Alma Karas, who recently reached the rank of Diamond Life Master, was featured in the August issue, but her photo did not work so here it is again!

We can all enjoy the big smiles and the tasty cake that goes with 5000 points!
 

Unit 239 welcomes new members: Craig Stitzell (St. Charles) and B T Wolf (Huntley)

Congratulations t o the many members who have achieved new ACBL ranks:

Junior Master: Mark Boyd (Freeport,) Pat Zenner (Huntley,) Mary Grace Crisham (Dixon,) and Delight Pitman (Dixon)

Club Master: Lisa Morrissey (Huntley) and Gail Sleeting (Algonquin)

Sectional Master: Lynn Clemmons (Freeport)

NABC Master: Arvind Shah (Huntley) and Wayne Winkelman (Apple River) Advanced

NABC Master: Van Stone (Geneva)

Life Master: Linda Murphy (Rockford) and Georgia Jacobson (Vero Beach, Florida)

Silver Life Master: Kathy Owens (Loves Park)

Sapphire Life Master: Sharron Rosenberg (St. Charles)

♠  Please put our Turkey Bowl Silver Sectional tournament on your calendar! November 23-25 at the Prisco Center in Aurora!  ♠

Linda Murphy is a Life Master!

Linda Murphy made Life Master at the 2018 Crystal Lake tournament and thanks her special closer from her family at the Bridge Center of Rockford.

She said, “The Bridge Center of Rockford is very special. The people are warm and welcoming. All of the experienced players are willing to help. None of this would have been possible without all of my special bridge partners. Thank You!”

Married to a naval pilot for 41 years, Linda has lived all over the US and Europe. She has four children, eight grandchildren, and Lucy, a grand Boston Terrier. She moved to Rockford in 1955 but did not start bridges lessons (and line dancing) until her youngest left home in 2008. She plays 2-3 times a week at the Bridge Center and at local tournaments. In addition to bridge and dancing, Linda is a Eucharistic Minister.
 

Kathy Owens, a new Silver Life Master, shares her bridge story.

When I was growing up, my parents taught my siblings and me to play 500. I said I wanted to play bridge, so my mom found a Bridge for Two game. We worked with that enough for me to get the idea of the game. In college, I had the opportunity to take a bridge course for .25 credit hours – I couldn’t wait to get started! I played rubber bridge a few times with college friends, but after that, marriage and family kept me away from the game.

About 12 years later I became a young widow with a 4-year-old daughter. As I was looking for a kindergarten in which to enroll her, I discovered the Bridge Center of Rockford. I started playing duplicate bridge, which I found was an excellent diversion from my grief. My first partners were Cleeta Carlson and Kathy Buck, both which I had met in a grief support group. Soon I had a whole new group of friends and a new exciting passion in my life.

About a year later I became a game director and worked with Mary Belle Moss. She was a terrific guide for me in my early days of directing. She took me to my first NABC in Kansas City with the purpose of me taking the Teacher Accreditation Program from Audrey Grant. We taught one class together and then I took off on my own and have been teaching for the last 25 years. I became Club Manager of the Bridge Center of Rockford in 1999 and retired from that position in January of this year. I still direct games 2 days a week and teach one class a week. My passion for the game has not stopped and I still love playing several times a week with a variety of players. I am thankful for a few of my long-time partners Cleeta Carlson, Alice Robison, Craig Bontjes, and Flo Curry.

I have always lived just northeast of Rockford near the Scottish farming community of Argyle. I received a college degree in Biology from Drake University in Des Moines, IA. After graduating, I worked in Quality Control and Accounting for the next 12 years. I built my bridge teaching, directing, and managing into a full-time job. I earned my Silver Life Master playing in a club game at the end of July.

Throughout my leadership in the club it has given me great pleasure to see my students grow into fine bridge players. One of the greatest joys is seeing the wonderful friendships that have formed at the bridge table and that participation in our club has impacted the players’ lives in a good way. Not only is bridge a great game, but also a great social network. I encourage you to invite friends to play and for you to play with newer players and spread the passion for the game.

Sharron Rosenberg is a Sapphire Life Master

Past Chicago partners. A reunion in Sarasota! After a 20-year sabbatical, we still had a wonderful time and successful tournament. Harriette Buckman, Susie Miller, Janet Beckman and Sharron Rosenberg.

This is what I love about bridge— the great people! I went back to bridge after a long hiatus because I thought it would help stave off “chemo brain”. I discovered great new friends and partners in Florida. Now I play in Illinois during the summer as well.

I feel that St Charles bridge and Citrus bridge both offer good competition and great friends. I am so grateful to duplicate bridge for so many reasons. I am hoping to live long enough to achieve the next level.
 

Lots to report this month. The next two articles are about players who are not part of our unit but have had great experiences in our tournaments so part of their bridge storied are shared with us.

Do you remember your first tournament…your first fraction of a point?

Qian Ye was excited to attend the Rockford Sectional, her first tournament experience. She wanted this opportunity to learn more bridge so she contacted the partnership desk and came to play. In the morning session, she played with Leslie Nautiyal. I talked to Qian Ye between sessions. She enjoyed her partner and the bridge experience. At the end of the day, she was pleased to have won a fraction of a tournament point!

Qian Ye moved to Matteson, IL from China. She studied Standard American Bridge with her aunt, and they played party bridge. Qian Ye found a friend, Alexis Kneeland, who also wanted to play so they went to the South Suburban Bridge Club. Perhaps they will enjoy some tournaments together!
 

My Duplicate Bridge Journey by Joyce Werner