Pair
Fare
News from Northwestern Illinois Unit 239
Editor: Roger Dieringer, 5 Lockman Circle, Elgin IL 60123 mrdier@wideopenwest.com
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News from Northwestern Illinois Unit 239 Editor: Roger Dieringer, 5 Lockman Circle, Elgin IL 60123 mrdier@wideopenwest.com
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December Birthday Bash Santa has arrived via Don Malone. |
January Birthday Bash:
Hats! Mary Pirrello had a cornucopia of fun. |
 The food was delicious. |
 Lynn St. John and Mary Jo Sergent discussed their hat sizes. |
 Santa's helpers are here: Dee Witte and Helen Angelemire. |
 Karen Golden & Doug St. John were trying to engineer a victory. |
The nomination committee for 208 has placed the following names up for re-election.
Ron Hopman
(Huntley)
Janice Condon (Rockford)
Karl Dencker (Lake in the Hills)
Gouglas Gugger Freeport)
Any member of Unit 239 is encouraged to become a board member and should do the following:
Submit a statement
announcing their decision to run
Submit a statement with 10 signatures of sponsors
Return above statement to Dee Witte by March 30, 2008
Thank you to the nominating committee: John Pree, Don Cisek, Caroline Volsted, Doris Survant, Julia Kelley, and Rachel Campbell.
Mail all returns to: Unit 239, Dee Witte, 9547 Brenda Drive, Roscoe, IL 61073
Any questions? Call 815-623-6167
Congratulations to the following teams of Will Engel and Colby Vernay, and John Kinst and Rich Whitsitt, who finished 1st and 2nd respectively in the North American Pairs Tournament (NAP), held in Springfield IL in November. They will compete in the national finals in Detroit this March.
Carolin was one of four Rockford Club members to earn the rank of Life Master at the Fall Lake Geneva Sectional. She had all her needed colored points except the gold, which she was able to earn at this tournament. As with other people I have interviewed, the accumulation of the needed gold points was Carolin's onus in earning the honor of Life Master.
Born and raised in New Jersey, witnessed by her pronounced Eastern accent, Carolin, along with her husband and three sons, has been a resident of the Rockford area since 1959. Her sister introduced Carolin to bridge in 1977. Neither her husband nor any of the sons took an interest in the game, although until his passing three years ago, her husband chauffeured her to most of her bridge games.
Carolin has had many bridge partners, including Dee Witte, Yolanda Simmons and Lucia Skurski. Valerie Smith was her first mentor at the Rockford Club. Carolin's suggestions are: "Have fun, keep plugging away at it, and don't take your losses too seriously". These are worthwhile thoughts that we all should keep in mind.
With the death of her husband three years ago, Carolin said the Rockford Club members were very supportive. "Many friends called to see how I was doing and encouraged me to play bridge. Their expressions of concern made a hard time a little more manageable and got my mind directed towards positive things." Carolin has enjoyed not only the game, but also the many pleasant people and experiences at the Rockford Bridge Club.
Ray
and Sue are not only bridge partners, but also marriage and business partners.
Both Ohio natives, they met each other during their college years. Sue was
studying to become a Registered Nurse and Ray was majoring in Industrial
Management at the University of Akron. During their courtship, Ray taught Sue
the basics of bridge, resulting in their continuing and long-standing
partnership.
Because of Ray's job changes, the Tenelius' have moved a lot. Sherwin Williams, Frito Lay and Stroh's Brewery have employed Ray in the capacity of a work supervisor. They have lived in Ohio, Michigan and various communities in Illinois. The last 20 years until their retirements, the Tenelius' owned a flower shop, first in Geneva, and then a second shop in West Chicago. Sue still works part-time at a local flower shop and Ray's avocation is now following and investing in the stock market.
The Tenelius family includes two children and five grandchildren who now live in the Chicago area. Sue said neither her daughter nor son took an interest in learning the game of bridge. Unfortunately, this I have found to be true with other families I have interviewed -- that is, the younger generations have not taken an interest in the game we have come to enjoy.
Sue and Ray earned their Life Master honors at the Lake Geneva Regional in the fall of 2007. Up to this tournament, both were within 2 gold points to achieve this honor. Ray said thanks to "two fine women from the north shore area of Chicago, who guaranteed their success", the final gold points were won.
Both Tenelius' trace back their interest in duplicate bridge to Karen Golden. Up to that point, they had played only party bridge. Sue told me that Karen said, "they needed to beef up their game" and introduced them to Standard American bidding with weak two-bids, Stayman, transfers, etc. Karen also gave them handouts and encouraged them to read books about the art of playing bridge.
Both Ray and Sue made the same suggestion to our newer members. That is to play in the knockout games early in your bridge career. Because of your lower point bracket, it will be easier to earn your needed colored points. Also, they suggested that you should try to compete in the larger tournaments, such as the one in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where the point brackets are narrower and you will have a better chance at accumulating colored points. Well done to a couple whose partnership extends well beyond the bridge table.
Dick
is a very interesting bridge player. Having had a very severe stroke in 1998,
Dick said, " The playing of bridge was an important therapy in bring back
my mental capabilities." He went on to suggest that bridge helps, both the
young and old, hone and maintain their mental sharpness.
His early story starts in La Salle - Peru area where Dick grew up and attended high school. From there, Dick went on to the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he major in both English and History. Dick's side bar was his real major was playing bridge, which almost caused him to flunk out of college. After graduation Dick took a job with the Chrysler Corporation in Belvidere and worked there for17 years. Having an entrepreneurial urge, Dick started a tax business in his home and after 7 years moved it to an office in Belvedere. Dick was able to earn 50 master points while working for Chrysler, but had to almost give up bridge when he was self-employed.
Dick, and his wife Claire, have two daughters, Deborah and Nichole, and one grandchild. Both girls are non-bridge players, and Claire said she plays bridge "but not with Dick's passion." Also, in the Gierat home in Belvidere, is a large O-gauge model railroad. Claire said it occupies most of the basement. When Dick is not playing bridge, he might be found dabbling with this hobby.
His first mentor, John Hoover, a fellow college student and friend, taught Dick the game in a very unusual way. Dick was only allowed to observe but not play for the first four months of his instruction. After his instructional period, Dick was hooked, and developed a great liking for the game. Dick's partners included Hal Miller, Doug St. John, Dee Witte, and Renee McNitt. Hal, who also had a stroke the same year as Dick, played bridge together as part of their rehabilitation. Dick earned his Life Master's honor at the Lake Geneva Regional this fall.
One of my funny encounters with Dick, involve my bid of seven no-trump-vulnerable, Dick's double, and an almost unheard of redouble. Dick had 12 high-card points and was sure the contract could be set. After the dust had settled, and 13 tricks were neatly laid parallel in front of me, and all I heard from Dick, and his partner Hal, was a lot of grumbling. For one month afterwards, every time I met Dick, the first words out of Dick's mouth were 7 no-trump doubled and redoubled, a shaking of his head, but with a little twinkle in his eye and a gesture of well done. Dick is an excellent opponent and a joy to play against.
New Junior Masters: Nancy Mecklenburg, Sycamore; Charles Picus, Rockford; Mary Snyder, Cherry Valley; Judith Picus, Rockford.
New Club Master: Hossam Seddky.
New Sectional Master: Sybil Brown, Rockford.
New Regional Master: Elizabeth Gale, Rockford.
New NABC Master: Linda Shaw, Geneva.
New Life Masters: Carolin Bohlin, Machesney Park; Richard Gierat, Belvidere; Raymond & Susan Tunelius, Winnebago.
New Bronze Life Masters: Donald Cisek, St Charles; Darrel Rotter, Roselle.
New Silver Life Masters: Geri Morehead, McHenry; John Pree, St Charles.
March 7-March 9 -- Elgin Early Sectional, Elgin, IL
April 21-April 27 -- District 13 Regional, Lake Geneva, WI
May 3-4 -- 299er Stars of Tomorrow, Palatine, IL
May 3-4 -- District 8 Grand National Teams, Springfield IL
May 20-26 -- Illini Regional, Hilton Garden Inn, Champaign IL
June 7-8 -- ABA/CCBA Joint Sectional, Chicago, IL