COLLEGE HISTORY
CHAPTER 9
Warden de Saram
With the completion of the Boarding Houses, and the appointment of the Rev. R.S.de Saram as Acting Warden in 1930, and finally as Warden in 1932, a new era began. The advantage of proper boarding accommodation was immediately felt, and the discipline of the school was improved. The old system of two Junior and two Senior Houses disappeared, and four Houses, Chapman, Claughton, Copleston and Miller, each with a Senior and Junior dormitory, were established. The Day Houses, Buck, Stone and Wood, were allotted boys from the A, B and C Forms. Inter-house competitions spread over the year, and in the course of time were sufficient to bring out almost every talent that boys were likely to possess. The Cricket competition continued its yearly round as of old, and the Soccer competitions and Athletic competitions for Seniors, and Juniors under 16, were established. There were in addition competitions in Swimming, Shooting, Tennis, Fives, Boxing. Physical Training and Cross-Country Running. An All-Round Shield was given by Mr.Thuraiappa, in memory of his son, which covered all these competitions, and the work of the boys in school in addition.
In 1931 Athletic and Swimming tests for every boy who was old enough to be a member of a house were started, and have been carried out every year since then with great keenness. The result of the House Competitions soon became visible in a very much greater interest in all school activities shown by Day Boys, who began to hold more places in school teams than in former years. A Day Boys’ Debating Society was started by Mr. E.L.Perera, and won places for its representatives in the Inter-College debates. The Competitions did a great deal for the Boarders, especially the Athletic and Swimming tests, and the Boarding Houses continued to be, as they had always been, the centre of the College life, and to hold their own against houses three or four times their numerical strength.
But with the complete re-establishment of the school in its new surroundings, there came an unforeseen difficulty in the scheme under which the new buildings had been raised. The trade depression fell upon the world, and it hit Ceylon as severely as anywhere else. With the depression it was impossible to raise money by the sale of debenture bonds, and the school was left in debt to the builders who had carried out the work. The builders, Messrs Walker and Sons, Ltd. Of Colombo, met the College authorities very reasonably in the difficult situation that was created. Nevertheless such a debt was a severe weight for any school to carry, and the Warden had had as heavy a task put upon him as any of his predecessors had to face in the whole history of the College. To help to ease matters a Million Six-pence Fund was started n 1934, when the depression had begun to show signs of lifting. It was splendid piece of pilotage that carried the College without mishap through the intervening years.
1931
At the Old Boys’ Day Sports of 1931 Warden Stone gave away the prizes. It was his last visit to the College before he finally left Island.
Two Fives Courts were given to the College this year by Dr.R.L.Hayman of the College staff, and the same generous donor added two more in the following year.
The school lost the Royal-Thomian Match this year by eight wickets, the team being all out for 60 in the first innings after Royal College had made 258. In the second innings N.de S.Wijesekere made 105 and F.Amarasnghe 70 out of a total of 218. F.C.de Saram made 140 for Royal.
At the end of the second term the Debating Society held a mock trial. The Acting Warden was judge. Mr.B.E.W.Jehoratnam and W.S.D. Mather were counsels for the prosecution, and Mr. J.Sitharam and E.F.Edirisinghe counsels for the defence. The prisoner, C.Dias Bandaranake, was accused of "gallicide" while driving his car.
This year Mr. C.V.Pereira retired from the College Staff after thirty-five years work at St.Thomas’. An Old Boy has left a record of his work in the Magazine.
"Mr. Pereira came to us from Trinity College with the highest credentials. He had been their "star student," and when the news came that he was joining our Staff, it was generally anticipated that we had made a capital acquisition; but as we look down his wonderful record in the rolling on of years, it must be acknowledged that Mr. Pereira has proved the golden link in long chain of celebrated masters. When he took his B.A. examination from Trinity he won record marks in Latin-that was his best subject-and year after year he produced many distinctions in Latin at the Cambridge Examinations, and established a foundation on which Warden Stone was able to work to such purpose that our excellence in Classicial study became a by-word. Mr.Pereira’s love of the Classics was only equalled by his great ability. He knew no Greek when he joined the Staff of St. Thomas’ College, but he studied it himself; and the born teacher that he was, he taught Greek so successfully that his students won distinctions in Greek nearly as often as they obtained distinctions in Latin.
Apart from his teaching, Mr. Pereira took the utmost interest in all sides of school life. His interest did not cease with the ringing of the closing school bell. For many years he guided the destinies of the Magazine. He took a keen interest in the College Reading Room and Book Cupboard, and altogether his all-round enthusiasm lives as an example to all who undertake the career of a master."
It will be appropriate to quote the opinion of Warden Stone: "As a master Mr. Pereira had admirable discipline. His teaching was skilful and resourceful to a degree; and the best results in the Cambridge Examinations and beyond, in S.T.C., were due almost entirely to his untiring devotion and unceasing freshness in presenting the subjects he taught for thirty-six years without a break; for the year he spent in the Government Training College was no interruption. He collaborated with me in a book of Intermediate Latin Exercises. For years the College Magazine lived by his efforts, and his care of Book Cupboard of the College, a task enough to weary the most ardent, was a valuable source of revenue. In my long and confidential relations I found in him a devoted colleague and a friend. His election to the Board of Education was an honour well deserved, and to teachers at large he gave ungrudging service to promote their best interests. I count him one of the best teachers Ceylon has produced."
Over two hundred of Mr.Pereira’s old pupils subscribed to a presentation which was made to him the year after he left.
1932
The principal event of 1932 was the appointment of the Rev.R.S.de Saram as Warden and his installation on June 24th. The event was of peculiar interest to all Old Boys and friends of the school, because the new Warden was himself an Old Boy of the College of Warden Stone’s time. Mr.de Saram went to England in 1918 and took a Second Class in Greats from Keble College, Oxford. While at Oxford he won a Blue for Boxing. After taking his degree, he went to Cuddesdon Theological College, and was ordained. He was appointed Curate of St.Paul’s, Kandy, and in 1925 he was invited to join the Staff of St.Thomas’. He was appointed Sub-Warden in 1926. He acted as Warden twice, for six months at a time, during the absence on leave of Warden McPherson, and since August, 1930, he had been virtual Warden.
News arrived this year that L.Jayasundere had won the English University Scholarship in Mathematics at the London B.Sc. Examination in the previous year. He had passed the Inter Science from S.T.C. in 1928, and proceeded to the University in 1929 where he was placed first in First Class Honours in the B.Sc.
The Magazine of July conveys the congratulations of the School to Mr. O.P.Gooneratne, on his having completed twenty-five years service at S.T.C. He was one of the earliest students at the Training College for teachers, and joined the College Staff in 1906. In the following year Mr. Gooneratne was Acting Warden while Mr. de Saram was on leave in England.
The College Dramatic Society was very active at this time. It staged small Christmas plays in 1930 and 1931, and in 1932 it produced "Twelfth Night," in 1934 "The Tempest" and 1935 "The Merchant of Venice". In "Twelfth Night" Mr. C.B.Paulicpulle was Sir Toby, and Mr. H.J.de Silva Sir Andrew Aguecheek.Mr. C.H.Davidson was Malvolio. S.L.Schockman took the part of Olivia, and C.W.Theideman that of Viola. In the Tempest Mr.C.H.Davidson acted Prospero. The part of Miranda was taken a by Miss Thelma Hall, and that of Ariel by Miss. Zoe Jayatileke, Mr. N.E.M.B.Jansze was Ferdinand and, Mr. C.B.Paulicpulle Caliban. In the "Merchant of Venice" Mr.E.S.D.Ohlmus acted the part of Sylock. Antonio was acted by Mr. C.H.Davidson, and Bassanio by Mr. C.B.Paulicpulle. Mr.H.J.de Silva was Lancelot Gobbo, Mrs.Anthonisz was Portia, D.C.Ingleton Nerissa, Mr.C.V.A.Ratnayake acted Lorenzo and Tubal.
Efforts were made at this time to bring the School Library up to a better standard. The old cupboards were brought down from their temporary retreat in the U.VIB Class-room, and the Library was given a permanent room next to the Dining hall, where the collection of books rapidly expanded. Everything possible was done to collect the records of the College, and to restore the Library to the central position in the life of the school that it had held at Mutwal.
Another expansion was the making of the new Botanical Garden between the Hotel Road and the main Class-room block, a very creditable piece of work, which was due to the exertions of Mr. R.S.D.Jansz. There is a story that at the end of the first term of the Botanical Garden two small boys showed their appreciation of it by eating the College specimen of Sugar-cane.
The College Scout Troop which was restarted in 1928 had won for itself a recognized place among the activities of the school: and the Cub Pack, which belonged to a still earlier date, continued to flourish. Both gave many opportunities of camping to the boys who joined them in places as wide apart as Anuradhapura, Kandy, Maskeliya and Bentota.
1933
The athletic of 1933 were very successful. Mr. John Halangoda gave unsparingly of his talents as a cricket coach to the team, and the results were visible in great improvement all round. The team owed a great deal to the Keenness and judgement of Mr. F.L.Goonewardene, and the Rev. A.J.Foster, the Chaplain of the School.
On July 22nd the Boxing team won the Stubbs Shield in the Inter-Schools Championship for the third time in five years. The school was represented by : J.H.T.Perera, Heavy Weight "A," A. Caldera and P.Kularatna, Light Heavy Weight "B," A.C.Dassanayake, Welter Weight, E.Thiedeman, Light Weight, R.B.Jayatileke, Bantam Weight, R.Proctor, Fly Weight. The team was trained by Mr. Deraniyagala.
In the Inter-School Sports the School was again victorious, and won the Tarbat Challenge Cup, and the Jefferson Challenge Cup for the Relays. S.Thabrew cleared 5ft.8ins. in the High Jump and W.A.Wijesinghe 20ft. 4ins. in the Long Jump
1935
On Prize Day, Wednesday, August 7th, 1935, it was announced that Dr.R.L.Hayman had been appointed Sub-Warden. No school boy who plays a game of fives in the College courts, or who takes a header into the Swimming Bath is likely to forget Dr.Hayman. The Swimming bath was first opened on December 14th, 1933 when the Warden took the first plunge. It was officially opened by Bishop Carpenter Garnier on February 1st, 1934. The appointment of a Sub-Warden after that office had been vacant for three years was sign of the development and returning prosperity of the school.
1936
The years 1930 to 1936 belong to the present rather than the past, and events in them are too recent to have fallen into their proper perspective, but some general record of them may be given.
The disturbing of old standards and old ideals, which has taken place in all countries, has had its effect in Ceylon as everywhere else, and it has forced people to think more and to measure things anew. In St.Thomas’ this has been manifest in many ways, and foremost among them has been the development of a new religious life in the school. Its root must be looked for far back in the days of Warden Stone and its growth has been the outcome of a movement within the Diocese of which the College is a part. In this connection mention must be made of the work that the Rev. A.J.Foster has done for the boys of the school.
The development of thought has led to intellectual development, which has found expression in the growth of the College Form; in the steady enlargement of School Library; in the new and more serious spirit in the Debating Society; in the recently started Literary, Scientific and Historical Society, and the revival of the Art Club, and the Musical Society.
Another development has been the making of gardens in several parts of the compound for the study of Botany. The Vth Form, the U.IV, the L.I.V, and the U.III, each have their own gardens, and much keenness has been shown both in school and out of school in the making of them. The work the Social Service League has done in the school grounds has expanded steadily, and has contributed to the general scheme of improvement.
In July, 1936, regular Carpentry Classes were begun for the L.IV forms as part of a two years’ course, and a number of classes were added out of school for any boys who wished to learn wood-work.
In school games, Hockey began to replace Soccer in 1936. Ever since 1929 Hockey had been played more or less regularly and in 1936 the first Inter-House Hockey competitions, Senior and Junior, took place. H.D.Bartholomeusz was the first Captain of Hockey.
These years were marked by the conscientious work of many House Masters. Among them may be mentioned Mr.V.P.Cooke who did much to promote keenness in Big Club Cricket, Mr. H.P.Jansz whose patient work with Small Club Cricketers was of great value to the School; and Mr.C.H.Wheat and Mr.E.L.Perera who did good work for the School Athletics; and Mr. C.H.Davidson who was a pioneer among the Day-House Masters. Dr.Hayman’s work as a House Master, and in the promotion of School Swimming during this time has been invaluable.
Of very great importance to the school has been the reduction of the debt upon the buildings. To help this reduction the Thomian Fair, organized by Lady J.P.Obeysekere, Mr. And Mrs. A.L.de Witt, and Mrs. P.Saravanamuttu, was held in Colombo in November, 1935. It proved a very successful undertaking and 9,000 rupees were raised.
Behind all the activities of the last six years a steady discipline has been maintained which has made the school run smoothly and efficiently, and has made possible the development in its activities.
