Oxshott Bridge Club

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR 2019 AGM

The club activities for the year 2018/2019 are provided below and comments and views from the membership would be welcomed, preferably in advance of the AGM so that we can get the formal business finished quickly.

The Club has had a successful year and I offer my thanks to all the officers and members of the Committee for their generous help and encouragement. 

We are pleased that Richard Arnatt has successfully completed the Directors Course and joins our existing group of Rowena Austin, Vernon Morton, Kevin Goddard, Mike Sadler and Philip Goldenberg.  We are grateful to them all for their work and we are now in the enviable position where none of our directors has to officiate too frequently.

When our Tea Lady resigned last year, we tried to find a replacement and for many months had no applicants.  As time passed, we learned to manage on a Do It Yourself basis.  The Committee have decided to continue in this way, but this does mean that members may be called on to help out occasionally.

Membership

At present we seem to be bucking the trend, in that our membership numbers are holding up.  Currently we have 126 members and we cannot increase that by much, since there have been occasions during the past year where we have reached 17 tables. 

Website

Peter Wardle and Mike Sadler continue to keep the website functioning well, with essential information and novelty news items coexisting.

Finance

The finances of the Club remain strong.  A year ago, the Village Hall Committee threatened us with a large increase in rent.  Happily they reconsidered and only a modest increase was required.  In addition, we no longer need to cover the weekly wages for a tea lady.  So the Committee considers that no increase in annual subscription or table money is required this year.  However, we do need to hold sufficient capital for expenses, for Bridgemate in particular.  We remain one of the cheapest clubs in the area.

Again, our thanks go to Richard Burgess for his long tenure as Treasurer – and to our new Auditor, Don Porter.

Competitions

Club Teams

Winners:           Isabel Correia, Peter Exworthy, Cliff Lambe and Graham Cunningham

Runners Up:      Michael Mulligan, Jonathan Spring, Sheila Price and Carole Tuininga

Tilling Trophy

Winners:           John French and Jonathan Spring – for the fifth consecutive year

Runners Up:      Dave Bowen and Philip Goldenberg

Individual

Winner:             Jonathan Spring

Runner Up:       Mike Mulligan

As usual, we will be giving vouchers as prizes equating to either a years free membership or free evenings, according to the competition.

Our team of Richard Burgess, Philip Duncan, Deanne and Kevin Goddard entered the Lady Rose Cup knock-out competition.  We can enter another team in that competition, so if any other pair or team would like to have a turn representing the club, please speak to any member of the committee.  In addition, we could enter a team into the Surrey League if anyone were interested.

We have received several requests for the club to enter more Simultaneous Pairs competitions.  We are aware that not everyone likes them, so the committee decision is that we will enter one or possibly two more next year, on a trial basis, to be reviewed at the end of the year.

Committee

All of your committee have worked hard during the past year.  For those who have not given it any thought,  members of the committee take turns to arrive at the hall by 6.30pm each week to set out all the tables and chairs and equipment.  In addition, Jonathan Spring or one of his deputies arrives early to get the Bridgemates set up and stays at the end of the session to get the results uploaded immediately.  Someone, usually Janet Kefford, starts the urn and sets up the kitchen and checks it is all clear at the end.  All the committee take their turn and the club could not function without them. 

Three members are resigning this year.  Peter Wardle has completed six years and has been invaluable with his knowledge of the website and Bridgemates, and for his work on the Data Protection  legislation and updating the Club Constitution.   Gillian Lowe has completed four years in the unenviable task of organising the Host Rota, and Katherine Kreuter has completed two years as ‘biscuit monitor.  Both also took their turn at setting out the hall and helping in the kitchen.  My sincere thanks to them all.

We have received three nominations for new members to join the committee, but if you would like to nominate anyone else, please let me know as soon possible.