President’s Message

Dear Members,

Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Sports Department, the Singapore Cricket Club was approved by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) / Sport Singapore for a special pilot scheme for team sports resumption under Vaccination-Differentiated SMMs (VDS) + Test Protocol – this allows SCC to have a maximum of 10 fully vaccinated people playing team sports together at the approved sports facilities under strictly controlled and supervised conditions.

I am proud to note that SCC is one of the very few private clubs permitted into this scheme – this is certainly an endorsement of our status as a premier sports club and our Sports Department’s ability to develop and administer programs and safety protocols in line with government requirements. It is great seeing the SCC Padang field and multi-purpose courts bustling with action again.

At the time of writing, I am pleased to announce that after a 2-year COVID-19 enforced break, the Tanglin POT is back again. We wish to express our sincere thanks to our friends at the Tanglin Club for their strenuous efforts to kick-start this annual tournament. In addition to the Squash, Tennis, Darts, Lawn Bowls, Balut, Golf, Ten-pin bowling and Cricket matches, the Tanglin Club will inaugurally host Chess, Mahjong and ‘Spoofing’ as ‘demonstration events’ which will be competed for but not count towards the POT trophy. Unfortunately, Bridge and Snooker cannot be accommodated this year.

It will be the first competitive outing for the SCC Chess group who have been having regular weekly games at the SCC. The Chess group now comprise about 28 enthusiasts with a spread of ages from 8 years to 70 years. While Mahjong as a member activity is not yet officially launched at the SCC, 22 of our members have signed up for an introductory Mahjong event to be hosted by the Tanglin Club on the Wednesday, 16 February in preparation for the POT match.

On behalf of the General Committee, I wish all our contestants and participants the very best as we endeavour to retain the POT Trophy.

A total of 661 Members participated in the recently-concluded Club Survey launched by the Marketing & Communications Subcommittee – we now have a much better idea of where we stand in terms of facilities quality, service standards, activities offerings etc, and are now examining the many thoughtful and constructive feedback received. We will share the results of the survey soon and work on new initiatives and strategies for future development. Approval from the SLA for the renewal of the current lease which will expire on 10 September 2026. We are pleased to announce that we have been offered the In-principle Approval for a 30-year lease for the Padang and the Club House.

The Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) has a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 7,808 square metres and had been offered a 30-year lease renewal at a total amount payable of $18,404,070. As our current GFA of 3,733 square metres is lower than the SRC’s, it would be reasonable to assume that our lease renewal cost would also be less. To this point, I would like to highlight that our current reserves as at 31 December 2021 stand at $28,000,000 in cash, deposits and short-term investments. In addition, we also own a freehold property at the Adelphi building with a book value of $7.5m.

Activities and events at the Club are returning to almost pre-pandemic levels. The coming two months will see a host of F&B menu promotions to mark International Women’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter and Administrative Professionals’ Week. Our special F&B themed menus are always popular and booked out very quickly so do reserve your seats early.

Meanwhile, we have organised a number of workshops and daytrips for you and your family and friends to enjoy. Our Interest Groups are also very busy with activities weekly/fortnightly/ monthly; there is something for everyone of every age range so do check them out. Our Community Outreach programs for the next 2months will focus on beach clean-up. Do sign up and participate in this meaningful green activity.

After serving our Club for the past four years, our Club’s General Manager Mr. Sean Boyle has informed me that he will not be requesting an extension of his current contract; he has shared that he intends to retire and return to the United Kingdom. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have him as our GM the past four years. The General Committee joins me in thanking Sean for his dedication and diligence and we wish him all the best in this next chapter in his life.

We have started the search for a candidate who understands our Club’s rich heritage and our needs and vision for the future. We will keep our members informed of developments.

Thank you for your continued patronage of the Club and ardent participation in our events and activities. Please continue to take extra care of your health and we thank you for abiding by the safe measures put in place to keep everyone safe. I look forward to seeing you at the Club!

President, Singapore Cricket Club

On Saturday, 15 January 2022, SCC officially opened the Storage Building at Padang Field - now known as The Shed - as well as the new Bin Centre. The opening ceremony was officiated by Club President Zoher Motiwalla and Chairman of the Property Subcommittee George Abraham, and attended by General Committee Members, Property Subcommittee members, Sport Section Convenors, and the architects and contractors involved in the projects. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, guests toured the facilities before attending a sit-down luncheon - the program was organised in accordance with government safe management measures to ensure compliance and the health and safety of everyone. With these new facilities, the Club will now be able to properly store turf machineries, tools and equipment for field and facilities maintenance and have more efficient waste management. We are grateful to the GC, Property Subcommittee, Property & Housekeeping and Sports Departments for working together to see these projects to fruition, and to our Members for their support!