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RIP – BENITO DE SILVA (1935-2022) – CO-FOUNDER, JPAA CANADA

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RIP – BENITO DE SILVA (1935-2022) – CO-FOUNDER, JPAA CANADA

Posted on 03 March 2022 by admin

It is with profound sadness we report that Benito de Silva, popular community leader in Toronto who was a beacon of light in the Sri Lankan community for over four decades passed away last Wednesday (9th February) at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto.

By: Upali Obeyesekere – Josephian-Peterite Global NEWS NETWORK

BENITO DE SILVA

Benito de Silva was the Josephian arm of the Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (JPAA Canada). The two co-founders of JPAA Canada in 1984 were Benito de Silva (SJC) and Upali Obeyesekere (SPC). JPAA Canada prides itself as the first Sri Lankan Schools’ Alumni Association to be formed in Canada. JPAA launched the Canadian Series of the “Battle of the Saints” in 1985, that drew large crowds since its inception. Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Stanley Abeysekara, Rector of St. Joseph’s College Colombo was Chief Guest at the 1985 inaugural match in Toronto.

Educated at St. Joseph’s College Colombo, Benito excelled in athletics, swimming, cricket, and field hockey. On leaving school. he joined the volunteer service of the Ceylon Army, worked in the private sector at Carson Cumberbatch Company and at the state-sponsored Insurance Corporation. Benito represented Insurance Corp., in Cricket and Hockey.

Benito was the consummate gentleman and a proud Josephian. His younger brothers are former Army Commander Gen. Gerry de Silva, Eugene de Silva and well known theatre personality Jerome de Silva.

FAMILY

Benito was the much-loved husband of Annette (nee Chapman) for 58 years, beloved father of Gavin (Erika) and Diane (Roy) and doting grandfather of Nicolas, Marisa, Michael, and Victor. He leaves behind numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, and large coterie of friends who were near and dear to him. The Toronto-based Sri Lankan-Canadian community at-large are heartbroken as their beloved friend Benito – known as a man for all seasons is no more.

Anthony Gene Benito De Silva was born in Colombo on 28th September 1935. He was predeceased by his loving parents, Walter and Etta De Silva and his infant son, Glen. He was the eldest in a close-knit family of six – two sisters Therese (Jay Liyanage), and Clementine (Sumith Liyanage) and three brothers – Gen. Gerard de Silva (Junie), Eugene de Silva (Madonna) and Jerome de Silva who live back home in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. MAY BENITO REST IN PEACE, AMEN!

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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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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 Calendar of Events 2014

Posted on 08 May 2014 by admin

JPAA LogoThe Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (hereinafter called "JPAA Canada") was formed in 1984, and will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Besides the regular sports and social events the association engages in, a few special events will be staged to mark the milestone of reaching 30 years as a joint organization for the Josephians and Peterites in Canada. Several prominent old boys are expected to attend from Sri Lanka, England, USA and Australia. JPAA Canada prides itself as the first Sri Lankan School Alumni Association to be formed in Canada.

Following is a calendar of events:

  • March 30, 2014 (Sunday) – 2014 Annual General Meeting at Radisson Hotel Toronto East
  • June 14, 2014 (Saturday) – 5th Saints Quadrangular Cricket Tournament at Ajax Grounds
  • June 28, 2014 (Saturday) – Fellowship Evening & Celebratory Event (Venue TBA)
  • July 1, 2014 (Tuesday) Canada Day – 30th Joe-Pete Cricket Match a.k.a. Battle of the Saints
  • August/September – Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Tournament
  • October 4, 2014 (Saturday) – Annual Dinner Dance 2014 (Venue TBA)
  • November 15, 2014 – 30th Anniversary Recognition Dinner (Venue TBA)

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How to become a member of JPAA CANADA?

Posted on 22 April 2014 by admin

JPAA LogoSince our AGM on March 30th, we have received a few calls and email enquiries as to "MEMBERSHIP" – basically old boys of both SJC & SPC trying to find out how to become a member of JPAA Canada. This is a very positive sign as it is important to embrace most of our valuable old boys into our fold as "members".

Responding to this request, we are posting the new and revised "MEMBERSHIP FORM" on our website. Please see the form in pdf format below. Please download the link and print the form. The completed form should be accompanied with a cheque for $15 (Annual Membership Fee) made out in favour of "JPAA CANADA".

JPAA MEMBERSHIP FORM

Any questions or concerns, please feel free to send an e-mail to the General Secretary, JPAA CANADA to the address shown below.

jpaacanada@rogers.com

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JPAA Canada elects office bearers for 2014/2015

Posted on 08 April 2014 by admin

The Annual General Meeting of the 2014 Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada (hereinafter called "JPAA CANADA") was held on Sunday, March 30th, at Radisson Hotel Toronto East. The meeting was well attended with the membership excited about the 30th anniversary celebrations planned for the oldest alumni association in Canada, among Sri Lankan Schools.

JPAA Canada was formed in 1984, by a pioneering group of visionaries as a joint association for the alumni of St. Joseph's College & St. Peter's College domiciled in Canada. After 30 years, the association still functions as a joint association re-inforcing the fact that one school was actually started by the other and they still co-exist as "brothers of one family". A great Roman Catholic spirit that brings about peace, goodwill and camaraderie.

By acclamation, Upali Obeyesekere continues as President, JPAA Canada with Jerome Fernandez (Vice President-SPC) and Christy Joseph (Vice President-SJC). The General Secretary position will be filled by sports star of the 60s Larry Landersz (who moved from Munich, Germany to Toronto last year) and Valentine Balasingham will be Asst. Secretary. Peter Ragell continues to function as Hony. Treasurer while Roger Payoe will be Asst. Treasurer. The Social/Dance Committee will comprise of Jerome Fernandez, Rod Diaz, Roshan Navaratnam, Rehan Goonetilleke, Jeevan Pragasam and Upali Obeyesekere. Four Past Presidents (Rod Diaz, Ranier de Lambert, Jeevan Pragasam and Rehan Goonetilleke) will form the Advisory Council. The Honorary Auditor will be Chris (Sandy) Serpanchy.

PHOTO ALBUM – CLICK ON LINK BELOW

https://plus.google.com/106510355705932428426/posts/XLYZ3EaDHqy

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Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association – Canada celebrates its 30th Anniversary

Posted on 27 February 2014 by admin

The Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association – Canada was formed in 1984, and will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. We pride ourselves as the first ever Sri Lankan Schools' Alumni to be formed in Canada. This is an honour that we accept with much humility.

It took a combined Royal/Thomian/Trinity group to form the next schools alumni five or six years later. The numbers were not enough to form individual associations in the early years. So it made perfect sense to double up and act jointly. The visionaries who started JPAA Canada should be congratulated in their thought process at the time.

Today, the scene has changed in Canada. All but the Josephians and Peterites have formed individual associations but JPAA CANADA goes on as a vibrant joint association of the Joes and Peterites in Canada. Working together in harmony to keep the flags flying.

The association celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

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Our Website: 245 views on 09FEB14 – highest so far

Posted on 09 February 2014 by admin

JPAA LOGOJPAA Canada launched its new website on Monday, October 7, 2013. Our mandate is to priortize posting news of our association activities since it was formed in 1984. The project is time consuming but we are getting there slowly but surely. In addition to JPAA Canada news, we will also be posting news of our Alma Mater, parent Unions in Colombo and from our overseas branches globally. To this end, we are doing well.

JPAA Canada is pleased to share the good news that it recorded the highest views to our website today – Sunday, February 9, 2014. Total of 245 views as at 12 midnight. This is very encouraging.

It took a lot of planning to get this site up and running. A lot of hard work has gone into a site that is informative, quality driven, and caters to the larger Joe-Pete family worldwide. This is our end objective.

We have got accolades from Old Boys from Colombo, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Wellington (NZ), Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver that the website is great. So, we are so glad that we went ahead and got the site going.

Please visit us regularly for updates. Thank you!

JPAA Canada

www.jpaacanada.com

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We wish you a Happy New Year (2014)

Posted on 01 January 2014 by admin

Happy New Year JPAAMessage from Josephian-Peterite Alumni Association of Canada

My Committee joins me in wishing you a Happy New Year! May god's blessings be with you and yours throughout the year. We wish you health, comfort, peace and prosperity during the ensuing year. ~~Christmas proclaims that God will be with us always. Let us celebrate this Happiness with Fun and Dance. ~~Hoping you are surrounded by love and warmth as we rejoice and enjoy the birth our King. 

 

Our sincere wishes to Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel and Rev. Fr. Trevor Martyn as they assume duties on January 1st as Rectors of St. Joseph's College and St. Peter's College respectively.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H3mxvwrrFw

 

 

Warm wishes to all Joes & Peterites and their families round the world – May the New Year bring you love, health, happiness and properity. God Bless!

 

 

Sincerely yours,

Upali Obeyesekere – President, JPAA Canada

 

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