No, Roger Dieringer, does not have a new hairstyle. After eight, faithful years of service to the District 8 Advocate, he has relinquished this role to me. Thank you, Roger, for your service to the Advocate. I have faithfully read your column as a way to get to know those who sit next to me at the bridge table, and I hope to be able to do the same for our bridge community.

For those of you who do not know me, I reside near Saint Charles and play at the Saint Charles and Elgin games regularly. I became a duplicate player by accident. I was called to be a fourth in a Swiss team at the Elgin Sectional Tournament nine years ago. I had no idea what I was getting in to, but I liked the excitement of the game, the size of the tournament, and have continued playing ever since. I have met, and continue to meet, some of the nicest people at the bridge table. I also tell my husband three and one-half hours at the bridge table is a lot less expensive than three and one-half hours at the mall!

As I write my inaugural column, it is my pleasure to congratulate Karl Dencker of Lake in the Hills, who was recently recognized as 2014 Goodwill Member of the American Contract Bridge League. This accolade comes as no surprise to me, as Karl has been a voice of encouragement to me, whether as a director or as an opponent. A full-page announcement of Karl’s recognition is on page 36 of the March 2014 Bridge Bulletin.

Rank advancements:

New Junior Master: Frank Edwardsen, Rockford; Cindy Ferguson, Harvard.

New Club Masters: Ramon Bonardi, Arlington Heights; Barbara Rogers, Crystal Lake.

New Sectional Master: Diane Tomasino, Huntley.

New Regional Master: Anita Bull, Crystal Lake; Tim Kleimeyer, Sleepy Hollow.

Tournament Chairpersons: Susan Hillberry and Lucille Jenkins (dave.lu@comcast.net)

Partnership Chair: Becky Chance (bchance@charter.net)