Duty Officer Convener

Ann Verboeket has informed me that - for health reasons - she is stepping down from the role of Duty Officer Convener with immediate effect.

If there is anyone who is willing and able to take over this role, would you please contact me.

I would like to thank Ann for all her efforts in the role over a number of years - she's done a great job behind the scenes in running the duty officer roster efficiently and effectively, and the Club is indebted to her.

Ann will provide a detailed handover to her successor.

Prostate Cancer

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.  It provides a timely opportunity to promote greater awareness of prostate cancer and to encourage men in their 40s, 50s and 60s to have regular prostate health checks with their doctor.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ and Calvin Chua Philanthropic Trust have prepared the following short information piece on prostate cancer to encourage men to have regular prostate cancer checks with their doctor:

Horowhenua/Kapiti Quadrangular Tournament

This year's Horowhenua/Kapiti Quadrangular Tournament (colloquially known simply as the "Quad") will take place at Waikanae on Saturday 19th September.

The Waikanae team for this event is selected by the Bridge Advisory Group (BAG), who would like to thank all those who expressed interest in playing for our club, noting that “it was a challenge ... to separate those chosen from the other pairs”.

The team is as follows:

Open -
Pryor Rowland and John Donbavand
Derek Snelling and Isobel Ross

Intermediate -
Miriam Lewin and Suzanne Duncan
Karen Eriksen and Jude Lucas

Junior -
Stephanie Cheeseman and Jim Gordon
Hugh Wolfensohn and Judi Vernau

Waikanae players are asked to bring a plate for morning tea.

If you would like to assist in any capacity on the day please contact Nicky Bradley, who has kindly volunteered to organise the event.

NZBridge Tournament Regulations

NZBridge have advised that the NZBridge Manual will no longer be produced, as all the information it contains is available on their website.

From 1st October the latest Tournament Regulations will come into force: they are available here, along with an accompanying explanatory note.

Practice Sessions for Juniors at Otaki

Otaki Bridge Club invites Juniors, especially Novices, to play in their guided practice sessions. The sessions are on Wednesday evenings from 7pm and will run until approximately the end of November.  Table money is $5. 

Junior/Novice Tournament

As a new initiative, we're organising a half day tournament for Junior and Novice players only, to be held on Saturday 10th October.

Details are as follows: 

• one session only commencing at 1.00pm
• entry fee $20.00 (payable to our Bank Account [02-0591-0005881-00] in advance or in cash on the day)
• strictly limited to junior and novice players below the rank of Club Master
• XG handicapped
• played under our "Monday Rules" (a copy of which will be provided in advance and displayed at each table on the day)
• C points only
• no more than 26 boards
• drinks and finger food on completion

Entries from Paraparaumu, Otaki and Levin are warmly welcomed.

You can enter by email to waikanaebridge@gmail.com.

I'll provide more detailed information nearer the time.

Vice President

I'm delighted to announce that the Committee at its meeting yesterday (10th August) unanimously elected Judi Vernau as Vice President of the Club.

Under our Constitution the Vice President is "the Officer elected by the Committee to deputise for the President as required".

Congratulations Judi!

Multigrade Tournament Raffle

I'd like to thank Fiona McDonald-Bates and Marg Gott for organising yet another very successful and profitable raffle, this time at the Multigrade Tournament on Sunday 2nd August.

The prizes - shown here on the right - were kindly donated by the following local firms:

• 
  SuperLiquor
• Westbury Pharmacy
• Bottle’O
• Allure Hair Skin & Laser
• Mane Attraction
• Absolute Skin Care
• ShoreLine Cinema
• Salt and Wood
• Big Mac Slabs
• Unichem Pharmacy
• Picture Perfect Framers
• Harrisons Gardenworld

and by Murray Lobb, Angela Gattsche and Diane Horton.

Our grateful thanks go to all of them for their support.  The club benefitted to the tune of over $500.00!

Waikanae Multigrade Pairs

We hosted a very successful Multigrade Pairs tournament on Sunday 2nd August, jointly sponsored by Waikanae Funeral Home and Relish Café.

The event was very well supported, with 20 tables, and splendidly organised by Margaret Gordon (from her sickbed)!

In addition to Margaret I would like to thank:

• Anne Ricketts, who was both Director and Scorer for the day
• Roz King, who ran the kitchen (ably assisted by Diane Horton, Penny Currier and Elaine Westlake), and all Waikanae members who contributed a plate for morning tea
• Steve Ricketts and Isobel Ross, who set up and ran the bar
• Fiona McDonald-Bates, who ran the raffle and took the photos
• Nicky Bradley, who covered for me at short notice with the formalities and announcements before and after play

The winners (Waikanae unless stated) were:

Session One

1   Ann Verboeket and Graeme Norman  
2   John Seator and Barb Robinson (Feilding)
3   Vicky Young and Lorraine Gaffaney
4   Chris Farrow and James Winskill
5= Karen Eriksen and Jude Lucas
5= Pryor Rowland and Jo Anson

Session Two

1  Tim Horner and Anne Baird- Horner (Otaki)
2  Carolyn Brodie and Hans van Bunnik (Palmerston North)
3  Lorraine Gaffaney and Vicky Young
4  Richard Johnson and Joyce Bosman (Upper Hutt)
5  Marius Tumilowicz and Walt Davis (Karori/Wellington)

Category Winners

Open/Open - Marius Tumilowicz and Walt Davis (Karori/Wellington)
Open/Other -  Ann Verboeket and Graeme Norman  
Intermediate/Intermediate - Karen Eriksen and Jude Lucas
Intermediate/Junior - Glen Lust and Anne Brunt (Paraparaumu)
Junior/Junior - Susanne Corbett and Janine O'Connor (Upper Hutt)

Session Prizes

AM - John Seator and Barb Robinson (Feilding)
PM - Hans van Bunnik and Carolyn Brodie (Palmerston North)/Richard Johnson and Joyce Bosman (Upper Hutt)

Overall

1   Lorraine Gaffaney and Vicky Young
2   Tim Horner and Anne Baird-Horner (Otaki)
3   Ann Verboeket and Graeme Norman  
4   Karen Eriksen and Jude Lucas
5= Pryor Rowland and Jo Anson
5= Marius Tumilowicz and Walt Davis (Karori/Wellington)

The full results can be found here.

First prize in the raffle went to Jane McArthur from Paraparaumu.

Many congratulations to Lorraine and Vicky, and all the Waikanae players in the top 5: an excellent result for our Club!