Bridge Club Opening DayTe Awamutu Contract Bridge Club officially moved into a new home today - twice. The main event was the opening of the new clubrooms in Te Rahu Road. The other event was the announcement of their new home on the internet: www.teawamutu.net/bridge. The New Clubrooms After years of dreaming, and many months of final planning, the Te Awamutu Bridge Club has finally moved into it's own rooms. At a special ceremony on Sunday 11th August 2002, some 65 members with several special guests assembled for the official opening ceremony. President Alix Haywood reviewed the activities of the last year which involved everything from seeking planning permission and raising funds, down to the nitty gritty of finally renovating the run down rooms, which had, for all of the previous 50 years of its existence, belonged to the Legion of Frontiersmen. Special mention was made of the $20,000 grant from the Lottery grants board, without which the rooms would not be in their current upgraded condition. President Alix praised the efforts of all involved, in particular building supervisor Bruce Mandeno and his able stand in during his absence overseas, Bob Douglas. Other speakers included Lottery Grants Board representative Jim Lynn, Westpac Trust Consultant Judith Carter and the Mayor, Alan Livingston. The Mayor made note of the 20% increase in membership during the year, an achievement for which any organisation in these days should be proud.
Founder and Life member member Paul Hobbs spoke of the early days 41 years ago when men and women played in separate premises and, as a stalwart member over the decades, expressed his pleasure at the "new generation" of energetic and capable members. Another life member, Joan Miller reminisced of the many clubs she had played in over the years, and declared the Te Awamutu club to be a "Very fine club indeed". Newer member Merle Loomans spoke of the wonderful and friendly way in which she had been accepted into the club, and Crean Kabel rounded off a memorable afternoon by presenting the club with a large framed 2,000 piece jigsaw of a card playing scene During the evening, those members who were not exhausted by all the excitement, rounded off the day with a meal at the Commercial Hotel and a convivial time was held by all. The New Website Te Awamutu Contract Bridge Club breaks new ground with their simple but effective website at www.teawamutu.net/bridge. With content ranging from club information and history to tutorials and rules, this site has already begun attracting interest from bridge enthusiasts around the country. One of the main reasons for launching this site was to post competition results immediately. Players can finish their games and read the results online by the time they get home. Te Awamutu is the first provincial bridge club in New Zealand to offer this service. As well as results, the site is rich with other material for beginners and advanced. Whether you're looking for an introduction to the game or clarification of the masterpoints system, you can find it right here at the Te Awamutu Contract Bridge Club website. |
