New ACBL COVID policy

Effective May 13, 2024, the requirement to wear masks when masked opponents ask is reduced from “must” to “should”. Moreover, players who wish their opponents to mask must provide them. The tournament is still expected to provide hand sanitizer. Tournaments no longer need to designate a safety officer.

Vaccination proof may no longer be required to play in tournaments; however, all these policies may potentially be superseded by local laws or policies.

A note to tournament organizers: In case your tournament publicity is inconsistent with the new policies, feel free to update it to reflect these changes. Send any new flyer to [email protected] for posting.

Great News! The Nationals are Coming to Seattle!

The last time the Nationals were here was Fall 2011—where many of us attended our first Nationals, and some of us won our first gold points! Two of us even won a national title (Pat and Polly Dunn, Senior Mixed Pairs).  Headed by Barbara Nist, this event was an out-and-out party for the Seattle bridge community.  We had wonderful weather, put on a great bridge burlesque (shout outs to Andy Kopser, Marcia Rayton, and Ruth Bunin), ran a successful cruise for the Intermediate/Novice players (due to hard work by John Weinberg and yours truly)—it was a great time for all.

Well, we get to try it again!  D19 recently approved to have the Fall NABCs for 2027 to be held here in Seattle.  We are in the process of putting together our committees and army of volunteers needed to make this event a success. We will need help with everything from soliciting donations to manning information desks, from selecting promotional gifts for our attendees to locating entertainment, from stuffing registration bags to handing out prizes.  If we raise enough money, volunteers may get free parking or free plays for their help.  If you are interested in helping out, let me know.  Jobs can be big or small, and ideas and energy are always welcome.  Contact Ann Romeo at [email protected].

There is nothing like going to a Nationals and be able to sleep in your own bed!

The Puget Sound Regional (aka Lynnwood) is Coming!  Announcing  New Events and Time

Per usual, District 19 will be running the Puget Sound Regional in August, from Monday Aug 19 through Sunday Aug 25, at the Lynnwood Event Center.  What’s new this year?  We will be running a daylight schedule, so that most events will start at 10:00 and 3:00, with evening games starting  at 7:15.  We are also offering new events for our players: a Pro-Am game on Monday at 3:00, a Non-Life Master Charity Pairs at 7:15 on Monday night, a 0-300 Pairs on Saturday at 10:00, and finally, a Semi-Fast Pair series at 7:15 pm Tue-Friday.

Other highlights will be a charity auction run by Bridge for Youth, and our Tips for Tops, to be offered by some of our area’s best instructors. Stay tuned for more information, and if you have any questions in the meantime, contact Ann Romeo at  [email protected].

Time to Send the Kid in Your Life to CAMP!

Bridge for Youth is pleased to announce our 14th year of day summer camp for the youth in the greater Seattle area.  B4Y will be running both an IN PERSON and ONLINE Bridge Summer Camps for students grades 5-12.  The ONLINE CAMP is structured for Intermediate/Advanced skill levels. The Online Camp will be held July 29 to August 2, 2024. The hours are 10:00 AM -1200 PM PDT and 1;00 PM to 3:00 PM PDT.

The IN-PERSON CAMP welcomes all Bridge skill levels including students that have never played bridge before. The In-person camp will be held August 5-9, 2024, at the Mercer Island Congregational Church, 4545 Island Crest Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040. Hours are 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM PDT (Bring Lunch and Snacks).

The fee for each Camp week is $150 (financial aid is available).

B4Y is proud of its many camp alumni, including Arthur and Nathan Gong, Eddy and Eric He, Daniel Balof, Jabon-winner Jessie Cai, and many of the young players you see at our mentor/mentee events.

Camp is a great way to introduce a kid to the game.  If you have any questions, or would like to help volunteer at camp, please contact Ann Romeo at [email protected].  You can also check out our webpage at https://www.b4youth.org/bridge-camp.