Welcome to Denver Bridge
1/18/2022
March sectional status
The ACBL has sanctioned the March sectional, but has not yet approved it. We expect to hear about approval in early February. As before, if the sectional is not “approved,” this means that we can hold it as planned but cannot staff it with ACBL directors, and masterpoint awards will be smaller. Watch this space.
Board member roles
At the January meeting, the board members discussed the various roles and responsibilities and divvied them up. You can see who’s doing what here.
Projected loss from January 2022 sectional
The complete numbers aren’t in, but the projected loss from the January sectional is ~$5000. The January sectional is always the least-attended, so this is not as dire as it sounds, but certainly the unit cannot withstand these losses indefinitely. PLEASE come out to play in March, and bring all your friends.
How far is it to the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds really?
Yes, it’s a ways out there, but not that much farther than Jeffco. It probably feels farther partly because you’re going through countryside for the last couple miles, but it’s only fair for the players on the east side of town to get their turn. Also, it’s very convenient for people coming from the south (Colorado Springs) and not that difficult for people coming from the north or from Boulder. Southlands Mall, eight minutes away, has a lot of food options (nineteen at current count). Space is comfortable, lighting is good, and speaking as a female person, the restroom was great.
1/12/2022
Player at January sectional tests positive for COVID
The test results are in, and the Friday morning player is positive for COVID. Although we think the opportunity for transmission was low, due to the COVID protocols in place, we urge you to take precautions, follow the current CDC guidelines, and be alert for symptoms.
1/11/2022
Potential COVID exposure at sectional
We recently learned that one participant who played on Friday is not feeling well and thinks she may potentially have COVID. She is being tested today, Tuesday, January 11th. This person played only in the Friday Morning Open Pairs. She sat NS in Section H. Once she has a definitive result, the unit will update you.
If you do not have COVID-19 symptoms, you are not required to quarantine, per the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE ARE INFORMING ALL TOURNAMENT ATTENDEES of the situation.
We do believe the opportunity for COVID-19 transmission is limited, due to the fact that all tournament participation and staff were fully vaccinated and the tournament safety protocols were enforced.
Winners gallery
Some of the winners at the January sectional stopped by the photographer to have their pictures taken. Take a look here.
Welcome to the new board members
Susan Grauer and Arjun Singh have agreed to come onto the board and fill the two vacancies. Thank you, Susan and Arjun.
IMPORTANT! Corrected dates and flyer for March sectional
The website page and flyer for the March sectional listed the wrong dates (sorry). The dates are March 4-6, 2022. And the sectional will be at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds. Get the info and the corrected flyer here.
12/24/2021
Table Talk
There’s a new Table Talk, published December 2021. Click here to read it.
12/17/2021
GNT Conditions of Contest for D17
The D17 GNT (Grand National Teams) finals will be held at the Denver Regional on the Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29, 2022. Winners go on to the national finals, to be held at the Summer NABC in Providence, RI, July 13–17 2022. Click here for the D17 conditions of contest.
More GNT qualifiers will be held at local clubs in the upcoming months. Keep an eye on your club’s schedule, and we will also post that information here if we have the details.
12/7/2021
Congratulations to Denver’s newest ACBL-certified teachers
At the recent NABC in Austin, Shelbie Bastiaans and Sheryl Siegel went through the training, passed the tests, and became Denver’s newest ACBL-certified teachers. They join three other Denver teachers in achieving this credential.
Sheryl and Shelbie began teaching at the beginning of the pandemic, at the request of Elly Larson, owner of Denver Metro Bridge Studio. To date, they have taught more than 120 students, ages 7 to 90. Their success encouraged them to obtain the ACBL Best Practice Teacher Certification. This certification is available only at NABCs. The entire process includes a Basic Bridge Knowledge Test, a three-day workshop, and several demonstration lessons given to fellow workshop participants. The final lesson is graded by the workshop facilitators and Patty Tucker, whom you may recognize as a leading ACBL teacher and developer of several bridge courses (Learn Bridge in a Day, and Bridge in a Day).
Shelbie and Sheryl have also developed their own Quick Bridge program, they are BIAD-certified teachers, and they are participating in the BridgeWhiz program.
Congratulations! (and belated congratulations to our other ACBL-certified teachers)
11/21/2021
Jan Janitschke award
Nominations will soon be accepted for the 2021 Jan Janitschke award. The Jan Janitschke award was instituted in 2020 to commemorate Grand Life Master Jan Janitschke. It is an annual award recognizing contributions in bridge teaching and mentoring. You can read more about the criteria here, and start thinking about who you want to nominate.
Mentor program
Have you checked into the Unit 361 mentor program? If you are looking for a mentor, the masterpoint limit for mentees has been increased to 299. If you are a more advanced player, consider becoming a mentor. Click here for more information about finding a mentor or becoming a mentor.
11/10/2021
November 2021 sectional report
The fall sectional was held as planned on November 5-7. Table count was about 250, which is certainly less than the table count in 2019, but is better than many other units are experiencing. With some expenses left to come in, the financial report shows a loss of about $1300, which, again, could have been worse :). So, all things considered, the board is happy with the event. If you came out to play, THANK YOU!
Quick update: the final table count was 227, and the loss is expected to be about $3500.
Another update: The loss is now expected to be about $2300. (Accounting software quirks.)
Election report
These four candidates were elected to the board of Unit 361 for the 2022–2023 term:
- Vivian Heggie
- Eric Mead
- Carol Gumpert
- Ed Yosses
There is one vacancy on the board. If you are interested in joining the board, please contact any current board member.
2022 regional flyer
There is an updated flyer for the 2022 Rocky Mountain Regional. Click here to see it. The major difference is that the GNT info was modified. Please note that this flyer is still tentative, as we have not yet received permission to hold the tournament.
Older (but still relevant) news
TableTalk
The 2021 edition of TableTalk has been published. Click here for a list of recent TableTalks, including this one.
Directories
New directories, for the years 2021–2022, have been printed. They will be available at tournaments and at local clubs. Be sure to pick one up.
Email ‘phishing’
You may have received an email from ACBL reporting a ‘phishing’ scam that was sent to some members’ emails. Additionally, you may have received an email from one of the Unit 361 board members asking you to purchase something on the board member’s behalf.
Please know that Unit 361 Board Members will NEVER use their position to solicit money or charitable contributions, or send an email asking you to spend money on their behalf.
When receiving questionable emails, please check the sender’s address as a clue to its real source. Please contact us if you have questions about any solicitation message you receive from a Board Member.
Unit Facebook page
Use this link to access the Unit Facebook page. You may use the page to post items of interest to Unit Members.