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The first Galle scout troop was stared in June 1914 with 30 members as Mr. F. G. Pearce the Scout Master and Mr. A. Ginige the assistant. The same year on 13th October the first Scouts’ Commissioner Mr. F. G. Stevens came to the Mahinda College to inspect the Troop.
Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam’s Prize Day Speech (July 30th 1914)
For the realization of these ideals I advise you strongly to avail yourselves of the opportunities afforded by the Scout Corps which has been started by the zeal of your Vice-Principal Mr. Pearce and the aim of which is to train boys to be useful to others. I can think of on movement so pregnant with benefits to our rising generation and to our country as this Scout Corps movement, which the world owes to General Baden Powell. Though it has been in force in Ceylon, I believe, for some years. I think this is almost the first time it is being carried out properly on the lines of the Founder. It is not an excuse for swaggering as a soldier. A scout not only learns obedience, but is clean in thought, word and deed, is a friend and helper to all every race, religion or caste and indeed to all living things. A scout trains himself, disciplines his mind and body, strengthens his character, and learns many hands pursuits, in order that he may be a more useful member of the human race. We cannot be really useful unless we are self-controlled and observant. Every weak, ignorant, helpless, idle member of the human race is just like so much dead weight, which the rest of humanity has to pull along the way of evolution. The true scout determines not to be a weight and a burden to humanity but, on the contrary, trains himself deliberately to be a “Puller,” a helper of others. All religions teach that man ought to help his fellow-creatures. Scouting is one of the best ways of learning how actually to carry out that teaching.
(From the Ceylon Morning Leader July 1914)
In 1915 Mahinda scouts stared a first aid and afterwards several first aid units were started.
S. Tennyson De Silva won the highest award for the scouts the “Kings’ Award” in 1916.
Mr. J. G. Abeydeera an old boy of the college donated well equipped Scout Room with a library and it was opened by the Mr. Abeydeera and Principal Mr. F. L. Woodward on the 30th July 1916. On the 10th of October 1916 the founder of the movement Lord Baden Powell sent a letter appreciating our scout troop. The wolf cub pack was started in the same year.
In 1917 the first registered scout troop was started at “Madanapalli” in India by our old scout Mr. G. G. Ariyarathna.
In 1918 our Scout Master Mr. F. G. Pearce went to India to organize a Scout Troop.
Mr. Woodward’s Departure
Mr. Woodward left Galle on September the 30th by the evening train. The college Scouts formed a Guard – of – Honour for him at the entrance to the Station. The platform was crowded with present boys, old boys, members of the Theosophical Society, as well as other friends of Mr. Woodward. He was lustily cheered by all those present as the train started. Several teachers and boys kept him company as far as Hikkaduwa while two of them accompanied him right through to Colombo.
(The Mahinda College Magazine 1919 – December)
In 1920 Mr. F. G. Pearce represented Sri Lanka at the First Scout Rally in Mysore – India.
In 1922 Mrs. Annie Bessant visited Mahinda College and she appreciated our scouts for the corporation towards, India.
Mrs. Bessant at Mahinda College
The Following is a report of Mrs. Bessant’s address to the boys of Mahinda College. She said;
“Mr. Pearce, my sons, as you have just heard when I come here so long ago you were not housed” as beautiful as you are to-day. Your position on the top of this hill, while it may be a little tiring for old people to come up, is certainly a very fine position, looking over all the beautiful country and enabling people to see where the torch of learning is lighting up your town. Yesterday I was speaking to the student of Ananda College at Colombo, and how speaking to you there is one pleasant thing that I remember, in connection with you. That is that from your college one of your number, Mr. Ariyarathna, came across to us in India to Madanapalle and started there for us the boys scout movement for Indian boys. I cannot help thinking of that when I come to the place which taught him the great duty and the great happiness of service. In India that little plant which he planted has grow into a very large and wide spreading tree. Some fifteen thus and Indian scouts were in Indian in the organization which he then started, when the chief scout of the world, Sir Robert Baden – Powell, came to India; and when he came he has so delighted with our scouts that he gladly welcomed them into the great scout Brotherhood and so we have now in India one great body of scouts, and his this service which he did to so large a nation, and this movement in training those who are to be citizens of a free country, teaching them the virtues of self – control, honour and discipline, the great virtues of a citizens.
(The Mahinda College Magazine – 1923)
In 1929 Balage Piyadasa De Silva (Bantu) participated a Jamboree in Arrow Park, England and that was the first time who represented the Troop in a Foreign Jamboree.
On 10th January 1964 Under the guidance of the Principal Mr. J. H. Gunasekara the Our Scout Movement was Uptitled and and Mr. K. Jayasekara was appointed as the Scout Master and Mr. A. A. Ariyapala as the Club Master and the Group Scout Leader.
The First camp after rebuild our troop at Galle Fort on 12th to 15th March 1964. It was the Golden Jubilee of Galle District scouting. It was also the 50th anniversary of our troop.
In 1967 Our Scouts organized a camp and an Exhibition for the College Diamond Jubilee.
In August 1969 our Scouts made a camping area “On Trees” for Richmond College centenary.
In 1972 Wikramalal Jayathilaka won the Queens’ Award. It was the final Queens’ Award in the same year Cub Scout Sirimal Anura won the Leaping Wolf Award. Ir was the highest award in cub section.
24th and 25th of September 1972 “25th Rover Moot” was held in the College.
On the 12th August G. D. K. Weerasena won the Scout Cord which was the highest award for Junior Scout.
In 1973 W. Jayathilaka and N. S. De Silva won the B. P. Award. It was the first time two Rover Scouts won this award from same crew.
P. W. Ranjith Dayakumara represented as the only Sri Lankan representative in 7th Indian Jamboree July 1974.
In 1975 we were honored for producing the second highest number of Presidents’ Scouts.
From August 31st to September 2nd we held the 1st Rover Training Camp at Manavila.
On 29th of May 1976, 12 scouts from our Troop won the Presidents’ Awards and it was a record.
In 1977 January N. S. Nagodavithana of our Troop was the only Sri Lankan representative for the 11th Australian Scout Jamboree.
In 1979 to celebrate the Troops’ 65th Anniversary “SIFIAN FIGAMASC” was held from 11th to 14th October with the participation of the Chief Commissioner Mr. Hemapala Rathnasooriya.
In 1982 Lord Baden Powell’ 125th birth anniversary Souvenir Stamp and the first day cover was a creation of our scout leader W. K. Sanath Rohana Wickramasinghe.
We started the first “Disabled Scout Troop” at “Sambodhi Home” Megalle on the 21st of June 1982. We won the Cubs’ first “Gold Star” on 13th November.
On the 26th of February 1983 we were able to present a souvenir to the President on 3rd National Jamboree at Anuradhapura.
In 1988 Bimal Roshan Ukwaththa and Gayan Ranasinghe participated in the 5th Thailand Jamboree and they were the 1st Junior Scours’ who participated in a foreign Jamboree.
On the 25th of November 1989 we celebrated our 75th Anniversary and the “Anniversary Statue” was opened. Our Troop won the “Andrew Caldecott Award” which was awarded for the “Best Service Group” in the Island.
In December 1990 our rover scout Mohan Hewavithana participated in the “8th Rover Moot” in Australia.
Our Troops’ 80th Anniversary Camp “MAEISCAN JAMBORETTE” was held in our College Ground in 24th to 29th August 1994.
From September 16th to 20th in 1999 there was the “Tree Hut Camp” at Bandaranayaka Forest Garden and our Troop was selected as the best.
On January 20th of 2000 we held the new millenniums’ first scout camp and it was our 85th Anniversary “EIFIAN FIGAMASC”. There we started our “Old Scouts’ Association” in 22nd of January.
From 8th of March to 11th of March 2001 the first National Agoonaree organized by the District Scouts’ Association was held in the College.
To celebrate the 110th anniversary of college we organized an exhibition camp on July 4th to 6th in 2002.
Our new Scout Room was opened in 1st of October 2003.
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