SBU News

November-2023-Monthly-News.pdf

November-23-Bidding-Problems.pdf

2023_October_Monthly_News.pdf

 featuring articles about The New Melville Bridge Club with Liz McGowan and Flora Kelsey, some freak hands plus regular features such as It's a Funny Old Game, the Quick Quiz, recent results, master point promotions and What's Coming Up.

Dear Members

Welcome to the new season. Although bridge is played all year round, the Scottish calendar traditionally “starts” in September. Lots has happened since I last wrote to you.

Mempad Upgrade

Mempad consists of a membership database and a Masterpoints system. A necessary major upgrade was done over the summer and has now been completed. This involved an enormous amount of work by Bill Whyte and his team, for which we are very grateful. There is a definite “new look” to the site and feedback so far has been positive.

Website

Those regular users of the website will notice some enhancements, in particular drop-down boxes that make navigation easier. There is still a lot of work required to further improve navigation and make it easier to identify, enter and pay for competitions, amongst other things. We would welcome volunteers to help manage the content. If you think you can help, please get in touch.

General Secretary Appointment

Following a recruitment drive to find a General Secretary to replace our General Manager who had resigned for health reasons, we expect to announce a new appointment next month. In the meantime, please continue to refer questions to the respective convenors or myself.

National Competitions

At the AGM, members voted against a Member Resolution that all National Competitions should revert to face to face. The Board expressed the view that a more flexible approach is required and agreed with the proposals put forward by the Competitions Committee that although most traditional SBU competitions should be played face to face, some SBU National Competitions will better meet the needs of our membership by operating online.

Subsequent feedback from members suggests that opinion is widely divided, some suggesting all or most National Competitions should be online, some suggesting all should be face to face, and some content with a mixture.  The calendar of events for 23/24 has been published on the website which reflects the Board’s view that we hold both F2F and online National Competitions. The objective is not to maximise participation at any single event, but to allow opportunities to participate for those with a strong preference for either F2F or online events.

In the New Year we shall canvass all members to try to ensure that we are meeting the needs of most of our members. We know we cannot please all our members all the time, but it is important that we hear from as many of you as possible so we can best serve your interests.

Under 31 World Championships

Congratulations to our U31 team which qualified for the knockout stages but lost in the quarterfinals. This was a particularly good performance against some very strong opposition. We were delighted with the generous response to a request for donations to support the team.

National Competition Winners

Congratulations to

• Paul Maiolani & Jim McMenemy, winners of the Stirling Pairs
• Derek Sanders, Gints Freimanis, Prajjwal Prajjwal and John Di Mambro, winners of the Edwin Berry Swiss Teams

Café Bridge

Cafe Bridge recommenced in Scotland this summer with events in Prestwick, Strathaven, and Perth. Thanks to Victor Lesk of BriAn Bridge, Miriam Drysdale and her friends, and other members who helped with the organisation. Further days will be held in Dunkeld and Plockton in October. Support for future events is available.

Cafe Bridge is usually a duplicate event for pairs, often held to raise money for charity, moving to a new cafe or restaurant after each round, with the entry fee covering refreshment or food at each venue. It is sociable and fun and can attract players from SBU clubs and non -affiliated Clubs.  Details and registration for the events can be found on our website.

And finally

Have a great season and remember bridge should be fun, so please treat partners, opposition, and tournament directors with the same respect as you would expect to be treated yourself.

Alan Goodman

September 2023

2023-August-Monthly-News.pdf

2023-July-Monthly-News.pdf

Dear Members

Hopefully, members have been enjoying the warm spell of weather when not playing bridge. I know that some clubs will have closed for the summer, but many are now back playing in the clubs throughout the year. As usual, it has been very busy behind the scenes.

Annual General Meeting

The AGM on 23rd May was attended by 68 members and we received a record number of 129 proxy votes. There were lots of questions and discussion, and the minutes of the meeting can be found on the website.

Finances

Although our financial position remains strong, the changed bridge landscape has also had a significant impact on our financial management as income from congresses, traditional tournaments, masterpoints and subscriptions have all fallen over the last few years. Although we have healthy reserves, much of these are already earmarked to cover known capital expenditure, contingencies, and other planned projects. As agreed at the AGM, the membership subscription from 1 September 2023 is to be £12 and will be the same for members of clubs affiliated to the SBU, as well as members joining directly

National Competitions

At the AGM it was agreed that although most National Competitions will revert to face to face, we wish to retain the flexibility to have a limited number played online. The calendar of events for 23/24 will be published on our website very soon.

Mempad Upgrade

Congratulations to our U31 team which qualified for the knockout stages but lost in the quarterfinals. This was a particularly good performance against some very strong opposition. We were delighted with the generous response to a request for donations to support the team.

National Competition Winners

The Mempad system consists of a membership database and a Masterpoints system. It has served us well over may years but requires to be upgraded. The Trustees looked at several alternative system solutions but concluded that we are best served by spending money on an upgrade rather than seeking a new solution. This upgrade is being done over the summer and will be completed before the end of August. More information will be available before the new season starts in September.

EBL Hall of Fame

Liz McGowan has been inducted into the European Bridge League Hall of Fame, the first Scot to have received this award since its inception in 2017. Liz is Scotland’s only World and European Grand Master, but the award recognises not only her international bridge successes but also the considerable amount of pro bono work done over many years.

Bridge Olympic Esports Week

This is an important event for the bridge world yet accessible to every bridge player in every country no matter their rank. The publicity gained from the event has potentially far-reaching implications, particularly if it allows bridge to be considered an ESport. Raising the profile of bridge in the UK could possibly lead the UK Government to treat it as a sport, opening significant funding opportunities. Please take part in the inaugural Bridge Olympic Esports Week Tournament on BBO which starts on 19th June 2023. See the SBU website and BBO for more details.

Have a great season and remember bridge should be fun, so please treat partners, opposition, and tournament directors with the same respect as you would expect to be treated yourself.

Allegations of Cheating

It is very disappointing that allegations of cheating are still being reported. Although we are actively reviewing our disciplinary processes and sanctions, members should be aware that the Trustees will not tolerate behaviour that is spoiling enjoyment for the rest of our members. Further communication will be issued reminding members what constitutes cheating and what is expected from members.

Alan Goodman

June 2023

Iain MacIntyre & friends