Unit 207 Newsletter June 2005 / July 2005

Larry Davis, Editor

The Unit 207 Newsletter editor is Larry Davis. The board member supervising the unit newsletter is Mary Anne Laier. The newsletter will be available on or about the first day of the months of February, April, June, August, October and December. Please let the editor know about newsworthy items so that they may be included in the newsletter.

Upcoming Unit 207 Events

11 June	(Sat)	NW Center - Ice Cream Social/Stratified Open Pairs - 12:30
25 June	(Sat)	NW Center - IMP Pairs - 12:30
6 August	(Sat)	NW Center - City Championship - two-session open pairs

Upcoming Special Games at Clubs

1 June	(Weds)	NW Center - Charity Game
4 June	(Sat)	NW Center - NAP Game
5 June	(Sun)	NW Center - Club Championship
6 June	(Mon)	NW Center - NAP Game
10 June	(Fri)	Senior Center - Charity Game
12 June	(Sun)	NW Center - NAP Game
13 June	(Mon)	Senior Center - Club Championship
13 - 19 June	(Mon - Sun)	NW Center and Presby. Church - District 16 STaC
17 June	(Fri)	Senior Center - District 16 STaC Game
21 June	(Tues)	Senior Center - Membership Game
22 June	(Wed)	NW Center - NAP Game
30 June	(Thurs)	Presby. Church Open Game at NW Center
2 - 4 July	(Sat - Mon)	no games
6 July	(Weds)	NW Center - Junior Fund Game
7 July	(Thurs)	Presby. Church - NAP Game
8 July	(Fri)	Senior Center - Membership Game
9 July	(Sat)	NW Center - Club Championship
10 July	(Sun)	NW Center - NAP Game
12 July	(Tues)	NW Center - Inter-Club Championship
14 July	(Thurs)	NW Center/Presby. Church - Club Championship
16 July	(Sat)	NW Center - no game
18 July	(Mon)	NW Center - Club Championship
19 July	(Tues)	NW Center - NAP Game
20 July	(Weds)	NW Center - NAP Game

Future Austin Tournaments
Jul 16-17, 2005	(Sat-Sun)	NW Center - NLM Sectional (Chairman: Kevin Perkins)
Sept 29 - Oct 2, 2005	(Thur-Sun)	Clarion Inn - Sectional (this is a date change) (Chairs: Tate and Wueste)
Nov 12-13, 2005	(Sat-Sun)	NW Center - NLM Sectional (Chairman: Kevin Perkins)
Jan 5-8, 2006	(Thur-Sun)	DoubleTree Hotel (Chairmen: Laura Delfeld and Mark McAllister)
May 4-7, 2006	(Thur-Sun)	Clarion Inn - Sectional

Congratulations!

New Life Masters (300):

Curtis Hitt, Carol Nelson, Diane Sobolak

New Bronze Life Masters (500):

Inger Lise Blount, Ed Sobolak

New Silver Life Masters (1000):

Donna Lantz

Others:

(3500) Carol Mencke; (1500) Charles Hampton; (50) Danny Feng, Lyn Tragesser

Austin Sectional:

The top ten masterpoint winners from Unit 207 were: Jack Lacy; Mildred Breed; Stephen Wood; Linda Anthony; Louis Sachar; Larry Davis; Jerry Bigler; Clint Schuhmacher; Joe Black; and Robert Donathan.

District 16 STaC Games
During the week of June 13th - 19th, Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC) games are held at all NW Center open games and at the Friday Senior Center game. The strats are 1250+, 300 - 1250, and 0 - 300. Silver points are awarded at the club and district levels. Game results are emailed to District 16, and district-level winners are determined. It is as if a district-wide sectional tournament was being held each day (afternoon and evening), with appropriate (i.e. extra) masterpoints awarded. The district-level results can be viewed on the web within a few days of each game. These games cost $1 extra.

NAP Games:
Club-level qualification begins in June. There are 12 NAP games scheduled (4 each month at the NW Center spread among the various days of the week). The strats are: C - less than 500 masterpoints and not a Life Master; B - 500 to 1999; and A - 2000+. August dates are: 4th (Thurs), 8th (Mon), 16th (Tues) and 27th (Sat). The unit final (for those qualifying at the club-level) will be October 29th (Sat) at 12:30 at the NW Center. It will be two sessions with a meal in-between. For those qualifying at the unit-level (about 50% of each strat), the District 16 NAP final will be held at the San Antonio sectional, Jan 13-16 (Fri - Mon). District-level winners (3 or 4 in each strat) advance to the national-level, played at the Spring Nationals (Dallas, TX).

City Championship:
Just what is the City Championship that is being held August 6th? It is a double-session, stratified, open pair event held annually in the summer by Unit 207. The event was started in 1999. The winning pair of each flight (A: 2000+; B: 500-1999; C: 0-499 NLM); has their names inscribed on a plaque and are dubbed the City Champions for that year. A paper copy of that plaque is posted on the Unit 207 bulletin board at the NW Center.

May Sectional:
The tournament chairmen were Hal Deshong and Clint Schuhmacher. Other chairmen were: Laura Delfeld - Caddies; Linda Anthony - Hospitality; Hal DeShong - Partnerships; Steve Bruce and Clint Schuhmacher - Photography; and Kevin Perkins - Supplies. The tournament chairmen wish to thank the many individuals who brought goodies for the hospitality table. An outstanding meal was catered by Mike Stout, Unit 207 Master Chef.

Mentor Program
The Mentor Program is being revived! The last one of a few years back was quite successful, and a new one will begin (tentatively) in September. Current plans (subject to change) call for "mentees" (those being mentored) to have less than 100 masterpoints and for mentors to have 200+ masterpoints. If you are interested in being a mentor or a mentee, please call Linda Anthony at 327-0146. The program would run through May of 2006, with a "vacation" during December. Mentors would play bridge with their mentees twice per month. More detailed information will be published via flyer and/or the next issue of this newsletter.

Unit Growth Seminar:
Unit 207 recently held a Unit Growth Seminar led by Donna Compton, District 16 Education/Membership Chairman. It was attended by members of the Unit Board and other interested Unit 207 members. The seminar was designed to help our unit increase membership and participation. Board member Hal DeShong hosted the event. An ad hoc committee, chaired by Laura Delfeld, has been appointed by the Unit Board to investigate further the ideas and suggestions which arose at the seminar. In the next few months, some of you may be asked to help with this project. Please help out if you are able. If you have some thoughts on the subject and/or wish to volunteer to help, please notify Laura Delfeld or Unit President Mary Anne Laier.

Skip Bids:
Whenever a skip bid occurs, whether or not the "STOP" card is used, the next player to call must make a significant pause (officially, 10 seconds) before making a call (including PASS). A skip bid is presumed to cause a problem for the next person to call, and if (A) he passes quickly such action gives unauthorized information to his partner that he was going to PASS in any event, or if (B) he bids or doubles quickly such action gives unauthorized information to his partner that the skip bid gave him no problem whatsoever (because he had a good hand). If you or your partner make a skip bid and the opponents do not make a significant pause before calling, call the director! When pausing, especially if you know you're going to PASS, don't make it obvious that you are just allowing time to go by because you're supposed to, for example by counting to ten either out loud or in some other obvious way.

Deaths/Departures:
Mozelle Carr moved to San Antonio
Mary Helen Foster
Lucille Salinas