Unit 223 Reporter

News from Southern Illinois-Paducah Unit 223

Editor: Karen Coe, 12761 Webb Hill Rd., Ewing IL 62836
                (618-435-4200)     
finesse002002@yahoo.com       

Bridge and Four Generations

My husband, John, and I learned bridge as children from our mothers, playing around kitchen tables. We are recently back from Florida where we celebrated John ‘s mother’s 92nd birthday. During the visit his father, his mother, John and I all played a little rubber bridge around their kitchen table. Just like old times and a wonderful way to spend a hot, lazy Florida afternoon.

Both our moms were mostly rubber-bridge players who dabbled in duplicate now and then. At one point during the Florida trip and after a number of alerted bids during the afternoon, I super-accepted a transfer bid, and John explained to his mom that this was a 3-card super-acceptance. Her comment was “How do you remember all that stuff?!, and my answer was I don’t all the time!!”

Following in our mothers’ footsteps, John and I tried to hook our two kids on bridge. Our daughter was totally not interested, but our son, Matt, did show some youthful enthusiasm and played through college. He is now married with two kids of his own and no longer has the time or inclination to play.

When Matt was 6, we took him to play duplicate for the first time at a friendly little club in Christopher IL. They usually ran about 4 or 5 tables there, and Matt was playing with his father. Somehow, they managed to come in second, a triumph. On the drive home after bridge, neophyte Matt’s voice drifted out of the back seat:

“Well, Mom, now I know everything about bridge.”

I was somewhat nonplussed. How could we break the news to the child that he had only seen the tip of the iceberg?

Matt continued “Everything but the conversation.”

Now I was totally nonplussed. “You mean the conventions?”

“No”, he replied. “The conversation. You know. At the end of the hand when you say to your partner, if you had just led the 7 of spades instead of the 3, I would have…..”

I almost drove into a ditch.

Moving along to yet another generation, my grandson is interested in electronic games, not something as lame as playing cards! The other day he asked me where I was going, and when I replied “Bridge”, he said “Again?” – his voice full of disgust and derision. So I know where bridge and I stand with him.

My 2-year-old granddaughter is another story, however. She has discovered the drawer in my living room that is full of decks of cards. She loves to pull out a deck, dump the cards out, and show them to me one at a time like math flash cards. She pulls out a card, examines it, displays it to me, and I dutifully announce “7 of diamonds”, “king of clubs” etc. This somewhat mind-numbing activity can go on for extended periods of time.

But my granddaughter gives me hope that she may be the one who picks me up someday at the Old Ladies Retirement Home and drives me to bridge.


Unit Elections and Other "Doings"

During June, elections were held for the Unit Board. These are the representatives to our Unit Board (* re-elected for another term; **new Board member):

Area 1:  Dalton Darnell, *Marcia Darnell, Ron Brotherson

Area 2:  *Karen Coe, Carolyn Taylor

Area 3:  *Jay Coleman, Joan Musgrave

Area 4:  Mike Ritchie, **Kate Dickens

Area 5:  *Bill Rotter, Doug McQuaid

Marcia Darnell was elected Unit President at the Board Meeting in Edwardsville. Bill Rotter is 1st Vice-president, and Ron Brotherson is 2nd Vice-President. Doug Edwards continues as Unit Business Manager.

Jay Coleman was re-elected to serve on the District 8 Board. Also, representing Unit 223 on the District 8 Board are Marcia and Dalton Darnell.

Also during the Edwardsville Tournament, Andrew Carver was announced as the 2011 Good Will Member, and presented a Good Will pin. Barbara Simpson has been awarded the Jo Echols Award, presented to a Unit 223 member who has been active in furthering bridge education.


Congratulations to the following Unit 223 Members who have advanced in rank:

New Club Masters

Glenda Klingsick, Edwardsville IL

Sharon Meyer, Belleville IL

Douglas Snow, Paducah KY

New Sectional Masters

Sharon Halsey, O Fallon IL

Janet Little, Wood River IL

Charles Schaffer, Effingham IL

Rose Somraty Yarbrough, Collinsville IL

New Regional Masters

Wanda Culpepper, Creal Springs IL

New NABC Masters

James Neier, Highland IL

James Reid Brazier, Moro IL

Mary File, Edwardsville IL

New Life Masters

Kay Jenkins, Mt Vernon IL

Helen Thalhammer, Collinsville IL

New Bronze Life Masters

William Evans, Marion IL

Donald Klingsick, Edwardsville IL

Upcoming Sectional

The Paducah Irvin Cobb Sectional will be held September 2-4 at the Robert Cherry Civic Center, 2701 Park Ave, Paducah KY. Play commences on Friday afternoon, Sept 2 at 1.00 p.m. Partnership Chair is Maxine Wynn -- (270) 554-5719 or twynn401@comcast.net

Tournament Chair is Jim Kallaher -- (270) 444-6882 or jkallaher@comcast.net

See the tournament page in this Advocate or on ACBL’s website for full details, including housing rate specials.

“As always, enjoy great Paducah hospitality!”