On a sleepless night with a mug of coffee would be the perfect time to recall my pre-installation memories. Obviously, after reading this article my kiddos will say “we didn’t say that” or “we didn’t act like that”. Here comes the story of how we pulled the 6th Installation Ceremony together.
I officially took over my duties and responsibilities as the president on the 1st of July, but prior to that my Immediate Past President handed over the new board of directors and the responsibility of the installation. So, after PETS & SETS I took my first board meeting and said to my board that we have a big event coming up on 19th of July and guess what it’s our installation! I heard small chit chats and hissings all around, so I asked whether there’s any problem. No one spoke a word and it was all good! The project co-chairpersons were my VP Service Avenues- Duleesha and my Secretary Parami, who are popular in the club as Dingiri and Bhavantha.
Then passed a week and one day my IPP Vinura texted me and asked about the progress of the installation. I told him that the board is preparing a task list and will update after getting that information. I asked for updates from my Exco and BAM! They were acting like primary kids and was doing nothing! Time for a board meeting! At the next meeting I blamed them for not informing and not asking anything from me regarding the issues they were having. I made a mistake my friends, a huge mistake. I lost my loving nap time from there onwards for like two months. They were continuously asking ayye this, ayye that, ayye ayye ayye. Bro, machan and those loving caring brotherly words came only from my VP strategic partnerships, my right hand and my mate Saranga. My pal Saranga; we know him as SARA and he was playing a major role by guiding my kids, running here and there to make everything right to have that perfect installation. Without him and his contacts things wouldn’t have gone well I won’t be writing this. My VP Finance-Dhanushika aka Malshani and Treasurer-Tharoon malli aka Roon were strictly managing finance and as per my boards’ point of view, asking money from them was more like a court case. And my Secretary nangi Parami, my typing artist, my professional document writer and our very own kotae aka Bavantha was handling all the invitations, contacting dignitaries and asking for messages, sending emails to everyone and doing all the paperwork, she did an exceptional job and yes, I’m so lucky to have a secretary like you. (It was a compliment I made by my whole heart so that maybe I’ll have a big bar of a chocolate after she returns from her tour). And my VP Service Avenues Duleesha aka Dingiri she was one hell of a fierce and very strict leader with the installation work and sometimes even I was having blames from her too. She literally ripped my IT directors for all the designs by saying make it more like this and that and by providing all the guidance to make that perfect installation posters. She was handling every design work and each and every aspect of the installation preparations.
Then comes the “magicians of our club” which is a phrase stolen from our IPDRR Anu akki; yes, it was my IT Team who were there to handle all the IT matters including Fb posts, installation posters. If not for them, this installation would not have been that perfect installation. Thank you Rancha malli and PK, you guys were amazing! And every installation has this big crisis! The finance and my board members all 23 of them were there chasing sponsors and ads and yes, they did make it happen! They all did an amazing job and scored! They were giving me the updates like ayye I found this sponsor, this ad and this much and those words made me feel that my IPP and I selected the best board for the year 2018-19. My co-chairs made a task list and divided it within the board and everyone did their maximum and helped each other in their tasks. Vinuri, Lihini, Pasindu, Tharindie, Thusara, Dhakshan, Thanya, Dayan, Priyanka, Fulail, Shalini, Menuka, Asjad, Harrun, Aqeel and Azeem, thank you lamai for everything you have done! Thanks a lot and I’m so proud of you.
Time for the pre-installation entertainment part! They were really a bunch of pre-school kids and I was a part of that baby group too. TBH you won’t believe; my board, especially my exco had 18 meetings as per to my logs before the installation. And the sole purpose of most of those meetings was to plan how to kill someone or to roast one board member. Few names pop up always when it comes to roasting sessions. Parami got her all pet and nick names from these sessions. Same was with Dhanushika and Duleesha. Even Saranga and Thusara were two victims of those sessions but the number one was always Parami. And our Comedian, Dhakshan he was making jokes and sometimes the stories and dramas he played made us to believe that he’ll win an Oscar one day! My Exco and my board even played with balloons for hours, three days before the installation and I was there watching all those. I had all the best memories, critics and ayye ayye ayye ayye voices hearing from them all the time. I even won’t open my WhatsApp after seeing 1000+ massages in it because for sure it’s our board group and their drama! And FYI they took meetings even to decide a color theme, year theme and even to design and to arrange everything and yet with studies they managed to do all these. My board is really good at making board meetings into house parties. They bring food and after minutes of discussions it all goes into nuts within seconds! And yet with all those drama and fun they had, they managed to pull it up!
“SINGLE HEAD ARCHIVES NOTHING” was the quote I mentioned in my speech at the installation. My board was the reason behind it. As a team, as a family we did it! They took the negative into positive and made dreams to a reality. And yes, they proved the year theme, MAKE IT HAPPEN, MAKE IT MATTER from their 1st project itself. As the president I’m so lucky to have such an amazing team and thank you guys for this perfect installation!
Written by-
Rtr. Sethil Muhandiram
President 2018-19
Rotaract Club of SLIIT 