Summer and Holiday Bridge kicks off!

Matamata Bridge Club kicked off their social holiday bridge on Monday afternoons from 6th January onwards at 1pm for anybody interested - just turn up and we will guarantee a partner.

Wednesday Holiday Bridge starts on Wednesday 15th January from 1pm - 4pm.

Te Aroha also starts back in their social holiday bridge programme - both Tuesday evenings (7pm) and Friday afternoons (from 11.30am) started the week beginning 6th January. No partner necessary just turn up!

Lesley Quilty - Matamata Life Member

Lesley Quilty was deservedly given life membership at the Matamata Bridge Club at the prizegiving recently.

Lesley QuiltyLesley Quilty

The following chronicles her work and history with the club and the game of bridge in the region.

Lesley joined the Matamata Bridge Club in 1970 after attending lessons. Within 2 years she won her first Open Championship. Over the years she has won many tournaments including the New Zealand Women’s Pairs in 1995 and 1996 and The New Zealand Senior Teams to name but a few.

Lesley has represented Waikato in the New Zealand Women’s Interprovincial Championships with both Sonia Crawford and Desma
Dickinson, indeed winning the event once with Sonia.

She became Matamata’s first Grandmaster in 2008.

From an early stage Lesley became involved in club matters and for
many years did the scoring on Monday Nights. Scoring in the past was done without the aid of computers and calculators and was an extremely skilled task.

Lesley was Club President when our clubrooms were extended. She and husband Jim donated a very generous sum to this project and her keen administrative skills ensured an extremely successful outcome.
Lesley has served on the Matamata Committee for most of her playing career in addition to representing our club and the wider Bridge playing community on the Waikato/Bays Centre for many years, only stepping down recently.

Her donation of the Quilty Tray promoting teams events is a legacy for club members and visitors from the Waikato to enjoy.
Lesley and Sonia offered improver lessons and she has always been willing to help members improve and develop their bidding and playing techniques.

Lesley’s deep freeze must be bottomless. On every occasion when catering is required the first person to offer has always been Lesley. Crockpots full of soup, slices and savouries are appreciated by everyone.

Her name is synonymous with Matamata - when you say you belong to Matamata people straight away connect with Lesley’s name.
In recognition of outstanding service and commitment over many years, the Committee has great pleasure in nominating Mrs Lesley Quilty for Life Membership of The Matamata Bridge Club.

The motion is seconded by Mrs Sonia Crawford.

28 November 2019

Life MembersLife Members

Well done Lesley - here she is with the two other life members of the club Sonia Crawford and Ann Ring.

Christmas and other celebrations

At Matamata's AGM and prizegiving there was a few special people recognised for their outstanding service and performance to bridge.

Kathy received official recognition of her achievement by reaching Gold Grand Master status a couple of months ago when awarded her gold plaque that will likely hang proudly next to Kens. There are just 40 Gold Grand Masters in New Zealand and just 7 of these are women. Well done Kathy!

Kathy gets her gold plaqueKathy gets her gold plaque

And joining an even more exclusive group was Lesley Quilty who became Matamata's life member joining Ann Ring and Sonia Crawford. Lesley has been active in the club and Waikato Bays in a number of roles over the many many years she has played bridge. Great to see her service recognised.

Life MembersLife Members

Also Christmas Parties coming up:

MATAMATA CHRISTMAS CHEER
Wednesday 4 December
Finger food for a shared lunch.
$5 optional Gift exchange.
Wear Christmassy colours.

THURSDAY 12 December
Xmas Party
Pot luck dinner 6pm
Partners welcome. Please indicate on list in Clubrooms number attending so we can set the appropriate number of places at the table.
Dinner will be followed by prizegiving and Bridge for those who wish to stay.
Again wear Xmas Colours.

TE AROHA
Tuesday Night the 3rd December.

5.30 drinks followed by prizegiving, dinner and then bridge. Welcome all full and associate members and those who have helped out during the year to fill tables!

Members - Bring a plate (but discuss with Laurie to ascertain whether vegetable, salad or dessert!)

Congratulations Joe and Barbara!

Barbara and Joe Keys were celebrated last week at both Matamata and Te Aroha clubs for reaching their Diamond Anniversary ... that is 60 years married.

Congratulations to the Keys:)

jo and barbarajo and barbara

Congratulations Joe and Barbara!

Barbara and Joe Keys were celebrated last week at both Matamata and Te Aroha clubs for reaching their Diamond Anniversary ... that is 60 years married.

Congratulations to the Keys:)

jo and barbarajo and barbara

Congratulations Joe and Barbara!

Barbara and Joe Keys were celebrated last week at both Matamata and Te Aroha clubs for reaching their Diamond Anniversary ... that is 60 years married.

Congratulations to the Keys:)

jo and barbarajo and barbara

AGM's approaching

MATAMATA BRIDGE CLUB INC

NOTICE OF MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Matamata Bridge Club will be held on Thursday 28 November 2019 at 7pm to be followed by the 2nd night of Event 60.
AGENDA
Welcome
Minutes
Matters Arising
Presidents Report
Financial Report
Subscriptions for 2020
Table Money for 2020
Election of Officers
General Business
(Item to be discussed in General Business to be handed to The Secretary by 21 November)

AND TE AROHA

Also book in the day … Tuesday 26th November. Further details will follow!

Noel Makes Grandmaster

Congratulations to Noel Grigg who becomes Matamata's latest Grandmaster.

Yuzhong and NoelYuzhong and Noel

Playing with his Interprovincial partner Yuzhong Chen this weekend in Hamilton, Noel got the 1.1A points that he required.

Grandmaster requires 1000 A&B points of which at least 500 need to be A points. As it turned out Noel reached 500 A points before getting the B points. So winning the Waitomo Veterans a couple of weeks ago with Neil Dravitzski was just the boost his quest required.

Well done Noel! Matamata is bursting at the seams with GrandMasters. Noel joins Lesley Quilty, Ken and Kathy Yule (both Gold GMs), Lynette Morgan, Ian Bond and Neil Dravitzski as our resident Grandmasters.

MELBOURNE CUP AT MATAMATA

Our annual Melbourne Cup bash happens on the first Tuesday in November!

Tuesday 5 th November.

Come along and enjoy a session of bridge amongst other stuff with prizes for most original hat as well as the famous Zelda sweepstake!

1pm-1.30pm purchase sweepstake tickets .$2 each
1.30 – 4pm approx. play Bridge.
4 ish Party Time
5pm watch the race and cheer on your horse

You need-Money for sweepstake
An original hat to wear
Small plate of finger food to share per partnership
BYO drinks or purchase wine for $3 a glass.

If you have not got a partner see Beth.

Members who work,husbands,wives ,partners welcome to join us after Bridge and enjoy the social time.

Come along and don't be shy - whether to play bridge or join us for the race and after party, it would be great to see you.

Tournament successes

Well done to Joanne Swanwick and Judith Howard who prevailed in the Waikato Bays Intermediate League to top the field and take home their share of the $1080 dollars on offer.

Joanne and JudithJoanne and Judith

They had a nervous wait to see whether their 8th place overall in the 8th event of the league at Cambridge was enough to seal victory over their rivals Carol Crowfoot and Sabrina Peters from Cambridge which they did in the end.

Talking about Carol Crowfoot and the Thames club, this week also saw the culmination the Gilligan Barclay Cup which is 4 session interclub played in March and October.

After four years of being bridesmaids (or thereabouts), Tim Rigter and Anna Kalma saw that Te Aroha retained the cup with a less than emphatic 46% in the last session. Luckily they had started the year with a bang and had notched up a couple of 68% which gave them enough of a buffer to keep the pack (ie Rochelle van Heuven and Hermanna Hemmes) at bay.

Tim Carol and AnnaTim Carol and Anna

And it was the birthday that kept on giving … even though Anna had been celebrating for a good few days (which may have accounted for her less than stellar score in Thames). She was presented with a beautiful birthday cake at supper to celebrate her half century. She was most chuffed and thanks to Katrina who produced it.

anna's cakeanna's cake