In June, the Committee reported to members regarding the proposed changes, which are necessary for the ongoing sound management of the Club. The Information Session was well attended and generated some excellent questions, suggestions and discussion. The Committee has now commenced recruitment of a part time administration helper, who we hope to have on board in July or August.
There was a fabulous turn out for the Charity Pairs evening on 16 June and it was an enjoyable event for all. Many thanks to all who helped make it possible. Approximately $1600 was raised on the night which was a great result!
This month we have our Swiss Pairs Congress on Sunday 30 July. If you haven’t been in it before, come along with your partner! It is a fun day, with the room packed with tables and players of all levels.
July has been a month of celebration! We have been able to celebrate some wonderful member milestones, with Gino celebrating 50 years of membership and Joyce Low turning 90. Congratulations to other members who are having significant birthdays- please let Mary Farrell know ahead of time so we can organise an afternoon tea, as we all love our cake!
We have also had some success in the competitive arena, with our narrow win at the Sydney North Interclub Pairs Event held at Trumps. It was a very friendly event which always makes the day a success, regardless of the outcome.
August has been a busy month on the Congress and competition front. Coffs Harbour was well attended and all had a good time. Well done to Peter Clarke and Hans Van Weeran (representing NSW) as well as Cassandra Mitchell and Clare Filmer Ramsay for a competing at the 2017 Australian Restricted Championships in Canberra. Congratulations to Cath Whiddon for winning the NSW State Individual Tournament. Well done to David Farmer and Viv Eldridge for winning the Charlie Mitchell Shield.
Most importantly, well done to everyone who has managed to avoid the awful winter flu!
On an organisational front, Robin Ho, our new administration assistant, is doing a wonderful job of helping with the finances and the membership process. The Committee has been getting ready for the transition to GST status, and I am happy to report that everything is in good order. A special thanks goes to Bob Whiddon and Max Patterson for all the work that they are doing behind the scenes.
A highlight of September was our Annual Charity Pairs fund raiser. There was an excellent turnout and a fun day was had by all. More than $2,800 was raised. Thank you to Sue Riley for the wonderful effort she put in on the organisational and catering front. Who could possible resist her profiteroles! We are grateful to Shirley Corbett for the exquisite hand- made quilt which she donated. It raised more than $200 - Sue Falkingham was the lucky winner.
We are hoping to reach $9,000 for the year’s fundraising, which includes money from the Charity evening plus money raised from plant and book sales. We appreciate Robin Hoey’s efforts in supplying the plants and thank those who help with the books. There will be some raffles at the Club -please buy some tickets to help us reach the $9,000 target.
October has been another month of competitions at the Club and at Congress events. Congratulations to Maggie Gibbs and Susan Jensen on winning the Under 100MP Competition. On the Congress front, congratulations to Peter Clarke and Hans van Weeren for winning the two-day Two Men and a Truck Restricted Teams at the 2017 Sydney Spring Nationals event.
This month, we sadly lost two of our members, Bob Woodcock and Vona Hadfield. They will be missed at the Club by their friends and partners and by the Club as a whole.
Having made it through most of a hectic year our President has gone abroad for a well-deserved break, leaving you with me to try to write this monthly letter to you.
The month has had its significant successes:
- Peninsula edging our Brisbane Waters in our first head to head competition
- An excellent Melbourne Cup function
- A successful transition to a new Committee at our AGM
- The welcoming at the AGM of three new Honorary Life members - Alan Davies, Anita Kite and Catherine Whiddon
- Peninsula doing well in the state's Most Improved list
- Peninsula doing well at the State Open Pairs
In a tight final round Cath Whiddon and David Farmer overtook leaders Col Dempster and Brian Ody to win the 2017 Padman Trophy. This was despite David putting Cath into an impossible slam - "Slam seemed to be possible, and there was no way I could think of to ask the questions I wanted to - and I am an optimist...".
Col Dempster and Brian Ody were the 2017 Padman Trophy runners-up.
No-one took a photo on the night and so this is a repurposed photo from earlier in the year.
We ate, drank, played bridge and were merry! Check (and add your own) photos from the event.
What a day! It was a sell out as sadly we couldn’t comfortably fit any more than 40 bridge tables in the main club room. Congratulations to the Lucky Door Prize, the section winners and the team who won the Christmas Trivia Quiz – how did they do it? We also had a wonderful array of Festive Fashionistas. Brilliant efforts from our volunteers and fabulous food contributions by the players on the day.
Our club has a strong history of social events and our volunteers and contributions from members make days like this possible. Let us know if you can help out at the next event – it’s great for the club and you get more than you
give. Hope to see you all next year.
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