Inauguration

On November 21, 1921, The Past Pupils’ Association (PPA), of St. Bridget’s Convent, then known as the Old Girls’ Association (OGA), was inaugurated with the Superior of the Convent, Rev. Mother Mary of St. Prosper as President. The motto of the new Association was ‘Spectamur Agenda’, ‘By our deeds we shall be known’. Its aims were to foster fellowship and establish a bond of unity amongst the past pupils of the school; to inculcate in them the spirit of loyalty and service towards their Alma Mater and to encourage them to take their place as responsible citizens of Sri Lanka.

The First Decade

In its first decade the Association had as its president, the Superior of the school. Rev. Mother Mary of St. Prosper,  followed by Mother Mary of the Annunciation, Mother Mary of St. Ligouri. It was only in 1933, that the Association elected for the first time, a president from the ranks of its membership. This honour fell on the capable shoulders of Ms. J.F. Pieris (Winifred). Rev. Mother Superior was elected as the ex-officio Patroness of the Association. This practice has been continued to date and is now incorporated in the constitution.

Membership

The Association which began with a membership of one hundred, has grown in size and maturity. The membership now stands at around 3,000.

Overseas Associations

Past Pupils’ Associations have been inaugurated in Melbourne and Sydney in Australia; in Ontario in Canada; in Southern California and Washington in the USA and in London in the United Kingdom.

Activities& Renaming as Past Pupils’Association

The programme of annual activities of the Association has been and still is twofold. Activities encouraging fellowship among its members play an important part, while fundraisers in aid of deserving charitable institutions are also on the programme. The Association played an active part in activities of the school such as the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1927, Golden Jubilee in 1952 and Jubilee celebrations of the sisters.

In the 1960s, the Association was renamed the Past Pupils’ Association, along with some constitutional changes. As the Association grew and matured, some activities became recurrent. Apart from the St. Bridget’s Day celebrations, an enclosed retreat for the members and their guests became a regular practice as long as the boarding school continued. The annual picnic has become a much-looked forward to event in the calendar, a family night for members and their families was also organized regularly. The Bridgetine Dance was celebrated in style. However, not forgetting those less fortunate, part proceeds of the dance are donated to a deserving charity. Teenage dances and discotheques have been organized to cater to the younger members. In November the PPA remembers past pupils, nuns, teachers, minor staff and benefactors at a memorial mass held in the Convent chapel. At Christmas the PPA joins with the school in a celebration of Christmas Carols.

A review of the activities of the Association highlights the ‘Felicitations’ for distinguished members of the PPA. Foremost among these activities was the Felicitation to our most distinguished past pupil, the late Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranaike on her appointment as, not just Sri Lanka’s but the World’s First Woman Prime Minister. Once again she was felicitated in 1976 on her successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Summit held in Colombo. In 1977, then President of the PPA, Prof. Dr. Daphne Attygalle was felicitated on her election as President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, and again when she was awarded the ‘Deshabandu’, a national honour.

The PPA also joined in with the present students in the felicitations on the feast days of the Rev. Mother Superior and Principals of the school and the special Jubilee Celebrations of the sisters such as Rev. Mother Augustine, Rev. Mother Agatha and Rev. Mother Chantal and the felicitation accorded to Miss Elsie Gonsalvez on completing 25 years of teaching at the school. The PPA has played an active part in organizing various carnivals held at the school. In 1977, a series of events were held to celebrate the 75th Jubilee, jointly organized by the PPA and the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), now titled School Development Society (SDS).  

In 1981, the PPA celebrated its Diamond Jubilee. The Chief Guest was our then senior most Past President Ms. V. Ramanathan.

In 1994, St. Bridget’s was once again to make a proud claim. A past pupil, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the daughter of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was elected the first woman President of Sri Lanka. In November 1994, over 400 past pupils gathered together at Hotel Lanka Oberoi to dine and felicitate her, together with Ms.Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who was Prime Minister for the third time.

Shamrock

The rapid increase in the membership highlighted the need for a newsletter, through which members could be kept informed of the activities of the year. To fulfill this need,  Shamrock, the newsletter of the PPA was launched in 1995.

Donations

Donations have been regularly made towards many of the school’s building funds and development projects. The earliest donation recorded in the convent’s annals is an amount of Rs. 2,776 towards the expenses of the Silver Jubilee celebrations. A more substantial amount of Rs. 30,000 was donated towards the purchase of an adjoining building to expand the convent premises. Today it is the Infirmary for the Good Shepherd sisters. As the school grew, so did its needs. The PPA rose to the task of helping the school with various fund raisers. In 1980 – 81, a contribution of Rs. 100,000 was made to the school building fund. A commemoration plaque was unveiled at the opening of this building in 1985. In the meantime overseas associations too have contributed generously towards the development projects of the school.

Besides donations to the school, the Association also contributed towards the less privileged in the country. An annual donation and treat to the School for Deaf and Dumb at Ragama has been a regular feature on the programme for many years. Donations have also been made to several other deserving charities over the years.

Centenary Year 2002

In the Centenary Year 2002, the PPA together with the SDS undertook the responsibility of  organizing the celebrations for this important event. A joint Centenary Committee comprising members of the PPA and SDS was formed under the patronage of Rev. Sr. Thomas Aquinas, Mother Superior of the Convent.

Acknowledgements

The Association’s grateful thanks go to all its presidents and their committed and efficient committees for their unstinted efforts at promoting the ideals and achieving the objectives laid down in the Constitution.