lis Charming Site and Many Attractions: Youthful but Well-Grown One of the most progressive of the many social clubs'in Shanghai must surely be the Columbia Country Club on Great Western Road, where ladies, to the number of 65, who h: ye no near male relatives may become members with practically full privileges.
The Columbia Country Club is not very old; it was first founded April 1917 by a group of American residents sind a few months later the house and grounds known as the Dabelstein property on Route Doumer was leased as a temporary home for the Club. The first annual meeting was held in January 1918. and the secretary was able to an-ounce a resident membership of 74, or a total of 90 if absent, non-resident and honorary members were included.
Since then the Club-tas enjoyed steady growth and did not tal ong to become too large for its quarters; which necessitated the search for a new home, Some difficulty was experienced in finding place suitable for the purposes of the club, and until 1923 the board of governors were unable to find any land which would meet their re-Quirements. Then, finally the land off Great Western Road was selected.and the business of building the mew club was started.
A Spanish styre was selected and the building, which was ready. for occupation in 1924, reflects great credit: on all connected with it, At first only one unit of the whole plan was put up, the sports and athletic section, which included the swimming pathy one of the few open air Daths in Shanghai, a gymnasium and a bowling alley,-and one or two rooms where bridge and mahjongg might be played. Later, however, in 1927, as the club's resources grew stronger, it was decided to build er unit of the whole scheme and. the east wing was erected, This Drought to the members the billiard oon, a delightful lounge hall, an verandah, and an open air and other features. The Spanish style' looks very well _and the rooms all on the ground floor, connected-by a wide hall give an fair of spaciousness, which can be doth.cool looking in summer and comfortable in winter.
The Club can also offer its lor members very comfortable living quarters and there are two suites and nine single bed rooms, all of which are occupied. The temporary, Kitchen, (the permanent one has not yet been built,) supplies breakfast, tiffin and dinner, and living there should be delightful, especially in summer, for the Club is so situated that it catches every possible breeze. There was a suggestion once that there should be suites for married members bat this has not yet been carried out.
The swiming bath and the tennis courts, of which latter the club has 10 turf and seven hard, are naturally the greatest attraction at this time of year, though the recent rains have rather put tennis out of the question for the time being, and swimming is not so pleasant as it might have been. The bath, which has a shade which can be pulled over that shallow end when children use it on sunny mornings, is 100 feet by 42 feet, and is deservedly well patronized.
Showing the growth of the Club the figures at which the membership now stands are interesting. If absent members and non-resident members are included the number is alniost 600, but of active members there are about 350, 30 proposed members, and 65 lady members. This last is the highest number of Indy members allowed, of whom not more that 40 may be non-American and it speaks for the popularity of the club, that in a shifting popalation like this of Shanghai, there fs quite a long waiting list of Indies who wish to join the club as soon as opportunity arises
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.