♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Purley Bridge Club ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦

Members’ Newsletter - August 2010
Chairman’s Summary
Most Bridge Clubs are finding they have a shrinking membership. We are an exception with a current membership nearing 250, which does place considerable demands on a few. I believe that our success is due to each and every member playing their part in making it a friendly and enjoyable encounter. Thank you all for your support but, in particular, the members of the committee and scorers who give up so much of their time.

We also welcome suggestions which might lead to an improvement in how the Club is run. Please write your suggestions in the book provided. Do not collar a committee member and pour out your thoughts to him/her; they have plenty to do and just might forget the conversation. The suggestion book is reviewed regularly and will ensure that due consideration is given. The committee do have further work to do to ensure that those who make suggestions are advised of the committee’s outcome. We recognise that this is an area we need to work on.

The year has seen the introduction of a new scoring system and website, which I feel has been well received. As most of our members have access to a computer, we are no longer providing a personalised note of your Director/Steward responsibilities. These will be available on the website and, for the few who do not have access, there is the usual list of duties attached to this letter, so please make a careful note. All should tick the master lists on the notice-board to confirm availability.

Whilst on the subject of Steward/Director duties, people sometimes need to change their commitment. The procedure for this is as follows:

  • Find a replacement and agree the change
  • Advise Carol Letts so that the duties can be amended on the computer. You cannot do this yourself.
  • Record the change of duty on the club notice-board.

In the event that you have a last minute crisis which prevents you from attending to your duty:

  • Phone Carol Letts
  • Phone the Director for the event.

With such a large membership, there is no excusefor not seeking out a replacement. The committee reserves the right to exact penalties on those who do not follow the system. It is totally unacceptable for someone to have to go home because the Steward has not shown. In the case of Directors there is usually someone else on hand to take over, although it would be courteous to put in a call.

Programme

The new year will start on Wednesday 1 September 2010 and end on Wednesday 31 August 2011. The club will meet on Wednesdays at 9.35am and on Mondays and Thursdays at 7.25 pm. There will be no Bridge on Monday 27 December 2010, nor on Wednesday 27 July.

Accounts and Administration

Tablenumbers are continuing to grow. By the end of May, table numbers for Monday evenings had already exceeded the total number for the whole of 2008/2009.Numbers on Thursday evenings are still lower than in 2008/2009 but, projecting to the end of August,there looks to be a significant increase in income over the year 2009/2010 compared with 2008/2009. Expenditure remains at roughly 2008/2009 levels. The introduction of charity vouchers as prizes is proving increasingly popular and prize winnershave donated money to Multiple Sclerosis, Help for Heroes and Ambassadors of Hope International among other charities.

Accounts for the year 2009/2010 will be finalised after the end of August and will be published at the AGM in December.

Subscriptions

Unchanged at £10, due by 1st September 2010. Please pay by cheque and use the tear-off form at the end of this Newsletter so that membership records can be amended where necessary. Reminders will not be sent and, if you do not pay by September 1st, your pass card will cease to operate and we will assume you wish to resign.

Table money

Table Money is £2.50 for members at all Monday and Thursday events, £3.00 (including coffee) on Wednesdays. Other events as advised. Please try to tender the right money in £1 or 50p coins; copper coins will not be accepted.

Visitors

This is anyone who is not a member. A member (ideally as a partner) must accompany all visitors. If a session is oversubscribed the Director will give priority to members. For the time being, the opportunity for members to bring visitors to a Wednesday session is suspended. Visitors will pay an additional £1 table money and any partnership/team including a visitor will not qualify for a prize. A visitor can attend only three times.

Starting and ending times

These will be strictly adhered to. Being late – or intending to leave early - affects everyone, especially the Director who is entitled to exclude you.

(i)Monday and Thursday EveningsPlay will start sharp at 7.30 pm and finish not later than 10.45pm. Both partners must be present, signed-in, sitting down and ready to play (not in the bar!) by 7.25 pm, and available until 10.45pm.

(ii)Wednesday morningsPlay will start at 9.40 am and finish not later than 1 pm, with a similar requirement to that of Mondays and Thursdays in terms of preparedness and availability.

Local Rules

One of the unique features of our club is the relaxed playing atmosphere. Your committee wishes to enable less experienced players to enjoy bridge in a “no fear” environment. We are deliberately not affiliated to the EBU, which gives us scope to introduce our own playing rules - in particular allowing players to look at the last trick up to the moment when the first card is played to the next trick. (This is not permitted on Thursdays.)

Announcements, Alerting and non-standard methods

Please note it is no longer necessary at this Bridge Club to announce 1NT as 12-14 point count. Any variation to this does require to be announced. If you play a non-standard system (e.g. 5-card majors, weak twos), alert your opponents before you pick up your cards.

Psych bidding is permitted at Thursday sessions only.This is defined as opening ‘light’ (less than the rule of18, less than 8HCP) in third or fourth place where partner is as unaware as the opposition.

Also, please remember that cover cards sit on top of the stack of cards and, before replacing your cards in the boards, please give them a little shuffle.

Passed out hands on the first round of play must be re-dealt.

Table Manners

To maintain this atmosphere whilst allowing members to take the game as seriously as they wish (and play a good number of hands), we ask members to observe the basic courtesies:

  • Arrive in time
  • Treat the game as a friendly encounter – introduce yourself
  • One slow table holds everyone up. Be aware of the time and play as quickly as you can – for example, lead to the first trick before you write down the contract
  • Go to the bar and loo when it doesn’t keep others waiting
  • Experienced members should remember that they were once beginners, and treat less experienced members as they would have wanted to be treated themselves at the same stage
  • Never criticise the opponents, and be gentle with your partner even if he/she has made a crazy error!
  • If someone inadvertently breaks a rule, explain gently, and don’t demand a penalty if you can do so without damaging your own interest; otherwise “Director, please” may be called
  • Don’t gloat over a top

Speed of Play

Directors on Wednesdays and Thursdays continue to try to play 24 hands. This is achievable only with members’ co-operation, although it may occasionally be necessary to ask a table which is holding everyone else up to take an average. Please accept this – even if you do miss one hand, you will still play 23 boards. Over the recent past 22 boards has tended to be the norm so we all need to work on achieving 24boards, which used to be possible, so please play your part.

Post Mortems

For many of us this is an integral part of enjoying the game but, if you want to discuss the hands, please remember:

  • Do so only after all boards for that movement have been played
  • Do it quietly – don’t spoil the hand for the next table (or give someone an unfair advantage!)
  • Keep it short unless you are well ahead of the rest of the room
  • Resist the temptation altogether if you’ve already been asked to move

MobilesMust be turned off.

Teams of Four

These will be held on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 April 2011. Members should come in pairs, and teams will be made up at the event.

Prize Events

These are generally held on the last eventsof the month. Prizes include: wines, Purley Bridge Prizewinners’cards, Bridge mugs,and free session vouchers; as an alternative, prize-winners may request a donation to the charity of their choice – there is a voucher system in place to facilitate this.

Charity EventsWill be held on Wednesday 13 October and Thursday 25 November 2010.

Club Competitions

(i)Open Championship This will be held at 5.30pm on Saturday 23 October 2010. It is open to all and will be run as a Swiss Pairs event. The list is on the notice board; please sign up in pairs and entries close at the end of August. For practical reasons, up to 16 tables (64 participants) will be permitted and with no half table.

(ii)Club Championship This will be held at 5.30pm on Saturday 19 February 2011. The entry list will be posted in January and entries will close on Thursday 10 February.

The event is restricted to 16 pairs with a full movement. In the event of there being more entries than the spaces available, eligibility to play will be determined by rules which will be posted on the notice-board.

(iii)League Salver This is an individual event on Thursday evenings, and is open to all members. All weekly Duplicate Pairs are qualifying events; the Winter season is based on the average of each player’s best 10scores between September 2010 and March 2011 inclusive, and the Summer season on the best 7 scores between April and August 2011 inclusive.

(iv)Monday and Wednesday CupsThese are individual events open to all members. All weekly Duplicate Pairs are qualifying events; the Winter season is based on the average of each player’s best 10 scores between September 2010 and March 2011 inclusive, and the Summer season on the best 7 scores between April and August 2011 inclusive.

(v)Blue Cup This is restricted to members playing on Mondays who were in the bottom half of the league in the previous season, and will be awarded to the member considered to have shown the most improvement. All weekly Duplicate Pairs during the winter season are qualifying events.

(vi)Winter and Summer Percentage CupsAwarded to the pair with the highest single percentage in one regular session throughout the season.

Hall of Fame 2009/2010

Club ChampionshipBryan Williams and Clare Shelley

Open ChampionshipRichard Applebee and Mike Bottomley

Winter League SalverMike Bottomley

WinterWednesday CupBrigitte Montali

Winter Percentage CupSam Shen and Tony Marques

Winter Monday CupDavid Flute

Blue CupSandy Cameron

Summer Thursday CupMike Bottomley

Summer Wednesday CupJack Pierse

Summer Monday CupBrenda Blackwell

Summer Percentage PlateTerry Mitchell and Jack Pierse

AGM and Christmas Drive

This will be held on Thursday 16 December 2010at 6.45pm. The traditional Christmas Drive will follow the AGM - informal bridge with modified rules and free seasonal refreshments.

Golf DayThis will be arranged, and details announced in due course.

Your Committee - who does what

Dick GoodwinChairman

Jean PearceSecretary

Brenda BlackwellTreasurer

Butch ManningPSC Management Representative and Quartermaster

Martin Newman Monday sessions, Christmas Event and Teaching

Cathy TomkinsPublications and Special Events

Carol LettsSteward & Director rotas

Chris SimmonsPrizes and Winners

Jack PierseWednesdaysessions and Prizes

Donna HessThursday sessions and Membership

PURLEY BRIDGE CLUB – MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL SEPTEMBER 2010

To Purley Sports Club

The Ridge

Purley

Name(s): ......

Email address:......

I/we wish to renew my/our Membership of the Bridge Section and enclose my/our cheque (PAYABLE TO PURLEY SPORTS CLUB) for £10/20.

PLEASE NOTE: If your address/telephone numberhasrecently changed, please let us have your new contact details in the space below:

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