Magazine-Mar to April 2017

I’d also like to take some time to recognize a few mentors. Ron Stride provided an outstanding example of dignified, thoughtful leadership. Jim Gribbon, Sally Greene, Kirk Hulse, Kathleen Urquhart…what can I say other than thank you for allowing me to work with you and to learn – especially to persevere and productively manage during challenging times – from you. And then of course there’s my wife Sondra; thank you for putting up with the countless hours of meetings and for being such a fantastic sounding board for ideas and patient listener when I need to vent my frustrations. You never cease to amaze me. Finally, I’d like to thank you, the Members, for the trust you’ve put in the team as a whole. Redevelopment, no doubt, is a daunting affair. Your interest in our messages, participation in what seemed at the time were never- ending meetings and committees, and feedback (good and bad), have made all the difference. Thank you for proactively, and productively, raising your concerns with courtesy. I hope you know that we’ve taken them seriously and that you have, as we have, collectively made a difference for the future of Singapore and the larger community (and not just the American community) within it. I’d like to close out with four small requests: 1. Appreciate our security and be courteous to them (and all the staff). Always show your membership card without

being asked to. Don’t grumble about it. They are, after all, protecting YOU.

2. Say hello to the people who clean up after you; notice them from time to time and say thanks. I’ve learned so much from them – they are incredibly patient and have a far better perspective on things than you might expect. 3. Always allow, and take time for, opposition and constructive debate. Healthy tension, respectful in nature, garners optimal results. 4. Be open to compromise and don’t insist on your own way. It was hard for me to give up on the idea of putting the gym on the south side of the building facing Scotts Road, but this has never been about any one person’s desires. It’s about a community of Members, staff and others with diverse cultures, ideas, investments, concerns, backgrounds, beliefs, and visions who collectively form something of great value, something worth investing in. That, for me, is The American Club. So finally, in closing, please allow me to thank you once again for enabling my participation in The Club’s past, present and future. It’s been an honor for which I’m very grateful. May God bless you all and The Club in the future.

Scott Weber President

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THE AMERICAN CLUB MAR / APR 2017