A Few Words from Sharon Thompson
Shock, horror – the festive season is upon us again! I’m back from my grand adventure, and I must say, the Staff and various Sub-Committees have been working tirelessly in my absence. A huge thank you to everyone!
What an amazing performance by our NSBC members at the Spring Nationals. Well done to all the place getters - we are very proud.
With Jo and me back in the same time zone, we’re finalising the budget for 2025. As many of you know, we've seen a double whammy in ABF Capitation and BNSW affiliation fees, along with rent hikes, wage increases, increases in cost of masterpoints and good old inflation. The good news? We’ve found a few places to trim the budget, and I am pleased to report that we will be keeping both Membership Fees and Table Fees at their 2024 rates, which is $70 for Sydney Metro members and Home Club members and $45 for our online members who reside outside the Sydney metro area.
I have had a few enquiries as to why the increase from the ABF and BNSW. The ABF explain their strategy and the need to increase Capitation Fees and Masterpoint fees in this article from David Fryda - please click here to read.
The NSWBA (New South Wales Bridge Association) was previously the state body for bridge in NSW, but only members of the Sydney Bridge Centre (SBC) could vote under its structure. This arrangement left affiliated clubs, including ours, paying fees without having a direct voice in the organisation. Recently, however, SBC and Bridge NSW (BNSW) have separated, with assets divided between the two. Unfortunately, this split has left BNSW with limited working capital.
To address this, BNSW has increased fees to build up its resources, enabling it to better support bridge clubs across the state. While this fee hike is frustrating, it should ultimately benefit clubs like ours. As one of NSW's "Big Four" bridge clubs, we now have a direct role in decision-making at BNSW, allowing us to represent our members' interests effectively.
This change is still very recent, and we need to give BNSW some time to establish itself and start delivering on its goals.
Terry, with Jo's help, has been meeting with local councils to scout out opportunities and potential support for a permanent club home. We’re also exploring options for the Reserve Fund. Special thanks to Peter Marshall for his invaluable assistance in this area – thank you, Peter!
Our Christmas parties are shaping up nicely! The Christmas Lunch on Friday, 6 December is full. There are still a few spots available for lunch on Friday 29th November, to book please click here. We’d love to see you there!
Meanwhile, Mike and Gary have been hard at work putting the finishing touches on the 2025 Calendar. Mike is also in the middle of designing a teaching calendar aimed at helping our Supervised and Rookies step confidently into the Restricted and Open sections.
And now, for some exciting news – we have a new Newsletter Editor! Russell Spear, a member since 2017 and publishing aficionado, has volunteered to take the helm. Thank you, Russell, for stepping up to keep us all informed! If you have any news articles, please contact Russell at news@northshorebridgeclub.com.au.
That’s all from me for now. Until next time, stay safe, and remember – with summer around the corner, the best way to dodge the heat is to play more bridge! Hopefully see you at Melbourne Cup or either of the Christmas Lunches.
Kind regards
Shaz
