Di Emms has made these three cuties to be presented as trophies to the best-performed teams in each grade on each of the seven nights of the inaugural TWITs series (The Waikato Interclub Teams). The object for any club fielding teams in all grades is, of course, to take home three of them after each session. Possession of even one confers bragging rights on that club for one month.

Junior, Indi, and Oscar

A late flurry of entries perhaps due to the expected rain saw 7 full tables of newish players come together at the Waikato Bays Novice held in Matamata - a car load from Taupo joined other players from Te Aroha, Waihi, Putaruru,Hamilton, Morrinsville, Huntly and Waikato clubs as well as the host club Matamata. Full results may be seen by clicking here and scrolling down to "Sunday".

To all Waikato Bays Bridge Clubs:

Voting for the elections for the Chairperson of NZ Bridge and two Board members closes soon (I think votes have to be received by 14 March, but please check your voting papers)

Please, if haven't voted already, vote now!

You will have received much correspondence on this subject. The Regional Committee has passed on all correspondence we have been asked to, although this does not imply an endorsement or otherwise of the opinions expressed.

Please make up your own minds as to who you think will best represent NZ Bridge going forward.

Thanks to Allan Joseph for a most entertaining and informative seminar for directors, and thanks to all those who attended. Between the Saturday in Cambridge and Sunday in Rotorua we had about 40 people learning more about directing, so hopefully lots of new directors in our region!

Here is some feedback from participants:

Jane, Ayako, & BookCambridge's pocket rocket Jane Stearns has embarked on an unusual endeavour with support from the Waikato-Bays Regional Committee. Part of Jane's wide range of involvement is working out of the Migrant Centre in Hamilton with migrants and refugees, many of whom have little or no English when they arrive in New Zealand.

But some of them have played cards - some of them have even played Bridge in their own countries.

Looking at the generic of the Cambridge club at least, there would be a considerable drop in numbers should all the foreign-born members not play. One of our most valued members, Ayako Imahashi from Japan, actually came to us from exactly this situation. She had played a little bridge with her family in Japan and was encouraged by the Migrant Centre in Leamington to come along to lessons in Cambridge.