MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Transcription

1 Birmingham Bridge Club Enews TELEPHONE: CLUB WEBSITE: ENEWS PRESIDENT: Neil Thomas CLUB MANAGER: Sandy Smith ENEWS EDITORS: Sam Pezzillo Debbie Pezzillo Samuel J. Pezzillo and Debbie K. Pezzillo MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT As the New Year approaches and I review the past year, there are things accomplished, not accomplished, and things not attempted. This is true for all years. I am grateful to have served as your president last year. We lost old friends and added new members who will become friends in time. We have a tremendous club with a lot of good members who willingly volunteer their time and energy to any task assigned. I m sure next year will be great with the new Officers and Board. Best wishes to Neil and the new Board. Here s hoping your holiday was merry. May your New Year is everything you could wish, Otis

2 A THANK YOU NOTE: Dear Club Members, You did it again. Congratulations! The Directors Holiday Fund 2016 was a success. Each Director received a handsome cash gift from our membership fund. I want to say thank you to everyone who contributed so generously. I want to say thank you to the many willing and able members who graciously reminded players during the games with their announcements. It is great to give and it is great to receive. We can all be proud of our amazing club and the very talented Director Staff who manage it so professionally. Happy New Year, Patricia Lehman GAMES AND EVENTS January is Junior Fund Month All sanctioned club sessions in January may be held as Junior Fund Games. You earn extra masterpoints (64% sectional-rated black) and overall awards while helping the Junior program for youth up to age 26. Card fee for these games is $8. Special Games this Week: Wednesday 1/4 Aft 12:30 PM 199er Junior Fund Game ($8 card fee) Thursday 1/5 9:30 AM 1999er Junior Fund Game ($8 card fee) Thursday 1/5 6:30 PM 8 is Enough team game - Membership Game Friday 1/6 9:30 AM 499er and 10 AM Open Junior Fund Game ($8 card fee) While Ann is gone, the following directors are coordinating her games: Monday Afternoons Mike DeVivo Friday Mornings Sandy Smith Friday Nights Dennis Luft Sunday Afternoons Dennis Luft

3 However, some weeks there will still be substitute directors. For this week, Friday 1/6 6:30 PM 1999er Mike DeVivo Sunday 1/8 1:30 PM 1999er Sandy Smith The first 8 is Enough team game of 2017 is THIS week, Thursday 1/5 at 6:30 PM. As a Membership Game, there will be extra points for NO extra money! YEA! If you want to play and need a partner or teammates, contact director Sandy. Coming next week 1/9-15 including a No 2 LM Game on Saturday 1/14. Every game this week will be a Membership Game. Only Life Members and paid ACBL members are eligible to win masterpoints in these games. Masterpoints are 82% sectional-rated black with overall awards. Best of all, there is NO additional card fee for these games. Get 2017 off to a good start with these extra masterpoint games. NEW YEAR S EVE SPECIAL:

4 EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BEGINNER CLASSES NEW CLASSES START IN JANUARY Classes will be offered: Mondays mornings at 9:30, starting January 16, 2017 Tuesday evenings at 6:30, starting January 17, 2017.

5 If you know of anyone who is interested in learning how to play bridge, now is the time to sign up. Our members are the BEST at recruiting and we need your help AGAIN! How will the classes coordinate with Learn Bridge in a Day? The students can come to the Monday or Tuesday class, then attend LBIAD for more information. It always helps to have reinforcement in the early classes because there is so much information to absorb (remember?!). If you see new faces around the club, please introduce yourself. Let's all encourage them - be patient with slow play or etiquette infractions. They love this game and we want them to love this club! Speaking of education - is your game regularly under 50%? Are other players making bids with which you are unfamiliar but are bids that give them an edge? If so, what can you do to improve your game? Study the game results online (soon - before you forget the boards) and see how other players arrived at better contracts if their contracts differ from yours. If the contracts are the same, find the extra trick everyone else made but you didn't. Study the leads from each board. Do you and your partner make leads that BOTH of you understand? Do you understand leads made in the middle of play? Ask a higher level player questions about boards that you found difficult to bid or play. Be a patient player. Set traps for the offense. Don't rush to cash high cards, but make them work for you by catching their high cards. Do you know defense? If you aren't a good defender and talk constantly with your cards, you will lose tricks you deserve.

6 The keys to a good defense are counting, signaling, remembering the auction, and remembering the opening lead. Same with offense. Visit the Frank Stewart Library and read books targeted to your weak areas. Find other players who want to improve and arrange a class or two with one of our many capable teachers at the BDBC. Kibbutz (watch) a higher level player and see what they do. You don't have to stay the entire game, but it will be worth the time you spend. MEMBER NEWS Beth Stewart will be editing the Enews for January 8, 15, and 22 while Debbie and I escape the electric fence (see quote below). Please send her any information for inclusion in those bulletins: stewbew@aol.com With just 3 weeks to go, there's still time to get the word out and for people to reserve their seat. Our phone is ringing and members are signing up their friends. We still have space so hand out some cards to anyone you know or come in contact with. Thanks for all your help up to this point to make this event a rousing success.

7 MEMBER CONCERNS Len Gammill will be taking over this area in the coming year. You can send her member concerns at JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 3 Iris Bjorn 4 Joel Philhours, Sue Comeaux 6 Russell Smith 9 Pat Yakubovic 10 Faye Bernstein 11 Betty Law 12 Bill Shepherd 13 Gayle Morgan 16 Barbara Stewart 17 Kathy Flemming 18 Diane Wammack 19 Susan Smith 20 Sheryl Riley 22 Martha Brand, Tippi Lassiter 23 Ted Bjorn, Ron Harlan, Mitzi Owen 25 Mary Havill, Cheryl Ransom, Jeanne Wamack, Ross Kilpatrick 27 Barbara Wall 28 Paula Berry, Mary Wheless 29 Barbara Viar, Cemil Cezayirli 30 Ellen Thomas 31 Kenneth Kornegay (Please contact Susy Philhours at sphilhours@att.net to get your name on our birthday registry.)

8 JOKE OF THE WEEK

9 QUOTE OF THE WEEK WEEKLY WINNERS (12/25-12/31) GAME DIR PLAYERS SCORE Monday 0-20 Jack D & Donald L 0.09 SA Blk N/S Ben D & Mark F E/W Michael D & Patricia L 59.52

10 Tuesday Doug D & Jeff D Open Joanne A & Larry A Wednesday Open Beth S & Katherine R Thursday N/S Mary H & Barbara S E/W Joanne A & Larry A Friday Len G & Cathy S Open Gloria K & Lance M Roy T. M & Guy M Saturday New Year s Open N/S Sandy S & Dianne W Party E/W Joanne A & Larry A 56.23