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Smriti Daniel talks to centenarian George Samarasinghe of his Scouting days
Ready at all times
George Samarasinghe is a man with a hundred years of living behind him. In his lifetime he has lived through two world wars, watched his beloved island attain independence and has met the Queen of England. Mr. Samarasinghe can also lay claim to being the oldest living Scout in Sri Lanka.

Born in Deltotta on April 15, 1906, Mr. Samarasinghe is the eldest in a family of 11. His nine siblings and he were brought up on the humble salary of his father James, who was a postmaster. His mother Emily was a housewife. Mr. Samarasinghe explains that he always had a sense of how difficult it was for his parents to meet the needs of all their children. This feeling was in some ways to decide what he chose to do with his life.

He was sent to study at S. Thomas’ College in Mount Lavinia. Having left home, Mr. Samarasinghe moved into a boarding house close to school. There the boarding master’s son introduced him to something that was to have a profound influence on his life – Scouting. The year was 1918, and the troop was the 15th Colombo. “Those were very enjoyable times,” says Mr. Samarasinghe, recalling numerous trekking and rowing excursions, and of course all the camping under the stars. Around him the world was still reeling from war, but for Mr. Samarasinghe here was purpose and comfort.

It was while engaged in such activities that he took to heart the motto that was to stand him in good stead later on in his life – Be Prepared. “I did not rely on anyone,” he says proudly, explaining that he would pack everything he needed into his trusty backpack before he set out. His eminently portable primus stove was always carried along serving as his fire in the wilderness. Even today, he keeps it in top condition, he explains – showing me a little box into which all the parts are dismantled and stored.

Soon Mr. Samarasinghe returned to Kandy and joined Trinity College in order to sit his final examinations. Determined not to lose touch with the Scouts while in Kandy, Mr. Samarasinghe joined the 2nd Kandy Scout Troop. “In 1922 I sat for my Cambridge school leaving exams (A/Levels) and once I was done, my father wanted me to go in for higher studies,” he says, “but there were nine of us who were dependant on him, and so I decided to get a job instead.” A youthful George chose to sit for the Postal Clerical Examination and having sailed through was absorbed into the accounts section of the Colombo General Post Office.

“I soon joined my old troop again,” he says, and so he was with his old team when he participated in the All India Boy Scouts Jamboree in 1937. “One day I was in the Scout exhibition tent, when in walked Sir Robert Baden-Powell!” Since Sir Robert was the founder of the Scout movement, this was a singular honour. Not only did he see a man he ardently admired, but he was also able to shake BP’s hand and even converse with him. Mr. Samarasinghe is still delighted with his clearly recollected memories of the meeting.

The next decade was filled with his steady progress through the ranks, as he pinned badge after badge to his uniform. Then World War II broke out. “I was determined to be prepared for whatever came my way,” he reminisces, saying that he would go to work in his uniform, first aid kit handy. “The people at work would taunt me, calling out ‘Boy Scout!’ but I didn’t care two hoots about what people said,” he laughs, explaining that his training as a Scout helped him feel secure and as prepared as he could be. He also signed up for the St. John’s ambulance brigade. Despite being issued with the appropriate uniform, he chose to stay in his Scout regalia.

The khaki shorts and shirt, large hat, scarf and row of badges became a familiar sight for those he worked side by side with. Initially, he even carried his scout stick wherever he went, but was soon forced to abandon the practice in the crowded trains. As the war progressed, he became involved with air raid precautions. Here too, he stuck to his uniform, and stood out from the group. It was as a result of this that when the Duke of Gloucestershire came on a round of inspection, he immediately spotted the only Scout in the team. Soon His Grace and a surprised Mr. Samarasinghe were deep in conversation.

Over those war years, Mr. Samarasinghe had a chance to meet and interact with a number of foreign Scouts. Mostly thanks to his practice of wearing his uniform, he was easily identifiable to other Scouts even when on duty. Often after hours, he and his new friends would head to Gordon Gardens, where they would sing a few songs, show each other pictures of their families, and generally have a good time together. Often they would relax under a statue of Queen Victoria erected there; Mr. Samarasinghe was not to know that he would get a whole lot closer to another queen… not until the fighting was over and done with.

Fortunately, a youthful George also found love in that time of war. He had discovered perfection in the human form and Minette Jayatilaka was it. There was only one catch – while he was already declaring his undying love for her, she refused to return the sentiment. She was an independent young woman, who worked for the Ceylon Telegraph Office as an operator. Quite determined not to give up, the young postal employee kept up a stream of love letters to his beloved – until he slowly wore down her resistance. “She finally said she would marry me,” he says smiling. Three children were to result from the union – Dugall, Joyce and Charmaine. The last, much loved by her parents, would live for only 22 years, stricken down in her prime by thalassaemia.

Sri Lanka gained independence from the British and somewhat symbolically, Mr. Samarasinghe also came into his own. “In 1948 I took charge of my own troop,” he says, explaining that the number of Boy Scouts in his care varied between 24 to 200. To them he tried to teach the values inherent in Scouting, as they had been taught to him. For Mr. Samarasinghe, a true Scout understood not only the significance of the well turned out uniform and correct salute, but also the importance of camaraderie, team work and assisting those in need. Later, at the ripe old age of 60, he was to retire from the Postal Department. There was no retiring from Scouting however, “even today, it is in my blood!” he asserts.

In 1978, Mr. Samarasinghe flew to England where he represented Sri Lanka at the First National Scout Service, held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Queen Elizabeth herself reviewed nearly 900 Venture Scouts at the Windsor Parade of which Mr. Samarasinghe was one. He shows me a picture of the moment when she stopped and spoke with him for a while. He even corresponded with her after a fashion and quotes from a letter she sent to him in response to his request for one of her ‘silver jubilee medals’.

“She was unable to send me one as these medals were only for the British Scouts,” he says, “but she added that she hoped I would be a good Scout anyway.”

In 1982 Mr. Samarasinghe’s beloved wife died. A few years later, his own health suffered a blow when his foot became infected, and he had to be hospitalised. Standing is no longer an easy thing. But despite the burdens of age, George Samarasinghe seems to be a happy man. Looking back on a century of living, he appears well satisfied. A great deal of this he attributes to his faith in God, “whose presence I have felt beside me in moments of solitude and sorrow”; what remains is thanks to the devoted care of his daughter-in-law Juliet, he tells me. “I have lived so long, only because I have lived a contented life,” he says, “who can ask for more?”

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