Contract bridge will be 90 years old in October 2015.  

I would be interested in any suggestions / ideas/ initiatives any club management committee may have in regard to activities which may be undertaken next year to celebrate this significant birthday.

Please send your suggestions to marketing@abf.com.au by Friday 30 May 2014.

A brief history of contract bridge can be viewed on the ABF website in the ABF New Member's Information Kit - look under Resources.

Essentially, the modern version of our game occurred as a refinement to the rules of an older version called auction bridge. 

Harold S Vanderbilt (6 July 1884 - 4 July 1970) of Newport, Rhode Island is the person responsible for this improvement.

Whilst aboard the cruise ship Finland in late October 1925, travelling with three friends, all of whom were auction bridge enthusiasts; he tested an idea for making the auction bridge version of the game more interesting.

Vanderbilt decided to make it more challenging by requiring a partnership to actually bid to the game or slam level in order to receive a bonus.  Since this refinement made slam risky to attempt, he also increased the slam bonuses.

Vanderbilt devised the first unified system of bidding, and he was solely responsible for the artificial 1C bid to show a strong hand, the negative 1D response, the strong (16-18 HCP) notrump on balanced hands only and the weak two bid opening.

He authored several bridge books and was a member of the Laws Committee of the Whist Club of New York that made the American laws of contract bridge (1927, 1931) and the first international code (1932).

The ABF has entered into a sponsorship arrangement with Escapes Direct, a provider of hand-picked luxury domestic and international travel deals at exclusive members only rates!  The arrangement commences on 1 May 2014.

Information about this organisation will be provided on the ABF website from 30 April and in the ABF Newsletter (May/June issue).  In addition, a representative from Escapes Direct will be attending the ANC in Sydney on 13 July so if you or one of your club members is attending that event, find out more about the offers from their representative.

This arrangement provides your members with another opportunity to make savings simply because they joined your club.

Please bring this sponsor to the attention of your members via your Club Newsletter I Club Notice Board I Announcements prior to club sessions.

When advising members of this sponsor, make sure you use the web address abf.escapesdirect.com.au so that they access the special deals for members of ABF affiliated clubs.

If you would like either a promotional flyer or the organisation's logo to promote their services to your members, email the ABF National Marketing Officer at marketing@abf.com.au .

Remember - happy members will sell our sport for us!  Let them know about all the great benefits and savings available to them and also support those who support our sport!

Caring for Ageing Rural Australians (CARA) is a targeted small grant program that assists community based, not-for-profit groups in providing programs and activities that support older people in rural and remote Australia.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available to support projects and activities that directly benefit older people living in small rural and remote communities.  Eligible projects and activities include those that:

• foster community development through opportunities and participation for older people;  and
• encourage positive and active ageing, community health and wellbeing and education programs.

Applications for the next round of CARA grants will open on 7 July and close 15 August 2014 for NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.

If your club is interested in applying for a grant to provide bridge lessons to people in a rural or remote area covered by the program, check out their website for more details.

Applications from communities with a population of 10,000 or less will receive priority.

Note:  To assist in framing your grant application, you may wish to refer to our organisation's vision, values and challenges as articulated in the ABF Strategic Statement and the ABF Strategic Plan 2013-17.

Check out recent promotional activities generated by ABF affiliated clubs around Australia.  These include:

1. March 2014 - The Bunyip.  An article about innovative events planned by the Gawler Bridge Club during 2014.
2. 28 March 2014 - The Examiner (Tasmania).  An article about the Tasmanian Festival of Bridge held in Launceston.
3. 14 April - Radio Northern Beaches.  Derrick Brown on "A senior moment or two" -  presented by David Harris.

If you are attending any festivals or providing bridge demonstrations at expos etc,  remember you could have media articles on show to generate more interest in the sport.  The ABF website also has TV clips and radio interviews which you could feature as well as showing the four New to Bridge introductory videos by the ABF National Teaching Coordinator, Joan Butts, which are available on the ABF website.

Remember - you must report all media activities to the ABF National Marketing Officer at marketing@abf.com.au as this is a critical brand management issue!  

As mentioned above, the ABF will be conducting a National Marketing Workshop in Sydney on 14-15 June - facilitated by the ABF National Marketing Officer.

The objectives for the workshop are to develop a National Marketing Plan for the ABF and to develop an effective National marketing network for the benefit of bridge in Australia.

Attendees at the workshop will include the following State/ Territory representatives:

1. Sandy Sutton-Mattocks (Western Australia)
2. Tim O'Loughlin (South Australia)
3. Terri Kaye (Victoria)
4. Anne Paton (Tasmania)
5. Stephen Fischer (ACT)
6. Sheila Bird (ACT)
7. John McIlrath (New South Wales)
8. Kim Ellaway (Queensland).

Any queries in regard to marketing should be addressed to Sandra Mulcahy at marketing@abf.com.au .

Note:  Your suggestions for how to mark the 90th birthday of contract bridge will also be considered at the workshop.