President's Message

The only safe thing is to take a chance.
Elaine May

A visitor to the club could be forgiven for asking: “What happened?” The glorious hallway leading to the main bar is decked with the faces of world leaders, entertainers, athletes, artists, business titans and authors who’ve crossed our threshold. But it’s been a while since we have hosted big global names on a regular basis.

I’m often told by members that this must be reversed. The idea is that if we just worked harder and smarter and talked to the right people, we’d begin to relive our glorious past as a club. It’s a seductive narrative, for some. Youth can be hard to let go of, as are memories.

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Dear members,

Mindfulness is a necessity in the face of grinding layoffs and publication closures across the journalism industry. The words “stunned” and “historic” appeared in coverage of a slew of bad media news stories earlier this month, including the closure of Sports Illustrated magazine and the Los Angeles Times’ decision to lay off 20% of its workforce. Business Insider, Forbes and National Geographic have piled on the misery, shedding journalists and retrenching in recent weeks.

Dear members,

It’s natural for journalists to support freedom of the press. Many of their jobs depend on it. And citizens in a free state rely on the news media to safeguard democracy. But what about corporations and business leaders? What’s at stake for them?

Dear members,

Apparently, no one is reading my columns to the end, where I’ve been pleading for members to step up and take on some committee assignments. So, this time, I am starting with the beg, then on to the column.

Dear members,

Digital transformation has been a buzz phrase for a while now. But it’s a lifeline for the club. To stay relevant and make the club easier to use, we must rebuild its information technology base.

Dear members,

First of all, you’ll be glad to know that I’ve banned aviation puns from this column. The temptation is powerful, though, as ANA Catering Service takes over as the new food and beverage service at the club from October 2. The airline affiliate’s introduction marks a new era for the club. Get ready for better food and service along with more flexible and creative banquet provisions.

Dear members,

Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray,’ centers on a man’s pursuit of eternal youth. It’s an intoxicating quest that ends horribly.

The FCCJ has come to covet youth as well. We’ve made it easier than ever for people under 40 to join and have held special events specifically aimed at recruiting them.