VIDYALANKARA SABHA

VIDYALANKARA SABHA

AN ORDINANCE TO INCORPORATE THE VIDYALANKARA SABHA, KELANIYA.

Preamble.

Whereas a society called and known as the Vidyalankara Dayaka Sabha has heretofore been established at Peliyagoda, Kelaniya, for the purpose of maintaining and managing the educational institution called and known as the Vidyalankara Pirivena and other institutions connected therewith and founded, held or presided over by the late Venerable Sri Dharmarama Nayaka Thera:

And whereas the said society has heretofore successfully carried out and transacted the several objects and matters for which it was established, and has applied to be incorporated, and it will be for the public advantage to grant the application :

Be it, therefore, enacted by the Governor of Ceylon, with the advice and consent of the State Council thereof, as follows:-

Ordinance Nos,
15 of 1943

[8^th June
, 1943 ]

Short title.

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Vidyalankara Sabha Ordinance.

Incorporation of the Vidyalankara Sabha.

(1) With effect from the date on which this Ordinance comes into operation the president, vice-presidents, other office-bearers, and members of the committee for the time being, and such and so many persons as now are members of the said Vidyalankara Dayaka Sabha, or shall hereafter be admitted members of the corporation hereby constituted, shall be and are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate with the name of ” Vidyalankara Sabha”.

(2) The Vidyalankara Sabha (hereinafter referred to as the ” sabha “) shall, in the said name and for the purposes herein mentioned, have perpetual succession, and shall and may by the said name sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, in all courts, and shall and may have and use a common seal with power to break, alter, and renew the same at its discretion.

General objects of the sabha.

3. The general objects for which the sabha is constituted are hereby declared to be-

(a) the management and upkeep of the Vidyalankara Pirivena, Peliyagoda, Kelaniya, and other institutions connected therewith and founded, held or presided over by the late Venerable Sri Dharmarama Nayaka Thera;

(b) the management and upkeep of Sri Dharmaloka Vidyalaya, Peliyagoda, Sri Dharmarama Pathasalava, Mahaveva, and any other schools, colleges or institutions which may hereafter be established;

(d) the propagation of the Buddha dhamma and the promotion of Buddhist culture; and

(e) the printing and publishing of books, journals, newspapers and pamphlets.

Council of the sabha.

4. The sabha shall have Council consisting of a president, five vice-presidents, an honorary treasurer, an honorary general secretary, and sixty-seven other members, to be elected respectively in accordance with the rules for the time being of the sabha. The first council of the sabha shall consist of Sir D. B. Jayatilaka, President; D. S. Senanayake, Esq., N. D. S. Silva, Esq., J.P., A. D. Jayasundara, Esq., G. 0. Pohath-Kehelpannala, Esq., and A. Alpenis de Silva, Esq., Vice-Presidents; D. A. Jayatilaka, Esq., Mudaliyar, Honorary Treasurer; J. D. de Lanerolle, Esq., Honorary General Secretary; and the following members:-D. R. Wijewardene, Esq., H. Sri Nissanka, Esq., J. R. Jayewardene, Esq., D. Wanigasekera, Esq., Dr. N. Attygalle, Dr. B. E. Fernando, Dr. P. B. Fernando, D. D. Karunaratne, Esq., J.P., P. D. Ratnatunga, Esq., Mudaliyar, D. G. K. Jayakody, Esq., Mudaliyar, Dr. R. B. Lenora, Dr. 0. H. de A. Wijesekera, D. C. Wijewardene, Esq., D. F. J. Perera, Esq., A. B. Colin de Zoysa, Esq., Somaweera Gunasekera, Esq., N. D. Wijesekera, Esq., N. Moonesinghe, Esq., H. M. G. Herath-Gunaratna, Esq., Muhandiram, Wimaladharma Hewavitame, Esq., Don Elaris Bentara-Aratchi, Esq., Muhandiram, M. Piyadasa, Esq., N. Porolis Fernando, Esq., I. Romanis Fernando, Esq., R. A. Fernando, Esq., T. D. John, Esq., M. Jayasena, Esq., M. W. F. Abeykoon, Esq., E. R. Eratne, Esq., L. Jayasundara, Esq., D. E. Jayakody, Esq., R. J. Rupasinghe, Esq., P. B. Illangasinghe, Esq., L. J. E. Cabraal, Esq., U. D. P. Dharmaratne, Esq., J. D. A. Perera, Esq., D. B. Dhanapala, Esq., B. A. Kuruppu, Esq., D. T. Devendra, Esq., A. H. T. C. Silva, Esq., D. S. Jayasinghe, Esq., P. B. Dissanayaka, Esq., Arlin Perera, Esq., U. B. Wanninayaka, Esq., D. P. Jayasekara, Esq., B. H. de Alwis, Esq., V. C. Perera, Esq., A. A. Samarakoon, Esq., S. M. D. W. Jayatilleke, Esq., D. C. Jayatilaka, Esq., T. D. Wijeratna, Esq., G. E. F. Ratnasekara, Esq., A. R. Peiris, Esq., A. D. Alwis, Esq., N. P. Weerasinghe, Esq., H. M. Peiris, Esq., M. C. Perera, Esq., T. Don Paul Tillekeratne, Esq., R. L. Pedrick Silva, Esq., M. J. P. Samarasinghe, Esq., A. H. Perera, Esq., Peter de Alwis Pandita-Jayatilleke, Esq., Veda-Aratchi, U. D. Carolis Gunasekera, Esq., A. P. Perera, Esq., H. P. Perera, Esq., D. Y. Rajapaksa, Esq., and W. E. R. Gunasekara, Esq.

Board of management,

(1) Subject to such rules as may be made under section 8, the affairs of the sabha shall be managed by a board of management consisting of-

(a) the following ex officio members, namely, the president, the five vice-presidents, the honorary treasurer and the honorary general secretary of the sabha, the manager of the sabha’s schools and the Director of Pirivenas; and

(b) seven other members elected by the council annually from among its own members.

(2) The seven members referred to in subsection (1) shall be elected by the council at its first meeting for each year which shall be held within a fortnight from the date of the annual general meeting.

Power of sabha to hold property and to make investment.

6. The sabha shall, at all times hereafter, be able and capable in law to acquire either by purchase, exchange, gift, devise or bequest, or in any other manner, and to hold and enjoy in perpetuity or for any lesser period, subject to any express trust or otherwise for the benefit of the sabha, any property movable or immovable of any nature and kind whatsoever, and all subscriptions, contributions, donations, amounts of loans and advances received or to be received, and to invest the funds vested in the sabha in securities of the Government of Sri Lanka, or upon any mortgage of movable or immovable property in Sri Lanka, and also in the purchase or acquisition of such lands, buildings, goods, chattels, and things as may its opinion be proper or necessary for the purposes of the sabha.

Power of sabha to deal with property.

7. The Sabha may-

(a) erect, or cause to be erected, any building on any land held by the sabha; or

(b) sell, mortgage, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of, any property held by the sabha, subject to any trust attaching to such property and to the law regulating such trusts; or

Rules.

8. It shall be lawful for the sabha, at any meeting specially called for that purpose and by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, to make such rules not inconsistent with this Ordinance as the sabha may deem expedient for all or any of the following purposes:-

(a) the limitation of membership and the fixing of membership fee;

(b) the election of members;

(d) the election of office-bearers and an auditor, and the determination of their duties and term of office;

(e) the election of the council and the board of management, and the determination of the duties and term of office of the council and the duties of the board management;

(f) the appointment of a manager for the Sri Dharmaloka Vidyalaya and other schools and a Director of Pirivenas, and the determination of their duties and term of office;

(g) the appointment of an academic board for selecting the staff of the Vidyalankara Pirivena and advising the board of management on academic questions;

(h) the fixing of the procedure to be followed in the transaction of business of the sabha, the council of the sabha, the board of management and the academic board;

(i) the custody of the seal of the sabha;

(j) the general administration of the affairs of the sabha.

Seal of the sabha-

9. The seal of the sabha shall not be affixed to any instrument whatsoever except in the presence of the president and one other member of the board of management who shall sign their names to the instrument in token of their presence, and such signing shall be independent of the signing of any person as a witness.

Saving of rights of the Republic and others.

10. Nothing in this Ordinance contained shall prejudice or affect the rights of the ” Republic, or of any body politic or corporate, or of any other persons, except such as are mentioned in this Ordinance and those claiming by, from, or under them.