2022 Presidents Report

President’s Report      AGM  2022

 

My third term as President has now concluded. A Committee year once again punctuated by periods of lockdown. Covid restrictions that included social distancing, the wearing of masks and limits on player numbers in venues. Covid appears to be an ongoing situation that we are forced to live with and adapt to as required. 

Player numbers at the bridge club are gradually showing an increase, with Thursday and Saturday averaging 7 tables. Many members are reluctant to return to face-to-face play due to Covid, whilst many are content to play online through BBO and BSW or other forums. The attendance recently at the Ballarat Congress with 130 participants over the weekend was a positive indication that confidence in face-to-face play is growing.

Two new members joined the Committee in 2022, Pat Fisken and Tricia Farney along with the appointment of a Mediator - Associate member Brian Hassett. All have been an asset to our team. The lockdown in July saw the resignation of Clare Beer and Geoff Dwyer. Annette Pearce and Mary Oswell filled these casual vacancies.

2022 saw 16 enthusiastic “students” enrol in bridge lessons conducted by Clare and me (both accredited ABF teachers, and primary school teachers) ably assisted by Colleen Ludbrook and Bruce Morley. Social play was begun on a Tuesday afternoon as a conduit for them to progress to Supervised play and eventually Duplicate. Experienced players have assisted as mentors in the sessions, this is helping to foster confidence and proficiency for the students. Ann Agni has also been giving bridge lessons through U3A and some of her students have joined us on a Tuesday.

BBC currently has 88 members that includes 4 associate members. The membership has remained constant with the addition of new students.

2022 saw us lose the founding member of our club, Anne Smail, and then Alex Smith, both passing away in July. Valued members missed by us all.

One of the aims of 2022 was to resume competition with other clubs, and this has been achieved within the Covid restrictions. The Bendigo/Ballarat Ashes was held in March with Ballarat the recipient of the trophy. The Bendigo Congress was held in May, August saw the resumption of the Western Region Friendly Pairs held here in Ballarat, the Ballarat Congress was held successfully on September 10th and 11th   and Warrnambool Congress was held last weekend, an indication that some semblance of normality was returning to the Bridge calendar. 

Bruce Morley and Diane Bulman received Director accreditation, congratulations to them.

2022 saw 2 social functions, the Christmas Luncheon in December held at The Grand and a New Years Eve gathering at the Bridge Club.  

Financially the club is in a healthy position, the return to play has kept income steady, the voucher system has proved to be very successful. The Committee has decided to leave the membership dues at the current rate. Revenue from lessons, the Congress and a member donation have all added to the bank balance. Full details are in the financial report.

As President my role has been made easier by the support of the members who give of their time to assist in the running of the Ballarat Bridge Club.

The Directors: Peter Wells and John Campbell have kept the sessions running smoothly throughout the year, plus now they can mentor Bruce and Diane in the integration of their Directing experience.

The Dealing Team: The sessions would not operate at all without Kaye and her team, Vicky, Margaret and Annette (Kath, Elizabeth and Maureen now retired) who have spent hours organising and dealing the cards for the boards each week.

My personal thanks to the Committee who have supported me and undertaken the following responsibilities:

The Executive:

Trish Farney   Treasurer: a bonus on any Committee is having the experience of an accountant to oversee and manage the books. The monthly reports are clear and concise, a bonus for all of us.

Kaye McFarlane   Secretary:  the updating and management of the Data Base, the disseminating of the myriad of emails and correspondence that occur each month, the answering of same, the queries from both the public and members, as well as keeping an accurate account of minutes and documents for meetings. Kaye has the most complex of roles and she handles it expertly.

Ian Gunn   Vice President: assists all of us and a reliable back up.

General Committee:

Clare Beer: (October -July) kitchen manager and supplies purchaser, teaching of bridge lessons, stalwart helper at all functions. My tolerant bridge partner. A tireless worker for the bridge club.

Geoff Dwyer: (October -July) always available to assist with maintenance and liaise with the BCC for repairs, (The faulty ceiling tiles in the Embroiderer’s room, the leaking roof, the broken window all attended to this year) Geoff undertook the mowing until recently and is currently employed by the BBC as cleaner.

Pat Fisken: oversees the garden and liaises with Nick (Jim’s Mowing) in the maintenance of the garden, Nick is now employed as the BBC gardener on a monthly basis. 

Bruce Morley: (now recovering from 2nd knee replacement) has developed skill and knowledge of Compscore, the ABF masterpoints system and uploading of results, NWP results, ABF membership updates, and the servicing and maintenance of the Bridge Mates. The role of Director has also been added to his CV.

Colleen Ludbrook: part of the welcoming party at each session, responsible for registration and payment by members, a mentor to new players and an assistant for all the bridge lessons.

Helen Dolan: responsible for member welfare in the sending of appropriate occasion cards and assisting in kitchen duties.

Diane Bulman: responsible for updating the webpage. Now an accredited Director keen to gain more experience. 

Annette Pearce: (July-October) a new member and new to the Committee. A qualified food handler and recipient of an RSA (Responsible Serving of Alcohol) qualification. Annette has taken over the responsibility of the kitchen and purchase of food supplies for all events.

Mary Oswell: (July – October) Mary has enthusiastically embraced the Committee position and any tasks given to her,

Brian Hassett: his contribution to Committee as Mediator has been very welcome, as has his medical advice on occasions.

The 3 years I have spent as President have presented many challenges, beside the uncertainty of the Pandemic, and inconsistencies in playing numbers, there has been a continuing undermining of Committee decisions deliberately instilling unrest and dissention from a small minority. Committee decisions may on occasion be questioned, but with dialogue worked through, and consensus reached. 

All my life I have held leadership roles, from Grade 6 school captain to Primary School Principal, but personal attacks that question my integrity, leadership and reputation are not acceptable. 

Moving forward, I believe the Bridge club needs to plan and conduct workshops in an endeavour to improve the quality of bridge, both playing and understanding the Rules. Online bridge has seen the quality of bridge decline, and if face-to-face play is to be fostered, this needs to be addressed. Martin Wilcox and I have discussed this possibility. VBA and the ABF are also concerned with this aspect of bridge play.

Lessons will need to be scheduled in 2023 if there is sufficient interest and numbers to warrant them, and possibly Intermediate and Advanced sessions introduced. 

The idea is for Tuesday Social play to be elevated to Supervised sessions and ultimately Duplicate Sessions. Member commitment will be required for this to occur, and a level of acceptance greater for the inexperienced members. Support for new members is essential for the Club to flourish when the membership is ageing. The culture as is must change, respect, flexibility and tolerance are all paramount.

A meeting with representatives from the BCC was held last week, discussing further developments on the proposed upgrade for the toilet facilities, which will benefit BBC, and the Croquet Club, this is scheduled for completion in the 2023/24 financial year. A new Lease and Maintenance Agreement was also confirmed and should be finalised shortly, securing BBC tenure for the next 3-year term.

I believe the over the past 3 years the Committee and I have achieved an enormous amount, 

* We have reorganised the filing system,

* Established a comprehensive data base,

* Clarified many historic issues that have been hidden, which included the disputed purchase and ownership of the building, unnecessary costs - Building Insurance, Public Liability Insurance, Auditing, and Maintenance.
* Through lessons, introduced many people into the game of bridge and kept them.

* Guided the bridge club through the pandemic with effective and continued communication.

* Revamped the office with new carpet and blinds.

* Purchased a new photocopier and computers that enable the club to run more efficiently.

 * Developed the garden, and facade to better showcase the facility.

* Encouraged and facilitated many members into the computer age, aided by a very skilled and competent IT consultant currently on a contract with the club. 

 We have set the stage for the continuance of BBC, my sincere thanks to the majority of members, who have been supportive.

 Do I allow my nomination for President for another year stand, it is up to you?

Thanks Anne Beck.