Harvard Club gets lease after 30 years

THE HARVARD Club got its lease approved after a 30-year wait. Harvard, a club in existence for over 75 years, held a ceremony at the club house in St Clair, on Friday.

Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Minister Clarence Rambharat attended the ceremony alongside Harvard officials, including president Reynold Howard and vice-president Garnet Hanson.

The club plays several sports including cricket, football and rugby, with its major product being legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara.

Howard said, “We are happy to have (Rambharat) here and I wish to thank him for what he has done for us so far and what is projected to be done. It has been some time now we have been waiting on someone to start the ball rolling for us so we could get our lease.”

Rambharat said, “Cabinet has approved your lease (for) $10 a year. I think you all can afford that.”

The changes in management at the club during the last 30 years led to the delay in getting the lease.

Rambharat said a nearby piece of land, used by Harvard, will also cost the club $10 per year. The curtilage agreement will give Harvard the right to use that piece of land without building on it.

Howard, who has been the president since 2019, said the lease will help the manner in which the club operates. “Now we have a lease we could go to the bank (with), we could borrow money. We could renovate the club which needs upgrades because many years ago here was the mecca of feteing, all the big fetes used to be here.”