MESSAGE FROM THE UNIT 239 PRESIDENT

Hello Bridge Players –

This has certainly been an unusual year. The last time I played face to face bridge was at our March 2020 Sectional in Huntley, IL. It was Friday, March 13, the first day of the tournament. I thought we would be playing all three days. We had set up that morning and we packed up on that Friday evening, the 13^th of March. The one-day tournament was closed due to COVID concerns.

I have certainly missed playing face to face at club games, at our tournaments, and seeing all of you at our Annual Meeting, usually held in April of each year. I miss the laughter, the “How are you Doing”, and the basic human connection. I haven’t missed the donuts and other treats!! There will come a time when we will see each other again.

During this time, the Unit 239 Board has continued to meet on a regular basis to make decisions about our events. As you know, all tournaments and the Annual Meeting were cancelled in 2020. The January and March 2021 tournaments were cancelled and the June 2021 Regional in Crystal Lake has been cancelled as well.

Our Annual Meeting, originally scheduled for April 10, 2021, has been re-scheduled to Saturday, October 16, 2021 in the Drendl Ballroom, Jameson’s, Del Webb, Huntley IL. Let’s hope we can keep this date, but the health and safety of our players is our primary concern. The Board will continue to monitor the COVID situation.

At this time, we have not cancelled the Rockford Sectional scheduled for September 12-14, 2021 at Tebala Shrine in Rockford, and the Turkey Bowl Sectional, scheduled for November 26 to 28, 2021 in Huntley, IL. Again, we will monitor the situation and make decisions, to either hold or cancel these tournaments, based on the safety of our players.

I am thankful to the ACBL, the Rockford Bridge Club, Crystal Lake and the St. Charles IL Collective for quickly putting in place a way for us to continue to play bridge at the BBO Virtual Club Games. More importantly, it is a way to stay connected to our friends and fellow players. As I play or run games, I can “picture” players, say hello, and still feel like we are together.

In other news, as of January, 2021, I became the President of the District 8 Board.

Stay safe and I hope to see you all soon!

  -- Marilyn Croft

Congratulations to Unit members who achieved new levels!

NEW JUNIOR MASTER: Vance Olson (St. Charles)

NEW CLUB MASTERS: Keith Larson (Rockford,) Dr Richard Gilmore (Loves Park,) Sandra Gilmore(Loves Park,) and Roger Perry(Rockford)

NEW SECTIONAL MASTER: Stephen Furuta (Lake Barrington)

NEW REGIONAL MASTERS: Joseph Camp (Huntley,) Carol Ferguson (Roscoe,) Kristan Lauer (Rockford,) and Sharon Pepping (McHenry

NEW ADVANCED NABC MASTER: Lynn Clemmons (Freeport)

NEW DIAMOND LIFE MASTER: Diane Clark (Elgin)

Diane Clark shares her bridge history

I started playing duplicate a few years after college. I made Life Master in 1977. I dropped out of bridge in 1980 when I remarried. My husband doesn’t play. Teaching, children and family situations demanded more of my time.

After I retired from teaching, I was coaxed into returning to bridge by Donelle Brosseau. Eventually, I returned in earnest to playing duplicate – a game I loved. I made Bronze Life Master soon after, Silver in 2003, Gold in 2013, and Sapphire during the June regional in Crystal Lake. In 2016, while winning an event with Platt Hill, we received an unbelievable 40 master points.

Before the pandemic, I usually played four days a week in St. Charles, Aurora, and Yorkville with wonderful partners: Alma Karas, Andy Katai, David Bald, and Matt Sinkovits.

A very special thank you to Matt who for several weeks nicely but firmly taught me to play on line! I was playing with Matt in early December when I got the 5000^th point to become a Diamond Life Master.

As I have said before, my advice to a new player or one who is progressing to the next level: Keep reading bridge books and articles, ask questions, leave your ego behind, and most of all, be as lucky as I have been over the years to find wonderful partners. It is, after all, a partnership game.

And finishing with a bridge joke of sorts.

A cleaning lady was applying for a new position. When asked why she left her last employment, she replied, ”Yes, sir, they paid good wages, but it was the most ridiculous place I ever worked. They played a game called bridge, and last night a lot of folks were there.
   As I was about to bring in the refreshments, I heard a man say, ‘Lay down and let’s see what you’ve got.’
   Another man said, ’I’ve got strength but no length.’
   Another man says to the lady, ’Take your hand off my trick!’
   I pretty near dropped dead just then when the lady answered, ’You jumped me twice when you didn’t have the strength for one raise.’
   Another lady was talking about protecting her honor.
   Two other ladies were talking, and one said, ’Now it’s time for me to play with your husband and you can play with mine.’
Well, I just got my hat and coat and as I was leaving, I hope to die if one of them didn’t say, ’Well, I guess we’ll go home now. This is the last rubber.’”