By Sasindi Peiris
It was a Saturday evening filled with anticipation and excitement as the Gavel Club of University of Moratuwa prepared for its most anticipated Installation Ceremony. The air was filled with a sense of both reflection and anticipation, as we gathered to bid farewell to the outgoing executive committee and welcome the new executive committee.
The doors of ENTC-1 swung open, revealing a breathtaking sight. Black and gold, the event’s theme colors, adorned the room in a captivating display. The air of excitement and a bit of nostalgia filled the place with all the boys of the incoming board suited up and all the girls dressed up in dazzling sarees.
As usual, our outgoing Gavel President, Umesha Thilakarathne commenced the meeting by sprinkling bits of laughter that evoked a mix of gratitude for her service and a touch of sadness to see her term end.
She entrusted the role of Toastmaster of the Day to our outgoing vice president of public relations,Inodee Fernando,It was time for the much awaited “President Bashing” in the form of the familiar Round-Robin session .The excitement in the air was palpable as the President’s bash began, with various Gaveliers sharing their thoughts on Umesha. Many gaveliers mentioned about how Umesha panics before doing anything. The outgoing webmaster Sandil came up with the most humorous comments. He read out a list of complaints that he has written down on his palm. Gavelier Dinidu, a past president of the club, brought out interesting stories about Umesha when she was a newbie. Although the bash included many hilarious complaints it also revealed how strong and caring Umesha has been as a president. After the President’s bash, the controls were handed over to our mastermind Table Topics Master of the day, Savin Gunawardhana.
Ilampoornan volunteered for the first table topic of the day and spoke on “Some endings are necessary for something greater to come together”. Next up, our talented speaker Shehan Paul shared very heartfelt thoughts on “The Gavel Club isn’t a place, it’s the people.”Damsith, who volunteered as the third speaker, had to speak on the most creative topic “If I become the president of the Gavel Club for one day…”. Finally, the last speaker Sasindi spoke on “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
After the Table Topics session, the emcees of the day, Sasindi and Ovindhu, officially commenced the Installation Ceremony and invited Oshan, the vice President – Membership of the club and Thulasithan, the Assistant Vice President – Education of the club on stage to recall all the wonderful moments of the last gavel year as the year recap.
Thulasithan took us on a journey down the memory lane by presenting the memorable moments of the year that includes the April Fools’ Meeting, Ramadan Themed Meeting, Halloween Themed Meeting, Music Themed Meeting, Christmas Themed Meeting and Valentines Themed Meeting. He also mentioned about the joint meetings and the inter university speech competitions, where our gaveliers displayed the true colors of Gavel Mora. Oshan made us feel some sense of nostalgia by sharing memorable photos of Gavel installation 2023, Gavel Orientation, Gavel Avurudu, Speaker’s Odyssey, Sphinxpiracy, Gavel Trip and of course the flagship event of the year, Speech Olympiad XVI.
The last gavel year was a massive success due to the quality of the major events that took place. Therefore, certificates of appreciation were presented to felicitate and appreciate the co-chairs and the pillar heads of the gavel events that year including orientation, gavel awrudu, sphinxpiracy, Speakers Odyssey and Speech Olympiad.
As customary, Treasurer of the club, Savin Gunawardhana then delivered the financial report of the year, providing a detailed analysis that gave members insight into the club’s income and expenses.
Then came a crucial part of the day’s event. The announcement of the Gavelier of the Year. Past Gaveliers who had won the Gavelier of the Year award were named, with Thulasithan being the previous winner. It was Damsith Adikari,who won this prestigious award this time, and it was a proud moment for all the members.Damsith shared some heartfelt words on how gavel became a great part of his life.He also mentioned that this award belongs to everyone at a gavel because it is the combined effort of everyone who made his gavel journey a success.
Next came the most heartfelt goodbye to the outgoing board in a touching ceremony. Umesha, the past president, personally handed out service letters to each member. The MCs livened things up with some entertaining introductions, making it a memorable send-off for the previous team.
The highlight of any Installation, which is of course the Installation of the new board, was up next. Umesha made her last official speech as the President, almost bringing many of us to tears and immense joy at the same time. With the appointment of the incoming President, Udula, and his board, there was a lot of excitement to see the old faces in new positions.He took the stage and kicked started this brand new chapter with some wonderful words outlining his vision for the club.
He then welcomed the rest of the board, who were introduced by the emcees.Finally, he adjourned the meeting in which the outgoing president called the meeting to order and the incoming president adjourned the meeting. It was a historic day for the club, and everyone was excited to see what the future held.
The festivities weren’t over! To truly cap off the day, the Gaveliers gathered for a celebratory feast. Delicious food and lively company brought the perfect close to a successful event. Conversations flowed, laughter echoed long after the last bite was taken, and the night stretched on like a comfortable silence. As goodbyes were exchanged, a warm contentment settled over everyone. This wasn’t just any gathering; it was a memory etched in our hearts, a perfect day we’d forever carry with us.