Chairman's Message

Dear Fellow Members,

As the festive Christmas has just passed, we are delighted to welcome the arrival of 2019 believing that it will be a brand new and promising start, surpassing last year in all respects. The Year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar is almost over and we will soon be welcoming in the Year of the Boar, which will be time for another round of traditional celebration and big feasts at family gatherings. Please don't forget to book early for table reservation as the Club's F&B facilities prove to be very attractive and popular these days in terms of comfort, price and quality, not to mention the caring service of our loyal staff.

Very many thanks to all of you who donated and helped prepare Christmas gifts from the Club for those less fortunate children who had to spend their Christmas in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This long-standing worthy cause of ours has always been well-supported by Members and this year was of no exception. Members of the General Committee together with the General Manager presented the donated gifts to the hospital on 20th December where all presents were gratefully received.

Still, on the community relations theme, you may be pleased to notice that advertising posters are displayed in MTRC stations promoting a nostalgic football charity match between the Hong Kong football veterans, named the ‘Happy Valley 80’ and the team from USRC called the ‘Chairman's Select’. It is to be held at King's Park Sports Ground on 12th January at 10:00 am where entry is free for all. The charity sponsorship is from several commercial enterprises and organised by our Football Section. Aged groups from certain Kai Fong District Associations will be invited back to the Club for lunch after watching the friendly game as a gesture of our social hospitality.

As you may have noticed, numerous works items are or will be, in the process of being carried out around the Club, all based on their urgency and priority. These projects include repairs of tennis and squash courts, re-cast of new roadwork at the upper car park, footpath resurfacing by the front entrance and marquee refurbishment.

The Projects and Security Director has been working very hard on tender analysis/ negotiation and contract monitoring. Inconvenience caused to Members during works is inevitable and your patience and tolerance are appreciated. The Club premises and facilities should be in much better shape when the works are finished.

On the financial front, the Treasurer and the management are fine-tuning the 2019 budget for approval by the General Committee with the objective of ensuring a satisfactory financial status and maintained in the year to come. With the ever spiralling upward food costs and manpower expense, there may be a necessity for modest adjustments in F&B menu prices, or perhaps a minimum F&B charge is re-introduced to secure a basic revenue return. At the time of going to press this has yet to be decided. That said, the small increase in prices, if adopted, will be in line with the cost of general inflation and comparable with those imposed by other clubs of similar standing in Hong Kong.

You will soon be receiving a letter from me soliciting your contribution to the annual staff cumshaw fund. This year-end gratuity or bonus from Members is entirely voluntary, as is the preferred amount. Your generosity will be regarded as a reflection of your appreciation of the good work that our staff, including those behind the scenes, has done throughout the past year. Part of the cumshaw will help pay for the staff annual party which is yet to be decided on where it will take place. The remaining sum will be used to support staff activities during the coming year.

Finally, I sincerely wish all Members and their families a very joyful, healthy and prosperous 2019 and Kung Hey Fat Choi for the Year of the Boar.
 
Best regards,
 
Patrick Cheung
Chairman