January Bulletin - Mask Use

Hello Champions,

Another brand-new shiny year so welcome to 2021 and the new norm.

On the actual Bridge Playing front not much to report, the Club operations remains very much at the whim of a virus, a virus that I am seriously over. Still hard to complain when you know the rest of the world is doing it so very much harder. This was pointed out to me by my son hunkering down in Amsterdam when I grumbled about the Northern beaches having forty new cases – The Netherlands had reported 10,000 in the previous 24 hours. I quietly changed the topic of conversation to the weather.

With the goal posts constantly changing one of the best ways to know what is going on is to check the BWBC website. If you have not found it yet a simple Google search will get you there. We have changed web hosts and updated the site so would welcome your feedback. We would like it to become an active and interesting place to visit so if you have information you would like to get out to Club members drop a line to have it included. Coming up we have the individual championships, the next two Mondays and the Australia Day Pairs - Both need prior entry.

Thank you too to members who have renewed for the coming year. Memberships can be paid either at the club or through direct bank deposit.

Now sooooo, to the real reason for the Bulletin –

See if you can guess using the following montage.

Under the new Government health restrictions, these are not acceptable, (and I don’t mean Zorro and Catwoman):

... and acceptable

Get it?   Under both the NSW Health Regulations and the Community Centre rules anyone coming into the Community Centre must now wear a mask. In the Bridge room this means they must be worn for the entire time of play (except when eating or drinking). It is also a requirement that they be correctly used, this means covering both the nose and the mouth, so sorry Zorro and Catwoman. 

Disposable masks are available to purchase at the club (for $1.00 each) or you can wear your own, the thing is they must be worn if you intend to play. The Director has the right, and the full backing of the Committee, to ask you to leave the Club if you do not. We are seeking advice regarding medical exemptions.

The Committee did not want to take the action of asking for, and then enforce mask wearing, but to both remain open with face-to-face play and to support our general community at this extraordinarily difficult time we need to do this.  

So, hoping you and your families are well, that your holiday celebrations went well (if differently) and that things resolve soon with the disease that shall remain nameless and we can all get back to the Bridge tables.