Page 68 - SAPREF 50 year

The Social Club has always played a prominent part in the lives of SAPREF staff. In 1992, a cartoon by Neil Auret (above) celebrated a
visit to the Club by Imran Khan, captain of the Pakistan cricket team. In 1985, the Odd Jobs team won the seven-a-side cricket competition, beating BP Town Office in the finals. A photograph in Columns at the time showed Harry Geelen being clean bowled (below).
Social Club:
Mixing business with pleasure
In the early days, the Social Club was racially segregated (as was the canteen), with only white employees allowed to use its indoor and braai facilities, but in 1982 segregation was done away with. The ‘new’ club became known as the SAPREF Non-Racial Social Club, soon to be referred to as the SAPREF Club. The late Krish Mackerdhuj, a technologist, was instrumental in the amalgamation, as was Peter Tiso who was Managing Director at the time.
Other stalwarts at the Club over the years include Baker Moodley, who spent 26 of his 36 years in the Club as chairman, vice-chairman and manager, supported by Des van der Merwe and Krish Govender for many years.
Today the clubhouse is spacious and air- conditioned, boasting a bar, kitchen facilities,
and space for events and functions. There are two squash courts with about 26 active members playing in an internal league, and a soccer/cricket field. Every year, the Club hosts an internal soccer tournament, and SAPREF sends a team to play in the Oil Barons tournament in Cape Town. Other activities offered include volleyball, running, golf, 4x4, thunee, jazz, snooker, table tennis, darts, foosball and fishing.
The Club is run by a committee of volunteer staff members, currently under the
chairmanship of the hard-working Grant Cohn.
For about 30 years ending in 2008, the Club organised and hosted the SAPREF Children’s Christmas Tree Party for the children of employees. In its heyday, almost 2000 children would attend. The Club also organised the annual year-end functions
for staff and spouses, which were held in a marquee on the soccer field.
For more than 35 years, the Club
and Operations staff have combined to throw a Christmas party for about 500 underprivileged children from institutions in neighbouring communities. In recent years, this initiative has also been funded by the staff.
In the past the Club hosted a Family
Day every year. This was an opportunity for SAPREF families to spend some time together at the refinery, enjoying a meal and getting to know one another. Highlights of the day were a demonstration of fire-fighting at
the fire training ground and a tour of the refinery. These days the Family Days are co- ordinated by the Sustainable Development department, still to much acclaim.
Says Baker, “Yes, the SAPREF Social Club is a place where one can have a drink with colleagues after work, get to know them better and ultimately work better with them. The Club also assists people to have fun and keep fit as they play various sports together. But probably most important of all, thanks mainly to the committee members and a strong social conscience, the Club has reached out and made a difference in the lives of the tens of thousands it has touched over the years.”
SAPREF: FUELLING SA FOR 50 YEARS
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