Graham’s update September 2016

An update for you all following our recent Committee meeting. 

The Club needs your support

Numbers have been down over the last few weeks. If you have been on holiday I hope you enjoyed it

and are now refreshed and raring to play more bridge. We look forward to welcoming you back. April

and I are off to Wales later in September as her 3rd eye operation of the year is not necessary

- fingers crossed this is good news.

Club Running Well

Apart from the last few weeks we noted that the Club has been running fairly well. Attendance has been

reasonable on all 3 evenings. The move of training to Fridays has worked well and most of our learners

are moving on to play during our normal bridge sessions. This has been achieved through hard work by

Peter Carey, assisted on some evenings by David Barley. I would also like to thank our regular players

for offering advice during our less formal Friday evenings. This means that our finances remain sound,

although there is the risk of some rising costs in the coming months.

AGM coming up

A reminder that the AGM is coming up on 25 October which is your opportunity to have an input to the

running of your club. I will have done my 3 years as President. Greg Knopp is willing to take over. But

other candidates are welcome as are new volunteers to serve on the Committee. The agenda etc will

be posted in a few weeks. One topic for discussion will be the future of our trophies, which cost quite

a lot to maintain and get engraved. The AGM will be asked to consider the possibility of discontinuing

the engraving. We would issue winners with Certificates to retain. 

And don't forget - Support your Club

It is your Club and the Committee needs your support to make it a success.  Please come and play

– and bring your friends - as often as you can. And please speak to the Committee if you have ideas

for doing things better.

Graham Jenkinson

Graham.jenkinson@blueyonder.co.uk

01634 841795

07989 753278

Nominations are requested for Officers and committee for the coming year.  Officers and committee

 Members willing to continue if elected are given.

OTHER NOMINATIONS ARE WELCOME

Nominees must be willing to serve and are required to be proposed and seconded.  A line will be drawn on Monday 24 October 

to allow for voting decisions.

The Annual Meeting of the Medway Towns Bridge Club was held at St Luke’s Halls on 27 October 2015.  Graham Jenkinson 

(President) chaired the meeting, with Sue Feist (Treasurer) and Derek Brighton (Secretary).    

The Chairman opened the meeting at 7.05 pm and welcomed 12 members and one visitor.

1. Apologies- were received from Michael Barnett and Eunice Tope.
2. Minutes of the Annual Meeting 28 October 2014 – were circulated and agreed and signed.
3. Matters Arising- none.
4. Chairman's report – Graham welcomed to what is probably the 50^th AGM of the Medway Towns Bridge Club. The Club
5.  was established in the Autumn of 1965 and played at Eagle Court in Rochester where  it played for many years – that 
6. was where I and some of older members first played with Club. We are planning a celebration of this 50^th Anniversary
7.  on 1^st December – combined with our Xmas party. We hope to see everyone there. We have had a relatively successful
8.  year – albeit with some less good aspects. Our funds remain fairly healthy – although 
9. we have a finance related motion on our agenda tonight. As always the successful running of the Club depends on the 
10. hard work done by your Committee and others. For example, 
11. many take it for granted that the coffee is here and the scores are issued quickly,  but that doesn’t happen on its own.  We 
12. are always grateful when people help on our evenings to share the load. The 
13. Committee can lead but we also need the support of you our members. I mention the Committee. After a few years with little
14.  change we have 3 Committee members stepping down this year. Sue 
15. Feist and Peter Carey for personal reasons and with Colin Crouch choosing  to play at another Club. I am very grateful for 
16. what they have done for the Club – and we will consider new Committee members later. I wasn’t planning to discuss our 
17. evenings in detail in this report but can answer questions if Members wish. But I would like 
18. to acknowledge the input from our teaching sessions which now take place on Fridays.  These are definitely bringing new
19.  members in and several of these now have the confidence to join in as regular players. As well as gaining new members 
20. some are sadly no longer with us. Last winter Geoff Burton and Audrey Cheeseman both 
21. passed away. Geoff and Audrey had been members for many years often playing together.  Audrey was Secretary for many 
22. years and Geoff was our auditor. In the Spring Malcom Hawkes died suddenly a few days 
23. after being at the Club. And recently Charles Relle died suddenly – Charles played with us  for a few months on Tuesdays. Lastly I want to warn you about some things that may be happening here at the Church. The steps outside the door we use 
24. are due to be replaced by a ramp. And the front of the church is to be updated  and the builders may need to use the car park.
25.  We will let you know when these works are going to happen and advise on
26.  the arrangements – for example the Chemist next door has given his permission  for us to use his forecourt.
5. Treasurer's Report – Sue Feist circulated annual accounts.  They had been audited.  The club had made a profit of £304.   
5. We have 54 members.  Average attendance has been 3.66.  Learners and coffees/teas  have helped to offset the loss on
5.  attendance.  We do not pay EBU pay-to-play charges on less than 3 tables.
6. Election of Officers and Auditor -  as only one name had been proposed per position, we agreed them en-bloc 

President -   Graham Jenkinson        Treasurer -  Ray Impey  

Vice President - TBA Competitions Secretary -  TBA

Secretary -   Derek Brighton  Committee Members – Greg Knopp, David Barley, Joan Smith 

Keith Gravestock was re-appointed as Auditor.

We would discuss the vacancies at the next committee meeting. Graham reminded us that by our constitution he would retire 

next October having done 3 years.  

7. Motions- Joan Smith summarised Michael Barnett’s Motion “I propose that we leave the EBU immediately. Expensive 
7. and no benefit.”   A full discussion followed, including the cost (42p per player pay-to-play, Club fee £35) and benefits 
7. (free diary, magazine, advice for director rulings, scoring programme, web- site, offers for supplies, advertising via KCBA,
7.  access to other clubs and national competitions, training directors discounts). 
7.  Less tangible were master points, support for the National teams, national  rules and regulations.  A vote by a show of hands
7.  was substantially against the motion with no abstentions.
8. Any Other Business- Graham added this to the agenda but there were no takers. 
9. Date of Next Meeting – agreed Tuesday 25 October 2016.  George Wise thanked the committee for their hard work 
9. throughout the year.    Graham closed the meeting at 7.30 pm.