Month: May 2011

Sometime ago, we started with the concept of key convenors.  The intention then was to see if these leaders could draw out more members into its activities.  This convenor concept had been proposed by members, and we had given it a go.  It was also intended as a means where members can contact the convenors.

Well, let’s listen to the convenors and hear what they have to say.

• Walking activities – Charles Wee
• Cycling activities – Yew Kwong
• Dancing activities – Dan Huang, Lily Ho, Dolly Lim, Jeffrey Gan
• Scuba diving activities – Jeffrey Lim
• Civic activities – Jassmine Teo
• Dating activities – Susan Chan
• Johore Bahru – Daniel Kang
• Johore Bahru & JB Orphanages – Sam Goh
• Yunnan – Feztus Lim
• Indonesia – Abel Tan
• Thailand – Terence Seah
• SHC match maker (Group 1 members joining SHC in Oct 2010) – Sam Goh
• SHC match maker (Group 2 members joining SHC in Sep 2010) – Frisna Tan
• SHC match maker (Group 3 members joining SHC in Aug 2010) – Richard Wong
• SHC match maker (Group 4 members joining SHC in Jul 2010)  – Margaret Tian
• SHC Business Network – Jeffrey Lim, Susan Chan

Convenors, please feel comfortable to give your feedback.

I request members to give opportunity to the convenors to voice their views.  We should respect their views and feedback, even if if you feel you could do a better job or have a better idea.

Terence Seah

Dear SHC members, 

 I have this special package to Genting on National Day.  The normal package is $198.  Due to overwhelming response,  this registration will  be closed on 30 May 11 (Mon).  Please email to me asap at cpohlian2@yahoo.com.sg if you are interested. I left with 10 seats only.

3 Days 2 Nights – National Day at Genting

Date:  7 – 8 August 2011
Departure Time: 6.30am
Charges : $158.00
Pickup    : Hougang (1st)  TBC (2nd)

Package includes:

• 26 seater Malaysian SVIP aircon coach  (45seater Sin Coach transfer) 
• RM180 Non-negotiable Slots Credit
• 2 nights hotel accommodation  at  First World Hotel Deluxe Room
• Gala Dinner at Genting Palace Theatre
• Entertainments & Lucky Draw (Grand Prizes worth more than RM20,000)
• 5 meals as per itinerary (2 breakfast /1 lunch /2 dinner)
• Group Insurance $10,000 and $500 medical for age 3-70 yrs

Day 1 (7/8)

Sin – Genting  (Lunch)    ??? – ???? (??) Breakfast at Ayer Hitam (own expenses). Lunch at Seremban Weng Heong Restaurant. After lunch proceed to Genting Highlands. – City of entertainment. Check-in First World Hotel – Counter 30. After check in hotel, free and easy..
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Day 2 (8/8)

Genting Highland  (Breakfast / Gala Dinner)    ???????/ ????? Breakfast at hotel (from 7 am – 9.30am).  After breakfast free & easy for own activities.  6.30pm  Gala Dinner at Genting Hotel – Gentng Palace Theatre.
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Optional Tour: Cheng Chwee Temple, Strawberry Park, Chlorate Shop and Lunch at Gotong Jaya  (own expenses  RM 10/- per person) ?????????????????Gotong Jaya ????? 10 / – ???

Genting Highland  (Breakfast / Gala Dinner)    ???????/ ????? Breakfast at hotel (from 7 am – 9.30am).  After breakfast free & easy for own activities.  6.30pm  Gala Dinner at Genting Hotel – Gentng Palace Theatre.????????8?(???)? ??????? ???????, ?????????????Optional Tour: Cheng Chwee Temple, Strawberry Park, Chlorate Shop and Lunch at Gotong Jaya  (own expenses  RM 10/- per person) ?????????????????Gotong Jaya ????? 10 / – ???

Day 3 (9/8)

Genting – Sin   ???? –??? (Breakfast / Dinner) Breakfast at hotel (from 7 am – 9.30am).  Free & easy till time to check out hotel.  Assembly 1130hrs at First World Hotel bus terminal , coach leaving at 1145 hrs.  On the way stopover for local product shop. After dinner, continue journey back to Singapore, estimated arrival time at about  21:00hrs,  with fond memories of the tour.
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Booking and Tour Information
  Full payment upon registration.  Any cancellation will not be refunded
  Coach seating number will be on first-come-first served basis.
  Minimum 6 months passport validity at date of departure

June Choo (Event Coordinator)

Each year, I like to take a trip to North Thailand.  Especially, when the weather is cold.  Coming next January, I plan to go to the Golden Triangle with Sompho.  This is where Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meets.  The weather is great, cold, and the pace is slow.  We plan to explore the kountains.

The plan is to do some shopping at the Burmese border., tour a few mountains, see spring flowers, speak Mandarin with the villagers who long ago came from China, take pictures of traditional Chinese buildings, eat local food, maybe some doggie meat, insects, and blow mist into the air. 

Weather is likely to be cold, around 5-15C, we get a chance to wear warm clothings, hug one another and see parts of Myanmar culture, Thaii Culture and even see Loas from high up, somewhere.

We are likely to tent, pretty comfortable, live in shared bungalows or in the vans.

As for dates, it will be 4-8 Jan 2012, both dates inclusive. Fly into Chiangmai, over night in Chiangmai, and we start the trip.  Return to Chiangmai, and you may overnight to do more shopping.

Please note I only organise *** travel.  If you are keen, put these dates in your diary.  Maybe, indicate your interest here.  You may withdraw, before  Nov 2011.

Terence Seah

Registration List:  (Strictly for SHC members)

1. Terence Seah – Confirmed
2. Janie Leong – confirmed
3. Dolly Lim – confirmed
4. Lily Ho – confirmed
5. Charles Chua – confirmed
6. Eillean Thean –  confirmed.
7. Eyvonne Chew – confirmed
8. Annie Tang – confirmed 
9. Audrey Wong – confirmed
10. Lilian Teo – confirmed
11. Yat Sing – confirmed

Registered but yet to confirm:

•  Lawrence Lee
• Jessie Lee
• Sekaran
• Sislyn Tan
• Annie Seet
• Tim Liu
• Sockie
• Esther Mok
• Josephine
• Laura Ng
• Ivan Lim
• Tian Soo
• Bobby Bok
• Pearlynn Tan
• Catherine Tan
• Ann To
• Daisy Yeo
• Oi Cheng
• Dee Ang
• Ella Tan
• Frisna Tan
• Pauline Chew
• Lena Ho

Hi everybody,

Gee, I have been away from club activities for a number of months. This is because I have been busy with sorting out and reorganising the next phase of my life. I am glad we have Dolly Lim to take over the role of Club Manager, at least until early next year. Then, we have Yew Kwong who has stepped down as Web Admin Manager.  We now have Sock Cheng, the EOs.ECs and the activities convenors.

The SilverHairsClub has been in existence since Oct 2005, that’s a good 5-6 years.  Every EO had done a fantastic job, creating and organising some of the best activities in Singapore for SilverHairs. This is a great achievement by SHC members.

Besides the political changes going on in Singapore, SilverHairsClub needs to re-evolve too. I have always felt that SHC should move on to another level. It should not just carry on with me as founder, with Dolly as CM and a concept team of EOs and ECs.

Previous and earlier discussions on this topic

1. In the last few years, we had invited ideas on how to take SilverHairsClub to the next level.  We had plenty of ideas on what activities we can organise and how we can structure a committee to manage these activities. However, no one has offered to take the lead of bringing SilverHairsClub to the next level.
2. Let me summarise some of the key thoughts of members, on the issue of taking SHC to the next level.

• The majority of members feels that we should remain status quo. With me as founder, a CM, EOs and ECs, a picture manager and a Web Admin manager. The reason being SHC has worked well, and if it works, why change the system.
• While there were few objections, I read from the forum that generally members are acceptable to continue with the same objective, the same taboos, the membership terms and age criteria, and the way EOs and ECs function.

My current position and thoughts

• I am definitely not in a position to take SHC to another level, not even within the next 5 years. You will be bored with the same way of running the club.  We would not have new ideas.  We are also not able to cater to the needs of the many other SilverHairsClub members who are watching on the sidelines to see if new activities cater to their needs, even though they may be shy, don’t speak and write so much English, not so internet savvy, not into dancing and singing, and not able to participate in gatherings because of geographical distances and peak times. For many, the costs of participation in our events are an issue. Even if members have the time, voluntary work can be prohibitive as travelling incurs costs.  Should we think about them? Should we consider them?
• At the same time, I really do not have the time resources. One of the challenges of having a young family.  Unfortunately I don’t take Viagra, and have really none of the energy of a properly set up team.  Only a few small panadols once in a while, when the guys quarrel or when the other girls start looking prettier by the year. But, more importantly, as with the current political situation in Singapore, we need to cater to the other mass of SilverHairsClub members. I think there is more to it than the current activities we have within the club. There are other important issues pertaining to jobs, old age, retirement and 3 meals a day.

Next steps

• I spoke with Dolly a week ago, shared my thoughts with some members, and would like to push ahead with "How to take SHC to another level?"
• During the many forum discussions, there was some suggestions about SHC being registered as a club and society. The pros and cons were discussed, and this direction was dropped. Read them in the old Posts.
• I think that some of the reasons why SilverHairsClub has been successful is the membership concept, the criteria, its objective, the supported activities, and the CM, EO and EC concept.  I personally agree that point 2 should remain, throughout the life of SilverHairsClub.
• To enable this big change into taking SilverHairsClub to another level, I am prepared to give up total ownership, control and management of SilverHairsClub as an entity. SilverHairsClub, as it is now, will maintain the status quo position. To replace the founder/s, I would propose a corporate entity takes over ownership of SilverHairsClub.com as a club and forum. The new entity should take on a wider role, with SilverHairsClub.com under its fold, instead of a founder, which is an obsolete position, not forward looking and not recognised in Singapore.
• The new corporate entity can be run like any business and company in Singapore. But it must allow SilverHairsClub to run status quo.  The business of the new corporate entity should extend outside SilverHairsClub and cover Singapore as a whole.  It should be forward looking and have a good recognition among those over 45 in Singapore.
• SilverHairsClub activities can be extended to the wider Singapore base, differentiating members and non-SHC members. Likewise, the new entity would go into the business of projects which SilverHairsClub had failed to do, for reasons of costs and risks.

Basically, I am now opening the ground for a new discussion. I would like the discussion to be open and transparent, and only discussions made on this forum would be considered.  The decisions will then be left to the new entity.  Please do not email me your ideas.

Timeline, I hope we can have an acceptable idea before the end of 2011, and with the new entity formed in early 2012.

Terence Seah

As mentioned in the first post of the Round Table, the main
purpose of this is to gather together like minded people in business
to network and to know who is who and who does what. As those in
business would already know, your network is the life blood of your
business. The old hands in business also know that very actual
business talk occurs during these sessions.

For this month, there is no particular agenda other that what is
stated above. Those aspiring to be in business are welcomed to join
in too.

Date : Tuesday, 31^st May 2011

Time : 7.00 pm

Venue : Mouth Restaurant
#02-01 Chinatown Point
(Chinatown
MRT Station)

As usual, we’ll split the bill at the end of the evening and it
should be about $30/person.

Attendees :

1. Jeffrey Lim
2. Andrew Koh
3. Fred Heng
4. Lee Seok Cheng
5. Veronica Ong
6. Rosalind Lee
7. Audrey Wong
8. Sue Chan

Yew Kwong has been SHC Web Admin manager for more than two years.  He has done a great job managing the website, tracking forum membership and spotting irregular occurences.  His term was supposed to have ended  31 Dec 2010.

Unfortunately, I have not done a good job trying to keep him on this role.  He has been busy of late, and wont be able to spend the time servicing our needs.  As such, let’s thank him for all the work, effort and time (usually late in the night) he has given us.

Wef 1 June 2011, I shall resume all the tasks of the Web Admin manager.  I am likely to look for someone to take this role sometime next year. 

Thank you again Yew Kwong.

Terence Seah

Dear Friends

At your request, we will try our best to keep this event ongoing.  As usual, the time, meeting & cycling venues remain unchanged until we are able to find new location.  (We welcome any new ideas and/or suggestions.)

• Venue    :  East Coast Parkway
• Meet-up :  4.00 pm inside ECP McDonald
• Start-up :  4.30 pm proceed to bicycle rental kiosk ($5 for 2 hours)

If you are interested in joining us for some fresh air and exercise, please sign up here.

Cycling Team – Yew Kwong, Douglas, Lily & Ah Nee

Participants :

1. Lily
2. Andrew Yeung
3. Ah Nee
4. Janie Leong
5. John Howe
6. Dolly

DEAR SHC MEMBERS,  I’m going to participate in a charity event in Batam on 21st May 2011 (sat). If you are free and would like to join me, please leave me a note here. We will depart from Harbor Front Ferry Terminal at 10.40AM.  The event is in aid of:
1. Aini Orphan Home,
2. Lions’ Center for Learning.

Both are located in Kampung Nelayan, Sekupang, Batam.

Fund raising will be held on 21st May at the KTM Resort, Sekupang. 

Highlight of the day:

-Visit to the Learning Center to meet with the orphans (There will be a short Chinese Orchestra performance from Singapore, games and gifts for the children), to be followed by a visit to the orphanages.
– Tree planting at 4PM- Charity Dinner (Chinese Orchestra & Singers from Singapore, Indonesia) -Sing for Charity Karaoke Session.

Sunday: free & easy.
  Total cost S$90 (include
Hotel stay 1 nite @ KTM Resort, breakfast, dinner and ferry return tickets).  I hope you can join me.  For more details and information please contact me here or email: frispjt@yahoo.com       REGISTRATION LIST: 1. Frisna (EO)  2.Tim Liu 3. Lilian Teo 4. Grace Kang

Durian season is here, let’s head north for a day of fun and adventure and of course a durian buffet!

The Durian Feast trip by a local tour company was fully sold out. I managed to contact another party to organize a similar tour by chartering a coach. Some of you would prefer to stick to the previous itinerary instead of visit to Bird Nest factory with no time for shopping.

Well, now I am please to inform that we will stick to the initial itinerary, hope that this would interest more to join us in this exciting outings!

Prices include:

Coach travel by  40-50 Seater/One durian Buffet lunch at Yong Peng/One Chinese Sit down dinner (halal and Vegetarian Dinner can be arranged)

Tour and sightseeing as per itinerary/ English or Mandarin speaking Guide/ coach travel insurances.

Itinerary:

0630am     Assemble  Newton Hawker Centre Carpark/Near Newton MRT)

0645am     Coach depart.

0915am     Customs Clearance at Checkpoint

0945am     Visit Mushroom farm with Breakfast (Provided)

1045am     Proceed to Yong Peng Product’s Shop

12.00pm    Visit YOYO local product’s Shop

1.00pm     Proceed to Durian Farm

1.30pm    Durian Lunch with Seasonal Fruits + Noodle with curry chicken – Unlimited (Provided)

3.00pm    Proceed to Bee Farm

3.30pm    Proceed to Kulai for Shopping

5.00pm    Shop at Kulai IOI Shopping Mall 

6.30pm    Dinner at JB Chinese or Halal Restaurant (Provided)

7.30pm    Back to Singapore .

9.00pm    Home Sweet Home!

Charges: Adult S$60.00(Min 30 pax, $56.00 (min 40 pax). Will try and see if a better rate can be obtained once we see the response. Rate of $65/pax exclusive of guide and driver tipping at RM$5/pax

++ Inclusive Group Accident Insurance coverage. S$10,000 and Medical Fee Up to S$500 (Min 40 pax)

For insurance coverage, please provide detail as follow:

Name/Sex/I/C No/Nationality/DOB/Passport Expiry date/Contact.

Please make payment to Joy’s POSB Savings Account: 159-131645 by May 28, 2011.

We need a minimum of 40 pax to enjoy this rate!

Event Coordinator, Dan

Those coming:

1. Dan (Paid $60)
2. Joy (Paid $60)
3. Gabriella (Paid $65)
4. EdwinTan (Paid $60.01)
5. Susan Tan (Paid $60.01)
6. Irene Poh (Paid $65.01)
7. Steven Chan (Paid $60)
8. Steven’s nephew (Paid $60)
9. Hamidah 1 (Paid $60)
10. Hamidah 2 (Paid $60)
11. Hamidah 3 (Paid $60)
12. Hamidah 4 (Paid $60)
13. Hamidah 5 (Paid $60)
14. Conrad Tang (Paid $60)
15. Sally Tang (Paid $60)
16. Conrad’s family member 1 (Paid $60)
17. Conrad’s family member 2 (Paid $60)
18. June Koh (Paid $65)
19. Judy Lim (Paid $60)
20. Christine Poh (Paid $60)
21. Tim Liu (Paid $60.11)
22. Evelyn Ong (Paid $60)
23. Bessie Lam (Paid $60)
24. Frisna (Paid $60)
25. YM Yeo (Paid $60)
26. Anna Seet (Paid $60)
27. Ronald Lam (Paid $60)
28. Douglas Chan (Paid $60.10)
29. Grace Kang (Paid $60)
30. Audrey Wong (Paid $60)
31. Yuet Yin Chan (Paid $60)
32. Dave Tan (Paid $60)
33. Margaret Soo (Paid $60)
34. Sally Tan (Paid $60)
35. Hamidah 6 (Paid $60)
36. Hamidah 7 (Paid $60)

Photos by Dan Huang & Judy Lim

Date: 14 May 2011 (Saturday)

Meeting Place: Segar LRT (not MRT) Station, Entrance by 4.30pm sharp and walk will start punctually.  Do allow 15-20 mins extra waiting and travelling time on the LRT.

Duration:  about 2 hours

EOs for this walk:  Veronica Wong, Charles Wee and Mary Tan

From Segar LRT station, we head towards Bukit Panjang park connector which links to Zhenghua Park.  This charming rustic park was built between the PUB pipeline reserve and the Bukit Timah Expressway.  It stretches in a long corridor for about 2.5km and nestled right in the middle of the Bukit Panjang housing estate.  Leaving the park, walk continues along Dairy Farm Road.  We then take the nature trail which leads to the Singapore Quarry, a transformed wetland with  steep cliffs, peaceful quarry lake and inhabitants of nature…….birds, fishes and many more.

Bring drinking water, an umbrella (for rain or sun), mosquito repellent, camera, cap and wear comfortable walking shoes with covered toes as we may walk the dirt trail if weather permits.

Walk ends back at Car Park A and take Bus No 178 at nearby bus stop to Bukit Batok Central.   For those who wish to, can adjourn for dinner at the Koufu Food Court or other eateries in West Mall. 

Other Walk Team members:  ChristinaCL Chan, Jeffrey Lim, Joyce Tan, Serene Low, Conrad Tang and Andrew Thio.

Walkies interested to go for this walk,  register HERE!

1. Gabriella Chua
2. June Koh
3. Grace Ng
4. Hew Lee
5. Alice Seah
6. Evelyn Ong
7. Maureen Lee
8. Lydia Chin
9. Lydia’s friend
10. Lee King Seng
11. Ng Lai Hock
12. Daisy Phuah
13. Lydia Soh
14. Tim Liu
15. Irene Poh
16. Peng Peng

Photos by Charles Wee and King Seng