Magazine Jan-Feb 2019

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear members,

address construction issues identified by members and management.

Happy New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai ! It is hard to believe that 2019 is upon us and the Year of the Pig is fast approaching. I am honored to serve as your new president, and I hope the year ahead will be full of fun, laughter, prosperity, and good health for you and your family. I always find the new year to be a time of reflection, excitement, and goal-setting. In December, I was fortunate to attend Jim Baker’s talk on the history of The American Club. Not only is Jim an amazing speaker, but his stories about the founding of The Club made me feel proud to be a member. Listening to Jim offered me the opportunity to reflect on our club’s rich history and reinforced for me the knowledge that our greatest strength is our community. The American Club was built on a foundation of optimism, respect, inclusivity, kindness, and generosity of spirit, and these tenets remain the foundation of our community today. I think it is fair to say that 2018 was a challenging year filled with major changes. While membership numbers remained strong and many members enjoyed the new Thinkspace, sên Spa, Galbraith Ballroom, and Union Bar, there were significant concerns expressed about the design and layout of the new pool and locker room areas. Through it all, we, as a club family, relied heavily on our founding principles to guide us, and I want to assure you that I, along with the General Committee, am committed to upholding these qualities as we strive to complete the rebuilding of our home away from home. It is also my promise that the General Committee is committed to addressing your concerns in consultation and partnership with you, our fellow members, in order to create a Club you are proud of and enjoy using. This year, 2019, will mark a new beginning for our American Club community as the construction phase of redevelopment ends. It will be exciting to eat at our new all-day dining restaurant, Tradewinds, experience the lobby, workout in the new gym, and play in The Quad. As these outlets open, we will move into the final phase of redevelopment which is rectification. This phase will last for up to a year as the contractors

The General Committee looks forward to receiving your feedback. Our goal is to make this process as inclusive as possible, and we welcome input, ideas, and suggestions from every member of our club family. Just as when you first move into a new home, it may take some trial and error to get things right, but working together with you, we will get them right in the end. Please know that the General Committee and management are listening to you and appreciate your thoughtful feedback. I want to take this opportunity to share how thankful I am for every member that has volunteered their time to make The American Club the heart of our community. In particular, I would like to share my gratitude for departing General Committee members Kristen Graff, Neil Goldwax, Beng Bak Low, Ngiam Siew Wei, and Amitava Guharoy. Thank you for your years of service, for every dinner you missed with your family, every phone call you had to take while on holiday, and for your devotion and service to The Club and our members. You will be missed. At the same time, I would like to welcome new General Committee members Justin Baldauf, John Winsell Davies, Jay Jobanputra, and Nasir Kausar. I know that working together we can accomplish great things with and for our membership. Last but not least, thank you for the extraordinary care and kindness shown by our staff to our members each day and to our members for their patience and goodwill. You have all been so amazing during redevelopment, and I simply cannot thank you enough! As we work towards a strong future for The Club, I would love to hear your comments and suggestions. Please feel free to contact me at any time if I can help you in any way.

Best Regards,

Dana Hvide

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