Thailand Branch of the Royal Over-Seas League inaugurated
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| Helping to get the British Over-Seas League started: from left, British Ambassador to Thailand HE Mr David Fall, Honorary Corresponding Secretary for Thailand Mr John Pawson, Mrs Manisha Harilela representing the Harilela family, MR Sarisdiguna Kitiyakara, entrepreneur Vincent Swift, and MR Chatu Mongol Sonakul |
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A Thailand branch of Britain’s Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) was inaugurated on November 14, 2005, as the organisation celebrates its 95th anniversary.
The inauguration took place at a lunch held at the British Embassy in Wireless Road attended by ambassadors, distinguished Vice-Patrons and League members.
Under patronage of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, the ROSL in the words of its founder, Sir Evelyn Wrench, is “a far-flung brotherhood of individual men and women of diverse creeds and races living widely apart under differing conditions in different latitudes.”
Today, the league has 60 branches, reciprocal clubs and representatives in 78 countries with a worldwide membership of 20,000.
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| Vice-Patrons and supporters at the Royal Over-Seas League inaugural lunch |
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The inaugural lunch was hosted by Britain’s ambassador to Thailand, HE Mr David Fall. Honorary corresponding secretary for Thailand, Mr John Pawson, said one of the branch’s objectives will be to encourage the arts and take a pro-active role in the community.
He added: “It must not become just a commonwealth club, we need to encourage as many young Thai professionals as possible to become members and to swell our commonwealth ranks.”
With its objective of promoting an enduring multi-racial fellowship pledged to the support of the commonwealth and other nations, Mr Pawson said the League’s underlying ethos is the service of humanity at large.
Four vice patrons of the Thailand branch were welcomed at the lunch; Mom Rajchawong Chatu Mongol Sonakul, Mom Rajchawong Sarisdiguna Kitiyakara, Mrs Manisha Harilela representing the Harilela family, and entrepreneur Mr Vincent Swift. Former CEO and Chief Executive of the Bank of Asia, Mr Chulakorn Singhakowin, was welcomed as a vice patron in his absence.
As well as ROSL founder, Etonian Sir Evelyn Wrench also started the English Speaking Union, an international educational charity with more than 90 branches worldwide, and was proprietor and editor of the Spectator magazine, the oldest continuously published magazine in the English language.
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