute financially towards these projects. No funds are available for purchase of cricket balls or mechanized rollers and/or operating expenses for sports activities. Our main focus is to assist only infrastructure projects which the two rectors have priortised time and again", said a spokeman for JPAA Canada.

Current president of JPAA Canada Christy Joseph has made two changes in the executive committee for 2016/2017, effective immediately. Old Joe Roger Payoe has been appointed in place of Radley Perera as Honorary Treasurer of JPAA Canada. All correspondence to members in good standing as at 12/31/2016 shall be handled directly by President Christy Joseph.

All members are requested to renew their 2017 membership. Please contact President Christy Joseph or Aubrey Atton (Actg. General Secretary).

Thank you. 

Thursday, September 21, 2017.

 

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2017 welcomes many visitors to our site

Posted on 11 January 2017 by admin

January 11, 2017 – We are happy to note that there has been a remarkable increase of visitors to our site from January 1, 2017, in the last 11-days. This augurs well for this comprehensive site that captures the activities, events and history of two great Roman Catholic schools in Colombo – St. Joseph's College and St. Peter's College. We will also capture the history, activities and other news of JPAA Canada from 1984-2016. The editor (Upali Obeyesekere) of this site endeavours to capture news and information that matters most to the alumni of the two schools.

Thanks for your interest in the site!

 

www.jpaacanada.com

Joe-Pete Logo 2017

 

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How the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association was formed

Posted on 23 December 2016 by admin

Upali Obeyesekere and Benito de Silva

Upali Obeyesekere and Benito de Silva

By: Upali Obeyesekere – Founder, Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association

Subject: Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association – hereinafter referred to as "JPAA".

It has been brought to my notice that one or two past presidents of JPAA are going around saying that they are co-founders of the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association. Taking ownership to what rightfully does not belong to you is both comical and unethical. As the founder of this organization it is my fiduciary duty to place on record the following facts. I leave it to the reader to make his or her own conclusion. 

It was Upali Obeyesekere, an Old Peterite who came up with the idea of starting an Ad-Hoc Committee of alumni from both St. Peter's College & St. Joseph's College domiciled in Toronto. Please read "About Us" on this site for more details. The thought turned into an action that brought about a result. The rest is history.

Initially, Upali had informal discussions with his close friend from back home Benito de Silva, an Old Josephian. The two deliberated and came to the conclusion that conceptually the timing was opportune for this project to get off the ground. Upali and Benito then set out to pick a cohesive team from the two schools to take the project to execution stage. This brought about the Ad-Hoc Committee that was formed in 1984 and functioned until 1992. 

The original founding Ad-Hoc Committee (1984-1992) comprised of Upali Obeyesekere (Facilitator/Founder), Benito de Silva (Co-Founder), Roy Alles (deceased), Sunimal Perera, Nihal Perera, Jimmy Raymond, Anton Perera (Treasurer), Hamzee Hameed, Laky Ranchigoda, Ray Lord and Lyall Bakelmun.

Members of the Ad-Hoc then decided to formalise JPAA and make it a member driven Not-For-Profit Corporation. Accordingly, in 1993 the organization was structured as a Not-For-Profit Organization and subsequently incorporated on May 8th, 1996. A set of by-laws and constitution of Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association was instituted by the 1993 Executive Committee headed by inaugural president Upali Obeyesekere.

Getting to the point, the founder of Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association is Upali Obeyesekere and Co-Founder is Benito de Silva. The stakeholders of the JPAA are the paid members who are in good standing of Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association.

 

List of Presidents of JPAA Canada

1993 Upali Obeyesekere 1994 Jimmy Raymond 1995 Anton Perera
1996 Robin Rode 1997 Hazmee Hameed 1998 Chris Cooke
1999 Bhanu Wijeyesekere 2000 Milan Gunawardena 2001 Nihal Jayawardene
2002 Lloyd Wijesinghe 2003 Rehan Goonetilleke 2004 Jeevan Pragasam
2005 Roderick Diaz 2006 Victor Santhiapillai 2007 Ranier De Lambert
2008 Valentine Balasingham 2009 Roshan Navaratnam 2010 Christy Joseph
2011 Christy Joseph 2012 Christy Joseph 2013 Upali Obeyesekere
2014 Upali Obeyesekere 2015 Upali Obeyesekere 2016  Christy Joseph

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