Presidents report - 40 Years of Bridge
BALLARAT BRIDGE CLUB 40 YEARS
Ballarat has a history of enthusiastic bridge players.
It was Anne Smail’s (dec.2022) wish that Ballarat should have a Bridge Club. A meeting of 24 enthusiasts (currently there are 92 members) was held on July 7th , 1985, at the Community Resource Centre, Mair Street Ballarat, where a motion was moved that a general meeting be held every 4 months of each year. The annual membership fee was set as $5 and that the charge for playing be set at $1 per session. Anne Smail was appointed as the first President.
The Ballarat Bridge Club played at various venues: the Community Resource Centre, the Victorian League Room Ballarat Mechanics Institute, Ballarat regional community Education Centre (Brace), the Ballarat Golf Club and finally the Sportsman’s Bowling Club in Eyre Street which is the current home of the Ballarat Bridge Club. BBC currently has a lease with the City of Ballarat for 15 years. BBC sublets to the EGV (Embroiderers Guild Victoria) As BBC developed so did the need for ‘incorporation’ this was complex and at times controversial. As was the ‘purchase of the building’.
BBC continued to thrive, affiliation with the ABF (Australian Bridge Federation and BV (Bridge Victoria) and WR (Western Region) saw interaction with other Bridge Clubs, venues and events. The halcyon days of competition are however behind now. BBC has become more of a social club, hosting only WR Friendly Pairs and twice a month NWP (Nationwide Pairs) Competition is currently available on Thursday and Saturday through Duplicate sessions and Supervised play on a Tuesday.
Lessons are available from accredited Bridge teachers and held once a year. The effective and efficient operation of the BBC is done by Committee ably assisted by Directors of play and card dealing co-ordinators. Computers forming an integral role in the BBC, tasks once done by hand.
Covid lockdown and isolation had a huge impact on the BBC. The introduction of online bridge platforms resulting in several members not playing (face to face bridge), still evident today.
The future for BBC is unclear, an ageing demographic, a younger generation more attuned to computer games, the family unit no longer involved in card playing.
The photos in the link below depict members enthusiastically celebrating the 40 years of BBC at the Ballarat Golf Club on Friday July 11th willing to ‘keep it going’.
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