Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore
(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)
Dear Babas and Nyonyas,
ALLOWING JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP
Members of the General Committee with newly elected Honorary Auditor (2019-2020), Baba Emeric Lau (far left in white shirt) at the AGM.
In my February letter I wrote about allowing children of members to join the Association as Junior members.
I wrote: “The most significant amendment is to introduce a Junior Membership category to enable us to recruit younger members, as culture is best imbibed when young.”
One well-read member responded with an encouraging comment: “I think the creation of a Junior category of membership is such an obviously brilliant far-reaching move.”
Our dear member, in her careful use of the phrase “far-reaching move”, was spot on.
Allowing junior membership does not only encourage our young to appreciate Peranakan culture and take pride in being a member of the community, but is also vital to the Association’s longevity!
Our membership as of 29 March 2019 stands at 2,006 members. Analysis of our demographics reveals that a mere 1 percent (15 members) are in the 18-29 year age group.
42 percent of our members are aged between 30-59 years, and 57 percent are above 60 years old!
This age profile was presented at our Annual General Meeting on 31 March 2019.
Sharing our concerns and sentiments about an aging membership base, all 54 Association members who attended the AGM unanimously approved the constitutional amendment to allow those aged between 6 to 18 years to join our Association as junior members. This is an important first step in revitalising the Association.
We will soon announce our Junior Membership drive. The Junior membership fee will be an affordable, one-time payment, and junior membership will be valid until the year that the child turns 18.
We now urge our members who are parents, grandparents and guardians to sign up their anak and chuchu as junior members.
Already, a well-known nyonya has declared that she would sign up all four of her grandchildren!
For us in the General Committee, it is a new responsibility that we will take very seriously. We will manage our junior members with sensitivity, care and mentorship, with the support and understanding of their parents, grandparents and guardians. My team and I have started to plan events and programmes for our junior members.
Our young should grow up being proud of our inclusive culture that has organically evolved over six centuries from a hybrid of influences into one that is embracing, exquisite and unique.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
For the past 10 months since this General Committee (GC) was elected, my team has been working very hard to revitalise the Association and put in place working protocols for future committees. Many of the GC members are volunteers with full-time jobs.
Our members have told me that they are delighted and excited that our Association has been actively
conducting monthly events, talks and workshops. While this is very encouraging, I must stress that there is only so much the GC can do alone.
We are a small team and we need more volunteers to work in sub-committees.
I urge our members to come forth and volunteer your time and talents, especially in the areas of website management, IT skills, graphic design, photography, cultural outreach (to schools and to the public), helping out at events or helping us with administrative tasks.
To volunteer, please write in to our Secretariat at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg or fill in this form online to volunteer with The Peranakan magazine.
Have a lovely month ahead!
Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
31 March 2019