MILTON KEYNES BRIDGE CLUB BROCHURE 2007/8

1 Introduction To The Club ...... 2 2 Where, When & What We Play...... 2 3 How The Club Is Organised & Run...... 3 4 Club Competitions, Prizes & Awards ...... 4 5 Member Services...... 4 6 Membership...... 4 Appendix 1 MK Bridge Club Website Home Page...... 5 Appendix 2 Location Of Bridge Club Venues ...... 6 Appendix 3 Milton Keynes Bridge Club Constitution...... 7 Appendix 4 Competition Rules ...... 9 Appendix 5 Calendar Of Events ...... 11 Appendix 6 Membership Application Form ...... 12

MILTON KEYNES BRIDGE CLUB BROCHURE 2007/8

1 Introduction To The Club

The club has been in existence for over 30 years and during that time has given much pleasure and enjoyment to hundreds of local bridge players.

We pride ourselves on being a friendly club that is welcoming to players of all abilities. Our attitude is competitive but not combative.

We also take great pride in offering tremendous value for money. Our membership fee for the year 2007/8 is just £50. For that annual fee, you are entitled to play in all of our club duplicate and rubber sessions. There are almost 150 such sessions per year, so the cost per session can be less than 30 pence. Given that a session lasts around 3 hours this is the princely sum of 10p per hour!! We defy you to find a comparable experience for such a low cost.

The club has a thriving membership and boasts one bridge Grand Master on its books. Members of the club have been very successful in many National bridge competitions. The club also enters representative teams into County and National events.

The club is affiliated to the English Bridge Union (EBU) and to Bedfordshire Bridge Association (BBA). Members are encouraged to join these bodies and to support the County events. Why Bedfordshire, you may well ask, when Milton Keynes is in ? Well it is simply a geographical problem - the bridge playing communities of Bedfordshire are a lot closer than those of South Buckinghamshire, such as Amersham & High Wycombe so participation in County events is easier.

The club participates in the EBU Master Points scheme. EBU Master Points are issued for all duplicate sessions. These are automatically credited. (For those who are not currently EBU members such points are kept available for credit for 3 years)

2 Where, When & What We Play

We play in two different venues. Light refreshments are available in both at small charge Rubber Bridge is played at: Fulwell Court St Ledger Drive MK14 5HB (For Map See Appendix 2) Every Monday 1.30 - 5.30 You can arrive and leave as you want anytime between these hours. It is 'cut-in' rubber so partners are not necessary. The stakes are 3p per 100. All Duplicate Bridge is played at: St.Mary & St.Giles CE Middle School King George Crescent, MK11 1EF (For Map See Appendix 2)

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Duplicate Pairs. Wednesdays at 7.30 prompt. This is our most competitive evening. There are several different club competitions played on these evenings as well as occasional heats of BGB or EBU simultaneous pairs Duplicate Pairs. Fridays at 7.45 prompt. This evening is ideal for less experienced players. There is a friendly atmosphere that is particularly suitable for beginners

All duplicate bridge is partnership bridge, so it is necessary to turn up as part of a partnership. However, it is sometimes possible to find a partner, though this cannot be guaranteed. If you need a partner please telephone: Sheila Caves - Milton Keynes (01908) 318099

The Club Also Organises The Following: Our Annual Dinner/Prize-Giving is held on a Saturday in January. We award several trophies each year and you will be eligible to compete for them. Winners of the main trophies are invited as guests of the club. Buffet Supper events are held twice a year on a Saturday evening. These evenings are greatly enjoyed in a friendly & relaxed atmosphere. Our Charity Cup is our main charity event. The proceeds go to a local charity. This is run on a Wednesday evening and is the only club duplicate bridge session where members pay table money.

3 How The Club Is Organised & Run The Club Membership & Financial Year runs from 1 September to 31 August of the following year. An Annual General Meeting is held as soon as practicable in the Club Year and a Committee is elected and a Membership Subscription agreed. The Committee meets regularly to ensure that the club continues to run smoothly and that all of the events in the calendar take place as smoothly as possible for the benefit of all members. But the essence of the club is participation. Members help to set up the tables etc and clear away at the end of the evening. It is not down to the committee to do everything. All members are bound by a simple set of rules:

• Players must be seated 5 minutes before the scheduled starting time. • Smoking is not allowed. • North is responsible for ensuring that the correct boards are being played against the correct pair for that round. • Players are expected to display a Convention Card that should be exchanged with an opponent at the start of each round. Failure to do so may lead to penalties. • Persistent slow play will not be tolerated, and offending pairs will be penalised. • The committee encourages a friendly but competitive atmosphere. Any player persistently disrupting play, being discourteous or demonstrating bad manners will be banned after due warning. • At the end of the session, North is responsible for ensuring that the curtain cards are removed from the boards and that boards and travellers are returned to the Directors table. • All players are asked to clear away the bidding boxes, making sure they are properly secured, and to return these and the tablecloths to the cupboard. Tables should also be returned to the cupboard and chairs stacked into units of 8 and wheeled into the chair store. • Only members of the club will be eligible to receive prizes or awards offered at club level. Only current members will be eligible to have results registered for the above awards. Only current members will be eligible to represent the club in competitions.

The Club is ultimately governed by its constitution. This is quite a heavy read, but is included as Appendix 3

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4 Club Competitions, Prizes & Awards

The Club Competition Year runs from 1 January to 31 December.

The detailed rules for the various competitions are quite complex and are shown in Appendix 4. The winners of most of the competitions are invited along free of charge to the Club Annual Dinner/Prize Giving Evening. The winners of trophies get to keep the trophies for a year. In addition the club presents members with a bottle of wine for achieving the following: Achieving the EBU rank of Club Master (200 points) Achieving the EBU rank of District Master (1000 points) Achieving the EBU rank of County Master (2500 points) Achieving a score of 70% or more in a Club duplicate event Bidding and making a grand slam in a Rubber session (This is restricted to 1 bottle per member per calendar year)

5 Member Services One or more newsletters are published each year and distributed to members. A Bridge Holiday is organised most years. Locations have included Tunisia, Crete, Rhodes, Venetian Riviera, Ibiza, Majorca, Tenerife and Cyprus. These ventures have proved extremely popular. Non-bridge players are very welcome. A Calendar, detailing all club events, is issued to every member. A copy of the BBA annual brochure is also given to those who are not BBA members. The current calendar is attached at Appendix 5. The Club Website www.miltonkeynesbridge.org.uk contains most things that you might wish to find including: Venues & Club details, Calendar of Events, Results, Club Rules etc. Results of duplicate sessions are often posted on the website by 9am the following day. Personal scorecards and travellers are available so that a full analysis of performance can be undertaken. A copy of the website home page is included at Appendix 1.

6 Membership

Membership is subject to being proposed and seconded by existing members. In addition the Committee has to be satisfied about the bridge playing competence of the individual seeking membership. (It should be noted that we are not looking for “experts”, merely that we are seeking to ensure that the enjoyment of others is not adversely affected by lack of competence, poor etiquette or very slow play.) The Committee has the absolute right to determine membership. A membership application form is attached at Appendix 6 Visitors are welcome. Visitors pay £3.00 table money per duplicate session and £1.00 per rubber session. The club also offers “Rubber Only” membership at £25.00 per year.

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Appendix 1 MK Bridge Club Website Home Page www.miltonkeynesbridge.org.uk

Welcome to Milton Keynes Bridge Club

Release 2.12e

Director & Gatelocking Home Page Welcome To The New Official Rota For February News Page

Information Website For Milton Keynes Calendar Bridge Club

Results Competitions Over the next few weeks Alan Announcing Rules & John will be adding pages 26th February 2007 Useful Links and features to the website. If Rubber Bridge Web Administration you have any comments Club-Bridge please speak directly to either. 28th February 2007

Wednesday Pairs Bulletin In the meantime please click We are currently in on the results pages to 2nd March 2007 the build stages of examine your scores in the Friday Pairs this new website. If minutest detail!! you find anything that is wrong or And have a look at the could be improved competition pages to see how » 23rd February 2007 upon, please click everyones doing at this early Friday Pairs

on the link below stage in the season and e-mail me. » 21st February 2007 Enjoy!! Wednesday Pairs John

» 19th February 2007 Rubber Bridge

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Appendix 2 Location Of Milton Keynes Bridge Club Venues

Rubber Venue: Fullwell Court St Leger Drive Great Linford MK14 5HB (Please note that there is no parking in Fullwell Court itself. Visitors should park in the shopping centre opposite. Please be very careful crossing the road)

Rubber Venue

Duplicate Venue: St.Mary & St.Giles CE Middle School King George Crescent, Stony Stratford MK11 1EF

Duplicate Venue

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Appendix 3 Milton Keynes Bridge Club Constitution

1: NAME 1.1 The name of the bridge club shall be the Milton Keynes Bridge Club. 2: OBJECTIVES 2.1 The object of the Club shall be to promote bridge for recreational, educational and competitive purposes for its Members. 3: MEMBERSHIP 3.1 The membership is open to all persons who are bridge players of an acceptable basic level. 3.2 Membership is at all times at the discretion of the Committee. 3.3 Any Member of the Club who, in the opinion of the Committee, is guilty of bringing the Club into contempt or disrepute by reasons of their actions, or is in open breach of the Constitution and Rules, shall be asked to explain and, dependent upon the explanation received, such a Member shall be liable to be reprimanded, suspended or expelled, according to the decision of the Committee. The decision of the Committee is final. 3.4 Each Member shall pay to the Treasurer, or person nominated by the Treasurer, such payments as become due according to the Constitution and Rules in force at the time the payment becomes due. 3.5 Size of the membership shall be at the discretion of the Committee. 4: FINANCE 4.1 The Committee shall authorise the bank to honour cheques signed by any two of a greater number of persons nominated by the Committee for this purpose. 4.2 The Treasurer of the Club shall ensure that simple accounts are kept based on a financial year commencing September 1st. The accounts shall be balanced annually and audited by a competent, independent auditor appointed by the Committee annually. 4.3 A financial statement shall be presented by the Treasurer of the Club to each Member of the Committee. 4.4 In the event of the winding up of the Club, insofar as is possible, any surplus monies shall be equally distributed back to all paid-up members of the club at the date of its cessation. Should the committee deem any such distribution to be uneconomic then such surplus monies shall be donated to a charity chosen by the committee. 5: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 5.1 This shall be held within 60 days following the end of the Club's financial year when the reports of the Officers of the Club shall be presented. These reports shall be sent out with the notice calling the AGM. 5.2 Nominations for the Officers of the Club and Committee shall be proposed and seconded in writing and the nominee shall sign the nomination form indicating willingness to stand. Nominations may be accepted at the AGM with the agreement of Members present. 5.3 Notice of the meeting shall be posted to each Member with the agenda and Officers' reports at least 21 days prior to the meeting. 5.4 Any items for discussion at the AGM by Members must be with the Secretary by September 1st and put on the agenda. 5.5 Any votes taken shall be decided by a majority of two-thirds of Members present or 51% of the total membership on constitutional matters, and a simple majority on other matters. 5.6 A quorum of the AGM shall be not less than one fifth of the total membership. 6: OFFICERS OF THE CLUB 6.1 The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. All these shall be elected at the AGM. 7: THE COMMITTEE 7.1 The Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Club and no more than five additional Members, who shall be elected at the AGM 7.2 The Committee shall meet as and when necessary with reasonable notice being given. 7.3 Each Officer and Committee Member shall resign annually but shall be eligible for re-election. 7.4 In the event of the resignation, death or sustained absence of any Committee Member the Committee are empowered to appoint a replacement. 7.5 The Committee shall have the power to co-opt not more than two additional Members in any one financial year. 7.6 If the Chairman is absent from any meeting the Vice Chairman shall preside. If both the Chairman and Vice Chairman are absent from any meeting the Members present shall choose one of their Members to preside at that meeting before any business is transacted. 7.7 A quorum of the Committee shall be not less than 50 per cent of its total membership at the time of the meeting. 7.8 The proceedings of the Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy in their number nor by any defect in the election, appointment or qualification of any Member.

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7.9 Every question to be determined at a meeting of the Committee shall be determined by a majority vote. In the event of a tie the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. 7.10 No Member shall vote on any matter in which he has a personal pecuniary interest. 7.11 A record of the proceedings of the Committee shall be kept through Minutes. 7.12 In any urgent matter arising between meetings the Chairman shall be empowered to take action and such action shall be reported to the Committee at heir next meeting. Where such action has significant financial implications the Treasurer shall be consulted. 7.13 The Committee may establish such sub-committees as it thinks fit. 7.14 The Committee shall undertake the running of the Club's financial affairs and bridge programme. Such decisions will be reported to the AGM. 7.15 The Committee shall from time to time review and set membership subscription rates, table monies, visitors fees, refreshment charges, competition entry fees and any other charges relevant to the sound running of the club. New rates and charges will be communicated to members and will become effective from the date specified by the Committee. 8: AFFILIATION 8.1 The AGM shall empower the Committee to affiliate the Club to any suitable organisation and to authorise the payment of such fees as may be required. 9: GENERAL MEETINGS (other than AGM) 9.1 Notice of all General Meetings shall be posted on the Club's notice board not less than 28 days before the date of such a meeting. The intention to hold a General Meeting shall also be announced at all bridge sessions preceding the General Meeting. General Meetings may be called by the Committee or by not fewer than ten Members of the Club. 9.2 The meeting must be held within 42 days of the Secretary receiving a VALID request. 9.3 The reason for the meeting will be stated on the notice. 9.4 Any votes taken shall be decided by a majority of two-thirds of Members present. 10: AMENDMENTS 10.1 Amendments to the Constitution may only be made at a General Meeting.

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Appendix 4 Competition Rules

General Rules For All Competitions Participants must be MK Bridge Club Members to play “with standing” in any of the club competitions. Non-members will be allowed to participate “without-standing” at the discretion of the committee in all events hosted at the club with the exception of the club championship pairs final, upon payment of the appropriate visitors fees. Persons playing “without standing” will not be eligible for their results to count towards any of the club competitions. A pair with one non-member shall be “without standing”, although the results of the member shall count towards individual competitions.

Rules for Wednesday Competitions First Wednesday Pairs Played with pre-dealt duplicated and recorded hands. The average of the best 7 percentages. Trophy awarded to a pair. Stantonbury Plate Total local points awarded throughout the year that are won on a Wednesday, excluding the first Wednesday competition. “National” local points awarded in simultaneous events are not counted. Enhanced scale local points awarded for special events such as the Club Championship are included. Trophy awarded to a pair. Veterans Trophy This will be won by the highest placed pair of veterans in the Stantonbury Plate. Veterans must have a combined age of 130 at the end of the competition year. Where a veteran pair emerges as the winner of the Stantonbury Plate, then the Veterans Trophy will be awarded to the next highest veteran pair. Individual Awarded to the Club member who has the highest average local point total per attendance, excluding first Wednesdays. A minimum of 17 attendances are required. “National” local points awarded in simultaneous events are not counted. Enhanced scale local points awarded for special events such as the Club Championship are included. Local points won in this event will count towards the Stantonbury Plate Club Championship Pairs There will be a one winner movement for the qualifying event. Half the field, rounded up to the nearest full table will qualify, subject to an overriding 14 total pairs qualify for the “all-play-all” final. Replacements for those who cannot make the final are taken in strict percentage ranking order. Local points won in this event will count towards the Stantonbury Plate. Club Championship Plate Non-qualifiers for the Club Championship final and other club members turning up on the night shall be eligible to play in this event that is held simultaneously with the club championship final. Local points won in this event will count towards the Stantonbury Plate . Swiss Pairs This will be held on one evening. 5x5 board matches will be held to determine the victors, played on a Swiss basis. Local points won in this event will count towards the Stantonbury Plate. Citizen Cup This will be played as a one-winner match-pointed pairs movement on a Wednesday and shall be open to all comers. There will be an entry fee levied on all players that will be donated to a local charity of the Club’’s choosing. Percentage scores count towards the appropriate Wednesday competition.

Rules For Friday Competitions Third Friday Pairs Played with pre-dealt duplicated and recorded hands. The average of the best 7 percentages. Trophy awarded to a pair. Handicap trophy Awarded to the player (or pair) achieving the highest percentage improvement over the first six month average. Results from Third Friday competition are excluded. A minimum of 6 attendances are required in both the first and second six months of the year. Results are calculated as follows: Average 1st six months (A) Average 2nd six months (B) Handicap Improvement = (B-A)/A x 100% Friday Pairs Competition Awarded to the pair with the highest average local point total per attendance, excluding third Friday competition. 12 attendances per year are required.

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Rules For Monday Rubber Bridge Competitions

Monday Rubber Individual Competition Highest average Rubber points total per attendance throughout the year. A minimum of 17 attendances required.

Rules For Other Competitions

All Duplicate Pairs Competition (Gilling Trophy) Awarded to the player who has the highest number of local points in all events on Wednesdays and Fridays. Players must be ranked Regional Master or below as recorded in the EBU database at the time of determination of the award.

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Appendix 5 Calendar Of Events

As described earlier, rubber bridge is played every Monday Afternoon and duplicate bridge every Wednesday and Friday Evening, except for bank holidays.

“First Wednesday” and “Third Friday” competitions run throughout the year

Other events for you diary are:

MK Bridge Club Calendar - Key Dates 2007/8 2007 October 10 Wed BGB Simultaneous Pairs October 10 Wed Annual General Meeting 7.15pm October 13 Sat Cheese and Wine – 7.30 pm October 17 Wed Club Championship - Qualifier November 14 Wed Club Championship - Final December 12 Wed County Pairs Qualifier December 17 Mon Rubber Bridge Christmas Party December 21 Fri Christmas Party 2008 January 9 Wed BGB Simultaneous Pairs February 2 Sat Annual Dinner / Trophy Presentation - 7.30pm April 9 Wed BGB Simultaneous Pairs April 16 Wed Club Swiss Pairs (Provisional) April 19 Sat Cheese and Wine - 7.30 pm May 14 Wed EBU Simultaneous Pairs June 6 Fri Worldwide Simultaneous Pairs June 11 Wed Citizen Cup (Entry Fee Charged)

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Appendix 6 Membership Application Form

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM 2007/8 Membership subscription fee from 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008 is £50-00. This entitles free attendance at all normal club duplicate and rubber sessions. National competition sessions, charity events and wine & cheese evenings held at the club are not covered by the membership subscription fee and table money will be charged for these events even if these events are used simultaneously as part of the clubs internal competitions.

Before being considered for membership you must have attended as a visitor FOUR times and be proposed and seconded by members of the club

Please write clearly using block capitals Title Initials Surname First name

Address

Postcode

Home Telephone No. Work Telephone No. Optional

Mobile Telephone No. Optional

E-mail Address

EBU Number Primary County

Proposed by ...... ….…

Seconded by ......

Cash Cheque EBU Voucher Total

I Enclose: £ + £ + £ = £50-00 Please make cheques payable to: ‘Milton Keynes Bridge Club’

COMPLIANCE WITH THE DATA PROTECTION ACT I do not object to Milton Keynes Bridge Club holding my membership record on Computer for the purposes of processing bridge results, publishing a membership list, maintaining a register of members and arranging partners.

Signed: ...... Date: ......

Please return this form together with your subscription to: Keith Rickson, 2 The Dene, Aspley Hill, , Milton Keynes, MK17 8NN

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