It is when like-minded individuals, who share a passion for service, leadership, and fellowship get together will be able to transform this world into a better place. So, on the 17th of February, we the Rotarators got together to bring the change we dream to sustain in our society. The Rotaract Club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura organized a Joint General Meeting for the month of February with the Rotaract Club of Saegis Campus from 7.00 p.m. onwards via the Zoom platform. Rtr. Piumi Methma, the Director of the Membership Development Committee of the Rotaract Club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura, organized the gathering for the month of February under the theme Avatar, Way of Water.

“Wherever we go, this family is our fortress. It was our greatest weakness and our greatest strength.”

–Sully.

Inspired by the above quote, Rtr. Supun Rasanjana started the meeting by warmly welcoming all those who were present with a bright smile. Following the Rotaract formalities, Rtr. Madushan Dananjaya, the President of the Rotaract club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura, addressed the gathering. He invited all members to actively participate in the future projects of the club to create unforgettable memories and spoke about the club’s activities.

After that, the Secretary of RACUSJ, Rtr. Gagani Gunasinghe, read out the meeting minutes, and the minutes were proposed in order and seconded by Rtr. Malithi Fernando and Rtr. Supun Ransila of the Rotaract Club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Later, the Directors of the respective Avenues and Committees of the RACUSJ presented their Avenue and Committee updates.

To break the momentum and ease the minds of the participants, the gathering also included a fun-filled activity that was centred around the Avatar theme. It was a “Guess the Answer” game which was based on the trending movie, “Avatar,” and all were encouraged to participate in the game. All the members were given 15 seconds to answer the questions and it was surprising to see our Rotaractors being huge fans of the movie as they knew almost all the answers to the quiz. The winner of the game was announced subsequently, who was Rtr. Rasandun Perera from the Rotaract Club of Saegis Campus and all other members were praised for their active participation.

Afterwards, the nominees for the “Rotaractor of the Month-January” of RACUSJ were announced. Rtr. Anuradhi Kulasooriya from the Membership Development Committee, Rtr. Pasandi Kemanthi from the Public Relations Committee, and Rtr. Shashika Maduhansi from the Membership Development Committee were named as the nominees for the ‘Rotaractor of the Month’, and Rtr. Pasandi Kemanthi was declared as the “Rotaractor of the Month -January”. Everyone congratulated her for her remarkable achievement. Moreover, the Avenue of the Quarter was yet to be announced which remained as a surprise till the end of the meeting. After the meeting, ‘Avenue of the Quarter’ for the 2nd quarter of the Rotary International Year 2022–23 was announced as none other than the Community Service Avenue. A hearty congratulations to the directors and members of Community Service Avenue for this well-deserved achievement.

It was then time for our fellow Rotaract Club to seize the moment to address the gathering. Rtr. Mohomed Azeem, the President of the Rotaract Club of Saegis Campus, addressed the gathering with a cheerful smile and excitement and presented what they have been doing during the past few months. Later, Rtr. Michelle Andrea, the Secretary of the Rotaract Club of Saegis Campus, presented the meeting minutes, and it was proposed and seconded by two Rotaractors of Saegis Campus. Afterwards, the Directors of the respective Avenues presented their Avenue updates.

Towards the end of the gathering, the two clubs came together for a group photo. The photo captured the spirit of the event, with members of both clubs appearing together on a widescreen, united in their commitment to service and fellowship. The meeting was terminated by the President of the Rotaract Club of Sageis Campus and was opened for fellowship. With that, the Monthly gathering for the month of February came to an end, filling the chill night with beautiful memories.

Written by: Rtr. Piumi Methma

Graphic design by: Rtr. Malithi Fernando