It was in such an environment that twenty Buddhists, whom we would characterise as visionaries, took a far-seeing step, unnoticed, unsung, and seemingly so unimportant as to attract almost no attention. They were not prominent people, mainly clerks working in government, but what they saw around them, was decay in Buddhist culture, learning and ethos.

They saw that the very dignity of what Buddhism stood for was under siege. Buddhists were made to feel inferior and Christian beliefs were extolled as the path to salvation.

Mr. C. S. Dissanayake (Clerk Government Services) became the first Secretary of the Association and held that office from 1898 to 1904. He became the Treasurer in 1907 and was the Vice-President from 1910 to 1912.

Among the others were H. Dharmapala (late Anagarika Dharmapala), D.S.S. Wickremaratne, T.W. Gunewardena (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), C.W. Gunewardena (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), C.F.S. Jayawickrema, G.W. De Fonseka (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), Herod Gunaratne (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), D. D. Weerasinghe, Thomas Rodrigo, H. Don David (Clerk, Department of Public Instruction), Abraham Kuruppu (Clerk, Audit Office, later Kachcheri Mudaliyar), Dr. L.C. Wijesinghe, R. Malalgoda (Clerk, Later Mudaliyar), Robert de Fonseka (Clerk, Government Railway), Peter de Abrew (Clerk, later founder of Musaeus College), W.A. de Silva (later Minister of Health), G.G. Perera (Later Proctor S.C. Panadura), Martinus C. Perera, and J.C. Wirashinha

Those 20 stalwarts who did what would be considered the unpopular and incredibly imprudent thing to do, perhaps jeopardising their careers, was led by Mr. C. S. Dissanayake, a convert from Christianity to Buddhism. He gave his life and time to the YMBA till the end of his days.

Mr. H. Dharmapala (later Anagarika Dharmapala) presided over the first meeting D.B Jayatilaka (later Sir Baron Jayatilaka) then Principal of Ananda College, Colombo was invited to be its first President.

Mr. H. Dharmapala at that inaugural session of twenty men who laid one foundation stone for the return to the Dharamadvipa, is reported to have said:”The moves of this new venture have in view the supplying of a want patent among the rising generation of Buddhists viz : the absence of the means of prosecuting studies of Buddhism in a systematic manner”.

It is likely that none of them realised that their vision has contributed to the birth of one of Sri Lanka’s best known Buddhist organisations with island wide reach, prestige, influence and activity.