Stourbridge Institute Bridge Association

Minutes of Committee Meeting 9th March 2016

Present: Barry Brice, Linda Wright, Georgina Lineker, James Taylor, Margaret Hanson,
Sally Johnson, Glo Jackson

Apologies: Gavin Tringham

Minutes of the committee meeting of 13th January 2016 were approved

Chairman’s Report.
• It is hoped that the next Ian Thompson tuition session will be on November 5th 
BB to contact Ian and Carl Southwick re availability
• SISC has no responsibility for the setting up of the Function Room for Bridge.
All users of the room are supposed to return the room to its original state but clearly this does not always happen.

Secretary’s Report
• Correspondence/Emails
o Pro-Am competition on Monday April 18th   Flyer on noticeboard.
Entry to go in Announcements Diary - GL
o Garden Cities flyer on noticeboard
• County News
o WCBA will continue to pay Club Affiliation fees and to
keep the County P2P rate at 7p
o AGM on Sunday May 15th at 2pm at Cutnall Green

Treasurer’s Report
• The handover from JT to SJ is complete
• In order to change signatories for cheques all signatories need to sign the appropriate form. JT to send the form to  David Banks

Media Co-ordinator’s Report
• JT to continue emails to members when there are matters to communicate.
No feedback so far which we are  assuming means no complaints
• Lists from the EBU website of members absent for a year and guests to the club to be downloaded
• Club minutes to be stored on our website

Rotas
• Rotas completed up until midsummer
• GT also reported that unfortunately Nora Macriner has fallen and broken her hip. This could affect the Mondays  when John Macriner directs and could leave
a greater shortage of directors and scorers for Monday afternoons.
The committee expressed sympathy for John and Nora.
To help the director/scorer problem it was suggested that travellers could be used for scoring and these then passed to JT who would enter the results.
 
Competitions Secretary’s Report
•  SBC Performance Reports
Congratulations to:- Wendy Packwood                          Winner     Individual Championship
                                James Taylor                                Second     Individual Championship
                                Georgina Lineker & Ann Sargent    Ladies’ Pairs Championship
                                Nigel Walters & Gerald Hill           Gentlemens’ Pairs Championship

• Forthcoming events
            Saturday March 12th                           Social Bridge (2pm) and meal
o JT to duplimate boards
o LW to organize hot and cold drinks, etc
o GL to buy cakes, biscuits and an Easter egg
o MH to organize the raffle
Friday March 18th                               Championship Teams
 Saturday April 16th                              Championship Pairs
      (If fewer than 5 tables Tuesday May 10th )

Non-Committee Executives Reports
• Bridgemate
Peter Adams reported that those now numbered 1 to 17 are working and that 3 others are not.  BB to ask Peter to take no further action for the moment.
Once again the committee expressed gratitude to Peter for all the time and effort he puts in to Bridgemate and our computer

Any Other Business
• JT wondered if we are nearing the time when the computer will need to be replaced
LW felt that our current need is for new bidding boxes and bidding cards
It was agreed that the situation with bidding boxes and cards should be investigated
• JT cannot take on any more students at the moment and so it was agreed that his name as the contact for teaching should be taken off the website
• BB questioned the value of affiliation to the EBU and felt that non-affiliation would make no difference to the club.
Others argued that some members would not then be prepared to play and also felt that as a bridge club we ought be part of a national organisation. GJ wondered what difference the money saved would make
• Regrettably BB will be resigning as Chairman at the AGM but is willing to remain on the committee

Date of next committee meeting
• Wednesday 11th May