NZBridge Website Update

STOP PRESS

We have had an update from NZB and it seems that the roll back to the old website has been successful and we are once again able to access the site.

 
The only outstanding issue is around tournament entries made since last Thursday. If you have entered any tournament, please check you are in fact registered. If you are not, please contact the Club hosting the tournament.

It is expected to have the old website fully up and running before the weekend.

I previously advised (here) that the new NZBridge website had gone live.

This morning NZBridge have told us that they are experiencing serious issues with the new site including loss of a number of functions such as tournament entry management, membership management and congress entries.

As a result, the decision has been taken to wind things back to the old website. This will enable the new one to be worked on (offline) and tested properly before going live.  There is no time frame for this.

The rollback will take place today (Thursday) during which time there will be no website access.

The site will be restored to where it was as of Thursday morning last week.  You may need to log in with your former passwords to access the site. 

The NZBridge Secretary (email: Secretary@nzbridge.co.nz) can reset members' passwords for the old site (please don't request this unless absolutely necessary - the poor man has enough on his plate as it is).

Please note that, for a short time, results will not be uploaded to either our website or the NZBridge website from last Thursday.  This will include any masterpoints changes.

Improvers' Lessons

Graham Cheater will be offering Improvers' lessons on three consecutive Wednesday evenings in April (16th, 23rd and 30th). The lessons will start at 7.30pm. 

Topics covered will be: 

• reverses and jump bids
• 4th suit forcing
• card reading and inferences 

If you're interested, either register on the sheet on the front table, or let Anne Ricketts know.

These sessions are suitable for people with at least a year of playing experience.

The cost is $20 for the three sessions. Payment can be made to the Waikanae Bridge account or on the night.

Event Calendar

A calendar showing this year's major events is now online here.

Rubber Bridge

If you're interested in participating in this year's rubber bridge competition please see the information sheet below:

Important Note: Entries close on 31 March

Lyn Derbyshire

A former member of our club, Lynette "Lyn" Derbyshire died peacefully on 18th March at the Malvina Major retirement home in Johnsonville. Lyn was 83 years old.

We send our condolences to her family and friends.

A celebration of Lyn's life will be held at Harvey's Chapel, 284 Oxford Street, Levin, on Monday 24 March at 11.00am, followed by a burial at The Avenue Lawn Cemetery, Levin.

St Patrick's Day Event

Thank you to Vicky Young and her leprechaun assistants for running a fun afternoon on Monday to mark St Patrick's Day.

Thanks also to all those who took up the challenge to wear something green.  The prizes for best dressed went to Judi Vernau and Steve Ricketts.

NZBridge Website Update

We have received a lengthy email from NZ Bridge concerning the forthcoming update of their website.

The message is reproduced here.

NZ Bridge - Board Vacancy

The following message has been received from Alan Morris (Chairperson of NZ Bridge):

Following the recently announced resignation of Anna Kalma from the Board of New Zealand Bridge we are keen to bring a fresh face or faces to the table.

We are fortunate to have a broad range of skills ranging from governance, finance, commercial management, communication and research, rules, and regulations.

Bridge in this country, like elsewhere around the world, is at a watershed moment.

The game has been around for a longtime and over that period we have seen the demographic age. Average age anecdotally is close to 80.

We are now experiencing players exiting for a variety reasons. Whilst Clubs are doing a wonderful job getting people into lessons our retention rate is sub-optimum.

We can go with the flow or be progressive and explore new opportunities.

Those opportunities include being recognised as a sport and all the associated benefits, raising our profile and engagement with youth, broadening our engagement and connecting with the large number who play social bridge.

Also recognising the quarter acre dream is a dream of the past. We are seeing living and work life changing and we need to adapt.

 We are keen to consider people who will bring fresh ideas. People who have skills and experience in the fields of sponsorship, fundraising, sports management, lobbying.

People who are willing to work within a close-knit team and who will support collective decision making.

Whilst we are keen explore new ideas and creative thinking, we are keen to continue to support a team ethos.

If this is, you and you are keen to give something back to the game I am keen to hear from you.

Our constitution allows us to second people to the board.

My contact details are set out below or I can be contacted on allan.morris@nzbridge.co.nz

 

  

How do I know when "Hugh's News" is updated?

I've been asked this question quite a lot. The simplest - and recommended - method is to follow the blog using the "follow" button in the right hand sidebar:

Just press the button and hey presto!

For the more technically minded, some further options are summarised here.

If you would like help, or if it doesn't work, please get in touch.

Inter-Village Competition 5th March

Yesterday saw the Club host a very successful "Inter-Village Bridge" event. There were 9 tables, and all involved clearly had a good afternoon.  

17 Waikanae members participated on behalf of Parkwood, who came fourth overall.  Naciye Bagci and Lois Anderson took the honours on behalf of Charles Fleming with Midlands second and Seven Oaks third. 

Special thanks go to Anne Ricketts and Margaret Gordon for their part in making the event (to quote Ann Verboeket) "a resounding success".

Assistant Secretary

I'm delighted to be able to announce that Nicky Bradley has agreed to take up the newly-established position of Assistant Club Secretary.

In this capacity, Nicky will initially have the following responsibilities:

• Deputising for the Club Secretary as required
• Acting as secondary contact person (subject to Committee approval)
• Acting as Registrar (looking after both the membership and interest registers required by the Act and our Constitution)
• Managing our membership records
• Privacy Officer
• Coordinating production of the Programme Book

Additional functions may be added over time by agreement with the Secretary (and where appropriate, the Committee).

Message Board

I've added a link in the sidebar on the right to a new "Message Board".  To start the ball rolling, it contains a message I received from Ann Hancock earlier today.

Internet Update

  Web Working Group

The working group I mentioned in my "Updating the Website" post on 25 February has now had its first meeting.  I attended as the Committee's representative.

The group (consisting of Judi Vernau, Sally Weatherley and Shelley Ross) will be taking on three broad strands of work:

• Updating and modernising the Club website to serve as the "base" source of information for our members, the wider bridge community and the general public
• Developing the "Hugh's News" blog as the primary source of "transient" information of interest to our members
• Examining the development of a (currently dormant) Facebook page as an "outwards facing" presence where we can advertise and publicise the club in a social media setting

Judi Vernau has kindly agreed to act as convenor for the group, which will be meeting again in around a month.  I'll update you on progress as it's made.

Webmaster

Shelley Ross stands down today as the club's webmaster after four years in the role.  I would like sincerely to thank her for her expertise and hard work in keeping the site current and relevant during that period and, in particular, to acknowledge with appreciation her willingness to remain involved with the working group and contribute to its ongoing work.

I am delighted that Sally Weatherley has agreed to take over the role of webmaster.  Sally will take over following her overseas travels in April.  In the meantime Judi Vernau has kindly agreed to hold the fort.

Sites of Interest

There are a number of links to external web sites in the right sidebar under the heading "Useful Links". 

These include:

• NZ Bridge Home and News (the latter includes a series of articles entitled "Daily Bridge in New Zealand")
• Wellington Regional Bridge
• Bridge Base Online
• a link to the New Zealand-wide results page on the main Compass site.

A couple of these links are experimental on my part - I'll update them if they don't work correctly.