BRIDGE TIP FOR MARCH LIBRARY CORNER A by a passed hand shows 9-11 HCP with shortness in the opener’s suit. If the opponents have bid two suits, the double Due to the generosity of members and the of Directors, we now have over 500 books in our library collection. There are no limits as to the number of books or promises at least four-card support in the other two suits. the length of days (weeks/months) that members may have the books checked out. There are no fines for overdue books. Where else could you have access to such You hold: S. AJxx H. xx D. KJ10xx C. xx quality books with such freedom? There are some things that members could do to help insure that the collection remains intact and that money is not wasted by a South (you) West North East failure to keep up with books that are checked out. Please follow these guidelines when checking them out: Pass 1C Pass 1H Dbl. (Your double shows diamonds and spades. A 2D bid Sign the card—that means first and last names, not initials or nicknames or no name at all. (We currently have three books whose cards indicate might lose a spade fit. ) they were checked out in 2014. If that were true, they would have been declared lost over a year ago. Someone did not sign the card(s) when he/she took the book(s).

Eddie Kantar Please put the complete date on the card—that means include the year (at www.kantarbridge.com least the last two digits of the current year).

Not all of the cards indicate to do so, but putting your telephone number in the final column would be helpful. BRIDGE ETIQUETTE Some books have a sticker on them indicating they are to remain in the Remember that you should not discuss hands at the table and it is very library and not be checked out. There are only two or three that say this. Please honor this request. important to use very low tones when talking during the hands. When tables are close together it is very difficult to not overhear what is be- ing said at nearby tables. Also don’t ask questions like...have you The librarian would really appreciate your help in this effort! played the slam, did your table play the hand that had the 10 clubs in south, or even have you played board 15. This may lead to others reaching contracts that they might otherwise have missed. UNIT 206 CHIT CHAT

Volume 7 Issue 3 Publication of ACBL Unit 206 March 2016

Email: [email protected]

KITCHEN CHATS WITH DAN

Well, the kitchen was closed for March. Dan went to Reno to play bridge in the Spring Nationals. Maybe in April’s newsletter he will tell us about his trip. In the meantime, since I failed to publish a February newsletter due to unforeseen circumstances, I will give you the letter for February.

Hi everybody.

Did you see or hear about our Non-Life Master Tournament? Having been assured by representatives of the ACBL that we would have 10 to 15 tables on average at each session and planning for this, we had forty tables on Friday afternoon, thirty-nine tables Saturday norning, twenty-four tables Friday morning, etc. Keith Honnold and Muggs Smith did an incredible job planning and executing the tournament with a host of volunteers. What Tyler Smith did with getting the word out about the tournament through the Internet was awe-inspiring. There were many problems which need to worked out, but I believe we proved that there is a huge pent up demand for non-life masters to gath- er and compete against just each other. You may have heard we lost a good deal of money for the weekend, and this is being addressed. No excuse, but it was primarily caused by not expecting the level of turnout. Again, thank you to all who showed up to play and to all those who showed to help and contribute in so many ways.

As of today, Sunday February fourteenth (Happy St. Valentines’ Day!), we have 52 participants registered to attend Learn Bridge In A Day? next Saturday, February 20th. We may well reach our capacity of 60. Many of you have sub- mitted names of potential participants, many of you have volunteered to be table monitors for the event (currently we need six more). In any case, this involvement on behalf of the Unit and the Chattanooga Bridge Center is very rewarding. Thank you. Now all we have to do is pull it off. Wish Bill Adams, Teresa Moore, myself and all our volun- teers good luck. We really believe this may well be the future for bridge in out area.

Talk to you next month. I continue to be amazed at all the support you are giving me and your Board.

Dan

Bridge is NOT Dead -- NLM Sectional an Overwhelming Success!

For those of you who missed the NLM Sectional Tournament on January 29-31, 2016 you missed an un- forgettable event. The District 7 tournament advisors told the tournament committee to prepare for a maximum of 12-15 total tables of NLMers at any one of the 8 sessions that were planned over the 3 day event. The tournament committee prepared for twice that number. Little did we know the overall appeal that this kind of event would generate. Attendance blew the doors off! On Friday afternoon we had 40+ tables playing bridge at the same moment! The banquet hall was filled to the maximum with an overflow crowd that stretched not only into the adjoining foyer area, but all of the way down the hall to the area lobby at the main entrance of the hotel. In fact, the attendance was so great that is was necessary to divide the tournament into two groups and move one-half of the participants to a second location at the nearby Hilton Gardens Hotel. By 7:00 pm Friday night we had tournament events underway at both loca- tions at the same time.

The primary goal of the tournament was to introduce newer bridge players to tournament competition (with players of similar ability) and in the process provide a realistic opportunity for them to go home with silver master points. We overwhelmingly obtained the desired result from the tournament. There were 203 different NLM players that participated in the event. Silver points were won by 171 of the 203 players. This was amazing! All in all we had 176.5 tables played during the 3 day event. It was truly an event to remember.

Not enough good things can be said for the tournament directors and those who helped during the event. Countless life masters and others pitched in and helped in all facets of the event. I have never been prouder of our bridge people in Southeastern Tennessee. Thanks to each of you who helped make this event an overwhelming success. Each of you were indispensable in making that happen.

We all learned from the experience at the NLM tournament. Discussions will be held in late March about the merits of holding the tournament again in 2017. If you have comments about the tournament, either good or bad, please send those to Dan Chandler or myself so that they can be taken into consideration in our planning for next year.

Thanks, Keith Honnold and Muggs Smith, Tournament Co-Chairs

The days are sunny, The skies are clear.

OMG spring cleaning is near!

We can't solve your window or dust problems, but we can help with the clutter. This June, in cooperation with The Longest Day, the CBC will sponsor a silent auction to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association. Why not take ad- vantage of this opportunity to rid yourself guilt free of all those extras that are taking up space and collecting dust. That never-used electric knife, your turquoise handbag that doesn't match a thing or that singing tie that's just not you -- all these just might be someone else's treasures.

Please bring your unused or lightly used donations to the Bridge Center. If something has a particular value, please leave a note. Questions should be directed to Sandy Cervantes at 423.315.1953 or [email protected].

This year, we are particularly lucky in that we will have some very special personal, hands-on offers generously donated by your fellow players. Stay tuned for more info. CHATTANOOGA SPECIAL GAMES

Party Hosts/Hostesses Needed

There are 4 parties planned for the next two months and we need a host for each party, who can then get a committee to help plan and serve the meal etc. The parties are: April 14 - Thursday morning - ACBL Charity Game. The club will pro- vide a free breakfast that includes all beverages. Breakfast at 9 AM and the game starts at 9:30.

April 23 – Saturday – Pairs game and Pizza Party. The club will pro- vide all food and beverages. Lunch at 12:30 and the game starts at 1PM.

May 1st – Sunday - May Day Party – Open Pairs Game. Fried Chicken and beverages provided by the club, bring a dish to share. Sign-up sheet at the club. Lunch at 1 PM, game at 1:30.

May 5th - Thursday – Cinco de Mayo Party. Taco Bar and beverages provided by the club. Dinner at 6 PM game at 6:30.

Please call Sue Shramko if you can host or help (825-5912)

FEBRUARY HIGH GAMES FEBRUARY SPECIAL Open GAMES Myra Reneau/Larry Reneau 72.80% GNT

NLM Larry Reneau/Myra Reneau Alison King/Tyler Smith 65.76% John Friedl/Kyle Weems 55 pts

99er GNT NLM Joyce Brennen/Katherine Jolly 75.83% Jim Snyder/Patricia Snyder 54 pts Linda McKinney/Beverly Richards

Unauthorized Information Jack Gillispie

99% of bridge players understand what unauthorized information (UI) is and why it is un- ethical to draw inference from it. Even so, less than half of all bridge players behave appropriately with regard to this law. Perhaps a little examination will bring this misconduct to mind. Consider the following ex- cept from the official law book, Law 16B.1: “(a) After a player makes available to his partner extraneous information that may suggest a call or play, as for example by a remark, a question, a reply to a question, an unexpected* alert or failure to alert, or by unmistakable hesitation, unwonted speed, special emphasis, tone, gesture, movement or mannerism, the partner may not choose from among logical alternatives one that could demonstrably have been suggested over another by the extraneous information. (b) A logical alternative action is one that, among the class of players in question and using the methods of the partnership, would be given serious consideration by a significant proportion of such players” Essentially what these two laws imply are that 1. When partner implies something about his hand through means other than the legal auction, we cannot take any inference from that. Our subsequent action(s) must make sense despite partner’s unethical implications.

I like to sit West, so let’s say you have something like this:

N E S W ♠Kxx ♥KT9x ♦QT9x ♣xx P 1♠ P 2♠ P 3♠* P ?

*Long Hesitation

Partner made a … took him an awful long time to do it, though. It doesn’t matter how bad partner’s hands usually are: The INFERENCES from his call BASED ON THE DELAY ARE UNAUTHORIZED. Therefore, you should not pass with this maximum hand because you suspect partner doesn’t have his bid.

Another example: ♠xx ♥KJxx ♦AKQx ♣Qxx

N E S W - 1♥ P 2N P 4♣ P 4N P 5♦* P ?

*After S passes, E lets his head fall into his hands as he sighs

You just decided to play 1430… or so you thought! It’s apparent that partner forgot (one time too many) and you actually shouldn’t bid 6♥. Nonetheless, you cannot take inference from his inaudible cursing. Ethics bind you into bidding 6♥, hoping for misdefense. Notice that the oppo- nents would be entitled to call the director at any point after S makes his mistake evident inappropriately. It would be most appropriate to call at the end of play (see 16B.3). Curiously, you are allowed to take inference from the opposition’s behaviors/ mistakes, as per Law 16A.2: “Players may also take account of their estimate of their own score, of the traits of their opponents and any requirement of the tournament regulations.” and Law 16D.1 “For a non-offending side, all information arising from a withdrawn action is author- ized, whether the action be its own or its opponents” Do not interpret this to mean that any hesitation made is always UI. Due to the level of thinking in the game, it is natural to have to hesitate occasionally before choosing a call. It is at times when the opponents are damaged by action that could have taken inference from this information that redress is needed. However, be aware of your mannerisms at the table. If partner misdefends (again!), don’t scoff or chortle or do any of that nonsense. Not only is it rude, but it is also unethical. Avoid implying things about your hand during the auction (like passing and remarking “Oh, another bad hand”). Finally, if you can, try to maintain an even throughout the game. Anticipating the opponent’s plays and bids will help you make better decisions and be a more ethical player. Partner will appreciate being alleviated from the small burdens that come with bidding after your “thirty second wait” double. Notice that this merely scratches the surface of all the ways that information can be passed improperly. The key takeaway should be to use common sense, play fair, and when in doubt, call the director.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Keith Honnold and Richard Weems have reached the rank of Life Master. Richard reached this goal in the club at a Monday night game in January with his regular Monday night partner, Mary Rhoden. Poor Mary lost her partner as of the February Bridge Bulletin. Luckily she appears to have found some new partners.

Keith reached his goal in March and his partner Rob Berghel will need to find a new partner for Monday nights soon. Keith will be ineligible for Monday night as of April.

Give these guys a big congratulations when you see them. Tips for the Novice (and Advanced) Player By John Friedl

Unauthorized Information

You may have noticed that I’ve changed the title of this column, which until now has been directed primarily at less experienced players. Lately I have found that many players who have been at the game for quite some time are committing the same mistake that we typically see in newcomers. In the next several columns I will discuss the concept of how unauthorized information is communicated during the auction, and what the Laws of have to say about it.

Bridge is a game with many rules. In addition to the Laws of Duplicate Bridge, there are two volumes – ACBL Club Director’s Handbook and Duplicate Decisions – that address the interpretation of those Laws.

One of the areas of the game that is strictly regulated by the Laws of Duplicate Bridge is the communication of information during the auction. Each player is entitled to receive information from his or her partner only through the calls (a bid or a pass) made by the partner. Any other form of communication is prohibited. Any inference drawn from partner’s behavior – for example, a hesitation, body language, or an obvious change of mind – is impermissible, and the Director may assess a penalty or adjust the score of a hand if it is determined that such an inference led to an unfair result.

A few examples will help to illustrate this problem. In a recent game, my right hand opponent (RHO, who shall remain nameless) dealt and opened the bidding with 1 Dia- mond. I made a takeout double and my left hand opponent (LHO) bid 3 Diamonds. My partner passed, and RHO said (without being asked) “I’m not sure whether we play that weak or strong.” After I recovered from my astonishment, I reminded her that she had not been asked to explain her partner’s bid, and that in doing so she had provided her partner with unauthorized information.

I then asked to see the opponents’ , where it clearly showed that LHO’s bid was intended as weak. RHO passed, I made another takeout double, and the auction proceeded. But imagine if LHO had intended her bid to be strong. Armed with the inference that her partner had interpreted her bid as weak, LHO might have bid on when she otherwise might have passed. In such a situation a Director would be justified in revis- ing the contract and awarding a different score. For example, 5 Diamonds bid and made scoring 600 points might be revised to 3 Diamonds making 5 for a score of 150.

Another point to make here is that if you are asked about the meaning of partner’s bid and you aren’t sure, the only proper answer is “not discussed.” Do not say “I’m not sure,” or “I think it means . . .” because that conveys unauthorized information to your partner. Your uncertainty can lead partner to make a call different than what she might otherwise have done.

Like many more experienced players at our club, in the past I have tended to overlook transgressions of the rules against providing unauthorized information during the auction, whereas at a tournament I would not hesitate to call the Director. We all want to make our club games friendly and hospitable, and we don’t want to intimidate newer players.

My hope is that these columns will help to reduce the frequency of such mistakes in the future. However, I’m not sure that we aren’t doing a disservice to players who, quite inno- cently, fail to adhere to proper procedure. So if you hear a reprimand when you’re at my ta- ble, please don’t take offense. Just think of it as a “teaching moment.”

News from the Education Committee… It may seem like a small thing, but the benefit of starting to learn bridge through the Learn Bridge in a Day? course is very real. Simply stated, the advantage of being able to immediately play a game after only 5 hours of class makes subsequent learning more straight forward and helps the student determine his/her true level of interest in the game and future studies. Out of the 60 plus who attended our last LBIAD? session, 26 signed up for additional classes. I am convinced that the learning process has been significantly and positively impacted by the fact that these students can play. At this point, we have completed 3 weeks of our 12-week follow-up course, and all are having a great time. Moreover, the increased level of coaching has been a tremendous benefit. Your willingness to pitch in when asked has been wonderful! Our next initiative will be a series of lessons aimed at our intermediate group. These will be 2 to 3 week courses focusing on a specific convention or playing technique. More to come. The number of you making an effort to help our newer players is truly quite impressive. Remember, to get better and feel more comfortable and confident, novices have to play. The simple act of playing with a more experienced player is a tremendous boost. Thanks to all who have helped with this effort. Lonnie Wayne Farmer died peacefully on February 24th, 2016 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the age of 75.

Wayne was born in Steubenville, Ohio, to James Walter Farmer and Mildred Culp Farmer. After attending Steubenville High School, he went on to play football briefly at Northwestern for Ara Parseghian, and then for Scrappy Moore at the University of Chattanooga, where he was a standout linebacker. Once there, coach Andy Nardo convinced him to try wrestling, and he was the Southern Intercollegiate Wrestling Champion in 1962 in the 190 pound weight class.

After graduation, he went on to play Middle Linebacker for the New England Patriots from 1964 until 1966, when his playing career was cut short by injury. He was an executive with Gulf Life Insurance Company for almost twenty years, and he completed his career in the banking and mortgage lending industries. He was inducted into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.

Wayne loved spending time with friends and was an avid handball player at the Sports Barn for many years. Wayne’s friends knew him as an exceptionally patient man with a sunny attitude and a ready smile.

Mr. Farmer is survived by his second wife, Betty Sue Ayers Farmer; his sister, Martha Gargala of Steuben- ville; his children, Wayne Evans Farmer, Knox Smartt Farmer, and Elizabeth Farmer Black; his step- children, Susan Lynley Welsh and Timothy Ayers Kelly; and by his grandchildren, Gaston Evans Farmer, Kinsey Grayson Farmer, Walter Evans Montgomerie Black, Julieanne Elizabeth Black, Caroline Oradee Black; and his step-grandchildren John Livingston Ayers Kelly, William Cannon Kelly, Isabel Eloïse Welsh, and Edward Christian Augustus Welsh, to whom he was always “Granddaddy.”

The family would like to thank Dr. Adele Ackell for her help during the last years of Wayne’s life.

The family will receive visitors at Wann Funeral Home from 12-2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, and there will be a graveside service at Forest Hills Cemetery immediately following. All are welcome to attend and cele- brate Mr. Farmer’s life.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center at Boston Universi- ty at www.bu.edu/cte/financial-support.

Arrangements are by Wann Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 4000 Tennessee Ave., Chattanooga, Tn. 37409, 423 821-7551.

Share your memories at www.wannfuneralhome.com. Willie Shackelford, Jr., 63, of Chattanooga, died on Sunday, February 21, 2016 in a local hospital.

He was a 1970 graduate of Howard High School. He was a United States Army veteran and served in the Vietnam War. He was employed by UTC for 25 years.

He was preceded in death by his fathers, W.T. Shackelford and Willus Eberhardt, Sr.

Survivors include his loving and devoted wife, Renita Darlene Smith Shackelford; son, Antonio (Yolanda) Shackelford of Powder Springs, GA; daughter, Ariunne (Jermichael) Daniels of Chattanooga; five grandchil- dren, Andrew Shackelford, Zian Daniels, Elijah Daniels, all of Chattanoo- ga, Taylor Shackelford, and Antonio “T.J.” Shackelford of Powder Springs, GA; one great-grandchild, Malayah Shackelford; mother, Sallie Eberhardt; mother-in-law, Emma Petty, all of Chattanooga; 13 sisters; seven broth- ers; a host of nieces; nephews; cousins; other relatives and friends.

He will lie in state on Friday, Feb. 26, after 1:30 p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 11 a.m. at Greater New Home Baptist Church, 2809 13th Avenue, Chattanooga, Tn. 37408, with Pastor G.M. Spotts as the eulogist.

Burial will be on Monday, Feb. 29, at 11:30 a.m. in Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Our sympathy also goes out to Bob Kemp and Betty Buechner, who each lost a sister in the past few weeks. Be sure to keep them in your thoughts.

Eleanor Bennett continues to recover after her accident. She has been moved to Siskin and is working hard to get back to “living” as she says. Hope- fully we will see her at the bridge table before long.

Mary Rhoden’s husband also continues to recover. After giving Mary quite the scare, he seems to be doing well. SPOTLIGHT ON HELEN CAMPBELL

ACBL member Helen Campbell at age 94 is enjoying a long life. Through education and occupa-

tions, the Great Depression, marriages, world wars, world travel and retirement, she has kept her

feet firmly planted under the bridge table.

“I started playing in college, back when you opened bidding with two and a half quick tricks,” she

recalls the Goren System. Born in a small Chicago suburb, Helen graduated from Bryant & Stratton

Business School at a time when women made up only ten percent of the student population. A high school English teacher encouraged Helen to live up to her potential, so she packed one bag and caught a train to the University of Illinois for a degree in psychology. Mornings were spent in class; after- noons and Saturdays Helen worked as a secretary to an entomologist. While many men were away in WWII, she met and married Richard Roper, an Air Force Officer, who was in radio school in Champaign Urbana and had already flown 17 missions piloting B-17 bomb- ers. He then returned overseas to fly non-combat.

“If you’ll learn to play golf, I’ll learn to play bridge,” promised Dick. He sent Helen clubs

while away serving and she took lessons. Dick kept

his word and they learned American Standard in the 50’s, but Helen concluded that

hours in the sun were not good for her fair skin. He golfed and she played bridge at the

club, meeting for cocktails at the end of the day, which was profoundly agreeable to

both. At each transfer to a new base, the couple sought out duplicate players and

games.

Widowed in mid-life, Helen began teaching first grade and returned to school for certifi-

cation. “You’ll never meet a man in the classroom,” predicted her mother, but she was

wrong. A student teacher introduced Helen to Harvey Campbell, a chemical engineer in

management at Procter and Gamble, who came to Sunday dinner and shortly thereaf- Helen and a school friend before he left for the war. ter proposed. Helen moved 15 times in her life, spending three years each in Sacramento, Myrtle Beach and Japan, where “everyone

wanted to learn English.” She tutored as a volunteer at a church school using Reader’s Digest

as a text of contemporary idioms.

Helen and Harvey traveled the world, vacationing around the globe for 27 straight years. She

lists exotic places with Egypt, Israel, Jordan (especially the age-old city of Petra), India and

China as favorites. A few Chinese women still bound their feet and rural people had never

seen foreigners so they were followed and photographed along the Great Wall. Harvey sur- prised the locals by beating them in ping pong.

The Campbell’s took three freighter trips, which are no longer available since today’s container ships are in and out of ports in one day. They traversed the East and West coasts and went around the world in 102 days of sightseeing. State rooms were luxurious for the one dozen passengers allowed to book passages, and the small groups became fast friends. Annual- ly they visited Harvey’s twin brother, with Coca-Cola Bottling in Mexico City, where a chauffeur would ferry them to art muse- ums and other amusements.

Helen’s parents and grandparents, who started with Whist, were bridge players. She often played three days a week throughout her life, entering her first tournament in

Chattanooga. Nine years ago Helen moved from Naples, Fla., to Mountain to be closer to her daughter, Nan Keorner. Every Thursday Nan collects Helen for lunch and a day of shopping, errands or entertainment. Son Rick Roper and family live in

Coldwater, Michigan.

Growing up, Helen complained that she could not see the school blackboard, but

Mother said, “Impossible. No one in our family ever wore glasses.” Helen memo- rized the letters on the chart and passed eye tests until a teacher found her out when she was 14. For the first time, with nearsightedness corrected, Helen saw fluttering leaves on trees instead of solid objects. Helen is a life-long reader who keeps up with popular fiction. CLEVELAND NEWS

A NEW BRIDGE CLUB IN UNIT 206 THE NOOGA BRIDGE CLUB

Nooga Bridge East has been hosting a Monday afternoon game since January 11 and having between 6 1/2 and 9 1/2 tables. We've had great support from the community in attending the games and donating mon- ey and card tables. So far, more than six people have joined ACBL. This game is played at Christ United Methodist Church at the corner of East Brainerd Road and Morris Hill Road at 12:30.

An email is sent weekly to ask for reservations and we provide a partner for anyone that needs one. This is an open game so we have 0 point players to 800 point players and welcome them all.

If you have questions about the game, you can contact Sharon Lewis or Sue Riddle.

SPOTLIGHT ON Jeep and Ruth Tulloss

I joined USAF after high school, Bradley Central class of 1949 and served in Alaska for two years at an outpost doing radar mainte- nance. I boxed in the Golden Gloves for the YMCA team in 1949 and later assisted Sam Horner in coaching the Cleveland YMCA team for several years. I played snare drum in the Bradley HS and Tennessee Tech marching bands. I worked for a year in Detroit to save enough money to buy an old 1938 Dodge we called “The Bug.” It had been “rolled” 13 times. I entered Tennessee Polytechnic Institute on the GI bill in 1953 and went year round. He met Ruth there and learned she was a studious person and could read at age four. She started school early and breezed through school. She was selected as “Business Club Queen” and “Bean Queen.” She was also on the Tech rifle team. We met and “clicked” right away. I thank God for putting us together. Graduated from TPI (Now Tennessee Tech University). Ruth and I were married by her brother Alex Nichols in 1955. We moved to Cleveland, TN in1956. I went to work at Brown Stove Works, Inc. After 38 years, retired in1994 as Vice Pres-Administration. I served as Fore- man of Bradley County Grand Jury from 1967-1978, a very interesting experience! I’m a type A, and Ruth wanted to know what I was going to do in retirement. So, I played golf seven days a week until the doctor cut me back to five days a week. My kind of doc- tor! Ruth got her BS in accounting in 1955 and also her PhT (put hubby through) at the same time. She worked at the Tennessee Handle Co. until I graduated in 1956. Ruth loves to play cards, board games, scrabble, and work puzzles. She is the brains in the family and I’m the talker. We moved to Cleveland, TN in 1956 and she worked at Bradley Block Co. until we adopted our two children, Mike and Karen. Later she returned to work at Randolph & Ker- sey Accounting. We have built three houses and she de- signed all three. We worship at Wesley Memorial UM Church and I taught the JOY Sunday School Class there for forty years and during that time we studied the Bible at Precepts Min- istries for twenty-five years. Gary and “Muggs” Smith taught Ruth and me to play bridge early in our friendship. Dick Mellor frequently asked Muggs, “When are you going to finish”? Ruth and I started a bridge club at the Bradley- Cleveland Senior Activity Center. Ruth encouraged and guided the starting of a side game for beginners at bridge. This has developed into what has been called the “Fun Group,” “Deal and Giggle,” and lately “The Half-Decks” since they played one deal without realizing they were short one card.

Ruth is an encourager to all and has what someone said was a calming effect on the club. “When she is away on vacation the club seems different. It’s just not the same. She seems to calm us down and the whole club seems more relaxed and friendly.” Both Jeep and Ruth were selected as Goodwill Ambassadors one in 2010 and one in 2011. My group played rubber bridge for a couple of years then began duplicate bridge. “Muggs” talked us into getting an ACBL sanctioned club started. With great help from John Sughrue and Dick Mellor, the Cleveland Bridge Club was sanctioned on January 1, 2001 with the Board of Directors consisting of “Jeep,” as President, Ruth as Secy.-Treas., John Sughrue as a Director, and Dick Mellor as the Director. The club grew to the point that we brought in Teresa Moore as Club Manager and Director. Ruth and I were introduced to line dancing while on a river boat ride and decided that would be good exercise, so we joined in with a class at the Senior Center in Cleveland. The teacher moved and the replacement got sick, so Ruth and I started teaching that line danc- ing class for several years.

Jeep is retiring from his job at the club and our social life at our age has changed from golf, fishing, tennis, and traveling etc.. Now we go to church, weddings, funerals, bridge and doctor’s appointments. But we still have a lot of fun.

FEBRUARY HIGH GAMES

Cleveland Fairyland Missing results. Sorry. Patricia Lane/Buddy Landis 70.37%

Nooga Bridge East Kenneth Spates/Claude Walker 75.85%