Newsletter 1 November 2024

In our newsletter this week..

• Message from the President
• Melbourne Cup
• CBC Stall
• New Members
• John Brockwell's Column
• Spring Nationals Results
• Upcoming Events
• Ian Morison
• Lighter Moments

Message from the President

Thank you to all the members who attended the AGM on Tuesday evening (see below the 2024-25 Committee members).

There are many people to thank for the past year, but I think it is now appropriate to thank the whole Committee for all of their efforts, it’s been a BIG one!

Jennifer Yeats, our Treasurer for the last three years has stepped down from the Committee, and like many past Treasurers she has made a huge contribution to the Club not only in her role as Treasurer, but she has done so much more on other various tasks she involved herself in! Good news is she will still be around, and will be helping from the “sidelines”. Jennifer, there are not enough words, but thank you so much for all of your hard work and dedication!

I would also like to thank the other Committee members who are now taking “leave” from the Committee - David Wawn our Tournament Secretary for his diligent work ensuring our sessions and events ran smoothly. Bruce Chapman for his expert advice on numerous issues and Nicole Finn for her assistance with the club’s contracts etc.

My thanks also go to our continuing Committee members for 2024-25. Vice President Alison Russell-French and our Secretary Liam Minogue for supporting me over the last seven months. Jenny Bergin for all her hard work on the Constitution and other governance issues, Barbara Bialowas for organising all our Social activities, and John Brockwell and Ian Robinson for their expert knowledge of everything Club related…

CBC Committee 2024-25:

President: Mary Tough

Vice-President: Alison Russell-French

Treasurer: Jenny Bergin

Secretary: Liam Minogue

Tournament Secretary: John Brockwell

'

Committee Members:

Barbara Bialowas
Vanessa Brown
Malcolm Carter
Stephen Fischer
Ian Robinson

Please click on the links below to read the President's Report and the Tounament Secretary's Report.

I may be Tough in name, but I think I am approachable, so please feel free to contact me on any issues you have relating to the club. I, and the Committee do welcome all of your thoughts and we look forward to the Club continuing to grow and improve the experience for all our members.

- Mary

•  President's Report
• Tournament Secretary's Report

Melbourne Cup   

Get ready - it's "The Race that Stops a Nation"

Arrive early with your $2 and/or $5 so the sweeps can be finalised in time for play to commence promptly at the usual time of 1 pm (Sweeps will be closed by 12.50pm).

Director Steve will organise play so there will be a break for a drink and nibbles while we watch the race and play will then resume.

Dress in style (or not). There will be a small prize for the best dressed/ best fascinator.

See you there.

• Tuesday 5 November 2024 at 12:30 pm

- Barbara Bialowas

CBC Stall

Our club is now operating a book stall, please come and check it out. As an opening promotion all items (excluding convention cards) will be discounted by 10%  until 30th November.

Payments can be charged through your myABF account.

New Members

Canberra Bridge Club welcomes the following new and returning members to our club:

• Robert Donovan

John Brockwell's Column 

MasterPoints

The design of the ABF masterpoint system is a work of art.  There are 20 ranks.  Each rank is separated from the next-higher rank by an increasing number of masterpoints.

It is a tribute to the masterpoint scheme that promotion from one ranking to the next can occur with sufficient regularity to maintain players’ interest in the scheme.  For example. in the period January to May 2018, 15% of all players in ACT and surrounds earned a promotion.

That didn’t happen by accident and it doesn't happen any more.  The incoming CBC Tournament Sub-Committee will investigate why.  One possible outcome is more red- and gold-pointed events for players below the rank of National Master.  Another is annual awards for high performance in the ranks of Undergraduates and Graduate, Club, Local and State Masters.

- John Brockwell

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Spring Nationals Results

Congratulations for making the Semi-Finals of the Spring Nationals Open Teams (and also winning the Seniors Category), the all Canberrans team:

• RICHARD BRIGHTLING - DAVID HOFFMAN - IAN ROBINSON - NEIL EWART

JOSHUA TOMLIN was part of the other team who were also knocked out in the Semi finals.

In the Dick Cummings pairs, the best perfroming Canberran was Andrew Spooner playing with Matt Mullamphy.

Upcoming Events

Youth Day

The next Youth day with Will Jenner-O’Shea will be held on Sunday, 3 November from 11:00am - 1:00pm at the Canberra Bridge Club.  These sessions are available to anyone under 30 for free.  And if there are “Youth” who are not too far on the other side of 30, please let them know as they will also be very welcome.

Please contact Mary This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions.

• Sunday: 3 November 2024
• Venue: Canberra Bridge Club, 5-7 Duff Place, Deakin.
• Time: 11:00am-1:00pm

~Youth Bridge is Bridge’s future~

Advanced Bridge Series

Advanced Bridge Series is back with Will teaching the first week and the club hosting the mentored play in the second week. The final topic in this series will focus on Improved Declarer Play.

• Count the Opponents Points and Shape When you play.
• Which Is The Safe, or Dangerous Opponent.
• Improve Your Knowledge Of Suit Combinations

Lesson including a booklet of notes.

• Sunday 3rd November 1:30pm. Cost: $25 (Free for players under 30)
• Click here to Enter 

Mentored Play Session

Registration for the mentored play session following Advanced Bridge Series on Improved Declarer Play is now open.
You do not need to have attended the lesson in order to come to the mentored play session.
We will be able to arrange partnerships on the day so please register and leave  partner as TBA if you don't have one.

• Sunday 10th November 1:30pm  
• Click here to Enter

Refresher Course

The 6th Session of the Refresher Course this year concentrates on Conventions.

Week 1  - 1NT and conventions 

• November 5.  Lesson 1 -  Stayman 
• November 6. Lesson 2 - Cappelletti after 1NT 

Week 2 - Cue bidding 

• November 12. Lesson 3 - Michaels cue bids 
• November 13. Lesson 4 - Cue bids showing controls 

Remember, the Tuesday lessons are on at 10:45-12:00 and Wednesdays at 1:45 -3:00pm. The cost is $10 and anyone can just turn up on the day.

Ian Morison

• Dire Straits

Lighter Moments

Last weekend I was one of many Canberra Bridge Club members who headed to Sydney to play in the annual Spring National Open Teams. At the conclusion of the event, there is a pairs event as a kind of “consolation” for those of us who didn’t make the finals. As usual with bridge, there were many exciting hands and many exciting opportunities to shine….or to get things spectacularly wrong. My most memorable hand of the event came in round four, just after lunch on the first day. It set a new personal record as my most costly mistake ever...

• Click here to read the rest of this article by Steve Geddes 

On Wednesday evening we held a Halloween bridge night with lots of gory looking yummy food  and spooky decorations. Jenny Bergin's creative food preparation was the centrepiece of our feast, Atul Hajela won the best costume award and lots of people got prizes for winning a trick with the number 10 card! Maxwell Ashurst wore the scariest costume of the night which was titled "a two-way finnesse". Many thanks to Terri Henderson for organising this fun event. Despite enjoying the event very much, I am sad to report that no amount of wand waving and incantations could save my bridge on this particular night.

• Click here to see photos.

Have another great weekend eveyone and welcome to November!

Elizabeth