WORLD YOUTH BRIDGE
Bobby has just received the email below from Anna Gudge, one of the most devoted workers for The World Bridge Federation (WBF) . If you have any questions, please contact her at the email address below.
I know special efforts have been made by Jill Stokke, Bob LaFleur and others right here in the Las Vegas area with classes and seminars to encourage the local youth to participate. Bridge has been taught in the schools of many Asians and Europeans for several years. They certainly got the jump on the U. S.
Just for the record – in the summer of 1993 Bobby (on behalf of the WBF along with Patrick Choy of Singapore and Jeff Polisner of San Francisco) met at The People’s Hall of the Republic at Tiananmen Square with the prestigious political Chinese leaders who enthusiastically endorsed Bobby’s proposal of educating the Chinese teachers to introduce bridge into the classrooms (ala Audrey Grant and her associates who would furnish all the material while the Chinese teachers would do their own translating). It was a DONE DEAL and the arrangements should have ended there. Bobby, soon afterwards, returned to a WBF meeting in Aspen, Colorado to report his success in achieving this great sought after feat (just imagine — 200,000,000 Chinese students would be learning our wonderful game). To his remorse (and perhaps his naïveté of not starting the agreed plan agreed in Asia right on the spot), the deal fell through because of internal controversy in Aspen (several countries in attendance wanted a piece of the pie). China finally included it in their curricula – losing fifteen precious years in accomplishing it. Bobby always regretted his personal decision not to proceed post haste at Tiananmen Square in 1993 and blamed himself for trying to be so politically correct.
Following is Anna’s appeal to the world of bridge:
From: ECatsBridge Press List <anna@ecats.co.uk>
Subject: WBF Pairs – An initiative to support Youth Bridge
To: “bobbywolff@sbcglobal.net” <bobbywolff@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 7:35 AM
As you will be aware, the World Bridge Federation is committed to the development of Youth Bridge – the future of our wonderful game.
To this end, the President has asked us to organise four new Simultaneous Pairs each year – in October, December, March and August to raise funds specifically to help develop and promote bridge for young players – please click here to read more about how the WBF wants to support Youth Bridge.
Each one will be run on a Monday and a Wednesday (day time or evening), with different hands for each day of course. WBF Year Points will be awarded to the leading pairs and we have requested the NBOs to award overall points based on their own national ranking.
The dates for the first two are Monday 22nd & Wednesday 24th October, and 17th & 19th December 2012. The dates for 2013 can all be found at http://www.ecatsbridge.com/sims/info/calendar.asp
The material will all be sent by email to the heat organisers, and the booklets and hands will be available on the website at www.ecatsbridge.com as normal immediately after the event.
Because we are doing it this way we are able to keep the entry fees low – just US$3.00, €2.50, or £1.90 per pair (note … per PAIR, not per player) – full payment instructions will be sent with the zip file of hands etc.
I know it is quite short notice for the first one, but it would be really great if you could help us with the publicity so we can get as many clubs as possible to play in these events. All the clubs need to do is email me – anna@ecats.co.uk – with their club name and the day they want to play. As simple as that!
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I think it is absolutely marvelous that such strides and efforts are being made by the WBF to enlist young recruits. Good luck to them.
I agree with Rene. It is ever so important that we interest the youth of America in our stimulating game. If not, bridge will just die out and become a thing of the past!
I am proud to announce that the club in Las Vegas where Bobby and I play regularly (The Las Vegas Bridge World, 5580 West Flamingo Road, 702-478-7200) has announced that on every Monday afternoon in October at 12:30 p.m. (beginning October 1st) they are making an all-out effort to encourage the 0-999ers to come over and play for only $4.00 per player and those over 1,000 master point holders will have their card fee reduced from $8.00 to $6.00.
Eric Bell, a kind, soft-spoken gentleman and a National Director will be in charge on Mondays.
I am really proud of Joanne Euler, Dixie Perkinson and Jane Rubin, the owners, for making such a
stellar effort to recruit new players and welcome back some of the old timers to our marvelous
game.
Remember — every Monday afternoon in October at The LVBW.
I thought this so appropriately timed regarding the downslide of bridge and the great need to draw more people to the game.
Serge de Muller posted in Bridge People
Serge de Muller 9:24am Sep 22
How is the game Bridge going to evolve over 20 years and over 40 years ?
“Let me preface what follows by saying that I am normally a highly optimistic person.
I greatly fear that there is not going to be much left of bridge in most part of the world in 40 years time. Even within 20 years, bridge players are going to start dropping like flies. Sometime in the not-too-distant-future, the length of the In Memoriam page will surpass that of the New Life Master page in the ACBL bulletin.
You will then know that the end is near. Prepare yourself. It is going to hurt.”
Fred Gitelman
BBO
ACBL Bridge Bulletin
February 2012
CORRECTION: Eric Bell is teaching Easy Bridge (for beginners). The regular Monday director is Charlyn Johnson (and when she can’t make it — Rick Price).
After five years operating a Youth Bridge teaching Program in Washoe County Nevada Middle Schools, Reno Youth Bridge expanded its program in 2013-14 into the District’s High Schools. Of the District’s fourteen campuses we are now teaching the game to over 300 registered students in eight Middle, two Elementary and seven High Schools with some success. Our smallest High School Bridge Club is composed of only four students who matriculated from one of our Middle School after school activity classes last year. However, our largest High School Club has 72 registered members of whom at least 45 are in attendance at each of the 2 hour weekly meetings for instruction and play. What is the difference? The volunteer teacher (we call them our “Faculty Representative”). She attracts students like flies using contemporary marketing “mobile” concepts. Reno Youth Bridge provides the Instructor(s) who use a syllabus developed by one of our Directors based on emphasizing Play of the Hand and practice by the play of Mini-Bridge. We don’t introduce Bidding before the Spring Semester and even then limit conventions to a basic few. Thanks to Fred Gitelman’s Bridge Base Online, we are able to operate weekend teaching tables to supplement that presented in weekly meetings. Our first of Three District wide intramural tournaments is being held concurrently with the ACBL Reno Regional Tournament at the Grand Sierra Resort this December. We expect to have 20 to 25 tables of Mini-Bridge and regular duplicate contract bridge competition. Our overall success to-date has been achieved because of the financial Grants from the ACBL Education Foundation, United Way of Northern Nevada, and the generous financial support of Reno Corporations, and private individuals. All RYB Directors and Officers serve without compensation.
Bud Brewer, Managing Director
Reno Youth Bridge, Inc.