Emil's Advanced Bridge Lessons will be conducted on Thursday mornings in February.
Please indicate on the Whiteboard which sessions you wish to attend.
Please arrive at 10.15am for a prompt 10.30am start.
Free for members of MBC. $10 per lesson for non-members

The 2025 Program has been developed by Ken Horne, Kaye Frankland, Jill Parsons, Gail Hamer and Ruth Perris.

There are some new additions to the program and some changes to how some events will be run.

There are still a few events that need finalising and you will be informed about these when the planning is finished.

All players are asked to become familiar with the updated versions of two MBC documents:

1. MBC Rules and Information for Members and Guests
2. MBC Tournament regulations

The Maitland Bridge Club Tournament Sub-Committee Guidelines have also been revised.

The updates to these three documents are currently in red font so members can easily see the changes. The red font will remain red until the end of January 2025 to allow all members time to familiarise themselves with the changes.

You can find these documents in several locations:

1. the Information section of the MBC website
2. on display at the MBC clubhouse near the kitchen door and on the white cupboard opposite the sign on table
3. in a display book that is located on the sign on table at the clubhouse – for easy reading at your bridge table (please return this copy to the sign on table when finished)

Please note the term ‘Rounds’ e.g. GNOT Rd 1 will no longer be used. These will now be called ‘Sessions’ to bring us in line with ABF and Bridge NSW terminology e.g. GNOT S1.

To assist you with planning holidays etc for 2025, this is a list of the events, other than normal bridge sessions for 2025. Please mark any that interest you in your diary.

Events being trialed for 2025:

Changes to current events:

State mixed Pairs: NSWBA requires the field to be a majority of mixed pairs. In 2023 this was not seen as a popular event in its previous format with only 6 mixed pairs competing in all rounds on Mondays and the event being abandoned for the Friday sessions due to lack of mixed pair interest.

In 2024 this was run as a 2 session event on a Sunday This was also not very popular.

For 2025 we are trialing 2 Tuesday mornings so it will not be one whole day.

We will use Creightons Sponsorship vouchers to provide prizes to the overall Best Novice, Best Restricted and Best Open Pairs who play in both sessions.

Country Teams/Club Teams Championships will again be run as one event concurrently. In 2025 this will be over 2 Sunday mornings, rather than one Sunday with 2 sessions.

This is following feedback from members who did not like the whole day event.

Dinner Bridge will replace Pizza Bridge and will be held on Saturdays after the normal Saturday bridge session.

There will only be 3 Dinner Bridge sessions in 2025.

Annual General Meeting:

Monday 4 August 2024. 5.00 pm after bridge.

A motion was passed at the December 2023 Management Committee meeting to alternate AGMs between the first Monday and Wednesday in August to ensure greater equity of access for meeting attendance.

Wednesday now attracts more tables per year than any other bridge session.

Other events::

All these events are now on the MBC website Calendar for 2025.

At the top of each month you can click the right facing arrow on the top right of the calendar page to take you to the next month. (e.g. May to June)

The down facing arrow will take you to the next year. (e.g. 2024 to 2025)

The left facing arrow at the top left of each page will take you back one month. (e.g. June to May)

Current Members are financial until 31 December 2024.

Home Club members pay $20 annual membership fee + $20 Bridge NSW Affiliation Fee + $23.30 ABF Capitation Fee. Total of $63.30.

The Affiliation and Capitation fees are not kept by MBC. They are paid to Bridge NSW and ABF.

Associate members pay $20 annual membership fee.

Life members are exempt from paying annual fees.

Some members have asked how these fees are used.

The annual membership fee paid by all members, excluding 7 Life Members ( $20 x approximately 157 = $3140)  goes towards, but does not cover the costs incurred even if we do not play bridge.

These include:

 insurance ($2463), council rates, water rates, air conditioner service, fire extinguisher 6 monthly safety check ($374 x2), computer hardware, pest control $242).

Table fees cover: (Currently $5 token or $6 cash for members and $7 for non-members)

tea (many varieties), coffee, water cooler,  biscuits, sugar, milk, chips, playing cards, boards for cards, system cards,  master point fees, bidding sheets, computer software licences, printer ink, A4 paper, phone service, electricity, water usage,  first aid kit, dealing machine repairs, serviettes, paper towels, soap, toilet paper, cleaning, gardening, lawn mowing, subsidising players who progress to regional finals, subsidising functions, prizes for special events, flowers and cards, training of directors,  trophy engraving, replacing  locks and keys, purchasing and installing fans etc

Preferred method of payment is by direct deposit using the reference:

 Surname initial 2025fees   e.g.  SmithP2025fees

If you do not use internet banking, please pay the correct amount at the club house (we do not keep change) and ensure a receipt is written and handed to you.

In 2025 we are offering 2 optional days/times for  Beginner lessons.
This is to ensure people who still work are able to access lessons, if there is enough interest.
We require a minimum of 4 people for lessons to be run.

Sunday afternoons 2, 9, 16, 23 February, then 2 weeks break, followed by 16 and 23 March 2025 (6 lessons)

Arrive by 1.45pm for a prompt 2.00 pm start.    Finish at 4.15 pm

Tuesday mornings 4, 11, 18, 25 February, then 2 weeks break, followed by 18 and 25 March 2025 (6 lessons)

Arrive by 9.45am for a prompt 10.00 am start.    Finish at 12.15 pm

Venue: Maitland Bridge Club, 12-16 Wallace St, South Maitland

Cost: $60.00 for new players who are not currently members of MBC. Free for financial members of MBC as at 1-11-2024.

Text book: $25.00

Tea, Coffee, Cold Water, Biscuits supplied and Soft Drinks Available.

All attendees of the Tuesday lessons are invited to lunch at a local hotel after each lesson (at own expense).

Expressions of Interest can be advised by adding your name to the Online Whiteboard.
If you have friends who may be interested, please ask them to add their details.

When you register, please indicate preferred day for lessons.
Please also indicate if you can attend the other day if you preferred day does not attract enough students.

Maitland Bridge Club was formed in 1975 and has been steadily growing to its present membership of over 160.
We play 6 Sessions a Week (Mon-Sat) including Tuesday evening and Saturday afternoon.
Maitland is in the heart of the Hunter Valley and attracts players from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Singleton and outlying areas.
Visitors are most welcome but must be booked to play at a Session.
For enquiries ring: Adele (Secretary) on 0419 277 783  (if unanswered please leave a message)