Annual report 2024

2024 AGM
Kia ora koutou and welcome to our 2024 AGM
1.opening this report with 7 tables at the Spring Fling on a very wet spring day seems particularly fitting as today is also our spring fling . Open winners Jane and Steve Searle, intermediate Joyce and Rex, Juniors Chris Groothof and Julie. $579 raised for earthquake
fund.
2.Derek Moores and Eric Burnie along with their partners performed exceptionally well in the NZ Teams’ competition at Congress and were placed third. Bobbi and Ian Drysdale won the Bay Pairs-outstanding result!
3.Jan Jarrett donated money for us to buy a Firestick to access internet and run bridge timer which has helped to control the post mortems and speed play up on a Mondays and Tuesdays.
4.The Opotiki/Kawerau visit in October can be deemed a real success with 12 1⁄2 tables playing -and we matched or even bettered their supper efforts.
5.For the Melbourne Cup we had 12 tables turn out. For the first time, we watched the race live courtesy of our new Firestick and raised an impressive $716 for the SPCA. Great fun.
6. There was a small turnout of 5 tables for the national LoveBlock tournament. Sally and I won the mixed grade and were 4th out of 890 which follows the success of Sue Gordon and Gerda Corporaal winning the top junior prize last year. Whakatane Bridge Club has built up quite a reputation in the past 2 years and I hope we can continue it-note that the tournament is fast approaching-15 November.
7. The Christmas Party had 12 1⁄2 tables-it was a wonderful day and the food just gorgeous particularly the salads. Thanks to all of our helpers especially in the kitchen and an especially big shout out goes to Doetie who’s a very steady and reliable hand keeping the
kitchen sorted.
8.The annual Opotiki visit took place in March with 22 travellers. Joyce and Rex, Jill Moody and Jenny Shaw came back with prizes. An excellent evening!
9.Bay Pairs Round One Whakatane 14 April was a wonderful event with 19 1⁄2 tables. Our club rose to the challenge yet again of being superb hosts with the most amazing morning tea which provided enough surplus that it served as lunch and afternoon tea too. The raffle was well supported-thank goodness that one of the three prizes went to a visitor!
Congratulations to Rex Tulloch and Joyce Reid who placed first in the intermediate section and 5th overall and Mike Whalley and Gerda Corporaal who were first in the juniors. I so appreciated the support so many of you gave with setting up the room, providing food, donating for the raffle, playing, serving food and cleaning up afterward. An awesome day which enhanced our reputation as an excellent tournament venue and earned $1549.49 for our coffers. Thank you everyone.

10. Class of 2024 learners-10 graduating. Wonderful support for Bobbi and the learners- another top team effort!

11. Our new website came on stream this year and it’s an excellent, easy to use new tool which keeps us up to date with results and events. So good to be able to post photos too. Thanks again Graham.
Another initiative has been the replacement of the Monday night convenor; now a member needing a partner emails Jane Gebert who then sends the request out to all Monday nighters. This has worked really well. Eric has resigned as Wednesday night partnership steward; Ian will carry this duty on for this year but we are looking for a new convenor for 2025-please put your volunteering shoes on if you are able.
12. We sadly farewelled Truus Otten who has shrugged her way into retirement, loyal club members Eric and Colleen whose health has seen them confined to barracks[though Eric has staged a reappearance on Friday!] and our dear friend Janet who left us so suddenly. The club showed their gratitude to Janet for her service and excellent player skills with generous donations to Janet’s family and the creation of a new teams’ trophy to be designed and made by her son Jake named in her honour.
13. We participated in the Bay Teams’ tournament in Rotorua coming a creditable 3rd overall. 6 of our team came in the top 9/36 pairs.
14. Our 8B tournament drew 12 tables; wonderfully organised by Sue G and Ali B and very well supported by club members in terms of helpers, soup makers, food providers, club sandwich creators, raffle facilitators, prize money and bar operators. Thanks to you all for fabulous day that raised $2041Top open/junior Jane Gebert and mum Margaret,3rd overall Rex and Joyce,1st Intermediate/Junior Corrie Overdevest & Julie Meekel-especially sweet as they were our 'spare' pair! Top juniors Jacqueline Carter & Alison Barr

15. Our team shone in the Cambridge Sixes tournament where the theme was sports. Sue G, Claire, Derek, Jenny, Tom and Bobbi went as Team USA sporting one shirt which read NO TRUMP and another saying YES HARRIS! The team’s overall position was 7 out of 38 teams of which we can be well proud! Open players Tom Henwood and Bobbi Drysdale 26th, Intermediates Jenny Elgar and Derek Moores 7th and Juniors Sue Gordon and Claire Barkla 10th.
16.This AGM marks the end of my role as president and the old executive; now we welcome the new exec with Sue Gordon and Ali Barr as co-presidents, Christine Morrison secretary, Jane Gebert as the behind-the-scenes club captain and Julie Meekel supporting her as the mouthpiece for club captain news. Rex has agreed to continue as treasurer with support from Joyce. We also farewell Sally Shaw from the committee and thank her for the many years of dedicated service. And a huge thank you to Chris Groothof who has laid down his handyman tools for good-yours has been a splendid contribution ranging from our new noticeboards, our jigsaw holder, north and south signs, the redesign of the store room and many other acts I’m sure which I don’t know about.
I would like to acknowledge the wonderful support I’ve had in my 3 years as president from my secretaries Sue McK, Bronwyn and Janet, Rex as treasurer, line painter, gardener, bar and prize organiser; Julie as club captain and raffle runner extraordinaire, Karen C as kitchen purchaser and the committee of Sue G, Ali B, Sally, Jenny J, Kat, Jane G.
In my first AGM I incorporated the whakatauki, ‘Mā whero, mā pango ka oti ai te mahi which means: With red and black the work will be complete.’ And that’s as true now as it was 2 years ago-our club succeeds because we all contribute be it putting rubbish out, running the bar, watering the plants, sending results to the paper, emptying the dishwasher, dealing the cards-and organising/reminding the dealers, setting up for the night and then printing our results, directing and convening each session,
teaching our learners and the many daily tasks carried out to keep our club going.
It's been a challenging, time consuming and very rewarding 3 years with;
• covid leading us through what now seems an almost surreal journey for the first year with compulsory mask wearing and checking vaccine passports
• through to the highs of wonderful team spirit amongst the club; thank you all for your support and very best wishes for our incoming presidents.
I move that the President’s Report be accepted.