In preparation for writing this report I have looked at what I had written last year. It started with a mention of the effects of covid on club activities. This year of course, again, covid has been significant for members and in the management of the club competitions, with the deletion of some and interruption and changes of playing dates on others. At the last committee meeting we decided that our competition results boards will, where not played, be recorded as a 'Covid' result, a very sobering thought in this history of the club.
Once again we have had a very good interactive committee for the 20/21 year, whom have coped with unexpected changes and interruptions to the program as well as all of the other 'normal' tasks as the year progressed.
This club runs entirely with the help of members, not just committee, but also many others doing directing, scoring, dealing, helping in the kitchen, preparing food, making the supper, emptying the dish washer, serving wine, filling the wine cupboard, selling wine tickets, putting out the rubbish bin, gardening, and many other little tasks that allow us to make the club work and for us to enjoy our time there. This is very apparent if you look, and one of our new members said to me recently she so enjoyed coming and playing at the club, and it was much more than just the bridge. We have a club to be proud of.
We have a motion at the AGM that we change the name of our club from 'Wanganui Contract Bridge Club' to 'Whanganui Bridge Club'. I can accept the reasons for the motion but I feel sorry about disconnecting from all of the history of the current name.
Covid has again had an affect on our balance sheet. We have lower subs and if you play multiple times a week, pay significant table money to keep us afloat. Obviously, if we are not playing or people are discouraged from attending then our income will be reduced. This has not been huge hit, but, it obviously has an affect on our financial planning. It is a new experience for our managing bridge committee and will need to be considered in the future.
This year, a major experience has been replacing the guttering around the club rooms. We could have done the 'cheap' job but decided to renew with the same as original. The shape of the gutter is part of the building design. You may have noticed water marks on some parts of the ceiling. The club rooms have a large flat roof area. The roofing material is aged and needs replacing together with the supporting surface underneath. This is a summer time job and planning will soon start for that. Cleaning and painting of the rest of the roof at the same time would seem to be logical, and then the watermarks inside need to be attended to. Maintenance of the building, inside and out, is an ongoing necessity. It is easy to look at the balance sheet and think that we have a large reserve. Many of the jobs done over the last three years have been completed using the professional skills of club members, with a substantial saving to the club.
Computer technology is very important to our club. It is used for card dealing, scoring, and producing results, as well as the normal secretarial and communication duties. As the equipment ages and software is updated things that have worked well are no longer reliable. This can provide great frustration for those using the equipment. It is seldom obvious what is causing the problem and often takes several 'fixes'. Please be understanding when these problems occur.
Another very important job for the club is the introduction of new members. This is not a simple task, many people come to play bridge but don't have many card playing skills. The Club has again been very fortunate to have Graham Wood and John Botting running introductory learners sessions. They are now quite experienced having done this for several years and they are very successful, as judged by the number and calibre of new players coming through. We should all thank them for their considerable time and effort. Who taught you to play bridge?
The club is dependent on directors, scorers, and dealers. All of these jobs require training and qualification in the case of directors. If you have an interest in any of these tasks please make it known. You won't be thrown in the deep end!
The most important part of this report is for me to thank all of those who have worked with me and for me. My job in most cases is to decide what has needed to be done and then 'suggest' someone do it. I can't remember any refusals, in fact only willing support, thank you.
'My secretary' Sherry, has provided great support and has most often been ahead of me as to what is required. I have greatly enjoyed working with her for all of the three years. The club is very fortunate to have her and that she is to continue next year.
Our treasurer Owen, has worked very diligently keeping close record of the financial situation of the club and providing important financial direction where required. He also is standing for re-election, to the real advantage of the club.
Sue Walkington has been Tournament Secretary this past year and I know has put a lot of effort into the job, often disrupted by the uncertainty of Covid. Well done Sue.
Head Director Les has always been behind us with his experience and words of wisdom.
All of the members of the committee have contributed willingly and I hope enjoyed their time, as I have, enjoyed and appreciated working with them.
Neville Parker President Wanganui Contract Bridge Club
