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The British Club is planning to put its woes and infighting behind it with a new, united committee and a series of initiatives to enable members to voice their opinion.
Determined executive committee chairman Andrew Savage, pictured above, who was voted back to lead the club forward in 2012, has revealed that money will be spent to upgrade the club’s swimming pool and to solve electricity supply problems which have infuriated many members in recent months.
Mr Savage said: “We believe that as a committee we are responsible to the members and have a duty to ensure that we provide the best service that we can to them.
“The new committee is working hard to introduce initiatives within the club to ensure that members know what is happening and are able to give feedback on the club’s activities.”
The club, which boasts a current membership of 1,790, voted in a new executive committee after holding its General Assembly Meeting. Last year an extraordinary general assembly meeting was suddenly cancelled as members were all set to go to the ballot box. The government ministry responsible for overseeing expatriate organisations decided to allow its existing seven-strong committee to continue its work until the annual gathering.
Chaos had earlier erupted at the club when three rebel members of its executive committee resigned claiming they had ‘no other option’. In normal circumstances the move would have forced the institution – founded in 1935 and once dubbed the ‘best British social club in the world’ – to appoint a new line-up almost immediately to run its affairs.
Secretary Steve Berkhauer, entertainment head Rodney Davies and lady member Karen Cartawick all handed in their resignations amid allegations that moves were made to appoint a replacement for controversially-ousted general manager Peter Down before a meeting to discuss the issue was held, and other matters.
Mr Savage claimed some of the press reports from last year were ‘unfortunate and inaccurate’, adding: “They were not constructive to the persons concerned, the club or its members and I think the seven executive committee members who remained in position at the end of last year did a tremendous job to ensure the club functioned, activities went as planned and that the financial loss of the previous year was reversed.”
December’s voting, however, has given a ‘new balance’ to the committee, according to the chairman, with six of the remaining members from last year’s executive committee being re-elected or standing unopposed and four new members joining.
Already the club’s Facebook page is up-and-running and the committee is working to improve its website, ‘again with options for feedback’, he added.
Other proposals include the publication of a quarterly club magazine and also for a Twitter account to be activated.
“We have already set dates for additional and regular open forums where members can meet with committee members to give feedback and also receive direct answers to any questions raised,” said Mr Savage. “Constructive criticism is always welcomed and each member will have their own priorities and opinions.”
The first of these is scheduled to take place on Sunday between 6pm and 8pm in the Garden Room at the club premises.
“We believe that, as a committee we are responsible to the members and have a duty to ensure that we provide the best service that we can to them,” said Mr Savage, who has not only been lucky at the ballot box but also in love.
“On a more personal level, 2012 will also be a busy year for me as my partner and I are getting married here in Bahrain in June,” he said.
Originally from the English East Midlands town of Newark on Trent, the father of two sons, Adam, 28, and Tom, 24, Mr Savage now lives in Mahooz and has worked for a local engineering company in Bahrain since 1994.
Alongside Mr Savage the new committee is now made up of treasurer Mike Wiggins, executive secretary Steve Sutton, membership secretary Neil Dawson, house member 1 Chris Woodrow, house member 2 Gordon Stowells, entertainment Jenny Walters, lady member Gayle Clark and general duties Ellen Swales.
Executive chef Robert Moore was recently appointed to help develop the menus offered at the club’s various food outlets. The 48-year-old Brit was head chef at the celebrated Leasowe Castle Hotel in the Wirral, Cheshire, and prior to that worked in other leading establishments in the UK as well as in Angola, Algeria, Moscow, Norway and Saudi Arabia.
Mr Savage added: “Our new entertainment member has already started to put together a busy and varied programme of events taking into account feedback from the members and we are looking forward to an exciting year which can be followed through our Facebook page and website.
“We have the Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year for Queen Elizabeth II, which will be held in the garden on Friday, June 1. This follows our Spring Show which is to be held on May 3 and the annual Birdman of Bahrain competition also taking place in May.
“On the financial front, last year’s committee managed to turn around an operating loss from 2010 into a small surplus in 2011 in line with budget expectations and this has placed the club in a stable position for this year’s programme of capital expenditure.
“In the next few months the club will be upgrading the swimming pool by installing new chiller/heaters and filters as well as installing new surfaces around the pool.
“The building of a new electricity substation to ensure that the club has a constant and stable power supply is also being completed. 2012 will certainly be a busy year for the club.”
An activity area for older children will also be commissioned at a later date upon completion of the cable trenching works.
Only one thing, however, remains unresolved … who will step into Mr Down’s shoes? The club is currently seeking to appoint a new general manager with the right experience and qualifications to take the club forward. Additional support staff members are also being recruited including a human resource assistant to assist the new GM with managing 80 members of staff.
For more details visit https://www.britishclubbahrain.com where prospective new members can download membership application forms.
