Y’s Men movement, the premier movement oriented to serve YMCAs and is also renowned for assisting communities across Sri Lanka for over 90 years, will hold its 46TH national Convention this Saturday June 25 in Colombo. No less than the President of Y’s Men International Asia Pacific Area, YM OHNO Ben Tsutomu (of Kobe Port Y’s Men’s Club, Japan West Region) will address this year’s event as the Chief Guest. YM Tsutomu leads the large group of diverse Clubs spread across Asia Pacific Y’s Men Area that includes Sri Lanka, along with the Regions of Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan East and Japan West, Taiwan, and the Philippines. At the June 25 convention in Colombo, the Present Regional Director Milroy Manuel will conclude his term thus opening the way for incoming 2022/’23 Sri Lankan Regional Director YM Anton Kandiah, who held the mantle of the Sri Lanka Regional Director previously on many occasions.
The global Y’s Men movement was one of the earliest global community service movements to be launched, and was founded in Toledo, Ohio, USA in 1922. Despite being titled, “Y’s Men”, many women too are among its members today and family participation is widely seen in numerous service activities. The movement was introduced to Sri Lanka by late YM R. O. Buell, the first General Secretary of the Colombo YMCA. He launched it in Sri Lanka upon his return to the country after attending an International Y’s Men Convention in Minneapolis, USA. The first Y’s Men Club in Sri Lanka began its operations in 1929 in Colombo and was called Y’s Men’s Club of Colombo, which continues to function (and grow) to this day. The milestone event of Chartering the “Colombo Club” to be part of International Y’s Men, Geneva, took place in December 1930 with Late Sir Oliver Goonetilleka, the former Governor General of Ceylon, being the Club’s first Charter President. It was also through the Colombo Club that the Y’sdom movement was introduced to India. Later Sri Lanka became a separate Region of its own in 1975. The first Regional Convention of the newborn “Sri Lanka Region” was held in Kandy in September 1976 attended by a large gathering. It is the continuation of this tradition of Sri Lankan Conventions that will be celebrated this Saturday June 25 as the 46th convention, held at the Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo.
