Harry Falk's web site is IF YOU RUN A SECTIONAL! harrybridge.com it contains All changes to sanctioned sectionals information about the local require approval from the District 9 duplicates in his area as well Tournament Committee as well as our as tournaments at which he District Coordinator, Patty Johnson. officiates. If you change anything, whether it be your dates or the type of sectional Tips for the Club Director tables will be playing. (An easy way to or the location, or if you decide by Harry Falk • [email protected] do this is to look at your club report to cancel an already-sanctioned For those of you who don't know, I am not only a tournament director, but for the same day in the previous year. tournament, please let Patty Johnson also a club director and manager. I've been directing club games for 17 years, Tournament directors use previous know immediately by emailing her years' figures as guidelines for at [email protected]. and, by now, I'd estimate that I've run at least 2,500 sessions of club bridge in Information should also be sent to that time. I'd like to take this chance to offer a few suggestions to club managers estimated turnout, and the prior year is a remarkably good predictor of what Shirley Seals, Chair of the Tournament and directors to help make their games run more smoothly, and perhaps a few to Committee, at [email protected]. make the game a more enjoyable experience for players. will happen this year). If you're using electronic scoring, set up most of the 1. KNOW THE BASICS – The most players. You'd be amazed how quickly ATTENTION game in advance, and then simply frequent calls at a club game are for they can play when prodded to do so, DISTRICT 9 PLAYERS change the movement parameters leads or bids out of turn, insufficient (usually, after I give a stern warning If you serve on an Appeals Committee when you know the final game details. at any District 9 Regional, you will bids, revokes, and exposed cards. The to a pair, for the next three rounds, At the start of the game, announce be thanked with scrip for a free play, laws are not difficult to understand, they'll call me to the table to show me the size of the sections. Make your good for one year from the date you but they sometimes can be a bit that they're caught up.) serve on the committee. announcements clearly and concisely. difficult to remember when you're 3. BE FIRM BUT BE FAIR – Duplicate Be sure to warn of upcoming sitouts called to the table. A good director bridge is a competitive game and is or skips in the movement. At the end has his Law Book at hand so he can governed by a series of Laws. When of the game, thank your players for refer to it when he can't remember you're called to the table, there is often coming and make other appropriate REMEMBER everything. If you don't want to carry a conflict between the information announcements. (At my club, we the Law Book every time, make up a you receive from each side at the table. make an announcement about keeping little cheat sheet that covers the most Listen to both sides, but don't allow the the place clean every day. I also take common situations. Like a Boy Scout, players to take over the conversation. note when players don't cooperate in a good director is prepared. Don't allow one person to interrupt the cleanup effort, and I mention it 2. KEEP THE GAME MOVING – another. After you've received all to them next time they play. You'd be There's nothing worse than a game the information, make your ruling. surprised how much cleaner our club that bogs down because of a couple of Don't try to please everyone. Simply is than many others at the end of a slow players. Enforce the time limits. apply the Laws. Accept the fact that session.) someone will not be happy with It's best if you have a clock, but, even if Finally, the most important tip of all--- not, keep tabs on the slow players and your ruling. If you are consistent and 5. MAKE SURE YOUR PLAYERS let them see that you're monitoring professional, players will respect your HAD A GOOD TIME! – After all, them. It's not fair to the rest of the field rulings even if they come out on the bridge is only a game, and we want to run the game based on the pace short end. everyone to spend more of their leisure of the slowest players in the room. 4. PLAN AHEAD – At the start of time at the bridge club. And don't be afraid to penalize slow the game, try to estimate how many SBNx 22 ACBL District 9 www.District9ACBL.org 23 At that time, here's what we wrote Moved to St. Petersburg, Florida Remembering , 1931–2012 about her. 1944. Loved writing short stories and Jayne Thomas Jayne Is Grand! poetry.(Once memorized 100 poems Jayne Thomas, who held The Fall North American Jayne Thomas, Executive Manager of Unit on a dare from a teacher who offered more unit, district and national ACBL Championships in Bal Harbour was a 128, became the 42nd Floridian to acheive an A for the year. She was not happy.) positions than any other member of great success. The attendance: 10,500 the rank of Grand Life Master on the last Attended University of Florida round of the last day of the January Orlando District 9, died June 11, 2012 in Tampa, tables! District 9 volunteer workers: (1949-1953) majoring in math, Regional. Florida with her partner (who was not 10,500 man-hours… or so it seemed. only female in classes (it had Thanks to all of you who stuffed goodie Her next session of bridge was a club game a bridge player) Sue Franson at her turned coed the year before). bags, registered visitors, or helped in at her local Tampa Bay Bridge Center, where side. Jayne was loved, feared, revered Began teaching in Tampa in any way. It was a pleasant experience Jayne is known for her generosity (home- 1953. Taught mostly high school, by bridge players and hotel staff all cooked goodies, not gifts at the bridge table). working with you. You can rest up until algebra, geometry, trigonometry, over the state of Florida. She has been September of 1986, when we will again Besides cooking for her non-bridge partner Sue, and for family, friends, neighbors and calculus - for 30 years. written about in our publications several need volunteers for the World Pairs times, beginning in 1984 in Unit 128's and other bridge players, Jayne enjoys Started playing both rubber bridge and Rosenblum Team Championships fishing, reading, shopping for bargains and Florida Bridge News, then in 2004 on every day after school and duplicate to be held at the same hotel. gambling. the occasion of her attaining Grand whenever I could get away. I hope everyone enjoyed the terrific Life Master status, then in 2010 when Unit 128's tournaments are successful Began working with Jeff Glickon entertainment offered during the Fall to a great degree due to Jayne's hard work Zeke Jabbour graced the pages of the administration in the late 70's, retired Championships: Al Roth, Lady BJ, in running them. If you could see her Sunshine Bridge News with high praise from teaching in 1986 and started Ron Anderson's "Family Feud", the negotiating with hotel staff (and frequently working as executive manager Unit 128. for bridge tournaments in Florida (the Follies, the square dancing, etc., etc. cajoling them into giving good service), quality of the field as well as the quality shopping the farmer's market, Sam's Club, Was a member of the National Board of the tournaments). • the Dollar Store, Home Shopping Network of Directors for twelve (12) years. During Jayne's time as a District outlet and the web, hustling along the Served as president and vice-president Jayne received a half page memorial Director, she made three life-long serving of the late-night snacks (or serving of both the Education and Charity notice in ACBL's August Bulletin (see best friends from around the country, them herself) and training volunteers for the Foundations (currently President Senior Breakfasts, you'd be truly impressed... page 66). She had chaired five NABCs Virgil Anderson, Joan Gerard and ACBL Charity Foundation). in Florida. After Jayne passed away, and you would be witnessing some of the Barbara Nudelman. With Anderson she skills she uses to do well at the bridge table. Have served as president of both two District 9 board members fondly won the NABC event that allowed her to KUDOS and MANY THANKS to Jayne Unit 128 and District 9. Goodwill recalled playing in sectionals in their be crowned a Grand Life Master when Thomas. member and Charity member. areas many years ago, when they were reaching 10,000 masterpoints in 2004. We asked Jayne to tell us a little bit about Won the Silver Ribbon Pairs with newer players, and enjoying winning her life and here's what she emailed back to Virgil Anderson in 1994 and was games with the formidable Jayne as their us--we hope you enjoy getting to know Jayne second in the National Women's Pairs.