Colombo Club City’s elite social hub

Colombo has a number of renowned clubs where members can spend a few hours relaxing and engaging in conversation with their friends and guests. These date back to the colonial era and still have that old world charm and ambiance. Membership is often exclusive and one can often find the cream of Colombo society at these clubs.

The Colombo Club, now located at the Taj Samudra premises, is one such venue which has stood the test of time and many socio-political upheavals. The location of the Colombo Club in the heart of Colombo is ultra-convenient and there is plenty of free parking for members and their guests.

The history of Colombo Club can be traced back to 1871 when Sri Lanka was still under British rule. The concept of the Gentlemen’s Club originated in Great Britain. During the British colonial era, planters, governors and businessmen did not have a place to meet and relax. The Club became an ideal place for them to meet after a hard day’s work and have a cool and refreshing drink. This concept prevailed in Britain and it was brought to Colombo by the British.

Patrons

The first Colombo Club was located in the Crystal Building in Colombo. This era saw plenty of horse racing in Colombo and it was one of the main topics discussed at the Clubs whose patrons were fans of the sport. At the beginning, the members were only British, and as recently as 1971 all the Chairmen of the Colombo Club were British. Initially, the first Chairmen of the Colombo Club were British Governors of Ceylon. Planters from Nuwara Eliya were also given special memberships.

The Colombo Club selects its members very carefully. There are many well known businessmen who have been refused membership. Even millionaire businessmen’s applications have been rejected. Reggie Candappa was instrumental in negotiating with the Taj Samudra Hotel regarding the re-location of the Club.(The Club is now housed within a wing of the hotel).

Well known business personality Hemaka Amarasuriya who is currently the Chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) also did a lot of work for the Club. The membership process is strictly by invitation only – one cannot walk in and apply for membership. Honorary life memberships are offered to those who have rendered exceptional services to the Club. There are corporate members as well. Corporates such as John Keells and Richard Peiris have a large number of members.

Women were not allowed to be members of the club in the past, and Chloe De Soysa was the first woman to become a member in 1995, just 21 years ago. The Colombo Club has six honorary life members – Charitha De Silva, Sohli Captain, James Mather, David Blacker, Reggie Abeyweera and Scott Dirckze.

In the past, the dress code was very strict and all the male members were expected to wear a suit. However, because of the warm weather in Sri Lanka it was difficult for most members to wear suits, and they are now allowed to wear shirt and tie as well as casual wear. Members and guests are not allowed to come in T-shirts without collars and shorts. Women are expected to wear Saris for functions and luncheon meetings.

Qualified

The current Chairman of the Colombo Club, Segu Nagendra, was a former Senior Director of Carson Cumberbatch PLC and several of its Subsidiaries and Associate Companies. He is a Senior Director and Consultant of CML – MTD Construction Ltd. He was also the Past President of Skal International Colombo (International Association of Travel and Tourism Professionals) and the Past Secretary of Skal International Asian Area Region and Past President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Sri Lanka Chapter. Nagendra is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, UK, Master of Business Administration, UK and Fellow of the Institute of Certified Professionals Managers, Sri Lanka. All the past Chairmen of the Club have been well qualified individuals.

During Nagendra’s tenure as Chairman, the Colombo Club was refurbished completely and a new elevator was built. An additional Board Room was also built. The Constitution and the Rules and By Laws of the Colombo Club are now being amended. The Colombo Club is not looking at profit making and there are no stake holders. They do not need to give shares or dividends. The main objective is to provide facilities to the Members and it is regarded as a privilege to be a member of the Colombo Club. There are currently 498 members.

There are many advantages of being a member of the Colombo Club. It is a meeting point for prominent people who have to make important decisions and require privacy. Being located within a five star hotel also has many advantages. For example, the Members can dine at the restaurants at the Taj Samudra hotel with a 10% discount. Members who had joined the Club prior to 2011 can use the hotel gym and swimming pool at no extra cost and new members get a discount.

The club has arrangements with 52 reciprocal clubs throughout the world. Members of the Colombo Club can make use of the facilities in other clubs in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, U.S.A, Pakistan, Canada etc. The club has luncheon meetings every two months and prominent personalities such as Ambassadors and Chairmen of companies are invited to speak.

Theme

Every year there are four or five theme nights where Indian, Chinese and Sri Lankan food is served. Members can have a bottle bank where they can bring their own liquor and store it there for consumption within the stipulated permissible hours except on Poya Days. They can also use their wines when having dinner.

The Colombo Club launched a book on the history of the club on 23 September at the Upper Crystal Room of the Taj Samudra hotel. The book tells about the illustrious history of this exclusive Club that is synonymous with Colombo’s social vibes.