As all of you know, the temple doors open daily at 5.55a.m. and closes at 11.00p.m.

We have many volunteers who help keep the temple clean and tidy. The next Volunteers Day for the temple cleaning will be Sunday, 12th September, 2004.

The feedback we have received from visitors is that our temple is kept spick and span and is well looked after. Every person, even those representing other religions, who visits our temple is greatly impressed. We have to make sure these good testimonies from others keep coming.

Let me now quickly mention some of the services we provide:

• The Sunday Saiva Religious School holds Saivam, Thevaram, Speech and Drama classes.
• The Music & Dance Academy conducts Carnatic music, Bharathanatyam, Mridhangam, Tabla, Violin & various Keyboard practices.
• Yoga Classes. Additionally we have Thirumurai classes and religious talks.
• Life is a continuous process - SCTA provides special prayer services for Birthdays, Family Reunions and Weddings.
• Hospitalization visits (with flowers and fruits) are also conducted. We make every member feel very much wanted, loved and cared for.
• We also have a resourceful Social Development Unit.
• Most of all, SCTA provides Co-operative, Educational (including Scholarships) and Financial connectivity and networking with TCC and the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS).
• Funeral services are also extended.

S. Moganaruban’s Case

As you all are aware, our Temple Chairman, Mr. S. Moganaruban and his family are going through a sad period. Our prayers are always with them, especially with Moganaruban.

He is a good man of spontaneous generosity. Whenever someone needs help - often, he just gives from the heart, without even counting the cost. We will do all we can to help him tide over this difficult time.

When his case came to the open, we stood by a line of credit expecting members of TCC Limited to withdraw their funds from the Cooperative. I am proud to report that not a single member pulled out of the Cooperative - a testimonial of how much the 27,000 odd members trusted in the integrity of Mr Moganaruban. This is a real testimony of his character - and I will always stand by him - through thick and thin.

Visit Our Kiosk
As many of you know, our Temple runs a small kiosk, selling a wide variety of souvenirs, gifts and images of Lord Vinayagar. Whatever be the occasion - birthdays, wedding anniversaries, etc., you will find a reasonably priced item there that befits the auspicious occasion. So make it a point to visit our kiosk.

Prasatham Offerings
Another noticeable improvement is that more and more families are making Prasatham offerings for the devotees.

Recently, we provided meals for some stranded foreign workers. Many of the workers were grateful that we understood their plight and cared for them.

Building Fund
We are short of another $150,000/-. If each member can contribute just another $300/- to $500/- to the Building Fund, then we will be home.

Grace and Discernment
The construction of a 32-ft. Lord Ganesha, tenderly touching the globe - with a wishing fountain at His feet, will be the next physical phase of the project. As I have said, it will be the largest statue of Lord Ganesha in Asia.

And just below the Lord’s feet and the fountain will be an air-conditioned Meditation Room for our devotees, visitors and pilgrims to spend some quiet and enriching moments.

The construction of this phase will be quite touching, since it will deepen the religious significance and enrich the concept and structure of the whole temple. The Meditation Room will add a new spiritual dimension to our temple.

Continuous Membership Drive
At every AGM we re-launch the membership drive. This campaign will continue until the next AGM in 2005. The more members we recruit the better for our temple and for SCTA. We do hope all of you out there could assist me and my team to achieve this goal.

The Increasing Need For Volunteers
Finally, as I keep saying, we need more active volunteers to come forward.

Volunteerism is a vocation, a profession that we learn by doing. The joy comes with the doing, with the giving of ourselves for the benefit of others.

As your leaders, we will do our best. Our community expects and deserves nothing less from its leaders.

May our Good and Kind Lord Senpaga Vinayagar shower each and every one of you with his boundless love and blessings.

On-going Work

• Later this month, aesthetic works in the Wedding Hall, including painting and sculpturing will begin. The writing of story lines will follow later. We will also have motivational quotations in relief work at appropriate places in the temple.
• The Wedding Hall Donors Plaque has been ordered. The inscription of names will be completed before year end.
• As student registration grows, our Sunday classes will be expanded. Plans are also underway for our children to attend Modern Montessori classes.
• Construction of a bigger walkway round the Murugan Sanctum and the erection of the 'Heaven on Earth' pictorial have now been completed.
• Trees would be cut along Marshall Road and in its place Senpaga trees would be planted.
• The musical stone pillar was one of our cherished dreams. This project too would be completed before the year ends.

Smooth Successorship

As I mentioned last year, we are preparing the ground for successorship. And we have to think about these things now, while we still have ample time. The elders must gradually give way to younger and more creative and energetic leaders.

Briefly, in recent years, the temple has had five levels of leadership:

• The late venerable SM Vasagar, Mr. Sahathevan and his team are of the first level.
• Then comes our current team - that is, myself, Mr. S. Moganaruban, Mr. A. Dinakaran, Mr. S. Sathyalingam and others.
• Then comes the third level which include Mr. K. Srikumaran, Mr. E.Narasinghan, Mr. S. Artputhanathan, Mr G. Pramathevan and others.
• Then comes the fourth level, the Youth team, comprising of Vivek, Aswin, Sundar, Riely and many others. Some of them are already sitting-in at our current Management Committee Meetings.
• And finally comes the fifth team, comprising of the present Sunday School participants.

As the younger groups gain more experience and mature, they will progressively be put in place to take over the leadership and administration of SCTA. It is the young - those with youthful idealism who must ensure the constant renewal of SCTA.