President’s Message

Dear Members, We are currently four months into the current General Committee (GC) term and slightly over the half-way mark with regards to the financial year 2021. Despite the Phase 2 Heightened Alerts (P2HA) from 16 May to 9 August resulting in the Club having to close all dine-in operations for some weeks during these months, we were able to continue with our Takeaway service and also operate some of our sports facilities, the latter albeit under restricted conditions. The Club closure was outside our control and was a necessary step in the nation’s collective fight against a resurgent COVID-19. The GC is in full empathy with Members being unable to use much of the Club during the above periods of Heightened Alert. In light of the limited access to the Club over the past 10 weeks, Members have been informed that their Minimum Spend Levy for the quarters that include June, July and August will be automatically rolled over into the immediate next quarter. Members who have previously been charged the Minimum Spend Levy will have the charge reversed in their next statement. In the recent P2HA, the Club had to close its pivoted F&B operations in the Main Lounge and the Stumps Bar until 18 August. At this point in writing, they are still closed as the government is exercising greater scrutiny in its review of all pivot licence applications. We are strenuously working with the authorities to reopen the recently closed pivoted facilities and additionally seeking a Pivot Licence for the Deli Bar.

Alternate F&B service at Gilmour Terrace and Gilmour Room have been opened to Members to relax at from late afternoon onwards, while enjoying the same lovely views of Padang field and the Civic District. Operational hours at The Padang Restaurant and Padang Foyer have also been extended to increase our F&B dine-in capacity for Members. In case you have not visited the Club recently, in late July, the Club introduced a substantially revamped Wine List with 88 new labels (9 Sparkling, 4 Rose, 31 White and 44 Reds). One enthusiastic and respected member of the Wine Circle commented “I Am very impressed with the choice of varieties and price points offered”. Kudos to the F&B Subcommittee, the F&B department and the Operations team for putting it together. Our F&B outlets will also be introducing new tantalising culinary treats and promotions just for your enjoyment, including a special Oktoberfest menu.

While most sport competitions were at a standstill, the Club did manage to complete the SCC Singles Bowls Competition. The event attracted a record number of entries (35) with 15 players playing in this tournament for the first time, a testament to the growing popularity of the sport amongst our Members. At the recently concluded Bowls Singapore National Pairs Competition, it was an all-SCC final with Christian Huang and Melvin Tan winning the Men’s event. The Ladies’ final had to be postponed due to inclement weather and it will also be an all-SCC final. Well done the Lawn Bowls Section. Meanwhile, our Tennis players were victorious won the STA Men’s B Interclub Knockout Doubles, while our Ladies A very narrowly lose their finals match. Great work all around from Team SCC! While the pandemic has caused major disruptions to our daily lives, it has not stopped the General Committee and our highly dedicated staff from innovating and finding new events for Members to continue interacting with one another. Our recent activities for Members such as the inaugural SCC Olympic Virtual Run & Walk 2021 organised by the Sports Department was very well-received and it was heartening to see Members enthusiastically participating, albeit “virtually”. While there were some very impressive times recorded for the 6km run by our younger members, of special note are the distances recorded in the Men’s Longest Walk Category by Peter ‘Stitch’ Hutton (255km) and Suyash Sachin Kanthale (250km) walking almost 18km daily over the fortnight of the competition. The SCC Photo Competition also revealed many budding photographers in our midst and online voting for the best photo submission was almost frenzied. Members can view the stunning submissions on the SCC Facebook page. Do continue participating in the many events and activities we have organised for you this September and October – there are interesting tours and workshops, sports camps and also exploratory activities for you to try out such as basketball and dragon boat racing. Member’s feedback is invaluable in the Club’s efforts to achieve F&B offerings and curating events that match Members’ expectations. Please do not hesitate to share with us your comments and suggestions as to how the Club will be better able to match your expectations as these may well benefit the larger Membership too. Of interest to all Members will be the Lease Renewal which is due in September 2026. A Lease Renewal Subcommittee of the General Committee has been formed to start the process of gathering information relating our current lease and also to have a preliminary review of development possibilities at the time of the lease renewal. In this regard, we have had email exchanges with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) who have been very helpful in attending to our queries. We will keep Members informed as more information becomes available. In the meanwhile, stay safe and in good health and I look forward to seeing you at the Club. We hope there will be fewer such disruptions going forward and Members can uninterruptedly continue to enjoy the Club.

Zoher Motiwalla

President, Singapore Cricket Club

F&B Management Training

The F&B Management Training held in May – June 2021 aimed to nurture and build confident leaders with a focus on improving communications skills. The six-day training which was conducted in-house included valuable lessons such as succession planning, prepping for managers-in-making and a case study on the thinking manager.

From left to right: Owen Tien – F&B Supervisor of The Padang Restaurant, Mr Rajan Menon – Establishment Subcommittee Chairman, Jeffrey Ng – F&B Supervisor of The Oval & Verandah. Insert: Rumaizi Adha Bin Mokhtar – F&B Supervisor of The Oval & Verandah.

Staff Antigen Testing

In the ongoing battle against COVID-19, the implementation of the FET regime as imposed under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations came into effect with Operations Staff required to use tests such as the Antigen Rapid Test (ART) regardless of their vaccination status every 14 days.

First Aid Training for Operations Staff

Sports First Aid Course

A standard first aid & AED training for the operations staff was conducted in-house on 7 – 9 June. Staff were taught how to respond swiftly in the event of medical emergencies where initial administration of first aid would be necessary, including handling physical calamities during work.

Held on 3 – 4 July at the SCC Gilmour room, a sports first aid course that included CPR and AED was conducted for nine Football Section Members and some staff of the Sports Department, focusing on how to prioritize injuries that are oft inevitable due to the physical nature of the activities. Learning how to deal with bleedings, respiratory issues and other physical emergencies that could happen during sports activities and events, the participants were also tested and passed the assessment.