Latest News
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The next unit game, Saturday, February 22 in Winston-Salem, is a special "Learn to Play Swiss Teams" event. Mark and Martha Meyer will give a lesson all about Swiss teams at 12:00 pm. The game starts at 1:00 pm. This is a great opport unity for those who are unfamiliar with this type of game. More
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Evening Beginner Bridge class starting in April - Thursday 6:30 - 9:00 PM on April 5. More
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​New class with an Introduction to Stayman and Jacoby transfers starts mid-March. More
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The HIgh Point Bridge Club has a new game time! The game starts at 12:30 pm each Thursday. Please contact Paul Fargusson at (217) 816-5724 or pgfbridge@pgf.net to make a reservation.
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Mentoring Season is here. For information on where to play, see article below.
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The Spring-into-Valentines sectional tournament in Salisbury has concluded. It was a grand success. See the article below.
Bridge Classes
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​Evening Beginner Bridge class starting in April - Thursday 6:30 - 9:00 PM starting on April 5. Flyer
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Deadly Defense with David Idleman through March 5. More Flyer
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Stayman and Jacoby Transfers with Andy Symmes on March 11th and 18th. More Flyer
Ongoing
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Spotlight on Members ​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Congratulations to Dan Fowler, the overall masterpoint winner in the Spring-into-Valentines sectional tournament in Salisbury. See article below.
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Congratulations to Trude McCarty from Greensboro for attaining Life Master!!!
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Congratulations to each member who attained a new rank as of February 1, 2025. Changes in Rank.
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See Changes in Rank, BIG Games, Ace of Clubs and Mini-McKenney races and more under Accomplishments on the Menu.
Upcoming Events​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Feb 22 - Unit Championship Swiss Teams Game in Winston-Salem.
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May 16-18 - Gate City Sectional
Games for newer players​
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0-499 Game with free lesson at noon on Tuesdays in Winston-Salem More
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0-199 Game Fridays in Greensboro More
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0-1000 bridgeLITE Game with free lesson Tuesdays in Greensboro More
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0-20 Game Fridays in Winston-Salem More
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Tuesday Bridge Club: Social play 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays in Greensboro. More
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Send updates for the website to the webmaster, Patricia Gutzwiller, at ccbaunit169@gmail.com.
Salisbury Sectional is a Grand Success
The Spring-into-Valentines Sectional was a welcome return to Salisbury. It attracted many players from the southern border of our unit. It highlighted how well Unit 169 can put on a tournament. See the results here.
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Many thanks to Louisa Witten, tournament chair, for leading her team. The hospitality and food were outstanding. The tournament was well attended and well run. All the Saturday players leave with a story to tell.
​Pictured above are Dick Brisbin (Partnership Chair), Charlotte Brisbin, Louisa Witten (Tournament Chair), and Myrnie McLaughlin.
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The local paper, the Salisbury Post, generously featured the event. Check out these articles with a gallery of pictures. Feb. 1 Feb. 8
Congratulations to Dan Fowler, the overall masterpoint winner at the Spring-into-Valentines Sectional held February 8-10.
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.
Unit Games
Complete 2025 Unit Calendar​​​​​​​​​
Next Game: February 22, Winston-Salem
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Date and Time: Feb. 22, 2025 – 1:00 pm
Location: Georgia Taylor Recreation Center, 1471 Clemmonsville Rd, Winston-Salem
Game Type: Unit Championship SWISS teams
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This game is a special “Learn to Play Swiss Teams” event, where we encourage players who have never tried a team event to join us, along with more experienced players. We will go over strategies, how to score each round, and how to compete effectively in a Team Game match.
Here’s a brief agenda:
· 12:00 noon: Lesson and Q&A session with Mark and Martha Meyer on “Strategies for Swiss Team Games”
· 12:45 pm: Get together at your Home Table with your teammates.
· 1:00 pm: Game starts with the 1st set of matches
Teams will be averaged using the masterpoints for all four players. If enough teams of different strata are present for the game, then we will have two separate events: Open Teams and Limited Masterpoint Teams, just like in ACBL tournaments.
Team Captains: Please start organizing your 4-person teams now, and send your rosters to Martha Meyer at mdpmeyermm@gmail.com. Want to play but need a team? Let Martha know your interest and approximate masterpoints, and she can help you find teammates. Please send an email message, or call / text: 336-416-3049.​
Results: January 18
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​​Thank you for playing in the GNT Qualifying Team Game on Saturday, January 18. There were 13 tables . Players earning masterpoints are:​​​​​​​​​
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.
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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Unit 169 Offering Growth & Development Grants
Application Form
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Unit 169 would like to encourage local bridge teachers, directors, club managers and players to start new activities that promote the learning and enjoyment of bridge. To help foster the startup and success of these activities, the Unit is offering small monetary grants ($200-$400) to be used in a maximum 6-month time period, in support of certain activities.
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Guidelines used in evaluation of the grant applications:
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preference to educational initiatives
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mindful that grants should not be reimbursing clubs or individuals for costs that would be spent in any case (rent, ACBL dues, etc)
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encourage efforts/programs that can be expanded into other areas of the Unit
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give preference to new projects over existing ones
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Some areas where these Growth and Development Grants can be used:
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educational programs
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development of new players (supervised play, mentoring programs, etc.)
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outreach to lapsed members
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integration of social players and groups
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startup costs to get a new club, social group, youth program up and running.
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District 7 Website
"District 7 News" - January thru March
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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