As a club we aspire to facilitate enjoyable bridge for all. The diversity of our bridge players can add to this enjoyment - but can also present challenges if behaviours learned elsewhere conflict with common courtesy and the ethical foundations of our game. The club wants to encourage and celebrate positive behaviours and identify and appropriately respond to other behaviours that might threaten our goal of enjoyable bridge for all.
Here is the club's Code of Conduct (maintained in our Playing Rules):
I will:
- Be courteous and polite at all times
- Conduct my game in an ethical, mature and inoffensive manner
- Greet others in a friendly manner
- Assist new members and guests
I will notify the director immediately or at the end of the session if I am aware of any unacceptable behaviours which interfere with enjoyment of the game, including:
- Badgering, rudeness, insinuations, intimidation, threats,
- Negative comments concerning opponents’ or partner’s play or bidding,
- Constant and gratuitous lessons and analyses at the table.
The session director has powers under the Laws of Bridge to deal with any inappropriate conduct affecting a bridge session. In the case of improper or otherwise unacceptable conduct that cannot be dealt with definitively at the time by the session director, or if the session has already concluded, you (or the director) can report such a matter to our club Recorders using this form (printed copies also available from the director or our club noticeboard but are not preferred).
Our Recorders will consider the report (and any pattern of such reports) and determine if the matter needs to be addressed under the powers of the Committee and/or the disciplinary provisions in the club’s Constitution.
Help us ensure that our club is considered a great place to enjoy bridge!
Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
Do we need this?
We had an unfortunate experience in 2020 when unpleasant behaviour at the clubhouse was allowed to continue for some time before a few players finally reported it. The pattern of behaviour demonstrated that something needed to be done but players had no easy means of reporting the inappropriate behaviour. This new approach fills that hole and provides a mechanism for both easier reporting (to the director and after the session) and the use of two volunteer recorders to provide an initial assessment of the need to refer the matter to the committee for action.
I haven't seen any problematic behaviour I couldn't handle...
That is great, but many of our players, and especially newer players, may not have your confidence and may be intimidated by a confident objectionable player. They may have felt in the past that their only recourse was to no longer play in the session and only talk about it to their friends - neither a good outcome for the club.
Isn't there a chance that someone will be reported due to a misunderstanding?
Yes, and that is where our two volunteer recorders, with a wealth of experience between them, will help by assessing the reports and responding appropriately. If referred to the Committee, it will also investigate and confirm the report before proceeding.
What can the Committee do?
The club's constitution provides for strong Committee action balanced by ensuring natural justice to any accused person. If the Committee agrees that a case needs action it will investigate and confirm the report, ensure the accused person has a chance to respond, and only then determine an appropriate response.
