Dear Members,

As the year draws to a close, we would like to thank you all for your forbearance and co-operation during what has been a challenging time. Thank you in particular for embracing the opportunity to participate in BBO and to the directors who made this possible.

New Zealand Bridge has made several decisions recently which we wish to share with you:

• Firstly, there will be no discounting of rating points for 2020. Each year rating points are usually discounted by 20% before the adding of the points earned in the current year. With limited bridge in 2020, NZB has decided it would be unfair and act as a disincentive if 2020 rating points were discounted.
• Usually a Youth Week is held annually in Canberra. However, because of the travel restrictions necessitated by COVID, Sam Coutts and Paul Coleman will run a similar event in lieu of the Canberra one during the January holidays.
• Another change for next year is that the NZ Congress venue has moved from Hamilton to the Bay Park complex in Tauranga, a purpose-built event centre which NZB is confident will deliver to expectations.
• There have also been changes to the criteria for players to be graded as Open for tournament purposes in 2021. From January 1st, 2021 players graded as Provincial Master and above will be graded as Open. A Provincial Master is a player with at least 100 A & B points, of which at least 50 are A points. Currently players ranked as Local master 5* and above are graded open. These players will now be eligible for Intermediate level events but are not prohibited from participating in Open events should they so choose.
• NZB is also working towards a possible dissolution of the Regional Committees. A committee has been reviewing the current structure over the past year and recognises that there is considerable duplication between central and regional administration, that marketing would be better served by a nationally coordinated position and that volunteer positions are becoming harder to fill. NZB is also cognisant of the considerable local knowledge held in regional committees and the need to preserve these along with local opportunities. As a result, it is running a pilot of the proposed changes in the Auckland/Northland area while all other regions will continue to operate as in the past.

Our club continues to be in good heart thanks to the ongoing commitment of the staff, committee and volunteers, sponsors & advertisers and the support of a membership which is steadily increasing in number. We wish you all a safe and enjoyable Christmas.

Kindest regards,

John McKenzie (President)

Marilyn Copland (Vice President)

To receive updates from NZ Bridge and to be able to enter tournaments on-line you will need to register with NZ Bridge, go to http://www.nzbridge.co.nz/my-nzb.html

To find out about masterpoints go to http://www.nzbridge.co.nz/master-points.html

NZ Youth(ish) Bridge: See flyer on the Club notice board for further details, for players under 35 years old.

Charity Pairs Tournament: fundraising for Braintree, a wellness centre for brain health. See related Event information on this website.

Club trophies: Please return trophies that were won last year back to the Club asap.

2021 Club Subs and Match programme book can now be picked up at the Club.