SBU News

Dear Members

It’s been a very mixed summer with changeable weather, political upheaval, continuing Covid infection and travel chaos. Thankfully bridge allows us the opportunity to play online, or to play face to face meeting friends we haven’t seen for a couple of years. Since I last wrote to you there’s been a lot happening behind the scenes.

AGM 24 May

The last meeting of the “old” organisation and the first AGM of the new SCIO took place on 24 May. In addition to the usual formalities and the election of three new trustees Neil Archibald, Gavin Easton and Mike Hodder, there was a lively Q&A session where many of the practical concerns for the bridge clubs during and post pandemic were raised. Minutes of both meetings are available on the website.

National Competitions

Thanks to members who took the time to complete our two recent surveys. We must continue to meet the needs of those wanting to play face to face and those wanting to play online. We also recognise that clubs’ future viability is critical to SBU’s success and that there will continue to be uncertainty for the foreseeable future. The Board recognised that the numbers and spread of members playing in the weekly SBU online events doesn’t necessarily significantly affect the current slow return to F2F, but it was felt there was likely to be an overall capacity issue for members. Players will decide which of numerous options over any one week they will play, and generally, there was felt to be a need to nudge members back to Club events, both F2F and online. Consequently, we have taken the short-term view that the weekly weekend pairs and individual games, SOL and Bronze League will continue, but the Tuesday pairs will stop at the end of August. National tournaments will be held online for the rest of 2022, although it’s up to districts to decide how heats will be held. We are actively planning the national events in 2023, deciding what changes are advisable, and determining an appropriate balance between face to face and online to meet the needs of our members. We are also planning longer term since it is inevitable that the landscape for playing and teaching bridge will continue to evolve and change. Challenging times!

Meeting with club representatives

To best support the needs of clubs, the trustees have scheduled five online meetings over the next few weeks with club representatives to share ideas and to help us resolve any issues together. Those interested in attending please contact Juliet (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Treasurer and Bookkeeper Vacancies

We are very grateful to Scott Macdonald, who is stepping down from his role as Treasurer, for the huge amount of work he has done over the last 2 years, managing a very smooth transition into the new SCIO, and coping with the additional workload created by online bridge. The level of work has grown significantly, so we have decided to split the role into two:

Treasurer - a volunteer role of approximately 10-15 hours/month.
Bookkeeper - a paid role of approximately 8-10 hours/week.

Please contact Sarah Gunn (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you may be interested in either of these roles.

Other organisational changes

After many years of excellent service, Fiona Greenwood is stepping down from her current role as Tournament Convenor. We thank her for all the invaluable work she has done for SBU. We are delighted that Mike Baron has agreed to coordinate a new team of convenors to help run our national competition activities, and Angus Macdonald is Chief Tournament Director managing our team of TDs. We are very grateful to the large number of volunteers who have agreed to support our efforts.

Affiliation Agreements and Byelaws

A lot of documentation has been produced ensuring we meet the governance requirements of the Regulator. This is still work in progress but can be viewed in the “About” section of the website. Most recently, Byelaws have been written describing how the organisation operates, and Affiliation Agreements issued to clubs describing their relationship with SBU.

Social and health benefits of playing bridge

An important goal for SBU is that people in Scotland are aware of the social and health benefits of playing bridge. Recent research and analysis done by Stirling University and others clearly demonstrates the facts. Any member interested in helping in this area please get in touch with me. Best wishes to all our members for a great summer.

Alan Goodman

July 2022

Scotland won the Senior Camrose (Teltscher Trophy) this weekend.

Dear Members

As the weather starts to warm up it’s great to hear that many clubs have started to get back to playing face to face bridge. Feedback so far has been very positive, with the social interaction being so important for many of our members.

AGM 24 May 7.00 pm

Advanced notice of two AGMs has recently been issued to members. The first meeting will be the final one of the old organisation; the second meeting will be the first AGM of the new SCIO.

Nominations are invited from members interested in joining the Board of Trustees. A nomination form is attached  — Nomination-form-for-Board-of-Trustees.pdf or Nomination-form-for-Board-of-Trustees.doc — and can also be found in the "About" section of the website.

Members are also entitled to submit formal resolutions to be tabled at the AGM. Please write to Julia Scott-Barrett by 6 May at the latest.

New Byelaws

The SBU Constitution contains the fundamental principles which govern our operation. The bylaws provide further definition and establish the rules and procedures we will follow to conduct ourselves in an orderly manner. The Constitution was accepted by OSCR last October; the Byelaws have now been agreed by the Trustees and will be available to view on the website within the next few days.

Survey of Members

We shall be seeking feedback from current and past members, by way of an online questionnaire, to seek members’ views on a wide range of topics related to the future playing and teaching of bridge. Prior to the pandemic playing in person in clubs was the norm. During the pandemic online bridge allowed us to continue to play. The SBU wants to understand how best to support clubs restarting in-person bridge whilst retaining the benefits of online bridge. The findings from this survey will be particularly useful in helping SBU and bridge clubs to develop in the post-pandemic world.

Meeting with club secretaries

To best support the needs of clubs, the trustees and operational management team are keen to meet with club secretaries to share ideas and to help us resolve any issues together. A series of Zoom meetings will be scheduled – further details in due course.

Technology - Future Requirements

Although Mempad has served us well over several years, it has now become critical that we assess what IT infrastructure will be required to meet our future needs. A project team is being set up. Any member with a background in IT who is interested in providing support, please get in touch with me.

Ladies Team Success

The Scottish Ladies Team has won the Lady Milne Trophy, winning all their matches against the other home nation teams. This was an excellent victory and follows a commendable 12th place finish in the Venice Cup World Championships. Congratulations to both teams.

Alan Goodman
April 2022

— Chair-Newsletter-April-2022.pdf

Please read these important documents concerning the changes to COVID arrangements this month.

• COVID reopening advice
• SBU Revised Risk Assessment

As you will be aware the SBU is now a corporate body and a recognised Scottish Charity.  Instead of the SBU Council, we now have a Board of Trustees guiding the SBU.  Alan Goodman is the chair.  Here is his first newsletter.

Dear Members,

As we move into Spring, I hope that this finds you well and that you are continuing to enjoy your bridge, whether online or F2F. As the new chair of the Board of Trustees, I plan to write regularly to members keeping them informed of what’s going on in the organisation.

SCIO is now operational

As of 1st March, the SCIO became operational, and all members have been transferred from the existing unincorporated organisation into the incorporated charitable organisation. In practice, this means that all business previously conducted by the existing organisation has been seamlessly transferred to the stewardship of the SCIO Board of Trustees. The assets of the existing organisation will be transferred once all the loose ends are tied up and the accounts have been certified by our accountants. New bank accounts and a new member application process are now in place.

New General Manager appointed

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Janet Unsworth as the General Manager of the SBU.  Janet is currently the SBU National Congress Convener and will continue in this role to deliver the Peebles and Mallorca Congresses. Janet has taken the role of General Manager on a voluntary basis in line with her other activities as a charity trustee and member of the children’s panel.  Transition into this important new role will be phased over the next couple of months to accommodate Janet’s other commitments. We expect the formal handover in mid-April.

Website changes

We plan to make significant changes to the website over the next few months, but in the meantime, we expect to release some enhancements before the end of March. Once these are released, we would like members to tell us what they are looking for from future changes.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The European Bridge League (EBL) has decided that, until further notice, no Russian or Belarussian participants will be invited to EBL events. The SBU fully supports this stance and will take similar action. We hope that those individual Russian bridge players affected, who may well be as outraged as the rest of us over what is happening, understand that this measure is not directed at them. We hope that sanity will ultimately prevail and this nightmare for the Ukrainian people, and the whole civilized world, will soon end.

Member Research

As we all know, the bridge landscape has changed significantly over the last couple of years, and we need to prepare for further evolution. We intend to conduct a significant piece of research to seek members’ views on a wide range of topics related to the future playing and teaching of bridge in Scotland. More details in due course.

Covid update

As many clubs contemplate a resumption of F2F bridge, we shall be issuing further information in
anticipated relaxations in Scottish Government legislation and guidelines. We hope to issue SBU
guidelines very shortly.

Other News

The Scotland Women’s Team is delighted to have been invited to play in the World Championships at the end of March. We wish them well.

The AGM will take place on 24th May- further details to follow. The Board of Trustees will be looking for a further three members to join the Board.

Alan Goodman
Chair of Trustees

- Chair Newsletter March 2022

Dear Members

I hope that this finds you well, and that you are continuing to enjoy your bridge, whether online or F2F.  The purpose of this Newsletter is predominantly to update you on our progress towards the inauguration of the new SBU Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation.  But first an update on other items.

Returning to face- to- face bridge.

A number of you had sought an update following recent changes in Scottish Government Covid guidance. Alan Officer has posted new information on the SBU web site, with an attached updated SBU risk assessment template, dated 24/01/22. Bill Whyte had already circulated same to Club secretaries. I hope that you have found/ will find these helpful.

I have already had feedback from a few clubs who have since issued reopening dates and times. One or two clubs, of course have already been operating f2f sessions with varying success for varying periods of time.

The Scottish Government did not consider that the use of Perspex Screens would be an acceptable mitigating feature at the table. Neither is the wearing of a face shield accepted by them as a substitute to a face covering.

SBU Secretary

The SBU has made two temporary Secretary/ admin appointments.

Juliet Vivers has been appointed to be attached to the Operational side and Julia Scott Barnett to the Board. Juliet will “take on” the  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. E mail address.

 Chief Tournament Director

 Angus Macdonald has assumed the role of Chief Tournament Director, with a remit to lead, co-ordinate, and manage the National TD function.

SBUNews and ezine

 Two editions of SBUNews have now been posted.  It is great to see a number of new contributors. So far, feedback which has reached my inbox has been to a “man” complementary and enthusiastic. I know that Liz McGowan, editor would welcome further feedback and contributions.

Future Landscape of competitive bridge activity in Scotland

The working party set up to consider all the various parameters and variables which are likely to affect this, has started to meet, chaired by Chris Goode. I expect that we all shall be given the chance to input into their deliberations but meanwhile, Chris can be contacted here This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Congresses

I am pleased to confirm that both the Peebles f2f Congress on the 11/12/13th March and the Majorca f2f Congress from the 4th to 11th May are now being actively promoted. Look on the SBU Web site, under Events/ SBU Congresses. Entries for Peebles on the Events/ upcoming events/ enter online Tab. Look out for updates from Bill Whyte too!

Towards SBU:Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO)

Following the EGM held on the Dec 1st., where members voted overwhelmingly for all 3 motions to proceed, the inauguration date is now closer, as we work through the critical pathway of dependencies. In order to best be assured that we can actually make any announced deadline, we have decided to aim for 1st March 22 rather than the 1st February.

BBO has agreed terms for the New Org which include an increased Revenue share of 75% to the SBU.

As I stated in my last Newsletter, until the appointment of the General Manager I shall continue as the Interim General Manager, and the start date of the SCIO is not dependent on this appointment. You will have noticed the advert placed on the SBU Home page for the post. I hope that members will consider whether or not they feel they have to skills to take on this pivotal role to lead the Operational Group. Alan Goodman would welcome a conversation with you about the role.

With best wishes.

Joan Forsyth,

President, Scottish Bridge Union, January 2022