Sectional winners: There were 164 people who won points at the spring sectional in Huntley IL. I hope you were one of them! If you got home with the wrong black winter coat, please contact Marilyn Croft; she knows how you can exchange for your coat!

Upcoming regional: Remember there is a regional in Crystal Lake, June 17^th to 23^rd. See you there!

Unit winners in the 2018 Mini McKenney and Ace of Clubs races were announced at the annual meeting in Huntley on April 6^th.  Here they are:
 

0-5 5-20 20-50 50-100 100-200 200-300 300-500 500-1000 1000-1500 1500-2500 2500-3500 3500-5000 5000-7500   7500-10,000 Over 10,000

♠ Mini McKenney  Jon Clemmons  Lynn Clemmons  Michael Chakoian  Douglas Gilroy  Van Stone  Eric Mayer  Gary Brigel  Catherine Wright  Platt Hill Julia Kelley Karl Anderson Diane Clark Meyer Abarbanel Carol and Harold Emme     Joshua Stark

♣ Ace of Clubs Bruce Jasper Dennis Cotter  Michael Chakoian  Steven Meyers  Van Stone  Eric Mayer  Gary Brigel  Linda Brubaker  Platt Hill  Julia Kelley  Karl Anderson  Diane Clark  Meyer Abarbanel  Carol and Harold Emme      Will Engel

Unit 239 welcomes four new members: Anne Grindle (Rockford,) Tom Looman (Crystal Lake,) Sandra Pierce (Huntley,) and Karen Weber (Huntley.) 

Congratulations to the many members who have achieved new ACBL ranks:

Junior Master: Barbara Clemmons (Freeport,) Barbara Helzing (Huntley,) and Tom Looman (Crystal Lake)

Club Master: Christine Willis (Rochelle) and Bruce Jasper (Rockford)

Sectional Master: Vent Carlston (Lake Zurich)

Regional Master: Lynn Clemmons (Freeport)

Life Master: Cindy Musser (Winnebago)

Bronze Life Master: Robert Judd (Algonquin,) Janice Koerner (Huntley,) and Susan Powers (Barrington)

Silver Life Master: Richard Murdock (North Aurora)

Cindy Musser is a Life Master!

First and foremost I would like to thank all the people, both near and far who have been my partners. In 1998-1999, I took bridge lessons and played for a short time. I earned about 6 masterpoints. Little did I know at the time how valuable those masterpoints would be. I quit playing bridge because I was still working full time, my grandchildren started coming, and we moved out in the country. I retired from teaching math and statistics at a local college in 2009. They talked me in to working part time for 6 more years because math instructors are hard to come by.

In 2015, I completely retired and started on my new job, playing bridge.  I took some more lessons at the Rockford Bridge Club and started playing bridge there regularly. When I moved from the novice to the open side two people agreed to play with me, Joyce Nimooks and Don Malone.  They both have totally different styles and I learned a lot from both. Thanks Joyce and Don.

I wanted to play in tournaments and did not have anyone to go with me. I started going by myself to Regionals all over the Midwest, anywhere I could drive to. I got my first gold points in 2016 playing in the Kansas City regional. I was so happy I started crying. I did not want to be one of those players who did not have enough gold points for their next advancement. I used the partnership desks. During this time, I kissed a lot of frogs and occasionally got a prince. Again, I thank all the people who manned the partnership desks.

In December 2018, all I needed were 10 points of any color for my Life Masters. I played a lot of bridge that month and got about 20 points. I have a partner, thanks to Fran Fey, who goes to tournaments with me now. We have several planned in the next months, but will still go to tournaments by myself if needed. I was on my way to the Indianapolis region when the polar vortex stopped me. They have a great partnership desk there.

Last of all I want to thank my mother and grandmother. They never had time to teach me how to play bridge. We were all too busy living life, but bridge is in my blood. I never understood when I asked my mother to do something and she said, “I can’t because I HAVE to play bridge”. Now I understand totally. My one grandson asked why I like playing bridge so much and I said I like to study and bridge gives me something to study.

      -- Cindy Musser