If we delve into the word "community" - it denotes "the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common" as opposed to "commune" which promotes the notion of "a group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities" but if we encapsulate the two, it binds and reinforces a powerful cohesion, which is the intention of our social and business analysis.
Community and social clubs have been around since the onset of the 19th century, from the district clubs and gender-based clubs in England and Europe, and albeit their bourgeoisie origins, stature and differences, they have evolved to become dynamic venues for society to meet and gather, to mingle, to interact, to socialise and to bond.
The social movement for women was founded in the mid-19th century in USA through voluntary organisations to provide women an independent avenue for education and active community service, and for them to develop talents to shape the world beyond their homes. Working men's clubs developed in Britain in the 1860s develop as institutes where working class men could attend lectures and partake in recreational pursuits. Many middle-class social reformers who founded these clubs evolved from the temperance movement into a combination of sorts: public houses (what we call pubs), music-halls, and clubs, venues for entertainment, to drink socially, and to play bar games.
In general, social clubs progress and will continue to innovate through a common interest, occupation, or activity. With the rise of such clubs, purpose-driven member clubs have revolutionised to innovate and create lifestyle spheres for members to congregate and to partake special interests, hobbies and activities in groups, teams and segments based on genre selection, all across the world, including those in Asia, and in countries like Singapore.
HomeTeamNS Khatib
Lifestyle family member clubs are driven by certain distinctive needs and traits:-
The need to develop a sense of belonging, unity and camaraderie
The need to build communities for a collative togetherness, based on a social good
The need to strengthen cohesiveness and to inspire community bonding
The need to fuel segment-driven activities and elements to bring people together
HomeTeam NS, along with other huge community-based membership-centric clubs like SAFRA, execute these traits with precision and anchor their club development efforts towards creating relevant facilities and family-based amenities along with the latest eco-infrastructure for the goodness of their members, the community, the district/suburb and the environment based on their location, which becomes a key driver of success.
HomeTeamNS Khatib Clubhouse, along with many of its' existing clubhouses, was conceived with the sole purpose of matching the traits/needs of their Home Team National Servicemen (NSmen) in mind. This specific NSmen community revolves around the team from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), in recognition and appreciation of their contributions towards Singapore’s safety and security and to provide an engaging experience for them and their families.
Located within close proximity and walking distance to the Khatib MRT station, this first-ever ‘smart’ 21,000 square metre five-storey clubhouse in Singapore is equipped with digital capabilities, eco-friendly innovations and multiple first-of-its-kind facilities. Family comes straight into mind, as a key driver for building such clubhouses, and the celebration of the bond between the Home Team NSmen and their families. A constant highlight is the innate reinforcement to encourage and to help foster better relationships between the NSmen and their families, and the need to introduce family-centric initiatives and membership rewards for these members.
Clubhouse 3.0
Aside from catering to its' members, the community at large around Khatib and Yishun, along with other local communities (i.e. non-members) can also participate, and take part in the club's plethora of amenities, activities and events. Such is the wonder of modern social clubs, that have the propensity to cater to the wider community; to optimize commercial streams as a business concern, whilst adhering to designated privileges for their members.
Planning is a key success driver in developing a modern clubhouse, and HomeTeamNS has a Development Committee and an Advisory Panel, that is instrumental in the development of this energy-efficient, sustainable and environment-friendly facility. With a Clubhouse 3.0 social compact, the clubhouse leverages on technology to help better engage members, providing them with a comfortable and seamless visitation experience.
Community-centricity is intertwined with commune-tech innovations, such as self-service kiosks and “chatbots”, that allow members to renew their membership, make payments and book facilities with greater ease. These new digital offerings dovetail directly to the changing needs and aspirations of both current and future generations of NSmen, and their families. With the advent of the HomeTeamNS Mobile App, the tech-bonds further allow members to access the features on the go, and check crowd levels and access member-exclusive facilities via their digital membership card across all HomeTeamNS clubhouses, membership rewards and redemption of benefits via the app. This creates "a unique experience for NSmen, by NSmen, and where members of the HomeTeamNS community can bond through social, recreational and sporting activities", as shared by Ms Agnes Eu, Chief Executive of HomeTeamNS, as it "fosters Home Team identity and pride", and continue to "lead the change and inspire new benchmarks for how clubhouses operate – in terms of design, facilities and offerings.” This observation tantamount to the mission of HomeTeamNS that aims to build a greater sense of camaraderie amongst their NSmen and to provide a shared platform for the purpose of networking and building bonds through sporting and social activities. HomeTeamNS’ Khatib Clubhouse boasts a number of firsts in the history of clubhouses in Singapore:-
Adventure HQ: Largest Multi-Installation Indoor Adventure Hub
Adventure HQ is Singapore’s largest multi-installation indoor hub – complete with ten kaleidoscopic installations that cater to thrill- seekers and adrenaline junkies of all levels.
Indoor artificial caving
The all-weather facility, which features dynamic obstacle and aerial installations designed for recreational activity, cohesion-bonding and team-building activities, is home to many firsts, including:
Singapore’s first indoor Roll Glider at 233m long
Singapore’s longest indoor slide at 14m long
Singapore’s first 165m-long indoor artificial caving
Singapore’s first-of-its-kind 15m Cloud Climb
Singapore’s biggest two-tiered, 16-obstacle indoor challenge rope course
Adventure HQ at Khatib also comes with a variety of high and low obstacles such as a ninja course, sensory adventure trails and various rock and boulder climbing walls.
TactSim: Indoor Player versus Player (PvP) Airsoft Arena
Opening in Q4 2020, TactSim, Singapore’s first indoor Player versus Player (PvP) airsoft arena is designed as an indoor Tactical Simulator to help Home Team NSmen improve their marksmanship, decision-making and leadership skills in an urban environment.
Participants can engage in skirmishes or scenario games against each other in groups of up to 40 players per game, using airsoft replicas that launch 6mm plastic pellets at safe velocities. TactSim comes with one target shooting range and two PvP airsoft arenas.
T-Play Khatib: Peranakan-themed Indoor Playground
At 650 square metres, T-Play Khatib is the only Peranakan-themed indoor playground in Singapore. In partnership with The Intan, Singapore’s award-winning Peranakan Home Museum, HomeTeamNS has incorporated Singapore’s rich Peranakan culture into the playground at T-Play Khatib, where parents and their children can appreciate Peranakan culture through a unique and enjoyable audio, visual and sensory experience. This indoor children’s playground encourages parent-child bonding through interactive structures and play elements that are designed to allow children to freely express their creativity.
Fitness Workz Premium gym
The clubhouse is also home to the largest and only Fitness Workz Premium gym, spanning 1,500 square metres. Fully loaded with state-of-the-art equipment and nine premium workout zones, Fitness Workz Premium comes equipped with an assortment of cardiovascular machines, functional and conditioning training via first-of-its-kind Guardians Bridge, a free and plate-loaded weights zone, as well as a mezzanine floor for both fitness courses and unique boxing vault sessions.
Ninja Course
Fitness Workz Premium also comes with an Endless Ladder, which SCDF firefighters use to improve their limb coordination and cardiovascular stamina. This underscores HomeTeamNS’ efforts in providing specialised training equipment that specifically meet their NSmen’s fitness needs.
In Conclusion..
The twentieth century would continue to deliver increasing educational, professional, and business platforms for us to make use of our intellect and creativity, and hundreds of clubs will propel to function across the globe into modern times, providing social members with renewed facilities, commune-tech venues for regular interactions so as to pave the way to network, learn about issues, and devise solutions through volunteers, similar to the past century.
The modern clubs of today are enjoying revitalisation through a shared common purpose, interest and social objective to reconnect with peers, colleagues and families and to enrich our lives by advancing the livability of our communities, in the same wand as demonstrated by HomeTeam NS Khatib, in Singapore.