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WAIKATO BAYS NEWS with Anna Kalma
The Waikato Bays news is brought to you on Gypsy Day … the time of the year that the weather turns to shite and the roads are congested with stock trucks and dodgy ute loads heralding the start of the dairying year.
The Waikato Bays committee elections have been and gone and we welcome Ian Moore from Rotorua to the committee from the start of the new term which begins 1st July. Sadly it also means we say farewell to Brett Glass and Ray McCully who have both been on the committee since 2011 (although thankfully Ray will be continuing to provide support to ensure the policy manual is bedded in). We thank them both for their service and contribution to regional bridge.
Tournaments and the IPs
A highlight for the region was the Inter Provincial Trials which was well contested particularly in the Open/Seniors/Women section
held in Tauranga. The two day event saw the following teams being selected:
Open: Hank Ping, Ian Clayton, Alan Turner and Yuzhong Chen
Women: Kate Terry, Judy Pawson, Jenna and Christine Gibbons
Seniors: Tony Hacking, Julie Sheridan, Karen Martelletti and Pat Rutherford
Unfortunately, there were not enough intermediate entries to warrant a trial. So based on current form and experience the committee selected Mark Thomson, Jeffrey Chang, Hattie Curtis and Bruce Ballard as the Intermediate representatives.
Congratulations to all of these competitors who will join Jenny Millington as the Waikato Bay’s chef de mission in Dunedin in November.
Lessons
Jane Stearns with Tauranga’s Amanda Smith
Lessons have started in earnest. Our largest clubs Tauranga/Mt Maunganui and Hamilton report that they have strong interest in lessons this year which bodes well for the region.
Barry Jones in Hamilton estimates they have 50 new players attracted in part through a local radio advertising campaign. Mt Maunganui and Tauranga clubs join forces to run their lessons and momentum keeps building under Amanda Smith and the Mount/Tauranga clubs who run a slick operation. The Tauranga class had a pleasant surprise when a VIP guest “Bridge-it Jane” (yes the one off the videos!!) turned up at a recent lesson… not sure if they were more amazed that the videos are a local phenomenon not an import from England as her accent belies!
It is also excellent to see nearly 20 attending classes at Huntly, the latest club to benefit from Jane's enthusiastic input.
Teacher feedback is that Jane’s video lessons have been a great addition to the NZ Bridge lesson material providing learners with the ability to revisit lessons as required and in their own time. We look forward to discussing the secrets behind their success at the Teacher’s Conference in July. (16th/17th in Pukekohe).
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