Dear Members,

The year started very positively for the club with the very well attended Holiday Pairs event in early January. This is our largest tournament and provides a solid financial boost to the club, due in no small part to the generous support from one of our principal sponsors, Maxwell Plumbing. We thank them and all who participated for making the event so successful. As reported in the regular club updates, many of our members were among the prize winners, and have continued to feature in the recent TOPS Open Teams and last weekend's online National Pairs.

Our membership now stands at 762, reflecting the usual slight dip we experience after the sending out of annual subscription accounts. This figure, however, will rise substantially as new players from the classes join up. We currently have our largest class of beginners since COVID struck and some 24 people in the Back to Bridge class being taught by Jane Skipper. This has meant that parking is at a premium on Wednesday nights, and once again we are reminded of the need to carpool. Thank you to those of you who are already doing this-especially on Thursday nights where playing numbers have also increased markedly-and we encourage others to follow suit. As mentioned in previous newsletters, the new bikestands at the rear of the building provide an increased level of security for those members who choose to cycle.

Maintenance continues around the club. Our thanks go to Hedley Bamford for updating some of the line-painting in the carpark, and to those who attended the gardening Working Bee in late January. We have hired contractors to trim the overgrown trees which are once again obscuring some lights in the carpark. The mulch from the off-cuts will be used around the gardens at a later date.

The grounds benefitted greatly from the recent rains, but we are very aware of the devastation and heartbreak caused by Cyclone Gabrielle as it savaged many areas of the North Island. The committee decided at last night's meeting to run a session on the afternoon of Saturday 18 March to raise money for the relief fund. Please join us in supporting this cause, either by attending or providing a donation.

Many thanks everyone and take care,

Marilyn Copland,

President.