Newsletter 21 May 2026
In our newsletter this week...
- President's Message
- ANC is coming to Canberra!
- New Players
- Fundamentals Course
- Director Training
- 2026 Scongress Update
- Youth News
- Friday Morning Bridge - Intermediate and Novice Session
- Wednesday Night Pizzas
- Upcoming Events
- Results
- Online Lesson with Will
- Lighter Moments
President's Message
A brief thank you to everyone who helped make last Sunday’s Youth Scongress such a success (more details below).
Thank you to all our members who supported the day and purchased raffle tickets; to our youth players for all their hard work behind the scenes; to our ever-friendly Director, Darryl; and particularly to our CBC Youth Co-Ordinator, Suz Wilkinson, whose dedication and enthusiasm continue to make a real difference to youth bridge at the Club.
- Mary
ANC is coming to Canberra!
The Australian National Bridge Championship is scheduled to run from 4th of July to 16th July, don’t miss the chance to play in one of the biggest national events happening right here in our city!
The championships feature a wide range of events designed to be inclusive of all skill levels, from those just starting out to elite players.
- Diverse Categories: Competitive events are organized by masterpoint categories, including sections for Rookies, Novice (typically <100 points), Restricted (<300 points), and Open divisions.
- Prizes for All: While Open events are for everyone, they often include specific prizes for restricted players, rewarding strong performances within that skill bracket even in a high-level field.
- Flexible Scheduling: You can choose from one-day matches or multi-day tournaments depending on your availability.
- Local Support: Pick up a flier at the club or speak to Elizabeth for help selecting the right event for your ranking.
- Click here to Register - 4th to 16th July 2026
The early bird discount ends on 3 June, so players should get their entries in during May.
Volunteers for ANC
The organisers are looking for volunteers to help with tasks such as meeting & greeting, administration, setting up and dismantling the playing rooms, and preparing the room for the Presentation Dinner; if you can help, please contact Lyn Carter at
New Players
Canberra Bridge Club welcomes the following new and returning players!
- Debbie Adams
- Rajan Richards
- Veronica Blazely
Fundamentals Course
If you know the basics of bridge but are not yet ready to play a social game of bridge, we recommend this course as your next step.
This is a set of 8 lessons that will consolidate what you learnt in your beginner classes.
In this course we will:
- introduce you to competitive bidding
- teach you some new commonly used systems
- discuss the etiquette of duplicate play and teach you how to use Bridge mates
- help you consolidate your bidding system
By the end of this course, you will be able to play a social game of bridge and be ready to try supervised play.
Next course starts on June 3rd on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 am and evenings at 7:30pm.
Director Training
BFACT is seeking expressions of interest from players who would like to attend in director training.
Details are as follows:
• Saturday, 20 June 2026 at CBC - for New directors
• Sunday 21 June 2026 at CBC - Directors' Workshop for both new and existing club directors
Those learning about directing for the first time are encouraged to attend both days.
• Day 1 is theory
• Day 2 is a practical workshop applying that knowledge.
If you are interested, please email the manager.
2026 Scongress Update
No one went home hungry on Sunday at the Scongress with delectable sweets and an abundance of sandwiches and salads in addition to freshly cooked scones and homemade jam courtesy of Julie, and Jenny B’s hubby. CBC raised over $3000 for our 5 international representatives who are very grateful and excited about the upcoming trip to China. It was wonderful to see many youth players, some as young as 8.
Raffle Winners
- Vanessa Brown - Handbag crocheted by Jade
- Adam Robinson - Free game with Will or free entry for 2 to Will’s Workshop
- Pam Crichton - Game created by Dev and Diya
- David Wawn - “Poppies” by local artist Bev McDougall donated by Alexis Wilsmore (David was unable to attend Congress - thank you for supporting Youth bridge through raffle tickets!)
- Malcolm Carter - Box of sweets donated by Dev and Diya
- Liana Wilsmore - card holder embroidered by Jess
Director Daryl kept the day running smoothly and he made a very attractive scorer.
Can youth players bake good scones?
“Very good” - Reyna
“Forget good, they look fabulous” - Perelle
“Yum” - Jen S
“Delicious” - Mary and Julie
“That was a bloody good scone” - Vanessa
That’s a resounding YES! Please come again next year.
Youth News
NEW EVENT! - BFACT Online Youth Butler Pairs
All players aged 30 years and under are invited to sign up for an online butler pairs event. This invitation is open to interstate and international players too.
- It’s being held on Friday June 26 at 6:30pm.
- Event info can be found HERE
Next Youthish Nights are Friday June 19 and Friday July 17.
Entry is FREE and includes a Pizza dinner.
All experience levels are welcome, no partner required.
Come to either session or both
• Session 1: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
• Dinner: 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM
• Session 2: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Contact CBC Youth Coordinator Suz Wilkinson
This week’s Youth shoutout goes to Kaleigh Wilsmore who helped at the Scongress in the kitchen from 8:30am - 3:00pm.
Friday Morning Bridge - Intermediate and Novice Session
Are you looking for another session of bridge to play? Why not come along to the Canberra Bridge Club on Friday mornings at 9:30 am to play in a dedicated intermediate or novice session? Over the three hour session, we play 24 boards in the intermediate session and 18 boards in the novice session.
To play in the intermediate session your partner and you may not have more than 200 Masterpoints between you, and to play in the novice section your partner and you may not have more than 20 Masterpoints between you.
To join either session, your partner and you should be prepared for an enjoyable morning of bridge with lovely people. We look forward to welcoming you to the Canberra Bridge Club soon.
The Club also offers lessons and refresher courses too - details are on the Club's website (www.canberrabridgeclub.com.au) or for any questions about sessions and lessons, please phone the club's manager, Elizabeth Yoo, on 02 6282 2382.
Wednesday Night Pizzas
The Wednesday night pizzas provide the opportunity for social interaction while enjoying a pizza sampling. It provides a great opportunity to talk to and socialise with your fellow players, which is not always the case when engaged in playing bridge.
- 27th May - 6:30pm
- $5 payable on the day for half a pizza
Those wishing to partake should place their name on a list on the noticeboard or contact Jon Pike directly. His email is
Upcoming Events
The next Tuesday night competition is the 3 weeks President's Teams on 26th May to 9th June
RealBridge Sessions Links
- Today 2pm - join session here
- Saturday 23 May - join session here
- Monday 25 May 2pm - join session here
- Monday 25 May 7pm - join session here
Results
The winners of the Tuesday night Autumn Pairs are:
- DAVID WAWN / DAVID HOFFMAN
Scongress Results
Jam Pairs
- 1st Vanessa Brown and Will Jenner O’Shea
- 2nd Daniel Geromboux and Suz Wilkinson
Cream Pairs
- 1st Jack Curtis and Alexander Wilkinson (11 years old and very chuffed to win their first congress)
- 2nd Gary Rowbotham and Jim Rich
Restricted Jam Pairs
- 1st Maxwell Ashurst and Joshua Schwartz
- 2nd Byron French and Jess He
Online Lesson with Will
Will is running regular Online Lessons that are suitable for Club players of all levels.
There is a LIVE ZOOM on Thursday Mornings at 9:30am, or you can sign up for the lessons and receive the Recording, Hands, Notes, and a way to Replay the hands later. The full list of lessons and topics can be found on our website.
Next lesson is on "Balancing". Purchase through the link below.
Lighter Moments
- The Compensation: Volunteers are paid in smiles and taxed in extreme effort.
- The Boss: If the manager ever walks in and asks, "I need two volunteers!", remember: never ask, "For what?"
- The Definition: Volunteers don't get paid not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.
- On Duty: Hug dealer. Kindness crew on duty. Time is my donation.
- The Hobby: Volunteering is one of those great addictions that is actually good for you.
- PrioritiesRule #1: "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" said no volunteer, ever.
This week I was feeling particularly helpless so I did go around asking for lots of help and without a doubt that's what I received - plus more! I am very lucky to be surrounded by those who always say yes and come to the rescue.
We are still looking for volunteers to form a house sub-committee, to reiterate Mary's words:
"The House Sub-Committee generally focuses on maintenance and improvements, gardening, keeping an eye on the premises, and occasionally helping organise working bees. The Sub-Committee works closely with the Manager and provides advice and recommendations to the Committee as needed.
If you would like to know more about what is involved, or if you would like to put your hand up to be considered for the House Sub-Committee please get in touch, I would love to hear from you."
Elizabeth
