Bendigo Bridge Club
Release 2.19q
Key Messages

Bridge Lessons transitioning to Supervised Pairs

The beginners course has now concluded. Graduates of the course are invited to participate in the Supervised Play sessions scheduled for Tuesday evenings for the next several weeks. See calendar for details.

Ashes 2024 - Win!

See centre panel for details.

2024 Northern Region Bridge Champs!

The event was hosted by Shepparton BC on 2-3 March. Bendigo members Kerry Delcourt & Ryan Touton won the Open Pairs section, and Merlyn Pritchard & Paul O'Hare won the Restricted Pairs.

In the Teams event, Adam Peirce was a member of the winning team (Walsh, Leppard, Carroll & Peirce), and Kerry & Ryan were one half of the second placed team (Hackett, Hackett, Delcourt & Touton).

Full results are available on the Bridge Unlimited website - click on this link: Bridge Unlimited Results Page

2023 Club Awards & Trophies

The winners of our various awards, trophies and prizes were announced at the Xmas Social. To view a full list of the winners, in the Menu sidebar (above) click on Membership & Bookings, then Club Competitions, then scroll down to 2023 Honour Board. Congratulations to all our winners!

The Xmas Social doesn’t just magically happen and many thanks are due to Diane Dunlop (venue wrangling, bookings); Kaye Parker & Yvonne Forrest (table decorations); Eamon Dempsey & Janet Rogers (roadies); Brigitte Agnew, Jennifer Goddard and Janet Rogers (trophy wrangling); Ron Wescott, for sorting out who got what; and Jennifer & Peter Goddard for the entertaining after-lunch Individual Bridge session - which was won by (drumroll)… Yvonne Forrest!

If you want to know how you fared, click on 2023 Xmas Individual Event Results

FIRE DANGER PERIOD - Correction 

Contrary to the Key Message posted on Wed 13 Dec, we have now been informed that LGCC will only be closed on days when CATASTROPHIC FIRE DANGER is forecast. 

This restores the policy setting that applied in the 2022-2023 fire danger period.

Our advice to members remains the same: During the fire danger period, please check the forecast before coming to play.

Australian Youth Bridge Championship Fundraiser 

A fundraiser is underway to support young players attending the Australian Youth Bridge Championship. The Youth Week Fundraiser Bidding Challenge, suitable for all skill levels, features 15 problems tackled by renowned experts like Ron Klinger, Liam Milne, Sophie Ashton, and more! A live stream webinar with expert discussions of the hands adds yet another dimension. Registration is by donation. If you are interested in helping young bridge players whilst improving your own bridge skills in the process, details can be found by clicking on this link: YOUTH WEEK FUNDRAISER

WBF Leisure Activities Survey 

The Marketing & Communication committee of the World Bridge Federation (WBF) is conducting a survey exploring what types of leisure activities people do and why. The survey is aimed primarily at bridge players, but they’re interested in what friends of bridge players think too. The results will help the WBF get a better understanding of why different groups of people around the world like and play bridge, and how bridge compares to other activities that bridge players and potential bridge players like to do, with the aim of enabling administrators, teachers and promoters to use the results to design better ways to get people into bridge, and to stay in bridge.

If you wish to participate in the survey, please click on this link: https://pip.surveymonkey.com/r/DKJW93X

Code of Good Conduct published

The club has adopted a new Code of Good Conduct that members and guests will be expected to follow. For further information, see the new 'Code of Good Conduct' news item, on the right-hand side of this page.

Afternoon Tea with the Guv (+ Report)

Every Victorian bridge club received an invitation from the Governor of Victoria to send two members (a pair) to a special Afternoon Tea and Bridge event, to be held on Wednesday, 15 November at Government House.
Your committee unanimously agreed to nominate the Goddards as our representatives.
They weren't the only BBC members attending. Our neighbours, Maine BC, nominated Ron Wescott & Louise Griffin; the Victorian Youth Team nominated Seb Wright; and  Sandhurst Bridge Acadamy nominated Denis Upsall & Faye Symons.  All five are also members of our club.
Congratulations to all - we hope you had a wonderful day! Click here to read Jennifer's entertaining match report.

Library News

Our Librarian has been busy adding interesting new titles to the bookshelves. Check out menu Education > Library to find the latest available titles.

Tea Breaks Return

The committee has decided to reinstate 10-minute Tea Breaks into our regular Club sessions - on a 3-month trial basis - commencing Monday 25th September.  Please note that in order to ensure that sessions finish in a reasonable time, our directors will be more strictly enforcing the Round Timer clock. 

Lego Room Cooling 'fixed'

The cooling system in the Lego Room seems to be fixed. However, the control panel seems a bit wonky and, when the system is on, there are warmer and colder areas in the room, depending on the location of tables vis-a-vis the cooling vents. If you are sensitive to temperature variations, please wear layers so that you can adjust your clothing to keep yourself comfortable.

Bridge Victoria

A link to the BV website can be found on our 'Useful Links' page. 

Monthly Nosh & Natter

Our MN&N social dinners will resume in September.  These Thursday evening get-togethers are informal social events - a chance for members (and their spouses / partners) to have a friendly natter about... anything really, over some good pub food and drink. 

Need more details? Contact Eamon Dempsey on 0408 467 599.

Covid-19

As at Oct 2023, Covid-19 is still prevalent in the community. To keep your fellow members safe from infection, please…

  • Do not come to play if you have any symptoms, go and get tested.
  • Wear a mask when playing. A supply of disposable masks will be available.
  • Sanitise between rounds
  • Wear layers for comfort and warmth – where weather conditions allow we will be opening windows and doors to facilitate natural ventilation.
  • Stay vaccinated – 2023 booster shots are available for most of our members.
  • If you are at high risk of getting very sick with COVID-19, apply for access to anti-viral medicines that can help you stay well, or treat the symptoms if you contract COVID-19.

For further information, please visit the DHSS Coronavirus Victoria website.

Bridge Musings

Bridge Musing will no longer be updated with links to BV Bulletins. Instead, please

  • Click on the Bridge Victoria link in our Useful Links page, then
  • Click on the 'Bulletins' tab on the BV Home page, then
  • Click on the bulletin you wish to read. 

BV Bulletin 2308

BV Bulletin 2307

BV Bulletin 2306

BV Bulletin 2305

BV Bulletin 2304

BV Bulletin 2303

BV Bulletin 2302

VBA Bulletin Dec 2022

VBA Bulletin Nov 2022

VBA Bulletin July 2022

VBA Bulletin June 2022

 

Ashes 2024
  • 2024 Ashes Handover
  • Best Bendigo Team
  • Best Ballarat Team
  • Best Restricted Team

On Saturday 16 March, after several years of trying, we managed to wrest back the Ashes trophy from Ballarat! This year it was our turn to host the event, which was held at the Masonic Centre, Bendigo. Headline results...

Winning Club: Bendigo - picture shows Ballarat Captain Clare Beer handing the Ashes trophy to Bendigo President, Graeme Hegarty.

Best Bendigo Team: Jena, Bernard, Kevin & Adam

Best Ballarat Team: Anne Fennell, Geoff Dwyer, Tony Ni & John Campbell

Best Restricted Team: Chris, Annie, Adrian & Eamon

Results are available on our website. Click on 'Results' in the main menu (top left of this page), scroll to the results for 16 March 2024, then click on the results sub-set you wish to view. Please note that red point allocations are pending review and approval by the BV Masterpoint Secretary and thus are not yet available.

Many people contributed their talents and effort to making the event a success. Special thanks are due to...

  • Our Director, Peter Goddard, with assistance from Ron Wescott on movement management and results calculation.
  • Di Dunlop: venue wrangling and, with Carla Daly, catering and kitchen management. Delicious morning and afternoon teas and drinks and nibbles appeared, on cue, like magic!
  • Graeme Hegarty and his team of roadies for their efficient set-up and tear-down.
  • Eamon Dempsey: Fee collection
  • And the Ballarat team, including Anne Beck (who unfortunately could not play on the day but who was instrumental in organising things from the Ballarat end), Clare Beer (Captain), Anne Fennell (Consulting Appeals Director) and all their fellow team members for their gracious, good humoured and competitive participation. Your turn next year!
ABF Promotions

Congratulations to the following Club Members on gaining promotions in their ABF Rankings

Only one promotion for the month of December 2023

  • Rosemary Monotti - promoted to Bronze National Master with 225.94 Masterpoints

Well done, Rosemary!

ABF launches MyABF
ABF launches MyABF

The ABF has launched a new service to members.

MyABF is the new technology platform for the ABF.  It will become your primary access to all your bridge information across Australia.

Go to the website and sign up today click MYABF

Create your own member password

To access the [Member Only] area, you need to create your own password.

If you are unable to do this, please use the [Contact Us] page under the [About Us] menu to request the web administrator to create a password for you.

Members can book a F2F session or request a partner in [Calendar] without a password. (toggle the Partner icon  to access the booking and partner icons.

Code of Good Conduct

At the Management Committee meeting held on 20th November 2023, your Committee unanimously agreed to the publication and distribution of a new ‘Code of Good Conduct’ for the Club.

This document aims to promote practices and behaviours that are aligned with and support the purpose of the Club, ie

  • To provide a congenial, fair, competitive, and ethical environment conducive to participation in, achieving excellence at, and enjoyment of Bridge at all levels.
  • To ensure members and visitors are received with friendly hospitality by extending respectful, courteous behaviour to all.

Useful feedback from members provided input to an updated version 2.1, which was approved by Committee in Jan 2024.

Click on this link to access the Bendigo Bridge Club Code of Good Conduct V2.1 document.

The Club expects all members to be familiar with the Code and to conform to its requirements when attending Club events.

If you are unable to access the document via the link, please ask the Secretary for a printed copy.

Name Badges

Members are encouraged to wear their name badges at every session. This is a simple courtesy and especially important as we often have new members joining the club.

If you would like to buy a name badge please contact Dianne Dunlop (0437 040 222).

Cost will be approximately $18, depending on number being ordered.

2024 Victorian Congresses & Special Events

Click on this link to see an updated list of 2024 Victorian Congress and Special Event Dates 

Local club congress dates will be included in our club calendar.

Covid is still active in Victoria. Check out the host club's website for the latest information on dates, venues and playing conditions.

Results
Club Pairs
Long Gully Community Centre 7pm
Director: Seb Wright
Club Pairs
Long Gully 1:30 PM
Director: Jennifer Goddard
Club Pairs
Long Gully 1:30PM
Director: Ron Wescott
Calendar
29th March 2024
Club Pairs
Long Gully 1:30PM
Director: Peter Goddard
  (Bookings)
29th March 2024
Good Friday
1st April 2024
Nationwide Pairs
Long Gully 1:30 PM
Director: Paul O'Hare
  (Bookings)