Wesley College hosts inaugural Shelton Wirasinha Oration

Wednesday, 11 October 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Wesley College Colombo will host the inaugural ‘Shelton Wirasinha Oration’ at 5 p.m. on Thursday 19 October at the College Hall.

The Oration will be delivered by distinguished Old Boy of the College, Kumar de Silva and is open to the public.

With his 21 year tenure as Principal of Wesley College from 1962-1983, Arthur Shelton Wirasinha goes on record as being the second longest serving Principal of the College after Revd. Henry Highfield.

A product of Richmond College, Galle, Shelton Wirasinha, better known as ‘ASW’, touched the hearts and lives of tens of thousands of students who passed through the portals of Wesley College.

Now spread across Sri Lanka, and all over the world, they fondly remember him with great respect and deep gratitude even to this day.

“The Shelton Wirasinha Oration is thus a fitting event which will pay homage to this great educationist and will be an annual event where the Wesley fraternity, students and teachers past and present, together with friends and well-wishers will gather in the College Hall to reminisce ‘neath the Double Blue in an ambiance of great nostalgia,” says incumbent Principal Avanka Fernando.

Kumar de Silva, who has been invited to deliver this inaugural Oration, had his education at Wesley College and came under the direct tutelage of Shelton Wirasinha. An English Honours and French graduate of the University of Kelaniya, he is a Paris-trained television personality.

Multi-lingual de Silva is also a veteran Public Relations and Media Consultant, and, a currently much sought after Personality Development and Corporate Etiquette Trainer. He is also an award-winning media personality, photographer and author.

In recognition of his contribution to promoting the French language and culture in Sri Lanka for more than quarter of a century, de Silva was knighted by the Government of France as ‘Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters’.