Appreciating Jurgen Martiens

This February, we bid farewell to one of the icons of SCC - Jurgen Martens - who returns home to Hamburg with his wife Ilona Over 50 years ago, Jurgen arrived in Singapore, immediately identified the best sporting club and joined the SCC on 11 March 1971. Over the years, he has been elected to different General Committees and chaired Subcommittees, sat in different Subcommittees as a Subcommittee member, helped in the Club’s international Tournaments - Hockey6s and Soccer7s, played football, and been an integral part of the Club. In 2004, Jurgen was conferred the status of Life Member in recognition of his contributions to the Club; in 2010, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In appreciation of Jurgen and all he has done for the Club, SCC President Zoher Motiwalla presented him with a SCC Silver Tankard before he left Singapore. On behalf of the Football Section, Convenor Amos Boon presented Jurgen a parting gift: a Section jersey with the squad number 51, which represents the number of years he has been part of the Club.

The Football Section said, “Jurgen has represented the Section and worn many hats - as a player, committee member, advisor and role model. Jurgen loved football and the SCC. His dedication and passion to see a successful Section is evident til this day. Jurgen, we thank you for all that you’ve done for the Section and we wish you andyour wife safe travels and we hope to see you back soon.”

• 1985: General Committee - Committee Member • 1986 - 89: General Committee - Chairman of the Games Control

Board • 1993 - 96: General Committee - Committee Member • 1994: Hockey 6s Tournament Officials - Dogsbodies • 1996: Hockey 6s Tournament Officials - Announcers/Eagle's

Nest • 1997: General Committee - Committee Member • 1997: Development Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 1997: Property Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 1997: Social Subcommittee - Chairman • 1998 - 99: Hockey 6s Tournament Officials - Announcers • 2001: Hockey 6s Tournament Officials - Officials • 2001 - 03: General Committee - Committee Member • 2001 - 03: Development Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 2001 - 03: Games Control Board Subcommittee - Subcommittee

Member • 2001 - 03: Property Subcommittee - Chairman • 2002 - 03: Hockey 6s Tournament Officials - Announcers • 2004: General Committee - Committee Member • 2004: Development Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 2004: Finance Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 2004: Games Control Board Subcommittee - Chairman • 2004: Soccer 7's Organising Committee – Member • 2004: Soccer 7's Key Officials – Chief Marshall & Eagles Nest/

Announcers • 2005 – 2007: General Committee – Committee Member • 2005 – 2007: Games Control Board Subcommittee - Chairman • 2007: Finance Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 2007: Property Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 2007: Development Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 2007: Strategic Subcommittee - Subcommittee Member • 2013: Games Control Board Subcommittee - Subcommittee

Member

8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD) - a global day of celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the globe, and a day that marks a call to action for acceleraing women’s equality.

Some of IWD’s missions include championing the women forging innovation through technology; celebrating women athletes and applaud when equity is achieved in pay, sponsorship and visibility; forging inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated; inspiring women to purse goals without bias or barrier.

This issue, we speak to some of our female SCC Members - all powerhouses in their own right - and ask them to share their thoughts and views on a range of issues.

Soft skills training is my passion that gives purpose to my life, and volunteerism adds value to my work and makes me feel fulfilled. I began my professional journey as a trained psychologist and the role of soft skills in personal and professional development became apparent to me early in my career. During my first job as a career counsellor for an IT training institute in India, I found that many students faced rejections during interviews even though they were technically very competent and I soon realised it was because they lacked soft skills such as communication skills, presentation skills, stress management, etc. I persuaded the company to allow me to develop and deliver such workshops for the students and they were a success!

As I progressed in my career and started working as a private banker, I had the opportunity to work with many people in leadership positions and I couldn’t help but notice that many people in leadership positions had no clue what leadership was all about, to the extent that they were detrimental to the growth of the people they managed, while client relationships were also adversely impacted. Soft skills such as having the ability to stay composed when everything is topsy turvy, make the right decisions during difficult times, solve conflicts and navigate tough conversations, are essential for success in personal and professional life. However, although people are expected to automatically become experts in these areas as they grow older in age and experience, that does not always happen as people have different strengths and weaknesses. And their shortcomings remain as a blindspot unless identified by an expert. This realization gave a purpose to my life and is now my passion. It gave me the perfect opportunity to use my knowledge and skills to help people develop soft skills. It became my dream to create a one-stop solution for professionals and client organizations’ soft skills development needs. In 2011, I moved to Singapore where I felt there are the best opportunities to grow, ample resources to develop oneself, and a very conducive business environment. I was ready to take the plunge once again and I studied, took the required certifications and courses, and founded Strive High with the tagline “Soft Solutions For Tough Problems” to reflect its ideology and aim to help solve people issues. And I love doing it! I have always been involved in different volunteering projects. I believe that when we do something selflessly for the benefit of another, or when we stand for a cause that needs due attention, we also add meaning to our own existence. I would like to share some of the projects I am currently pursuing. I am the President-elect of the Rotary Club of Singapore Heartlands, and one of the projects I am currently leading is providing financial literacy to our less-privileged brothers and sisters. We are currently pursuing this project with the beneficiaries of the Sree Narayana Mission. We have completed Financial Literacy Training for the first cohort, and we will begin with the second cohort next month. I am also a council member and treasurer for Muslim Kidney Action Association (MKAC), which runs several programmes and activities to provide compassionate care and support to kidney patients from low-income groups by encouraging interaction and imparting skills and awareness on issues that can be helpful to them. I enjoy volunteering at MKAC, as it provides me with the opportunity to serve the beneficiaries and at the same time offers an excellent opportunity to understand the perspectives, rituals, beliefs and practices of my Muslim brothers and sisters. I think this is a great takeaway for me and enriches me personally. Because, if we learn to respect the differences of thoughts and practices of people from different backgrounds, especially race and religion, there will be a lot more harmony and peace in the world.

Walking to the office as a Mom-at-work, especially after taking a break while I was in the family way, was one of the most challenging parts of my life - from explaining to the recruiters about career gaps that I had to take to take care of my newborn kid, to assuring the employers that being a mom would not jeopardize my performance. It was challenging, especially when I compared myself to those who didn't fall in the same category. I walked extra miles at every step to prove my sincerity and avoid being judged as someone who thinks of her job as a lesser priority and less seriously because of home responsibilities. It is true that managing home, especially my kid, has always been my priority, but it’s never been at the cost of my work. I would try to leave the office on time and not socialize with colleagues after office hours; I would instead work for hours after reaching home and during the weekends to ensure I was always on top of my game. It was nothing short of hard work to perform both jobs efficiently to the best of my ability. I had forgotten about recreation, hobbies, sports, all of which I excelled at once. And it was indeed heartbreaking to find out that I was being paid lesser than my male counterparts and was perhaps easier to let go in case of a costcutting exercise. I often found myself asking this question "should women be penalized for taking care of family and kids or is it a cause worth being praised for?" Financial independence for women is essential, but if it comes at the cost of choosing either work or

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family, women voluntarily sacrifice their careers. There is enough research to support my statement. This issue is so deeply engraved in our society that we don't find it severe enough to do much about it. The fact is, if we do not find answers to these questions now, we will continue to see a decline in the number of marriages and consequently the birth rate in developed countries. There will be a hike in divorces, which will affect the growth and development of children and eventually our future. I learned to overcome these barriers as I was determined to create a career. We need to create a support system at home and work. I developed a robust team at home, comprising my husband and son. They pick me up when I fall and hold my hand when I need support. It is vital to meet the right people and learn from them. We can get the help we need if we proactively find solutions to overcome them and not succumb to the challenges. I discovered the power of networking early in my career and forced myself to meet senior professionals over coffee or a drink to learn from them. They were primarily men, and I am grateful to each of them for stepping up to guide me, mentor me and connect me with the right people. There were times when I felt being judged by other people, but that didn't stop me. And nothing should stop us as long as we are guided by our values, principles and goals!

A position does not qualify a person to be a leader. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to lead. In the words of Kenneth H. Blanchard, "Leadership is not something you do to people. It's something you do with people." Leaders need to be guided by compassion and be courageous to do the right thing. People are not machines, and they don't simply receive the instructions and follow the same way. They process the information, make decisions and do what they think is appropriate. If they are forced to do something they do not believe in, they feel disengaged and disconnect at the earliest opportunity. Leaders should have the ability to connect with others, listen to them, and address their concerns to influence them to take the desired actions.

The leader needs to earn the trust and respect of the people they lead. Along with compassion, this requires courage. Courage to stop themselves from pushing personal agenda, take a pause and listen. Courage to look beyond the obvious and have a viewpoint guided by insight and driven by values that the leader espouses.

To me, being mighty means being able to use my voice to make a difference on the issues that matter to me.

Well, I do consider myself to be powerful. This confidence has come with time, as I gradually discovered myself while fighting my struggles, identified my strengths, learnt to overcome my shortcomings, found my voice and built the courage to voice it out.

Reviewed in the United States

Introducing an autobiographical novel based upon the memoir of an 8-year-old girl growing up in British Colonial Singapore in the 1960’s EGG-CELLENT!

Both the author's parents, in her words, are direct descendants from two separate Royal Houses from Indonesia. The entire Court from both those Houses, were exiled to Ceylon for not succumbing to the Dutch Masters. The author's Father was from a Royal House in Batawie (Batavia to the Dutch) and her Mother is from a Royal House from one of the Sultanates in Sumatra. Their descendants formed the CeylonMalay Community in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). They subsequently ended up in Singapore where the book takes place.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom

Reviewed in Manila, Philippines This is a fascinating insight into a long-gone slice of Singapore life which was visible only to those who were there at the time. Take a trip down the memory lane of someone who has been there, seen that, and done that, and enjoy the experience of a roller-coaster ride of emotions. P.M.H. An eloquent and entertaining account of a memorable childhood in Singapore during the waning years of British colonial rule. The author writes with wit and style about the remarkable history and daily lives of her distinguished family and their characterful cast of household staff. Her writing is imbued with a generous seasoning of the lively vocabulary and expressions of Singaporean English - Singlish. She paints authentic and atmospheric word pictures, accompanied by evocative illustrations, of aspects of Singapore that have all but disappeared from the modern metropolis of today.

Reviewed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Sacrifices and soul-hearted shown with respect and dignity. Everyone must have her well written book.

I was first introduced to football in school during the physical education (PE) lessons in my secondary school. I enjoyed the sport but never really thought I would touch a football outside of PE lessons. Through various casual football sessions with friends, I grew to like the sport even more. In junior college I decided to go for the football trials with a friend, just for fun since I was free after school that day. While I was there I met a school mentor and spent most of the trials with her. Looking back, I think she was the reason I decided to sign up for football because I wasn’t intending on joining the sport, but I met her another day during my lunch break and she really convinced me to give it a shot after much apprehension.

It’s a mix of responses. Older relatives will seem shocked and impressed and immediately ask why I decided to play football. People my age will respond with something along the lines of ‘oh, that’s cool!’ and ask me more about it and how I got started. I think one significant response that was a little weird for me was when someone said it was ‘admirable’ that I played football. I think about that response every now and then and I still get confused.. haha

Occasionally, I would hear comments that mock the pace of a women’s football game in comparison to men’s or about how we miss “simple/ easy shots”. Most of these are disclaimed as lighthearted banter or just a joke, and most of the time it doesn’t get to me.

Sometimes an equal amount of criticism is targeted towards male players as well. Although, it is true that women’s football games may not be as fast-paced or ‘intense’ as men’s’ games due to innate differences, both games should be taken just as seriously. I am very grateful that the people around me are very supportive and I never feel like I’m being put down. I feel like as long as people understand that there will always be a difference between men and women’s football, but still appreciate and respect the different aspects of both games, a more positive and inclusive environment can be created.

To me, being powerful means to be adventurous and fearless in whatever we do, as cheesy as that sounds. I guess being powerful is very context dependent. In terms of football, it being a male dominated sport has never stopped me or made me doubt myself in my place as female. I just have fun and play football!

Having children.. ;) But in all honesty, from a work perspective, I believe every entrepreneur faces their own unique set of challenges and I respect every single one of them for going through the journey. I have finally found something I love to do and have surrounded myself by an amazing team. If you were to ask my team what makes me different, they'd say empathy, because I genuinely care!

Yes, this is true and that is why I believe women add value, as they offer a fresh and often more commercial perspective. We demonstrate a different way of thinking which is what our clients have come to really value.

My approach has always been to cut out the noise. Yes women entrepreneurs are disadvantaged, particularly from an investing perspective, but if you focus too much on this, you start to act disadvantaged. I believe it is important to clearly define your goals, focus on them and just believe in yourself, as only you know what you’re truly capable of.

Powerful is about confidence, not caring what people think, being able to take a knock and get back on your feet stronger than you were before. When I first started my entrepreneurial journey, I used to worry too much about what others thought and would take knock backs personally. Now I don't, I just focus on what I believe in, being there for my team and delivering exceptional value to my clients.

Do you feel like: • You have “everything” but somehow you’re not happy? • You need guidance but don’t know what that looks like for you? • Something is missing in your life and you are lost? • You’re taking care of everyone else in your life, kids, spouse, job but you come last? • Your self-confidence and self-esteem has taken a hit?

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