Newsletter - 18 August 2023
It's a bumper newsletter this week...
- President's Message
- Casual Part-Time Manager positions Available
- A Word on Governance
- Upcoming Sessions and Events
- Nationwide Pairs - Friday 18 August
- Saturday Afternoon Bridge Trial starts Tomorrow
- Wednesday night - Pizza Night - 30 August
- Coming: Spring Swiss Matchpoint Pairs - 31 August & 7 September
- Women's Training Camp 27 August
- Will Jenner-O'Shea Upcoming Workshops - September to November
- BFACT Gala Pairs - 16 September
- Canberra In Bloom - 29 September to 2 October
- Golden Canola Spring Congress - Cootamundra 23/24 September
- Consultation on the CBC 2024 Calendar
- Ian Morison: Passing in a Hand
- Lighter Moments
President's Message
It is with considerable sadness that I report our great stalwart in the office Kerry Butcher is leaving Canberra and moving interstate. Kerry has been a dynamo within the club and will be sorely missed. Her quiet competence and encyclopaedic knowledge will be difficult to replace. We wish her well and hope our own bridge competitions will draw her back soon. Further in this newsletter we are requesting potential office managers to apply. If you are interested or know someone who would be good, please contact me as below.
Several times in my last few face to face games, bids have been removed from the table before the opening lead. This is contrary to the rules of bridge and is not a habit we should practice. We have welcomed a few new players of late, with more to come so please remember to wait until the first card is led before packing away your bids.
Tim Mather
Expressions of Interest - Office Work
The CBC Committee wishes to employ several casual part-time managers to work in the Club’s office for two to three days per week for approximately six hours per day. Successful candidates would need to have computer skills and be able to use Microsoft programs and either have a knowledge of the Xero accounting package or be willing to undertake to learn the accounting package used by the Club. The persons would also need to be able to liaise with Club members, directors and other club employees, and with members of the Committee, and to receive and respond to incoming emails.
Please contact Tim Mather or call into the office for the duty statement if you would like additional information on this position.
A Word on Governance
The Committee minutes from 18 July 2023 are available here or on the noticeboard.
CBC Pay
There were some CBC Pay July Statements that bounced. If you would like to receive one, please email the office and we will send. Low Balance reminders were emailed this week. If you did not receive one you are still in the black.
Supervised Lessons
These happen on Wednesdays from 7pm, or Fridays from 9.30am.
- 23/25 August: Same bid - different message
- 30 August/1 Sept: System Card
- 6/8 September: transition to duplicate
- 13/15 September: Etiquette, duplicate play, bridgemates and scoring. : [new beginners join supervised]
- 20/22 September: doubles and overcalls
- 27/29 September: Opening leads and signals
Master the Basics
Master the Basics virtual lessons are on Thursdays at 9.00am. Please emai Barb Toohey if you want to be added to the Zoom class. It's $8 for members and $10 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.
Next Thursday the session is on Defence: To Cover or Not to Cover
Upcoming Events
Support your Clubs and their Committees
BFACT AGM - Saturday 16 September, immediately following the Gala Pairs.
CBC AGM - Thursday 5 October, 5.30pm
Saturday Face to Face Bridge - This Saturday
You have two options for enjoying bridge on a Saturday afternoon – at the Club or online. From 19 August we will be holding a four-week trial of face-to-face bridge, in parallel with the existing RealBridge session. This walk-in game will commence at 1pm, followed by RealBridge at 1.15pm. The four trial Saturdays are 19 August, 26 August, 2 September and 9 September.
The Committee understands that there are different views on Saturday afternoons, and particularly the concerns of current RealBridge players that a live alternative may impact their session. That is why we are proposing to undertake this as a four-session trial and to consider your feedback before any decision is made on a permanent change.
Wednesday Night Pizzas
The next Wednesday night pizzas is on 30 August. For those unfamiliar with the activity, the Wednesday night pizzas provide the opportunity for social interaction while enjoying a pizza sampling. It provides a great opportunity to talk to and socialise with your fellow players, which is not always the case when engaged in playing bridge. The pizzas will be available from 6:30, which provides ample time to enjoy your pizzas before supervised and walk-in play begins.
The cost of the pizzas is a nominal $5 payable on the day. This entitles you to half a pizza. A variety of toppings will be available and participants can pick and choose. Vegan pizzas can be made available for those who want them. No drinks are provided, so if you want liquid refreshment you will need to bring your own.
Attendance is voluntary and those wishing to partake should place their name on a list on the noticeboard or contact Jon Pike directly.
The beginners class is most welcome to participate.
CBC Women's Training Camp 27 August
A reminder that the first session is on Sunday August 27 at 1:30pm. If you are planning to come please let us know via the webpage, or tell the office, or email Jodi Tutty. This will help with planning boards etc.
The second session will be on Sunday 15th October and led by Will Jenner O'Shea.
Interested? Please come along!
Please enter by online form on the Canberra Bridge Club website, or email Jodi Tutty or tell the office.
Will Jenner-O'Shea Workshops
Will is excited to announce 3 more workshops in 2023:
The Main Rules of Bridge - When to Follow Them, When to Break Them - Saturday 2 September 10am to 3pm
Topics include
- A New Suit by Responder is Forcing
- Cover an Honour With An Honour
- Second Player, Play Low, Third Player, Play High
How Do Competitive Bids Change at Different Levels - Saturday 14 October 10am to 3pm
Topics include
- Doubles at the One-Level and the Two-Level
- Overcalls at the One-Level and the Two-Level
- No-Trumps at the One-Level and the Two-Level
- Responding to All of Those Things
End of Year Summary - Saturday 25 November 10am to 3pm
Topics include
- Practice a Variety of Topics and Revise 2023
- Revise Bidding, Play and Defence Topics from Throughout The Year
- Replay Many of the Interesting Hands From All The Workshops This Year
Spring Swiss Matchpoint Pairs - 31 August & 7 September - Thursday nights
Following the current August Pairs event, we will be holding a two-week Swiss Matchpoint Pairs event on 31 August and 7 September. This event will also incorporate the BFACT Mixed Pairs. There are no restrictions on entries - you are welcome to enter as a mixed pair or a non-mixed pair.
The following event will be the two week President’s Teams on 14 and 21 September so start sounding out any potential team-mates. And we are happy to help with team-mates, especially if you are a newer player.
Both events will suit any up and coming players looking to challenge themselves on a Thursday night
BFACT GALA "GOLD" Pairs - 16 September
The Bridge Federation of the ACT is holding a Gala "Gold" Pairs Day on Saturday, 16 September 2023 at the CBC at 9.45am.
The top two placed contending pairs will form the ACT 2 Team at the GNOT.
The ACT Provincial Team will be the top 2 contending pairs that qualify with ACT Provincial status, i.e. those from provincial areas or those with less than 300 masterpoints per person.
Entries should be submitted by 10.00am 14 September. The cost is $15 for full time students and pension concession card holders and $40 for all others.
Entry by MyABF. If you need help accessing MyABF please chat with the directors.
Canberra In Bloom - including Special Novice Event
Starting Friday 29 September, right here at Canberra Bridge Club! A national Gold point event with Pairs & Teams events for players of all abilities! See MyABF for more detail (or entries) and direct enquiries to
Note this year has the inaugural Butterfly Orchid Novice Pairs event on the Friday afternoon for beginners with less than 5 masterpoints - it lets you put your toe in the water to see what a congress is like:)
Canberra In Bloom - Volunteers needed!
Canberra in Bloom Needs You! You can help our very own congress to run smoothly and be a terrific success by making yourself available as a partner for players wanting to enter an event or as a substitute.
Regular partner/s may not be available to play in the event for a variety of reasons, so the Partnership Desk tries to match up players of similar skill levels.
Substitutes play for free, and are usually called in at short notice, because someone registered to play can no longer play in a particular session or event. Substitutes may be asked to play for a session, or for an entire event, depending on circumstances, including the substitute’s availability and preferences.
The events are:
- Friday, 29 September - Pairs, morning and afternoon sessions - Novices (U100MP), Intermediate (U750MP), Open (anyone can play!) Pairs, afternoon session - Rookies (U5MP)
- Saturday, 30 September and Sunday, 1 October: Teams, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday morning - Mixed and Open (any number of Masterpoints)
- Sunday, 1 October and Monday, 2 October: Swiss Pairs, Sunday afternoon, and Monday morning and afternoon - Novices (U100MP), Intermediate (U750MP), Open (anyone can play!)
Thank you to everyone who has already volunteered to help out at our very own congress Canberra in Bloom from Friday 29 September to Monday 2 October. Thank you particularly to the rookies who’ve already put their hands up!
We need players at all levels available for one or more sessions. You might be playing in a particular event, say the Spider Orchid Pairs on Friday, but you might be available to substitute on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Substitutes might be asked to play just a few hands, a session, or a whole event, depending on whether the person they are subbing for is delayed in traffic, or has fallen ill, for example. And, bonus, substitutes play for free!
If you can help out, please contact Bricet Klören. Don’t forget to include your best phone contact number, and which sessions you are or are not available.
Cootamundra Bridge Club - Golden Canola Spring Congress 23/24 September
Swiss pairs on the Saturday and Swiss Teams on the Sunday. Details here. Enter https://www.bridgewebs.com/cootamundra/home.html
Interested in becoming a bridge director? Or just want to improve your knowledge of the rules? In either case, Sebastian Yuen is an international director who will transport you to new levels of knowledge and learning.
Saturday/Sunday 18 & 19 November - for aspiring new or in-training directors.
Results
Coffs Harbour Gold Congress
Christy Geromboux & Sebastian Yuen were in the Open team that came 4th
Consultation on 2024 Calendar
Over the next two months, we will be finalising the Canberra Bridge Club and BFACT Calendars for 2024.
If you have any particular changes you would like to see next year, please pass them on to the Tournament Secretary, David Wawn.
In particular we have been looking at how we can strengthen the Club’s night-time events. A survey was recently sent to regular event players. The key finding was strong support for moving the events night back to Tuesday. The full findings from the survey are available at this link - https://www.surveymonkey.com/stories/SM-0Hobsotu9hhfa6Z4L8bVkg_3D_3D/
Ian Morison: Passing in a Hand
To read Ian's column please press here.
Lighter Moments
Important!
- To avoid straining your eyes at work
- Remember the 20-20-20 rule
- After 20 minutes of work
- Take 20 minutes to book a flight
- Then disappear for 20 days!
Man ruminating: My wife made me coffee this morning and smiled and winked at me when she gave it to me
- I have never been more scared to drink a drink
This morning I saw a neighbour talking to her cat, it was obvious that she thought her cat understood her...I came to my house, I told my dog... we laughed a lot.
When women get to a certain age, they start collecting cats. It's called "many paws"
Be kind in all things
Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)
