Latest News
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​The next Unit game will be the Mentor/Mentee Celebration Unit Championship on Saturday, May 3 in Winston-Salem. More​
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Congratulations to Judy Hellen, 2025 Unit 169 Goodwill Ambassador!
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In Memoriam: John Harry McLaughlin
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A New Minor Forcing class will be held on April 16 and a Michael's and the Unusual 2NT class will be held on May 7. More
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Enroll now in Bridge Basics 2: Competitive Bidding starting on April 24. .
Bridge Classes
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Bridge Basics 2: Competitve Bidding Thursdays 9:30 am - noon starting on April 24. Flyer
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Evening Beginner Bridge Thursdays 6:30 - 9:00 PM starting on April 3. Flyer
Ongoing​
Spotlight on Members
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Congratulations to April Parker from Greensboro for achieving Life Master as of April 1. 2025!
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Congratulations to each member who attained a new rank as of April 1, 2025. Changes in Rank.
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TWELVE BIG GAMES in March. Take a look.
Games for newer players​
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0-499 Game with free lesson Tuesdays in Winston-Salem
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0-199 Game Fridays in Greensboro
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0-1000 Game with free lesson Tuesdays in Greensboro
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0-20 Game Fridays in Winston-Salem
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Tuesday Bridge Club: Social play 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays in Greensboro. More
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Congratulations to Judy Hellen,
2025 Unit 169 Goodwill Ambassador
by Peter Boyd-Bowman
Every two years, the ACBL and Unit 169 recognize a person within our Unit who has made significant contributions to the game. I am truly excited to announce that Judy Hellen is the winner of the 2025 Unit 169 Goodwill Ambassador award.
I've been in the Greensboro and Unit 169 bridge scene for almost nineteen years. In that time, hundreds of bridge players have come and gone, but there are only a handful that really stand out as people who've made a significant contribution to the game. Judy Hellen is one of the rare few. I'm not exactly sure when she took up the game, but she came on to my radar about 10 years ago, first at the local dupes and almost immediately at Unit tournaments. As a player, Judy has grown significantly, and is probably only a year or two away from reaching Gold Life Master status. And while it's rewarding to watch a player like Judy develop her game over the years, it's been a blessing -- both for myself and for Unit 169 -- that her love for the game has blossomed into a devotion to service for the local bridge community.
For over five years now, Judy has been the vanguard of local efforts to promote and teach bridge in our area. In her role as a bridge teacher, she has helped develop and encourage the game of countless students. As an education liaison for the Unit, she has helped increase the amount of bridge education available in the area by marshalling a cadre of new teachers. As a motivator and champion of the game, she continually inspires the new batches of recruits that she is helping to create, and is directly responsible for the integration of scores of new players into the local bridge community.
If all of that weren't enough, Judy gives a lot of her time to local bridge governance, having served on the Unit 169 board for a number of years, and has volunteered tirelessly on the Unit's behalf since her earliest days as a player. Judy is an all-around dedicated volunteer. The Unit is immeasurably lucky to have her, and I am honored to call her friend.
Judy will be honored, along with other new Goodwill Ambassador for other Units within the District, at a banquet at the upcoming Regional in Greenville SC.​
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Unit Games
Complete 2025 Unit Calendar​​​​​​​​​
Next Game: Mentor-Mentee Unit Championship
May 3, Winston-Salem​​
Our next Unit Game is significant in two ways:
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It’s a Mentor-Mentee Game, and
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It’s a Unit Championship Game awarding extra masterpoints.
Over the past several months, we’ve had at least 35 Mentor-Mentee pairs learning and playing together at our club games. On May 3, we hope that all our M-M Pairs can join the fun at this special game in Winston-Salem.
PLEASE REGISTER NOW for the game, so we can get an idea of the expected table count. Click here to register. You will open a Google Form, and fill out a few simple questions, then click “Submit”. Quick and easy!
If you have questions, need a partner, or run into any issues, you may also email Martha Meyer (Mentoring Coordinator) at mdpmeyermm@gmail.com or text 336-416-3049.
Game Details:
Date/Location: Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Georgia Taylor Neighborhood Center, 1471 W. Clemmonsville Road, Winston-Salem, NC.
Time: Arrive by 12:45 pm for our game to begin promptly at 1:00 pm. Game time is 1:00 – 4:30 pm. Peter J. Boyd-Bowman will be our director.
Food:
Mentees, please bring a snack to share as a thank you to the Mentors.
This is a special game for our program participants. However, other Open players may participate with a partner that has no more than 50 masterpoints. If your designated mentor or mentee is unable to attend on May 3 and you wish to play, please contact Martha Meyer and she’ll help.
The Unit is subsidizing this game as a thank you to all players who participated this year. It will be just $10.00 per pair to play.
Finally, a big “thank you” to Chris Kendall (Greensboro) and Martha Meyer (Winston-Salem), our Mentoring Coordinators, for the work they’ve done getting our newer players paired with a mentor this year.
Results: March 15
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Our Unit Championship Game on Saturday, March 15 had 11 tables..
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First place overall went to Robert Hale and Joshua Hoffman winning 4.45 masterpoints. Second place went to Randy Joyce and Kay Joyce with 3.34 masterpoints. Congratulations to all!
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Click HERE for results for all Unit Games available on Live for Clubs under club number 275628.
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Click HERE for Unit Game Calendar and information.
Local Players Shine at GNT District Finals
Congratulations to three Unit 169 members who advanced to the GNT Nationals to be held in Philadelphia this summer.
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The Open Fight winning team included Peter Boyd-Bowman of Greensboro, Doug Doub from Tennessee, and Hugh Brown from South Carolina and Robert Fendrick from Georgia.
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The Flight B winning team included Rich Peffer and Marty Friedman from Greensboro and Marc Goldberg of Durhan and Ian Cloudsdale of Chapel Hill. ​
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In Flight A Fran Tewkesbury of Greensboro and Martin Causley of Raleigh teamed with Glenn Anderson and Renee Getz of Raleigh made it to the semi-finals of the 2-day event, finishing tied 3rd place overall.
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In Flight B the Winston-Salem team of Mark Meyer, Martha Meyer, Susan Williford and Susan Mann also made it to the semi-finals finishing tied for 3rd place.
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Pictured below are the Flight B winners: Ian, Marc, RIch and Marty.
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Evening Beginner Bridge Lessons
​Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction is scheduled for evening classes starting April 3 with Rich Peffer as instructor. This course is the place to learn about modern bidding and the basics of play of the hand as well as defense. It is designed for those who are new to bridge, those who want to re-enter the game (remember college) or those who would like a structured review to get your game on track. For more detailed information click here.
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Dates for classes: April 3, 10, 24, and May 1. Thursday evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro.
Cost: $100 for all four sessions
Registration: Contact Rich Peffer at rpeffer325@att.net or 336-402-5367
An accompanying book is recommended and can be purchased at a discount at the first session.​​
Special Evening Games for Beginner Players
Rich Peffer will be hosting two evening games in April and May at Fellowship Presbyterian Church. The start time is 6:30 pm​​​
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On Wednesday, April 16, there will be a Rubber Bridge Game for Beginners. This game will give the students from the Beginning Bridge class a chance to apply what they have learned so far. Other players are invited to join.
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On Thursday, May 8, there will be a Pupil Game. This is a special introduction to duplicate where you even have a chance to win your first ACBL masterpoints. Anyone interested in finding out what a duplicate game is all about is invited to join.
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Each of these games are free of charge! Please contact Rich if you are interested in playing but don't hestitate to show up at the last minute.
Upcoming Workshops Offered by Cindy Wright
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New Minor Forcing class, Wednesday, Aprit 16, 2025 1 - 4 PM​​​​
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This convention is used by the responder when the opener (your partner) opens one of a minor, you say one of a major and your partner bids 1NT on their second bid. They have limited their hand to a minimum of 12-14 High Card Points. They don’t have 4 cards in your major or they would have bid two of your major on their second bid. You may have 5 of your Major suit and need to know whether your partner has 3 cards in your suit so that you know whether to play the hand in a NT contract or in your Major. (Remember that a holding of 8 cards in a Major suit is considered a GOLDEN FIT! ) Responder should never bid a 5 card suit twice because this always means a holding of 6 cards.
Michael's and the Unusual 2NT class, Wednesday, May 7, 2025 1 - 4 PM
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​These are bids that show “two suited” hands with just one bid when your Right Hand Opponent opens one of a suit. If you do not know these conventions, you have to overcall the higher ranking suit and HOPE that the bidding comes back around to you to be able to bid your other suit. Sometimes the bidding gets too high to be able to bid your second suit or there are 3 passes and you don’t have a chance to bid your second suit.
Where:
Ballroom, Georgia-Taylor Recreation Center
1471 West Clemmonsville Road
Winston-Salem, NC
Cost:
$30 (cash or check) for each workshop.
Payments may be made to Cindy Wright in person or by mail to 189 Golden Bear Lane, Clemmonsville, NC, 27012.You may register for one or both workshops.
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Powerpoint presentations will be shown as well as bridge hands that go along with the lesson. Handouts will be provided.​​​​​​
Mentoring Kickoff Season Is Here!
The 2025 Unit 169 Mentoring Program is taking on a different look from previous years. We believe the changes will lead to more effective mentoring. We start with a Kickoff Season which closely follows the old program and lasts about four months. Then we want to continue with two more seasons during the rest of the year. Mentees can request a Mentor for any season. The Mentoring Coordinators are:​​
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​Martha and Mark Meyer in Winston-Salem
mdpmeyermm@gmail.com or 336-416-3049
markmeyerdds@gmail.com or 336-416-6998
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Chris Kendall in Greensboro
cwimp47@gmail.com or 251-424-2501​
​Contact a coordinator to request a mentor or to volunteer to be a mentor.​
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Cindy Wright in Winston-Salem and Peter Boyd-Bowman in Greensboro are offering special games/sections where Mentor-Mentee pairs can play outside the open game. These opportunities are a real plus.
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M-M Games in Winston-Salem
Cindy will open a side M-M game every Monday from February 10 to March 24. Please turn in your names to Cindy so she will know to prepare an extra set of boards. The game is at Georgia Taylor Recreation Center at 12:30 pm.
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Cindy will also change her side game on Tuesday into a Four-Is-Enough side game. See the explanation of this type of game below. The game is at South Fork Community Center at 1:00 pm.
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M-M Games in Greensboro
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Peter will have Four-Is-Enough games each Tuesday during February through May. The game is at Fellowship Presbyterian Church at 10:00 am. This is a shorter game that finishes around 12:45 pm.
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What is a Four-Is-Enough Game?
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Each individual player falls into one of three strats defined by the director. For example,
Every two person pair has combined ratings of no more than four.
Tuesday Bridge Club
Triad Bridge Club is offering local bridge players a chance to play this great game, but in a more relaxed, less competitive environment. The Tuesday Bridge Club will be held on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays of every month at 1:30 pm at our club home, Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro.
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The Tuesday Bridge Club will NOT be a duplicate format. Instead, it will just be "friends playing cards," having fun, talking and learning about this wonderful game. Our initial games will be shuffle-and-deal, no prepared boards, but that may change later. This should be a REALLY open and fun experience for players of all skill levels.
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Peter Boyd-Bowman, Barbara Pomer, Judy Hellen, and Andy Symmes will be your hosts. The cost is free. However, there are still costs involved for the club (rent, coffee, cards, etc.) so a suggested donation of $5 is appreciated.
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For more information, contact Barbara Pomer at bdpomer@gmail.com at 336-202-1299 or Peter Boyd-Bowman at
(336) 686-3680 / peterboydbowman@yahoo.com.
Unit 169 Boosters
Our mission is to provide challenging and fun bridge tournament experiences for Central Carolina Bridge Association members.
Our focus is to successfully execute four quality bridge tournaments each year. This entails using great venues with easy access and parking, clean facilities, providing appropriate snacks and beverages, and using qualify ACBL directors. In order to achieve this goal, we need additional financial support.
We are asking our friends who love this game to help. The cost of hosting a quality tournament has increased and, as we build back our attendance at our tournaments, entry fees do not completely cover our cost. Therefore, we are seeking a yearly contribution from those who can and are willing to help Unit 169.
By securing appropriate funding up front, we can plan and budget appropriately for each tournament. There will be recognition and appreciation events for those who join.
We hope you will support us. We appreciate checks in the amount of your choosing, made payable to:
“Central Carolina Bridge Association”
and mailed to
2318 Kirkpatrick Place, Greensboro NC 27408
Please contact Dixie Culver, Unit Secretary/Treasurer, at: culverdix@yahoo.com or (336) 457-7107 if you have any questions.
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District 7 Website
"District 7 News" - April thru June
Per Jane Champion, District 7 Secretary:
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"The District 7 Board of Directors met in Myrtle Beach on December 30, 2023 where the board approved an increase in entry fees at all regionals from $14.00 per player session to $15.00, effective in Hilton Head. This increase is due to an increase that ACBL is charging for Technical Directors staffing the tournaments.
The new entry fee will go into effect in Hilton Head and still represents (or matches) the lowest regional tournament entry fee charged by any other District in the USA."
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Per Blondelle Grant, District 7 Growth & Development Chair:
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"District 7 has allocated funds to support local activities designed to grow our bridge community. Funding opportunities are now open to our Clubs." Click HERE for details and guidelines.
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Click HERE for the new "Find a Tournament" featuring Entry Express
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Click HERE for District 7's Goodwill Message
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Click HERE for the list of National Charity Committee Members appointed by D7 Directors. Unit 169 members include: Cindy Wright - Clemmons NC (2019), Bob and Claudia Hale - Greensboro NC (2018) and Marion Secrest - Winston-Salem NC (2002 - deceased)
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ACBL Website
"Bridge Bulletin" Online
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Free ACBL Guest Membership for 120 Days
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Click HERE to get started!
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You’re just steps away from joining the world’s biggest and best community of bridge lovers! Soon you’ll be playing bridge, winning masterpoints, and reading the renowned Bridge Bulletin magazine.
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Weekly email with bridge tips from Patty
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Ability to earn up to 20 masterpoints
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Digital access to the Bridge Bulletin
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Special pricing of $29 for the first year of regular membership if they are a guest member first
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GET A FREE YEAR OF MEMBERSHIP​
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Many Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement Plans recognize the power of social fitness activities, such as bridge, and seek to reward participants. Grouper (formerly Element3 Health) collaborates with these plans to encourage individuals to remain physically, socially, and mentally active. That’s why the ACBL has partnered with Grouper—to encourage more people to play and have fun. Through our partnership with Grouper, any ACBL members who are also enrolled in an eligible health plan can receive a free year of ACBL membership. It’s easy get started. Visit the Grouper website to sign up for the program and check your eligibility with your health plan. (Have your health plan ID ready as you go through the process.) Start here
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