W BROTHER RONALD SATHIANATHAN, PDAGDC WINS ACCOLADES FROM SKÅL INTERNATIONAL ASIA
By: W Bro Louis Ruehlmann
Singapore SEPTEMBER 2020
Our W Bro Ronald Sathianathan, PDAGDC, is well known throughout the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago for his many achievements and services to Freemasonry and to his lodge, The Zetland in the East Lodge No. 508 E.C. It is therefore a pleasure to share with our readers what is indeed good news as related to W Bro Ron’s professional career by republishing excepts from an article recently published in the Travel Trade Gazette Asia. We are truly proud of him and wish him well.
W Bro. Ronald is the Honorary Secretary / Executive Committee of SKAL International Singapore as well as Director of Young SKAL Singapore. He was tasked in October 2019 to grow Young SKAL which had only 3 members for over a year. His targets had to be revised twice by himself as he exceeded all goals ahead of time in spite of COVID-19. By July 2020, membership went from three (3) to twenty (23) members.
As such, Young SKAL Singapore was awarded Young SKAL Club of the Year Asia and SKAL Club Singapore recognised for launching the Young SKAL arm. Both were presented at the recent Asian Congress via zoom.
No doubt under his leadership Ron will continue to grow Young SKAL membership and activities.
To quote his old school (ACS) motto: The Best is Yet to Be!!
Excerpt of the Article Given Below
Young Skål Singapore grows in numbers; wins accolades from Skål International Asia
Young Skål Singapore was first launched by Skål International Singapore (henceforth, Skål Singapore) in 2018. As a category of Skål International for students and young professionals in the travel and tourism industry under 35 years old, the objective of Young Skål is to ensure that clubs around the world attract new and young professionals training for or working in the industry who, when qualified, will automatically graduate to active membership, thus ensuring a continuous supply of new and younger members.
Following an inaugural Young Skål Singapore networking and mentoring event in December 2018, Young Skål Singapore started with 3 members at the beginning of 2019. and the plan was to expand the membership base, allowing young professional millennials and students the opportunity to network and be mentored by the seniors in the tourism industry.
Skål Singapore Honorary Secretary, Ronald Sathianathan, former Hotelier, Hyatt Hotels, and with a close connection with youths, undertook the role of Director of Young Skål Singapore in 2019.
Skål Singapore actively organised Young Skål networking, mentoring and recruitment drive events which included participation in the Future Leaders Seminar and the Skål Singapore booth at ITB Asia in October 2019. The Young Skål Singapore President and Secretary were appointed in November 2019 and the Young Skål team was officially recognised at the Annual Skål International Singapore Christmas Dinner 2019.
A more recent event was held in February 2020 at Lyf Funan Singapore, which boosted the Young Skål Singapore membership to 15, a 400% increase from a year ago. Seven months on, Young Skål Singapore now comprises 23 Young Skålleagues.
Although Covid-19 thwarted some of the initial plans, Young Skål Singapore members continued to engage with their mentors and senior Skål Singapore members over virtual platforms.
(Left-Right) Young Skål President Dragon Chua, Director Young Skål Ronald Sathianathan, President Michelle Sandhu, lyf by The Ascott General Manager Norman Cross (host), Young Skål Secretary Jocelyn Sean, Member Patrick Fiat and Executive Committee Member Andrew Chan @ lyf Funan Singapore, February 2020
Shared Ron Sathianathan:
“Skål Singapore will continue to grow Young Skål and groom Young Skålleagues. While COVID-19 has impacted some of the planned activities, we are optimistic that the tourism industry will thrive once again. We are glad to have a resounding growth in our Young Skål membership despite these challenging times. We continue to engage our Young Skålleagues via small group meetings or over virtual platforms, helping them stay resilient, motivated and connected, not just in Singapore, but across Asia and the rest of the world. Young Skål Singapore members will also be attending the virtual ITB Asia in October 2020,”.
About SKÅL International Founded in 1934, Skål International is a professional organisation of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Its members, the industry’s managers and executives meet at local, national, regional and international levels to discuss and pursue topics of common interest. Skål International today has approximately 15,000 members in 400 Clubs throughout 80 nations.
About Skål Asia With over 2,500 members in 43 Clubs, 25 grouped in 5 national committees and 15 affiliated, the Skål Asian Area is the most diverse Area in the world of Skål, spanning from Guam in the Pacific Ocean over more than 10,000 km to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean with clubs in 17 fascinating countries in between.
About Skål International Singapore Skål International Singapore was founded on 17 April 1952 as Club No. 102 of Skål International and is multi-national, non-political, non-racial, non-sectarian and non-commercial, where business links between members are encouraged.
About Young Skål Young Skål is a division of the Skål International organisation, specially created for students and young professionals in the field of tourism.
