Newsletter 18 November 2022
In this week’s newsletter...
- President's Message
- Supervised Sessions
- Upcoming Events
- Wednesday Nights - Monthly Pizza Night!
- Down Under v Up Over RealBridge challenge - 6 December
- Summer Festival of Bridge Program for January 2023
- Results
- Southern Cross- Community Rewards
- Lighter Moments - Summer Quotes
From the President
Just a last-minute reminder about our working bee tomorrow where we need lots of volunteers to help put up the Christmas decorations, work in the garden, remove the unsightly graffiti adorning our walls and generally clean and tidy up the building. Please bring gardening equipment if intending to work outside – rakes, forks, plumber’s spades, pruners, and wheelbarrows. If anyone has any old bricks lying around, we need some to hold down some plastic sheeting.
Concern has been raised about the number of coffee cups not being recycled and finishing up in our garbage bins. It would only be a little thing to help, but if buying coffee locally how about bringing your own cup, and having it filled so the use of disposable cups is eliminated.
Our directors have been working in collaboration with other local bridge clubs, BFACT, and ABF to produce a calendar of events for the next year which is now on the CBC website for everyone to peruse. Open the web page, go to “What’s On” and left click “events”. It arranged by month and is colour coded for ease of understanding.
BFACT are needing a couple of volunteers from CBC to be on the committee organising Canberra in Bloom in January 2023. If you have had previous experience in this role or would be interested in developing your skills in this area, please contact me directly or through the Managers, and I will advise BFACT of your interest.
Greet your opponents in a friendly manner when they arrive at your table.
Tim Mather
A Word on Governance
The October minutes of the Canberra Bridge Club Committee are on the website and the Committee Noticeboard. Perhaps you've spotted the new Committee Poster just before you walk into the Barry Turner room? Get to know your Committee members.
Barnardos Christmas Giving Tree
It’s the season of giving and this year we are again supporting the Barnardos Christmas Giving Tree Appeal which collects gifts for children of all ages who would otherwise miss out on Christmas gifts.
If you would like to support this Appeal please bring unwrapped gifts for boys and girls and leave them under our Christmas tree. While gifts for any age are appreciated, Barnardos always finds it most difficult to provide suitable gifts for teenagers such as gift vouchers for movies, bowling, JBHI-Fi, or sports stores, hygiene or pamper packs, and clothes. Barnardos have provided a list of gift ideas for all ages, which is available from the managers.
Upcoming Sessions
Our weekly sessions are the same as last week - see our homepage. The Butler is back running on Thursday mornings.
Links to online sessions are on our RealBridge page.
If anyone is travelling to Wollongong in the near future, we have a small parcel from Paul Lavings that we need collected.
November Supervised Sessions Wednesday nights and Friday mornings at the Club
We run supervised duplicates on Wednesday nights starting at 7.00pm and Friday mornings starting at 9.30am.
Each duplicate is preceded by a short lesson.
Here are the classes for November:
- 23/25 November: Better minor, responses and rebids
- 30 Nov/2 Dec: Responses to NT and stayman
If you are interested, please come along. You don’t need a partner. There is no need to book. If you would like a copy of the notes, please contact Morag Lokan - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Master the Basics
Master the Basics virtual lessons are on Thursdays at 9.00am. The topic on 24 November is Slam Bidding - Controls and Splinters. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you want to be added to the Zoom class. It's $6 for members and $8 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday Nights - Pizza Night!
After a COVID-19 break, the last Wednesday night (of the month) pizzas will return on 30th November. For those unfamiliar with the activity, the Wednesday night pizzas provide the opportunity for social interaction while enjoying a pizza sampling. It provides a great opportunity to talk to and socialise with your fellow players, which is not always the case when engaged in playing bridge. The pizzas will be available from 6:30pm, which provides ample time to enjoy your pizzas before supervised and walk-in play begins.
The cost of the pizzas is a nominal $5 payable on the day. This entitles you to half a pizza. A variety of toppings will be available and participants can pick and choose. Vegan pizzas can be made available for those who want them. No drinks are provided, so if you want liquid refreshment you will need to bring your own.
Attendance is voluntary and those wishing to partake should place their name on a list on the noticeboard or contact Jon Pike directly. His email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mobile 0414 272 778.
Up Over v Down Under RealBridge Challenge 6 December
RealBridge is hosting a special festive event on 6 December allowing club players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to compete against players of a similar standard from the UK and Ireland (“Down Under versus Up Over”). This should be a fun and interesting competition and we encourage members to register their interest in playing.
Players will be divided into three groups:
- High level players.
- Club players.
- Players who are learning, but have been playing for more than 6 months.
Each pairs session will be 20 boards, scheduled for 6 December. The first session will be at 7am and the second session at 7pm. Players can play in either or both sessions.
The sessions are free for CBC members and will be $5 per session for non-members. To register your interest (either as a pair or individually) please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible. If you require further information, please contact Roger Brake (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0466 009 426).
Canberra Summer Festival of Bridge 10-22 January 2023
Summer Festival of Bridge at the Rex Hotel Northbourne Ave. This is the first F2F event since 2020.
The Festival offers events for players of all levels. There are events for players with fewer than 100 masterpoints , to under 300, 500, 750, 1000 and many open events.
There are single day and multi day events with all events providing Gold Masterpoints.
A full program is on on the notice board at the Canberra Bridge Club, is also available on MYABF or at https://www.myabf.com.au/media/Congress-downloads/2022/10/31/sfob2023.1pdf
Results
The Australian Open Teams Trials were held at our club during the week. The winning team is here. The Australian Mixed Pairs Trials are expected to be played here from 2-8 December.
Niek Van Vucht and partner Vicki Lisle took out the Swiss pairs and came third in the Open Teams in the Mudgee Congress on the weekend. For a full list of results go here. Congratulations to all!
Festive Travellers
If you are looking for an additional game during the week please let us know and we will look out for a game for you. There are many people travelling over the Christmas break. One such visitor is Kim (ABF 554030) from Queensland who is an intermediate player visiting her son in Canberra between 2-10 December. Kim would love to play with someone better than her who is willing to teach her more. If you would like to have a game with Kim please let us know.
Looking for a Christmas Gift that keeps on Giving?
If you know someone that is interested in learning to play bridge, consider giving them a gift certificate for a set of beginner classes. It costs $69. For this they receive 6 x 2 hour lessons with notes and hand records and 3 free supervised lessons. The next beginners classes start in February.
Support us while Dining at the Canberra Southern Cross Club
CBC has reentered the Southern Cross Community Rewards Program. This Community Rewards Program rewards patrons and their preferred community groups.
The Club can earn up to $20,000 per year through the program. Those groups who are the most successful in the program have higher visitation to the CSC venues at Woden, Tuggeranong, Jamison and the Yacht Club.
7.5% of your food and beverage at the Southern Cross Club will be donated back to us as your preferred Community Group on your Canberra Southern Cross Club membership. So if you are a member of the Southern Cross Club and want to make us your favoured community organisation please indicate on this link and we will all be enriched!
Non-CBC members can also nominate us as their preferred community group, so please tell your friends and neighbours and get them to click on the link.
Lighter Moments - Summer Quotes - Willing Summer to Come
"Summer means happy times and good sunshine."
"I wanna soak up the sun."
"It's like a beach blanket and a bottle of wine, it feels something like summertime."
"In the summertime, when the weather is hot, you can stretch right up and touch the sky."
Congratulations to Brad Coles who has landed the editor role of the International Bridge Press Association Bulletin which comes out monthly!
Try a little kindness
Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)