Gathering for new members

new members3  new members1  new members2We can give this a try, a gathering for new members.  Some senior members felt that we should have a gathering for new members, for example those who have joined this year 2014.

The new members are likely not to know anybody in the Club, and sometimes are lost in the monthly gathering.  Hopefully a gathering for new members once a year would help.

In a gathering, older members tend to gather among themselves, resulting new members feeling that SHC has many cliques.  So, perhaps a gathering for new members may or can help.  Many members keep saying the Club should do something to help the new members.  Many members feel that our gatherings should have a timeslot dedicated to introducing new members.

Perhaps, we should find a place, a date and a time. Yes, venue has been proposed and confirmed as follows:

1: Venue: Hans Cafe at Upper Pickering Road, Great Eastern Building.
2. Date: Mon 22 Sept 2014.
3. Time: 1700 – 2000 hrs.
4. Participation – Free.
5. F&B – Buy from the Hans Counter.
6. When you arrive, please see Kristy Quek at table registration.

Do let us know that you will be coming.

Terence Seah

Registration:

  1. Terence Seah, EO
  2. Kristy Quek & Alice Seah (Registration Desk)
  3. Helen Cheong
  4. Jenny Lee
  5. Liew Pak Kon
  6. Jeffrey Gan
  7. Bobby Bok
  8. Susan CH Tan
  9. Ann Lim
  10. Lilian Teo
  11. Victor Khor

 

Author: Terence Seah

Founder

29 thoughts on “Gathering for new members”

  2. Hi Kristy,

    If my memory is right, it costs about $30+ per hour to rent a place. I doubt it is feasible. We may not have the numbers too.

    Terence Seah

  3. Hi Terence

    My 1 cent worth ~

    I would suggest having a simple coffee and cakes session either at Han’s or a food court …. simple and not too expensive.

    Venue is free ~just a phone call for a booking at Han’s or just a walk-in at a food court eg 313 food court which is rather empty after the lunch-time crowd. A tea session from 3 – 5 would suffice? :-)

    If the numbers are small, even a cuppa and toast at Coffee and Toast, City Hall can do the trick.

    Cheerssss

  4. What’s your observation?

    We have many members, new ones. But they are quiet, and may surface a few years after they join SilverHairsClub.

    We write to them to invite them to participate; but they will say, I am busy, maybe will join all of you next time. A few common response from quiet members are “We have to feed a family”, “am busy on a weekday” and “Got to look after grandchildren” and/or “sick parents”.

    What to do?

    Terence Seah

  6. Hi Terence,
    Sorry, you have stated those who joined in 2014.
    Just talking about it won’t help. We should put our heads together to do a gathering for them.

    Cheers,
    Kristy

  8. The best first event for new members to attend is the monthly gathering or the coffee chat where there is already a pool of regulars. These regulars are vibrant and warm people and able to share positive experiences of membership. New members should make an effort to attend voluntarily. Or SHC should make it necessarily for new member to make it to one of this event within 3 months to be eligible.

    If the desire of the new members is not to meet up or not ready yet, specially arranged event for them is not going to lure them to attend. It took me close to 2 years to attend my first event which is the monthly gathering. How special can such session be from the monthly gathering or coffee chat. It is still an event with fixed place, time and date. The first impression of attending a first event is important to newcomers and can specially created event where new members and few existing members present provide the positive experience.

    The current cofee chat or monthly gathering can be structrured or re-structured to provide minimum “sharing or airing time” for newcomers.

    One other way for SHC to know new members is to post a snippet of themselves online stating some basic bio datas like
    Name, gender, age, Retired ( fully or semi )
    if not retired , then occupations
    Hobbies :
    Likes/Dislikes and finally
    “Why I do join SHC and what do I look forwards in SHC?”

    The information I listed are example and may include more.
    Old members for sure would welcome them in replies.

    Leon

  9. Monday 22 Sept 2014 is now confirmed as a new members gathering day. If you have joined as a member this year, please do join us at this gathering.

    Mon 22 Sept 2014
    1700-2000 hrs
    Hans cafe, Great Eastern Building, Upper Pickering Street, Clarke Quay MRT.
    Participation: Free

    New members, please register at table registration with Kristy Quek when you arrive at the gathering.

    Terence Seah

  11. Terence, my two cents’ worth of suggestion.

    Since you have the emails and contact numbers of the new members, have you sent invites via emails or smsed them directly? They might not log into silverhairs site or might not even know how to go about registering for an event.

    Cheers
    Ros

  12. Ros,

    Your feedback is worth many times more than 2 cents.

    Invites have been sent out. Over 50% of the responses indicate they are working and unable to make it on a weekday. I have noticed over the years that more and more Singaporeans our age are working. This is a good sign that many are not retiring.

    Ideas are always welcome.

    Terence Seah

  13. HI Terence
    Please register me for the new member gathering on 22nd Sep under: PK Liew.

    Thanks/Rgds
    Liew Pak Kon
    P/s Did not receive your invitation but saw this event on your site.
    I will be coming but have to leave around 6 pm because of other commitment.

  14. Terence, here’s another 2 cents’ worth of suggestion. Total 4 cents liao. :p

    Since most new members unable to join gathering on a weekday, perhaps you can organize one on a weekend day?

    *Runs & hide*

    Ros

  15. Hi Ros,

    I too thought the same as you. If some members are not available on a weekday, how about organising the events on a weekend.

    You may not be surprise. Weekends are family day. Weekday no time and weekends, no time too. Got housework to do, Weekends are the only days for shopping.

    Singaporeans are busy indeed.

    SS Tan suggested to me recently that we should offer free coffee during the monthly gathering. Sounds like a workable idea.

    Terence Seah

  16. Hi All new members,

    You are encouraged to make your own nametag and put it on.

    How to make the SilverHairsClub nametag?

    The SilverHairsClub name tag has the following specifications. Please design and print your name tag yourself, and put the card into a plastic holder, which can be hung around the neck or pinned on the shirt/dress. There is no need to standardize the design.

    Size: 89mm x 51mm (3.5inch x 2inch)

    Paper: Can be of any colour or material.

    Font size: As bold as possible so that others can see your name from far. Any colour, shape or design.

    Content: Your name. Must have the first and last name or first, middle and last name. No abbreviation. Company name not allowed; except when approved as a Corporate member.

    This name tag should be used at all SilverHairsClub gathering.

    Cheers,
    Kristy

  18. Hi Terence,

    I hope that we will see a more encouraging response from new members and we should be able to, because there are over a million hits (readership) in this blog and if we can gather say 50, it’s just a drop in the ocean, so let’s continue to try our best to persuade them to come.

    But I suppose most new members will need to take a while to warm up to the idea of attending a gathering especially when you are going alone for the first time. Honestly, I will also feel the same way as a new member. How long did our long-time members take before they finally came on board to join the activities, unless they have a friend who’s a very seasoned SHC member to bring them in. I took 2 or 3 years to warm up to the idea and came in on my own.

    On this understanding, I wonder why not we do an outdoor excursion in a bus load – this kind of activity is not very closed-in as a sit-down chit chat which really, how much can a new member talk about? I think that if they come out and all are in an event together, same people, they will feel more comfortable and have more things to keep the day occupied in an excursion.

    Just verbalising my thoughts…. Hope we can have a good discussion on this. Thanks.

  19. Weiwei Susan,
    I also agreed leh… 1 day of outdoor excursion tour to some of the scenic plcs in SG followed by lunch and to be continued with tour again.. A warm up introduction can be arranged during the journey on the coach though it might not so easy to remember each and every one of them… But 5 of 40 names (assumed 1 full coach of members) is a good start lor…

    Cheers.. Dolly

  20. If you have registered to get a password, and have forgotten the password, I shall be pleased to reset your password during the New members gathering.

    I won’t be able to help you if you have not registered, meaning you do not have a username.

    This service only if you have forgotten the password.

    Terence Seah

  21. Hi Terence,
    Thank you for organizing, please register me for the event. I will be there early at 5pm and may have to leave after a period of time for another appointment in the evening . Best regards..
    Bobby

  22. I recalled that when I was a newbie in SHC, I attended a couple of monthly gatherings. Just observing only. Of course I had one member (May he rests in peace) who was loud-mouthed and introduced me to the other members. It was embarassing as I am an introvert (yes, I am) and would prefer to s.l.o.w.l.y get to know members. I just smile if I happen to have eye contact with anyone at the monthly gatherings. Yes, it took a while but eventually I got to know the members through activities and more monthly gatherings. Most I recognise their faces and forget their names or I remember names but cannot recall who they are. It’s like that I guess when meeting a lot of people at one time. I have offended some people but I have also made friends.

    New members, if you’re reading this – no worry, just attend the gathering and observe and eavesdrop as to what others are talking about. Someone will approach you and if you’re shy with strangers, let that someone do the talking and you the listening. In time, you’ll find some SHC members you can ‘click’ with and develop hopefully, lifelong friends.

    Cheers
    Ros

  23. Thanks v much, Dolly.

    The excursion is not difficult to do and I’ve done it some time ago for my neighbourhood community. But must fill the quota of 35 cos the price charged is per bus load. If fewer than 35 the cost per head will be more.

    However it’s a shopping trip so we get to visit places and do some shopping, usually it’s for snacks or household items.

    Hope to see more new members this coming Monday and explain the concept. Terence, as this is the first time that we’d like to meet new members, and to minimise any inconvenience to them, perhaps you can allow them to walk in and they can register there and then?

    Looking forward to seeing old friends and new members. Come, come, dont be shy leh.

    Cheers!

  24. Today, at Hans Upper Pickering, we will be having a small gathering for new members. If you have not signed up, do let us know.

    For those members who have issues with their passwords to enter the Club, you may also come. We shall help you to fix your problem.

    Date/Time: Mon 21 Sep 2014, 1700 – 2000 hrs.

    See you.

    Terence Seah

  26. Hi Gabriella,

    Thank you for pointing out my date is wrong. My watch clearly showed 21 Sep 2014 in the morning. But, it will show 22 Sep 2014 in the afternoon. This is because the 12 O’Clock has not reached the full cycle.

    It has been wrong since 1 Sep 2014.

    The fault is with my watch. Guys and Girls, the new members gathering is this evening on 22 Sep 2014.

    Terence Seah

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