The Lions Club of Senkadagala was recognized as one of the best Lions Clubs for the year 2005-06 in District 306C1 of Lions International at the Annual Convention of the District held recently at Hotel Earl's Regency, Kandy. The club won the award for the most outstanding Lions Club of Region 5. The President of the Club Lion Chinthaka Wijesooriya was named the best president and Treasurer Lion V.A. Premarathne the best treasurer of the Region. The Lion Ladies group of the Club became the Best Lion Ladies Group-first runner-up.

Senkadagala also became the first runner-up in the competition for best club of the District. Lions Chinthaka and Premarathne also won awards for their respective services at the District level.

The Lion of the Year award went to Lion Dilini Gunasekara of Senkadagala. She was also adjudged the best Region Chairperson. Lion Shirley Jayawardena was the first runner-up in the best zone chairpersons competition. Lion Winkle Pathirana also from Senkadagala was appreciated for his dedicated services to the District.

The Senkadagala Lions also were recognized for their outstanding community service projects during the year in the fields of Education, Health, Leadership Development and Tsunami.

Lion Lasantha De Fonseka of the Lions Club of Kandy was recognized at the Convention for his dedicated and committed service to the District as the Conventions Secretary. He was instrumental in making the Kandy convention a great success. Lion Dudley Gunathilaka and Daya Weeraratne also from Kandy won special appreciation awards for their long and continued service to Lionism. District Chairperson Lion Dr Prasad Amaratunge also from the Kandy Club was recognized for his services. The Kandy Lions Club won awards for outstanding community service projects such as health camps and tree planting. The Lion Ladies of Kandy won the runner-up award for the best Lion Ladies Group in the District.

Among the Kandy area Lions Clubs, Katugastota received awards for services rendered in the fields of dental and oral health and image building. Katugastota Club member Lion Jayampathy De Silva won the award for best Region Coordinator of the District. Lion Thilak Kumarasinghe also from the same club won an award for his services as a Zone Chairperson. Lion Lakshmi Dias was named the best secretary and Lion M. R. M. Niyas the best treasurer of the Region. Katugastota president Lion Nandana Abeykoon was the Region's most outstanding president-first runner-up. Katugastota also received awards for their outstanding performances at the District level.

The Lions club of Dumbara led by Lion Raja Pushpakumara was judged as the best up coming Club in the District. It also won an award for organizing an outstanding blood donation camp.

Lions International Director Lion Manoj Shah of Kenya was the Chief Guest at the Convention. In keeping with Lionistic tradition the outgoing Governor of the District Lion Professor Luxshmen Wijeyeweera handed over the leadership to the incoming Governor Lion Amara Dissanayake on the second day of the Convention. Matale Lion Hemasiri De Silva was elected uncontested to the post of Vice Governor.

Several prominent Lions from the Kandy area clubs will occupy key positions in the incoming cabinet of Lions District 306C1 for the year 2006-07. These include Region Chairperson Lion Shirley Jayawardena (Senkadagala), Zone Chairmen Lion Chinthaka Wijesooriya (Senkadagala) and Lion M E M Farouk (Katugastota), Region Coordinator Lion Jayampathy De Silva (Katugastota), Governor's Program Coordinators Lion Dilini Gunasekara (Senkadagala), Lion Winkle Pathirana (Senkadagala) and Lion Daya Weeraratne (Kandy) and District Chairpersons Lion Raja Pushpakumara (Dumbara), Lion Dr Jayantha Perera (Matale) and Lion Dr. A U Gamage (Mawanella).

Chinese Night at Regency Hotel Earl's Regency will have a weekly Chinese Night every Friday for the next two months. The General Manager of the Hotel Thusith Samaraweera said that gourmet Chinese cuisine will be served to patrons in a setting befitting the ethnic origins of the food. The picture shows General Manager Hotel Earl’s Regency Thusith Samaweera and of the hotel

Kandy Rotary Club Celebrates Ladies Night

The Kandy Rotary Club celebrated the annual Ladies Night recently. The hosts were Rotarians B D R Rajan and Gamini Abeykoon (top far left). Some gentlemen of Kandy's political elite, who usually sit on opposite sides of the political divide, were seen in a relaxed mood enjoying the company of the ladies (far right picture: from left UNP parliamentarian Tissa Attanayaka, former Kandy UNP mayor Kesara Senanayaka, CP Governor and former PA Provincial Councilor Tikiri Kobbakaduwa, CP PA Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake and Kandy UNP mayor L B Aluvihare).

Peradeniya Lions Get New Members

The Lions Club of Peradeniya District 306C2 recently inducted five new members to the Club. Zone Chairperson Lion Shirley Jayawardena (left) conducted the induction ceremony. Immediate Past President Lion Austin Siriwardena (second from left) sponsored Mr. Sampath Jayarathne (third from right) and Mr. Alfred Perera. President Lion E. Ranasinghe (fourth from left) sponsored Mr. Pubudu Hippola and Mr. R N P B Ratnayake (extreme right). Mr. J. Chandrasiri (foreground) and Dr. Rohitha Hanangalaarachchi sponsored Mr. Bandula Ekanayake.