Swiss Club celebrates its 150th anniversary

THE Swiss Club located in the prime Bukit Timah area in the heart of Singapore is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. It is a major milestone event for the club, as not many institutions in Singapore can claim to have such a long and distinguished history.

"The 150th anniversary of the Swiss Club is a testament to the early and strong presence of the Swiss in Singapore," the club's president, Rolf Gerber, said.

"Since the 19th century, the Swiss community has been a vital part in the development and growth of Singapore. Till today, Switzerland is one of the largest foreign investors in Singapore."

The Swiss Club - originally founded as the Swiss Rifle Shooting Club of Singapore in the second half of the 19th century - has always offered the foreign community a "home away from home", says Mr Gerber.

Now, "the club is 'Home for all Nationalities', including a growing number of Singaporeans, who are attracted by the club's extremely kid-friendly environment".

"Given the name Swiss Club, most people erroneously assume that the club only caters to the Swiss. Nothing is further from the truth," he adds.

The 150th anniversary definitely calls for a big celebration, but the Swiss Club has had to modify its celebratory plans due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Despite its relatively small size, Switzerland is a very diverse country with at least three distinctive regions. The original plan was to showcase the best that Switzerland has to offer from each region, in terms of scenery, traditions, craftsmanship and of course, culinary delights. The plan was to organise smaller and bigger events, open to the public - both at the club and at various locations in the city," says Mr Gerber.

SMALLER CELEBRATIONS

"Unfortunately, the pandemic with its various restrictions has made all these plans futile. Instead, smaller celebratory events, primarily for the members, will take place this year. The bigger events for the members and the public have been postponed to 2022, subject to the then prevailing conditions."

Asked to share the club's plans, keeping in mind the limitations imposed by Covid-19, Mr Gerber says: "Assuming that the pandemic allows Singapore to return to some normalcy sooner than later, it is still the intention to go ahead with showcasing to an interested Singapore public the typical seasonal Swiss traditions from its various regions...

"The event and activity sizes will have to be adjusted to the prevailing limitations but the message remains the same - that everyone, regardless of nationality, is welcome to be part of the Swiss Club family."

Unfortunately, the situation has impacted the club's services and activities. Like all the clubs in Singapore and many businesses, the Swiss Club had to close entirely for three months during the circuit breaker and has operated since with much reduced capacity due to the safe management restrictions.

"Large events, such as the famous Oktoberfest with over 12,000 participants or the Swiss National Day celebration on Aug 1 with about 600 attendees for example, had to be cancelled for the second year in a row. But even smaller club activities such as competitions, Summerfest, Swiss farmer breakfast, to name only a few, were not able to take place. This has naturally impacted the club's offerings and finances," says Mr Gerber.

Coincidentally, in 2019, the club embarked on a major renovation project to upgrade, modernise and enlarge its two restaurants as well as other facilities. Although the renovation project was initially supposed to be finished by August last year, the pandemic caused a delay until June this year when the renovation exercise was finally completed.

"The upgraded restaurants offer a wonderful setting with a lot of fresh air circulation which people have always appreciated but may appreciate even more now. The impact on the club's sports offerings such as tennis, football, and paddle court is only limited and continues to enjoy high take-up. With some creativity, we will soon also be able to offer previous and new activities for our members to enjoy," says Mr Gerber.

With many members unable to travel due to the pandemic, the club's sports facilities have experienced high popularity and take-up - especially tennis and swimming lessons.

The vast grounds of the club, surrounded by forested areas with century-old trees, cater especially to families with kids where they can roam freely in nature and enjoy the various playgrounds and ad hoc activities.

With five tennis courts, the Swiss Club offers the most number of tennis courts than any club in Singapore, says Mr Gerber. A big leisure pool and a dedicated lap pool, a paddle and basketball court, a gym, a sports hall and a big football field round off the sports offerings.

The newly renovated historic clubhouse offers a fine dining and casual restaurant. The Rifle Lounge in the clubhouse is a popular place for smaller corporate retreats. The guesthouse with one family suite and 12 nicely appointed rooms used to be a well-frequented abode for guests of members or returning members. Today, it is a popular staycation venue, he adds.

The club's membership numbers currently stand at around 1,300, with members from over 40 nationalities.

"The Swiss Club, despite its name, is a truly diverse and international club where everyone is welcome. The tagline "Home for all Nationalities" under the Swiss Club logo exemplifies its diversity...

"The big draw of the club is its vast grounds in the middle of the forested areas, providing a unique oasis of calm and nature in a big urban environment. With people unable to travel due to the pandemic, the club has experienced a delightful above-average growth of membership," says Mr Gerber.

He adds that although the operating restrictions due to the pandemic have impacted the annual revenue of the club, its finances remain healthy due to prudent financial management in the past and ongoing careful cost control.

"With the reopening of the renovated restaurants and the gradual easing of the safe management restrictions, we also expect a welcome increase in the F&B revenues. We are also resurfacing the tennis courts and are considering some further upgrades to the club to make it even more attractive to members," says Mr Gerber.

The Swiss Club's historic clubhouse was built in 1927 and it had last undergone a major renovation and extension in 1984.

"A much-needed facelift was long overdue. The exterior facade has, however, remained untouched to preserve its colonial splendour. To be able to reopen the extensively renovated clubhouse in its new splendour this year is a fitting tribute to the club's 150th anniversary," says Mr Gerber.

The total renovation cost of S$7.5 million also included a completely new Jungle Cove (which was previously known as the Jungle Bar), an extensive upgrading of the leisure pool and the surrounding area.

The history of the Swiss Club's origin is fascinating. While the British played their favoured cricket game over the weekend in the second half of the 19th century, a group of Swiss friends gathered with their rifles for shooting practice in the forest in what is now the Balestier Road area.

Thus, the Swiss Rifle Shooting Club of Singapore was officially founded on June 29, 1871. Almost 30 years later, the club moved to the peak of Bukit Tinggi in the Bukit Timah area, providing a home away from home for the then already sizeable Swiss community in Singapore.

A 300m shooting range targeting the peak of Bukit Tinggi was maintained in the current Swiss Club until the 1980s. The name Swiss Rifle Shooting Club of Singapore was officially changed to the Swiss Club in 1925.

Today, the Swiss Club is also home to the Swiss, Chatsworth, Dutch and Korean Schools, the British Club and the Institute of Engineers. The entire Swiss Embassy compound is also situated on land leased from the Swiss Club.

KEY INITIATIVES

Mr Gerber was first elected president of the Swiss Club at its annual general meeting in 2017. He has been re-elected at every subsequent AGM since then.

Asked about his key initiatives since taking over as president, Mr Gerber says: "The key initiative is certainly the successful planning, execution and completion of the extensive renovation of the clubhouse, Jungle Cove, swimming pool and surrounding area. However, these herculean tasks would not have been possible without the active help and support by my fellow committee members, the management and all the staff at the Swiss Club."

Another new initiative taken by Mr Gerber as club president was organising the first neighbourhood dinner for the residents living near the Swiss Club in 2019. This was followed by a mini-Oktoberfest for financially disadvantaged families in October 2019, which provided half a day of fun and laughter for them.

"An ongoing initiative is to maintain the lush greenery with century-old trees and to preserve this natural environment and ambience for generations to come," he adds.

The club has 50 staff, some of whom have worked there for over 25 years and even remember the members' club membership numbers.

"We are very proud to provide a working environment where employees feel comfortable and become part of the Swiss Club family. Likewise, the club is committed to its staff, also during difficult times, for example when the club had to close during the circuit breaker period," says Mr Gerber.

The club is run by a professional management team led by Aaron Lim as general manager, who is assisted by a deputy general manager and various heads of departments looking after key functions and services such as member relations, kitchen, sports, and environment, to name only a few.