News

Women's Group Adopts New Name

The Women’s Group wrapped up its 70th-anniversary year with a brand-new name.

Formally approved with a vote at the Club’s Annual General Meeting in November, the group is now referred to as Connections.

According to Rusty Yuson, the group’s director of administration, the adoption was the culmination of many months of discussion, research and focus groups.

Yuson says the name reflects the evolution of the group, its membership and its purpose.

“The name Connections resonates with the group’s current mission to enhance the lives of members and their families through social connections, enrichment and cultural programs and charitable activities,” he says.

Club Unveils New Board

Seven Members were elected to the Club's Board of Governors at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 26.

At the first Board meeting following the AGM, Michael Alfant was selected as representative governor for his fourth consecutive one-year term.

In other Board positions, Jesse Green and Alok Rakyan were named first and second vice president, respectively, with Kenji Ota named secretary and Michael Benner continuing in his role as treasurer.

Elected Governors
American Citizens
Michael Alfant
Jeffrey Behr
John Flanagan
Catherine Onaka

Japanese Citizens
Kenji Ota

Other Nationalities
Alok Rakyan

Women's Group Representative
Heidi Regent

Club Earns Awards for Wine and Spirit Offerings

Three Club restaurants have won international recognition for the quality of their wine and spirit lists.

Among the restaurants honored in The World of Fine Wine magazine's annual best wine list awards was CHOP Steakhouse, whose wine list received three stars for a fifth consecutive year.

In a first, the third-floor dining spot's selection of spirits was named the best spirits list in Asia.

Elsewhere, Rainbow Café's wine list picked up two stars in the restaurant's first awards mention and American Bar & Grill's list garnered two stars, one more star than last year.

Wine lists are assessed on their breadth, depth, quality and value by a panel of eminent wine experts.

A three-star award, according to The World of Fine Wine, reflects a "great" wine list that shows variety in wine region, style, vintage, quality, winery prestige and format.

Former world sommelier champion Gerard Basset says the awards are "rapidly becoming as coveted as Michelin stars."

Remembering Sadako Ogata

Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and accomplished diplomat Sadako Ogata passed away on October 22 at the age of 92.

Ogata received the Club’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 1999 for her lifetime commitment to bolstering protections for the world’s most at-risk communities.

Following an accomplished career in academia, Ogata became the first woman to assume the role of UNHCR in 1990. Mere weeks after taking up the post, Ogata displayed characteristic empathy and decisiveness in confronting the Kurdish refugee crisis precipitated by the Gulf War.

Under Ogata’s leadership, the international community also mounted strong responses to the humanitarian crises of the Yugoslav wars and the Rwandan genocide. Her contributions to the legal definitions of refugees remain critical to the protection of displaced communities today.

California Wines Dominate at Club Taste-Off

California once again emerged triumphant in the Club's recent Seasonal Wine Taste-Off.

In a repeat of April's competition, three of the four winning wines were from the Golden State.

From the lineup of 12 whites and 12 reds, the 2017 Barrique Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast was selected as the seasonal white for November to January, with Submission's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, also from California, as the house red for the same period.

The seasonal white and red for next February to April are Meyer-Fonné's 2018 Gentil d'Alsace and a 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon from California's Joel Gott, respectively.

Eight-five Members voted in the biannual event.