Plus

Plus

Thank God it’s Friday!
By Marisa de Silva
“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years” said Abraham Lincoln. It’s quite apparent that the members of the Sri Lanka Association of Senior Citizens (SLASC) are ardent followers of this philosophy, as they congregate weekly for a morning of fun and fellowship.
With three branches in Bambalapitiya, Kotte and Kandy, the SLASC has a membership of more than 100, with the only prerequisite being that the members must all belong to the ‘over 50’s club’, said Indrani Athukorale, Vice Chairperson of the association.

The main objective of this group which was founded in 1990 by the Social Services League, is to dignify the ‘so called’ less-glamorous segment of society and give them the opportunity to relive old times and break the monotony of everyday life. The SLASC gives these elders the respect they richly deserve, said Mrs. Athukorale.

Currently, this programme is run by a nine-member committee, she said adding, that they also have loyal and supportive patrons including Flower Munasinghe who was the first chairperson of the association.
Walking in on one of the weekly gatherings of the parent branch of SLASC at the St. Paul’s Milagiriya hall, in Bambalapitiya last Friday, I came upon a group of elderly ladies laughing heartily in one corner and in another a group concentrating hard on a game of cards. In another corner, a group was huddled around a scrabble board.

The oldest and one of the most jovial members of the group, Amara Wijepala tells us she has been a member almost from the inception of the gatherings 15 years ago. Now in her eighties, she travels weekly from Panadura, and has great fun at these meetings. “I have been coming every week, and only couldn’t make it for about two months as I fell ill. But since I missed the meetings so much, I persuaded my daughter to allow me to return,” she said laughing. The sing-song sessions are one of her favourites.

“I can sing to glory, at any given time,” she said with a sparkle in her eye. They also play games like Bingo and Tombola during the course of the day, she added.

Soon the entire hall broke into song, following an announcement that there was in fact a Birthday boy amidst them. One even went on to sing , “all the monkeys and donkeys are waiting for you…” with a mischievous look on her face.

At these meetings a sales table is set up to encourage members to earn some pocket money by selling items they have made or may have in excess. There’s also a mini library comprising donated books, from which members can borrow.
Once a month there’s a lunch for all the members and they also go on three picnics for the year. These outings are at subsidised rates so that all can join the fun. The next trip is a visit to the nature park in Ja-Ela said Joe Perera, Chairperson of the SLASC adding that the association tries to absorb as much of the cost as possible.

An event that everyone looks forward to is the entertainment show that follows the annual general meeting. Recollecting a memorable performance, Mrs. Athukorale said Mrs. Wijepala had everyone in fits of laughter when she paraded on to the stage in a skirt with a long slit, pretending to smoke a cigarette on a holder.

Some of the other events organised by SLASC also includes talks on topics of health, and other interesting subjects, Mrs. Athukorale said. The two main fund- raising annual events include the bridge tournament and the scrabble tournament. Anyone over 50 years of age is eligible to participate in these events.

One of the constraints that the association faces is the lack of a meeting place that they can call their own and where members could drop by whenever they wanted to, for a cup of tea, a chat or any recreational activity. At the moment they hire a hall, said Mrs. Athukorale adding that if someone could give them a vacant hall with a few tables and chairs at least on a weekly basis if not on a permanent basis, it would be greatly appreciated.
And how does someone join? “All you need to do is to turn up on a Friday morning!”

Scrabble tournament
This year’s All Island Senior Citizens’ Scrabble Tournament will be held on October 2 at the Colombo Hilton. Entry forms can be collected from Mrs. Indrani Athukorale at 102/1, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo – 7 tel: 2696993 or Mrs. Delryn Wijesinghe at 27, Ridgeway Place, Colombo 4, tel: 2587094.

Back to Plus