Wednesday, February 10, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Sisters bridge group to offer beginner lessons
By Craig F. eisenbeis
Correspondent
The Sisters Bridge Club,
which has a history going
back more than 30 years, is
thriving. Later this month,
the group will be offering free
bridge lessons.
Just three years ago, how-
ever, the organization was in
danger of fizzling out.
“We had lost some of our
older players,” said Susan
Sandberg, current co-orga-
nizer for the group, “and new
people weren’t taking their
places.”
In late 2012, the group
sometimes had a hard time
mustering just two tables
(eight players); and, occa-
sionally, play had to be can-
celled when there were not
enough players even for that.
One long-time member, Ardie
Winters, suggested that an
article in The Nugget might
help revive local interest in
the venerable card game. As it
turned out, she was quite right.
Fast-forward to the pres-
ent; and, now, six to eight
tables (24-32 players) are
routinely showing up for the
weekly bridge sessions every
Thursday afternoon at The
Pines Clubhouse.
“I offered lessons a few
years ago without any public-
ity, and we had four people
sign up,” Sandberg said. “I
thought that was pretty good.
But, after The Nugget story
about us, we had 16 new
people sign up. I had no idea
that the response would be so
overwhelming. Recently, I’ve
had more people contact me
about lessons, so we’re going
to do it again!”
Sandberg emphasized the
social nature of Sisters bridge.
“We’re just here to enjoy
the game with others that
share our interest,” she said.
“I think that the game is great
because of the mental inten-
sity involved in it. It keeps
people’s minds sharp and
working.
“These lessons we’re offer-
ing are going to be very, very
beginning bridge — counting
points, bidding, eventually
working up to basic systems
and conventions that are pop-
ular at this time.”
The learning sessions will
be held each Thursday morn-
ing, starting February 25 at
9:30 a.m. The lessons are free,
but there is a nominal facili-
ties charge of $1 per session
for players who are not resi-
dents of The Pines.
The lessons will continue
for a few weeks, the number
of which will be determined
by the progress and interest of
the students.
“Bridge is constant learn-
ing,” Sandberg said. “You can
never be perfect at it. No mat-
ter what level you’ve attained,
you’re always learning. It
always provides new chal-
lenges depending on how the
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cards fall. An added benefit
of bridge is the social inter-
action. You will meet new
people and make new friends.
You can’t say that about the
games you play on your com-
puter, TV, or cell phone.”
Long celebrated as a path-
way to building and maintain-
ing brain power, the game of
bridge is descended from a
16th century card game called
whist, which was popular
among the English nobility
of that era. Over the years,
the game evolved to its pres-
ent form of “contract” bridge.
The current method of scoring
was developed by the wealthy
American Harold Vanderbilt
in 1925.
New participants are
always welcome at the after-
noon bridge sessions; how-
ever, players are asked to
sign up ahead of time to make
sure that everyone has a part-
ner and that enough tables
are set up in advance. Each
participant is also asked to
photo provided
Donna holland claims a trick at bridge play in Sisters.
contribute a (very) nominal
fee to help defray facility
costs and provide token cash
prizes for the highest bridge
scores.
The Sisters bridge group
plays in The Pines Clubhouse
every Thursday afternoon at
12:30 p.m., except holidays.
Sessions usually last about
three hours and feature a
round-robin play of six hands
at each table.
For more informa-
tion contact Donna Hurd at
541-548-8035.