Magazine Sep/Oct 2017

PRESIDENT FROM THE

to start The Club. (It’s interesting to see that surveys were successful in obtaining member feedback even then!)

On September 10, 1948, The Club officially opened with 111 founding American members, 35 founding members of other nationalities and 15 honorary members, including Singapore’s then governor Sir Franklin Gimson. Here are some other interesting historical facts I discovered from this project: • The original American Club was located in Singapore’s first skyscraper – the Cathay Building (now known as The Cathay). It was decorated with furniture and plants donated by the community. • In 1955, The Club moved to 21 Scotts Road where a portion of it still remains today. • In 1958, the Club opened a cocktail lounge called The Manhattan Room, a popular meeting spot and predecessor to our beloved Union Bar. • The first pool was added in 1963, parts of which were uncovered earlier this year during the demolition of the Scotts Road building and pool. • The American Club was home to Singapore’s very first bowling alley, opened in 1966.

Dear Members,

During the summer, life slows down at The Club. While Members head for home and holidays all around the world, The Club uses this downtime to tackle projects that get neglected during the year. Many are housekeeping matters, but this summer the Marketing and Communications team began an exciting project to memorialize The Club’s long and valuable history. Time for a pop quiz. What group started the American Club? Answer: The American Association of Singapore. How many attempts did it take to get The Club formed? Answer: Three! AAS tried to start The Club in 1932 but was unable to gather enough interest. They tried and failed again in 1939. It wasn't until 1948 when the American Association sent a survey to all Americans in Singapore to gauge interest that they finally garnered enough support

The Club will be celebrating its 70th birthday next year, a wonderful milestone that will coincide with the completion

1

THE AMERICAN CLUB SEP / OCT 2017