Warden Miller who, on the 19th day of April 1886, address a letter to A. d' A. Seneviratne, is as follows.
S. Thomas' College,
Colombo,
April 19, 1886.
My dear Seneviratne,
For some years past I have been possessed with a desire, which has lately become very strong, to see some sort of Society or Guild formed of Old Boys of S. Thomas' College. The idea is not an original one as it has been developed most successfully in England, primarily with a view to the strengthening of the ties which should bind a man to the place where, it is to be hoped, he has learned some of the most valuable lessons of life. Such a society in connection with S. Thomas' College would, I think, promote this desirable result, but it would have a further very beneficial effect. It would be a means of giving lads who find working Colombo a sort of rallying point. They would be more likely to come under good influence. They would be less liable to get lost sight of, as it is the case frequently at present.
Do you think such a plan a feasible one? If so, will you lend your name and assistants to its development and suggest the names of others who would be likely to enter warmly into the scheme?
The constitution of the society, the form which the general meeting should take, etc; are of course, details to be elaborated by those who may concern themselves in the initiation of the society. I do not think that it would be hard to provide a monthly concert, conversation or lecture in the College Library. I should however, deprecate the payment of any subscription except a merely nominal one, and I think a badge will be desirable.
You are the first person to whom I have communicated my idea in anything like a formal shape, and I will await your answer, before taking further steps. You, I consider, are the most representative Old Boys we can boast of.
Yours very sincerely,
E. F. Miller.
This is how it all started way back in 1886.
The history of the OBA; like the history of Rome, has been an ever-growing tree. It had its roots in the Banyan groves of Mutwal, and later began to flourish spontaneously in the unfamiliar environment of Mt. Lavinia where now the Thomian impress has been fixed upon one and all.
The Old Boys' Association was started in 1886. The fons et origo was Warden Miller who, on the 19th day of April 1886, address a letter to A. d' A. Seneviratne, a distinguished Old Boy, who became an Advocate and lived right opposite of S. Thomas' College at Mutwal for many years.
Warden Miller's letter, which has been lost & found, and which is in the possession of Seneviratne's son, Proctor A. C. d' A. Seneviratne, is as above, and speaks for itself.
WARDEN MILLER'S LETTER
T H E reference in our issue of May 1958 College Magazine, to the loss of the letter written by Warden Miller to the Hon. Mr. A. de A. Seneviratne, is, we are happy to state, incorrect.
There is an interesting story behind this. Mr. L. A. H. Arndt became custodian of the letter on his father’s death-only, unknowingly. When Mr. Ales Seneviratne made anxious inquiry as to the whereabouts of the letter, a frantic search began which up to Old Boys’ Day, 1958, proved unavailing.
Mr. Arndt, upon the Warden’s reference to the 75th anniversary, felt it incumbent on him to secure official acknowledgment that the letter, twice printed without the name, had in fact been sent to Mr. A. de A. Seneviratne. He asked-having confused to its probable loss-what could be done.
Silence greeted the poser. With characteristic bluntness, E. F. N. Gratiaen, however, in a stage whisper said, ‘Look again’!
This seemed to make it doubly necessary to find it. It was pure chance, however, which led to its final recovery in a package temporarily in the possession of another member of the family.
The precious letter is now back in the keeping of Mr. Alex Seneviratne. He has had a ‘photostat’ made. The state of the original, however, makes it difficult to obtain a clear copy.