Bridge Club News

Gerard De Jong is one of our unsung volunteers, who you can sometimes catch emptying the club's garbage bins.

When I caught him in the act last week and thanked him, he made just one request - could we ask members to take more care in putting the right materials in the right bin? He finds it very annoying, and disappointing, when he finds food scraps in one of the recycling bins.

So "please be careful".

The 2018 AGM saw some changes to our management committee:

• John Rogers and Terry Rothwell did not renominate after several years of very valuable contribution as Committee members - they are still continuing to provide huge contributions in other areas
• Ken Watson joins the Committee - Ken is a long term club member, has been a committee member before and is our current Technology Working Group coordinator ensuring, in particular, that our computers work as they should and our critical data is backed up
• Susan Eason joins the Committee - Susan is a keen newer player and we look forward to her perspective and contribution to the Committee and the club.

Whenever I attend one of Joan’s workshops, I come away thinking, ‘How does she do that? She makes something difficult seem so simple!’ Her next counting workshop at our Club will be no exception. Come along to learn a technique that will improve not only your game, but also the enjoyment of the game. See you there.

Check the workshop details and how to register. Presented by one of Australia’s best-known bridge teachers, Joan Butts, this workshop is multi-level and suitable for players of all abilities.

I would like to invite members to participate in this members-only, red-point trophy event which will be played on four successive Mondays commencing 8 October.

It is an "individual" event. To be eligible to win, a member must play with a different member each week - the best three scores will count.

No need to sign up. Just turn up on 8 October. Check the event details in the calendar. Trish Giles has won the 2017 Stebbins competition, ahead of runner-up Anne Small.

Alan Davies, convener

Please join me in  welcoming two new Club Directors, Sandie Rooke and Susan Jensen.

They both recently completed the directors' exam and are looking forward to assisting the Club's players in this very important activity.

We are always on the lookout for new directors. If anyone has an interest, please let me know.

Alan Davies, Chief Director

Bring your family and friends to our social Trivia Night on Saturday 22 September. This is a chance to have fun with family and friends and perhaps softly encourage them to learn to play bridge.

An initiative of one of our members, Nerida Gillies, this is a combined Peninsula Bridge Club/Australian Mensa event. We're providing the venue (and bridgy environment) and they are providing the experienced Trivia Night compere, and hopefully a range of their members who will learn to associate fun with bridge.

The event is free to attend but will raise money via gold coin quizzes and raffle for our charities Rural Fire Brigade of NSW and Mona Vale Hospital Auxiliary.

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Peter Cotton and Rob Wallace won all four rounds to win the Swiss Pairs on Tuesday 28 August, ahead of David Farmer and Catherine Whiddon and our guest experts Liam Milne and Shane Harrison. Full results on our website.

It was an excellent night with 9 tables, with special thanks to our standby pair Di Agostino and John Simmonds.

It followed an excellent short talk from Australian international player, Liam Milne, on "Bidding more effectively in the pass-out seat" - you can check Liam's notes.

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The State Open Pairs Qualifying event run over three Mondays finished yesterday, 27 August, with the top four pairs: 1st David Farmer/Catherine Whiddon 184.90, 2nd Peter Clarke/Hans van Weeren 169.19, 3rd Alan Davies/Vivien Eldridge 167.42 and 4th Jennifer Ardill/Yvonne Perkins 164.37. 

The top four pairs earn club-sponsored entry into the State Open Pairs Championship on 24-25 November at the NSW Bridge Association. Other competing pairs are eligible to play this two day event at a cost of $50 if they join the club entry. See the convener Alan Davies for more information.