From the Secretary Dear Members, Firstly, I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and sound. I am writing to you today full of gratitude and with sincere appreciation because, exactly two years ago, I was given the opportunity and immense honour to become the Club Secretary of the finest Private Member Club in Africa, a historic institution of the highest order with the most exquisite community of Members one could wish for. In light of this anniversary, I would like to thank the Chairman, the Main Committee, all sub-committees and of course all Members for your belief, trust and support over the past 24 months. It’s been an incredible journey through unprecedented times and I can’t thank you and my wonderful MCC team enough for keeping the faith in light of the Covid-19 pandemic which had a severe impact on the Old Lady of Muthaiga Road. Whereas the pre-Covid unwritten rule was that “the Club never closes”, we had to take a lot of rather unpopular measures including closing down the Club for the first time in its 107-year history for four months and again a year later for a month, but as Winston Churchill said while working on forming the United Nations after WWII, “never let a good crisis go to waste”. And it was indeed a great opportunity to see what truly makes our Club unique - it is not the lush gardens nor the beautiful buildings and facilities, the glitzy events or the signature food and drinks - it is our Membership and our Team Members. Our MCC community. A community of individuals that is second to none. I’d like to mention every single one of my team and you for being great Members in times of crisis, but I only have one page, so allow me to highlight the following. Thank you Ann Sutcliffe and your Library Committee Philippa Turner, Julia Lawrence and Dickson Kamae for continuously improving our library selection with such a diversified, internationally acclaimed and well chosen range of books. Thank you Sheila Barker for keeping the esprit de corps with your wonderful corps de ballet. Thanks to the Balloting Committee with Chairman Kush Bhardwaj, Christina Andersen, Jeremy Ashworth, Paul Chemng’orem, Alan Gachukia, Lisa Karanja, Kevin Mutiso and Gordon Weston who have doubled their voluntary efforts to reduce the huge backlog on new Member applications. Thank you House, Wines & Messing Committee with Chairman Andrew Elwes, Vice-Chair Wangari Murugu, Juliet Agg-Manning, Jeroen 2
Muthaiga Country Club September – November 2021
de Clercq, Yvonne Gitobu, Tom Njeru and Lindsey RoundTurner, who have passionately worked with our MCC team to take our culinary offering to a new level. We are equally thankful to our newly formed Sports Committee with Christina Andersen, Gerry Cunningham, John Goodwin, Aida Nesbitt, Kunal and Ekta Bid, Fabian Collis and Stefan Andersen for their passionate work on improving our sports offerings and building the MCC Sports Community.
Last but not least a huge thank you to the new Young Members Committee with Chairman Wangeci Kibuga, Alison Kariuki, Katarina Karanja, Macharia, Darshan customer-friendly placeNathaniel in Kenya. We want Muthaiga Co Haria, from Nadia home” Machariaso, andtrusting Priscilla King’ang’i for innovating away our Members must becom on new events and making the Club a desirable destination for the and beautiful. On theyoung, Eventcool front, we had record-breaking sell-out eve
Stones, “The Hootenanny,” with their biggest show ever Because of all that passion, dedication co-creation to the best-attended talk ever byand iconic anthropologist D notwithstanding the pandemic far from being over I am launched exciting new events and partnerships such as convinced that the Club’s future bright. Hand in hand the fines trendiest pop-up bar on theiscontinent featuring withnew our dedicated committees, the entire MCC team isFishbowls@ the Last-Thursday-of-the-Month series, working tirelessly on offering you and your loved the kicked o by our awesome new Youth Committee,ones which best service and experience with the highest level of safety and beautiful Members and their friends who came to dr acrossin allthe areasmorning of the Club. “Nakupa hati nzuri “ has been the 3am making MCC the place to be. Club’s motto since inception in 1913 and we will continue to And I would like to thank you all for the most memorable do so by upholding the Club’s2019 traditions on4the one hand and Sunday 29 September - only weeks in charge -w introducing new events, new services, new sports activities we experienced the most successful day in the history o & coaching opportunities wellthe as new culinary offerings highest turnover everasand Club brimming with joy. across the board. And we have only just started, there is so much more to
Enjoy the please doIget in touch with me Many of read you and know that love our Club and have been a on secretary@mcc.co.ke or call with regard to any ideas, like to ma Member for many years, so in closing I would comments or recommendations on how we can improve your my tenure I will do in the best interest of you as our Mem experience at the Club. Members always come first. My best wishes to you and your families and I very much look
Looking seeing Muthaiga Country Club forward toforward seeing youtosoon againyou at theatClub. Yours always,
Christian Vater Christian Vater, Club Secretary Club Secretary Muthaiga Country Club
www.mcc.co.ke
