YORKSHIRE CONTRACT BRIDGE ASSOCIATION

 

Minutes of a meeting of the Council of the Yorkshire Contract Bridge Association held on Friday 28 November 2008 at Doncaster Bridge Club

 

Present: P.G. Mason (Chair); G. W. Jepson (Vice Chair); L. Millet (Treasurer); C.J. Close (Asst. Sec.)

 

A. Bond & E. Bond [Membership Secretary] (Garforth); D. Calvert (Huddersfield); K. Cornish, R. Turner & T. Jacobs (Sheffield); E. Crebbin (Harrogate); S. Davies [Tournament Sec.] (Bradford); P. Foster (Doncaster); B. Huntley (Wakefield); R. Millet (Leeds); I. Rodger (Bramhope & Management Committee) and L. Wilson & D. Kelly (Hull).

 

1. Apologies for absence

 

J. Latham, J. Biles & D. Waxman (Management Committee) and from N. Mayo (Harrogate); M. Rattenbury (Keighley); A. Knox-Milne (Sheffield) and P. Trevanion (Huddersfield).

 

2. Minutes of the Council meeting held on 13 June 2008

 

The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed, approved and signed.

 

3. Matters arising

 

The decision to leave match tea arrangements unchanged while advancing the Yorkshire League match starting time to 1pm [from 2009/10] was questioned by Sheffield whose committee was to consider cutting the cost of refreshments. There followed considerable discussion embracing the social aspect, distances travelled, cautions on unilateral action and calls for a sense of perspective.

4. Chairman’s half-yearly report

 

  •  EBU clearance of the revised YCBA constitution was still awaited [see below].

·       For the third year in succession a team had withdrawn after the Yorkshire League fixtures had been published.

·       50 Bridgemates had been purchased for Yorkshire competitions. Probable first use at the Yorkshire Pairs [possibly Mixed Pivot Teams].

·       Stuart Davies was thanked for his efforts and the success of the David Boston Simultaneous Pairs. In Yorkshire: 271 pairs raised £1131 for two Yorkshire children’s hospices (Bluebell Wood and Martin House); UK: 1450 pairs raised £6101 for nominated charities.

·        Yorkshire League match results: Rob Turner needs only the match result [VP score]. Stuart Davies needs the results sheet [names etc] as well and no late submissions.

·       Ted Bond [Membership Secretary] outlined the barriers to EBU acceptance of the revised YCBA constitution, essentially: the human rights aspect of appeals and disciplinary procedures and the proposed postal ballot. It was hoped that those could be overcome.

·       Concern was expressed as to the impact of EBU universal membership on the future of the County structure.

·       The meeting welcomed further EBU guidance on these issues.

 

 

5. Secretary’s report

 

The Secretary had nothing to report.

 

6. Treasurer’s report

 

A report was tabled showing current balances of £13,737.19 after payment of £6150 for Bridgemates including 2009 software. Improved interest rates were sought as was sponsorship for Yorkshire events. The Chairman made a particular plea to attendees to assist.

 

7. Tournament Secretary’s report

 

 A report was circulated which pointed to generally similar entry levels to last year except that simultaneous pairs had increased.

 

8. Membership Secretary’s report

 

Membership statistics would follow. There was a general discussion of the decline in Bridge itself and in EBU and YCBA membership. A Leeds member stressed that measures must be found to reverse the trend.

 

 

9. Report on Northern Counties League

 

The Vice Chairman referred to Yorkshire successes in 2008 and gave 2009 venues as Manchester, Bradford, Keighley and Brierfield. [Match dates 13 June, 11 July, 29 August and 10 October 2009.]

 

 

10. Proposed Yorkshire League dates for 2008 - 09

 

 18 October; 1 & 22 November; 6 December; 10 January; 7 & 21 February.

 

 

11. Purchase of Bridgemates for YCBA events

 

See items 4 and 6.

 

12. EBU Clubs’ Committee

 

Graham Jepson, committee chairman, outlined the setting up process and Lesley Millet, a member, indicated the limited but variable responses to club questionnaires. Terry Jacobs, a member, referred to the scale of the work to be done. There followed a wide ranging discussion of issues and communication problems and the general apathy of players who simply wanted to play bridge.

 

 

13. Date and venue of next meeting

 

It was agreed that the next Council meeting would be held on 13 June 2008 at Bradford Bridge Club following the AGM [7.15].

 

15. Any Other Business

 

 Thanks were expressed to Doncaster Bridge Club for hosting the meeting and for providing hospitality.