Sri Lanka Delegates at World Council Meeting

NCY President Mr. Aruna Shantha Nonis, Vice President Mr. A. P. Jayantha Kumar and Vice President & Youth Committee Chairman Mr. Frank F. Issak left to Hong Kong to participate at the 17th YMCA World Council Meeting.
The Meeting is held from 19th to 24th July 2010.

YMCA Retreat!

A dramatic change is sweeping through the globe today. Individuals and communities are beginning to place their hope in religious faiths which ensures the wellbeing of human race. However, at the same time, the concept of building a relationship with God is misinterpreted and misunderstood by many. To understand and lead a life pleasing to God we have to be “In God” in everything that we do.

This was emphasized at the National Retreat of Sri Lanka YMCA, held at the YMCA International Centre, Katunayake on 17 & 18 of July 2010.

The theme of this year’s retreat was “4 Steps”-
Come as you are – I love you
Give the truth of your heart
Surrender your life to the Lord
To be filled with the Holy Spirit

Bro Lalith Perera of “Catholic Charismatic Movement” and his team conducted the retreat with inspiring messages, songs, praise and worship.

NCY President Mr. Aruna Shantha Nonis delivered the welcome address and inaugurated the retreat. Christian Discipleship Committee Chairman Mr. Sunil Wanigathuna presented the vote of thanks.

In addition to NCY staff- Vavuniya, Mannar, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu, Komari, Batticaloa, Kandy, Nugegoda, Moratuwa and Dehiwela YMCAs were represented by 65 members and leaders.

Y-Care Programme Manager studies ground situation-

Y-Care & Sri Lanka YMCA to Launch a Long Term Programme in THE North!

Y-Care International Uk/Ireland and Sri Lanka YMCA , under PRR Process, are to launch an ambitious long term programme in the North focusing Jaffna, Navaly, Point Pedro, Kayts, Killinochchi & Vavuniya.  Target group of the programme will be the youth in North including young widows and widowers.
Interventions areas will be, among others, Vocational Training, livelihood development, reconciliation & reconstruction.

Colourful Kite Festival
Goes to
Kalmunai Beach!

Sri Lanka YMCAs Kite Festival for 2010 will be held in the Eastern Province at Kalmunai beach. The Pamunugama YMCA that organizes this yearly event is busy  putting up the final touches.

10 Eastern YMCAs have come forward to participate at the festival; Akkaraipattu, Ampara, Batticaloa, Kallar, Kalmunai, Komari, Mandur, Pamunugama, Thuraineelavanai and Valaichenai are the Eastern YMCAs. Pamunugama YMCA President Mr. Shelton Periris who is spearheading this year’s event said that YMCA child members below 15 years will participate in kite flying. “We expect more than 100 participants and believe this will be an event that will be remembered by the children of East and West for a long, long time to come”, said Mr. Peiris.

All participants will receive a colorful tea shirt. 10 cash prizes will be offered to most colorful kites (they should fly, of course) to motivate, encourage and appreciate innovativeness, the competition will be held in August and date is to be decided by last week of July 2010.

Micro Finance Guidelines Sinhala

Micro Finance Guidelines Tamil

Micro Finance Guidelines English

Alagan Celebrates 80th Birthday

Veteran YMCA leader and former National General Secretary of Sri Lanka YMCA Mr. Alagan Kadirgamar celebrated his 80th birthday on 3rd July. Family members and many YMCA friends were in attendance to cheer him up and remind the good old days at Colombo YMCA and NCY. 

Alagan was very pleased to be among old friends and looked delighted with the presence of his three doting daughter and their families.
We at NCY send our warmest greetings to him-
‘Happy Birthday Dear Alagan, May the good Lord continue to keep you in His tender loving care’
(Alagan & YMCA: Please read our special tribute right side)

Youth Committee of the Sri Lanka YMCA conducted an Inter YMCA Volleyball Tournament on 19th June 2010 at Dehiwela YMCA grounds to mark the YMCA Founders Day. The tournament attracted hundreds of players from YMCAs and scores of supporters and spectators.10 teams from Matara, Negombo, Pamunugama, Dehiwela, Mannar and mandur YMCAs participated in the Tournament. After the final matches ‘A Team’ of Mandur YMCA emerged Champions and ‘B Team’ of Mandur YMCA were placed as runners up.

President of NCY Mr. Aruna Shantha Nonis handed over the trophies to the winners.

Speaking after the tournament, Executive Secretary Mr. Charith de Silva who is responsible for the Youth department at NCY thanked the YMCAs for their great enthusiasm towards the tournament and announced that this is going to be an annual event in the future. He pointed out that Volley Ball is a game introduced to the world & to Sri Lanka by the YMCA and encouraged all YMCAs to organize their own Volleyball Teams.

Youth Affairs Minister Inaugurates
YMCA Flag Week!

YMCAs flag Week organized to mark the Founders Day will commence on 6th June ending on 13th June. In June 6th, 1844 Sir George Williams started the first YMCA that has now spread around the world.

To inaugurate the flag week, Sri Lanka YMCA sold the first flag to Minister of Youth Affairs Hon Dullas Alahaperuma. The minister while appreciating the community services rendered by the YMCAs said that whether you are labeled as a Politician or a Community Organization, it is the duty of both to serve all the communities without reservations.

To mark the founder’s day and flag week, all 38 YMCAs in Sri Lanka have organized several events with communities, churches, public institutions, in addition to selling of Flags.

In the picture:
Picture shows YMCA National Council staff, Junior Executive Secretary Mr. Suraj Fernando, selling the first flag to Minister of Youth Affairs Hon Dullas Alahaperuma and Asst. Executive Ms. Hasika Indeewaree Dunusinghe pinning the first flag on Hon Minister while Vice President of Sri Lanka YMCA Mr. A.P. Jayanthakumar looks on.  Mr. Chrisantha Hettiarathci, National General Secretary and Mr. Shanka Mendis, Asst Accountant also participated at the event.

President's Founders day Message –

Place confidence in youth

“Young people have made many positive changes in this world. Let’s place our confidence in them who play the role of changing Agents" says the president of Sri Lanka YMCA Mr. Aruna Santha Nonis   in his message released to mark the YMCA founders day.

He further says -

Sir George William had a clear vision when he gathered twelve young people to his room on 06th June 1844 to form the Young Men’s Christian Association which is today well known to world as YMCA.
He saw the miserable life of the young people who came to London for work in big factories which evolved with the industrial revolution.  He saw the energy and enthusiasm of those young people and decided to form the YMCA to work with them towards a better world.
People saw the beauty of this young movement and took the concept to their own cities and countries and finally YMCA became one of the largest Youth Organizations in the world.
The first YMCA in Sri Lanka was established in Colombo on 24th June 1884 and today there are 38 member YMCAs in Sri Lanka covering each and every part of the country.

We have a  national , regional and global network.
As a result, wherever we go, as YMCA members, we are connected to the world.

Historical documents reveal  that Sir George William was just 22 years old (young) when he formed the YMCA.

Friends, young people have made many positive changes in this world and unfortunately the place of young people in the YMCA is not really visible today.
Let’s have the confidence in Young People who really play the role of Changing Agents.
I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your committed services to the people through the YMCA.
Today, almost all the YMCAs in Sri Lanka have a place or building for their activities.
Let’s bring more and more young people to YMCA and make this movement a much more young!
On the 06th of June we mark our “Founder’s Day” and on this Historical Day I wish you all the best !

Aruna Shantha Nonis -  President
National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka
Tele: (Home) 031 22 34 610 (Mobile) 077  367 2 412
04th June 2010

In response to unhealthy social and living conditions that prevailed in growing Western Nations big cities at the end of the Industrial Revolution, the Young Men’s Christian Association was founded in London, England, on June 6, 1844. Growth of the railroads and centralization of commerce and industry brought many rural young men who needed jobs into cities like London. They worked under deplorable conditions up to 12 hours a day, six days a week.

Far from home and family, many of these young men lived at the workplaces. They slept in crowded rooms over the Company’s shop, a location which proved to be safer than London’s tenements and streets. Outside the shop, things were dangerous; open sewers, thieves, thugs, beggars, drunks, prostitutes and homeless children roamed wild by their thousands.

Founder, Sir George Williams was born in a small farm in 1821 and came to London 20 yeas later as a sales assistant in a draper’s shop, a forerunner of today’s department store. He and a group of fellow drapers organized the first YMCA to substitute Bible study and prayer for life on the streets. By 1851 there were 24 YMCAs in Great Britain, with a combined membership of 2,700. That same year the Y arrived in North America: It was established in Montreal on November 25 and in Boston on December 29.

The idea proved so popular that in 1853, the first YMCA for African Americans was founded in Washington, D.C., by Anthony Bowen, a freed slave. The next year the first international convention was held in Paris. At that time there were 397 separate Y’s in seven nations, with a total of 30,369 member.

Sir George Williams was born on October 11, 1821, the youngest of eight children. When he came to London, he described himself as a “careless, thoughtless, godless, swearing young fellow,” but while staying in the town of Bridgewater and learning to become a draper (clothing goods trade) he became a devout Christian. Aware of the terrible conditions in London for young men like himself, who came to the city to work and were faced with few recreational opportunities other than saloons and brothels, he gathered a group of young men together for prayer and reflection. This developed into the YMCA.

Williams was remembered not only for this. He was a crusader for improved working conditions such as shorter hours ( a standard working day was 12 or more), and later when he became a successful businessman, he gave away two-thirds of his income.

He has been commemorated by a stained glass window in Westminster Abbey and is buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral; both are amongst the highest honors given to national heroes in England.