Enterprising Eurasians
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www.eurasians.org.sg OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2014 Enterprising PLUS NATIONAL DAY AWARDS Eurasians Honours for Eurasians BUNKERS AND BIRDIES The joys and challenges of The EA Charity Golf Tournament being your own boss A FAMily OF ANIMALS Tanja Kahrs’ life as a vet Patrons MCI (P) 168/04/2014 Herman Hochstadt SR Nathan George Yeo CONTENTS Trustees Oscar Oliveiro Barry Desker AT THE HELM Timothy de Souza Joseph Conceicao 03 President’s message 14 Gerald Minjoot Gerard de Silva NEWS AUDIT COMMITTEE 04 National Day awards Boris Link VIP visitors to the ECH Helen Lee Foot-tapping fun Lim Yih Chyi 05 Contributing more to the Eurasian FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE community YOUTH AND SPORTS Francis Remedios International Balut tournament 14 Joseph brings home three swimming medals Ralph Stanley Alexandra’s net results Overcoming hurdles LEGAL ADVISORY PANEL 05 Martin Marini (Chair) Susan de Silva CULTURE AND HERITAGE William da Silva 15 Maurice Baker’s life in diplomacy 16 Finding one’s roots in Malacca MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Dancing Eurasians President 17 Street-wise in Francis Thomas Drive Benett Theseira Kristang Corner 1st Vice President Carla Barker 06 Golfing for charity 2nd Vice President 15 17 Celebrating Singapore’s birthday Yvonne Pereira Joining forces for community harmony Honorary Secretary Geoffrey da Silva Sunday Lunch at the ECH Honorary Treasurer New quiz nights at the EA Paul Leong Committee Members EDUCATION Francesca Eber 07 ECF Education Awards 07 Angelina Fernandez Alexius Pereira 08 Joint Tuition Awards PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY Kevin Aeria A day out with 18 Creature comforts Gerard Theseira dinosaurs 19 Giving a voice to people with disabilities SECRETARIAT COVER STORY www.eurasians.org.sg General Manager 09 When you’re the boss OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2014 Enterprising PLUS Lester Low NATIONAL DAY AWARDS Eurasians Honours for Eurasians BUNKERS AND BIRDIES The joys and challenges of The EA Charity Golf Tournament being your own boss A FAMILY OF ANIMALS Admin Executive Tanja Kahrs’ life as a vet Bridget Basnayake FSS Assistant Manager (Education & Heritage) 13 Pioneer package at Tea With Neighbours Jacqueline Peeris Getting by with dialysis FSS (Family Support Services) Simon de Cruz’s new role J Ramakrishnan On the Cover Corporate Communications M Revathhi Accounts Bernadette Soh Albert Pok Advertising Rates Series discounts, twice a Events Prime positions (full colour) year: 5% discount Daniel Chong Bleed size: 215mm x 280mm The magazine of The Eurasian Series discounts, four times a Operations/Events Type area: 185mm x 255mm year: 10% discount Mervyn Lee Association, Singapore Inside front cover: $1,200 The NewEurasian is published Inside back cover: $1,200 How to place your ad EDITORIAL TEAM quarterly and read by more than Outside back cover: $1,500 Call the EA at 6447 1578 Angelina Fernandez (Chair) 17,000 Eurasians in Singapore. or e-mail Revathhi at Rebecca Morris (Editor) It is also circulated to senior M Revathhi Loose inserts: $1,500 [email protected] Jean Angus government offices, various Ion Danker ministries, statutory boards, Inside: Colour Deadline Nicole Kessler community organisations Full page: $1,000 Copy must be submitted two and self-help groups. Half page: $600 weeks before publication date. Quarter page: $300 CONTRIBUTORS Philip Cordiero (Balut photos), Yvonne Pereira (Sunday Lunch) (Established July 1919) 139 Ceylon Road, Singapore 429744 Tel: 6447 1578 Fax: 6447 3189 Email: [email protected] 3 October – December 2014 • The New Eurasian President’s Message This has been a significant quarter for the EA. to society and learning more about their fabric for generations and many Eurasians In addition to two major events, the Eurasian culture and heritage. It was heartening to played a significant role in building modern Community Fund award ceremony and the hear Keren Ann Henry, top A-level student, day Singapore (such as Benjamin Sheares, EA Charity Golf Tournament that were share similar views in her vote of thanks on Edmund W Barker, Stanley Stewart and held in September, we were pleased to learn how people should stop focusing on what George Edwin Bogaars to name a few). It is that the Government has agreed with our society can give us, and start focusing on heartening that many other Singaporeans request and will be increasing the matching what we can give to society in order to create also stepped up to speak against such critics grant for contributions to the ECF from a happier nation. for their inaccurate perception and lack of $200,000 to $400,000 per annum starting grace when they should instead be celebrating from 1 January 2015. This is extremely good We were honoured to have the Chairman Joseph’s fantastic achievement for Singapore. news and I would like to thank Minister S of Temasek Holdings and former Minister Iswaran for his assistance in helping us to Lim Boon Heng as our guest of honour As we come to the close of another year, secure approval for this increase. at the golf tournament. The event a great I would like to extend my thanks and success and raised close to $250,000 for EA’s gratitude to the hardworking members of Together with the increase in ECF community programmes and operations (see the Management Committee, Secretariat, contribution rates, details of which we page 6). Through the golf tournament, we volunteers, donors and the Board of Trustees provide in our story on page 5, the increased were able to increase awareness of the EA for all their tireless efforts and support. In grant puts the EA on a much firmer financial and our community programmes among advance, I would also like to wish all Eurasians footing to plan and grow our community many of the corporate executives and firms a very Happy and Blessed Christmas. We assistance programmes. I would also like who participated. I would also like to thank hope that together with your friends and to thank all Eurasians who have been the many generous sponsors, in particular family you will join us to enjoy the line-up of contributing to the ECF via the CPF check- NTUC Fairprice, for their generous support events organised for the Christmas seasons, off scheme every month and I hope all of you as well as the organising committee from our such as the Children’s Christmas Treat and will continue to contribute to the ECF and golf society, EAGS, led by Quentin Pereira, Family Christmas Carnival, Social Circle support our community assistance initiatives. and everyone else who helped to make it a Christmas Party and the New Year’s Eve splendid day. Dinner and Dance at the Concorde Hotel. A total of 302 bursary and merit awards were given out to deserving students at primary, Last, but not least, our congratulations With your continued support, we look secondary and tertiary levels at the ECF go out to Joseph Schooling and his family forward to even greater achievements in award ceremony (see page 7). Since 1996, the for his tremendous success in both the the coming year. ECF awards have provided Eurasian students Commonwealth Games and Asian Games with bursaries, study grants, excellence and (see page 14). While we celebrated Joseph’s distinction awards. From inception, the success, there were a few regrettable comments amount of awards given out has grown from about Joseph not being a “true Singaporean”, $9,850 to more than $60,000 this year. despite being a third generation Singaporean. This is an unfortunate situation Eurasians It was a privilege to welcome our guest of sometime face: being mistaken for foreigners. honour, Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of In our response to the press, we expressed our State, Ministry of Education and Ministry unhappiness about this misconception and of Law, who spoke to the students about that, despite the small size of our community, Benett Theseira the importance of education, giving back Eurasians have been a part of the Singapore President 4 October – December 2014 • The New Eurasian The EA Plays Host to VIPs Get in Line – and Dance! Benett Theseira presents Mrs Rosa Daniel with a book Moving to the beat Chief Justice Mr Sundaresh Menon (centre) with the Mr Alfonso Malheiro with EA President Benett More than a 100 people attired in red and white EA management committee Theseira and vice presidents Yvonne Pereira (left) took part in a pre-National Day tea dance at the and Carla Barker ECH in July organised by the EA’s Social Circle, The EA welcomed three VIPS to the Eurasian and professional champion dancers Triena and Community House on separate visits in July management committee for lunch at Quentin’s Steven Ong put on a spectacular display of and August. restaurant and were given a tour of the Eurasian romantic rumba and cheeky cha cha. Heritage Centre. Mr Alfonso and Mr Sundaresh Mr Alfonso Malheiro, Ambassador of Portugal, were given a copy of the book The Eurasian On 31 August, the Country Line Dance the Chief Justice, Mr Sundaresh Menon, and Face by Kirsteen Zimmern and Mrs Daniel Association held a sell-out dancing session at the The National Heritage Board’s CEO, Mrs received Quentin Pereira’s book Eurasian ECH. For more information about dance sessions Rosa Huey Daniel, each met with the EA’s Heritage Cooking as a token of appreciation. at the EA, visit http://www.eurasians.org.sg/events/ Eurasians Receive National Day Awards The Eurasian Honours List More than a dozen Eurasians have been The full list of Eurasian recipients of National honoured with National Day awards this Day Awards 2014 is: year. Dr Robert B R T M De Souza, executive director of The Logistics Institute, Asia Pacific Among them are architect Edward D’Silva National University of Singapore – The Public JP, 63, chairman of the Publications Administration Medal (Bronze) Consultative Panel and a former president Joseph Stanley Peterson of the EA, who has been awarded The , vice-principal of St.