September 2007 - 45

PLAY BRIDGE

The Hat Lady
Bridge Manners & Etiquette

caddy, please
The team game is one of the most
popular forms of bridge, especially
at tournaments. In addition to
tournament directors, the game
requires caddies to shuttle the boards
back and forth between the two
tables, yours and the table where your
"other half " is playing. Multiply this
by tens or hundreds, and it becomes
clear why we need so many caddies
and why they zoom around like
bees in a hive. Unless your child
or grandchild is in the caddy pool,
however, you generally don't give
them much thought.
The correct way to get a caddy's
attention is to say, "Caddy, please,"
and hold up the boards that you are
sending so they can be seen. Once
you have caught the eye of a caddy,
you may set the boards down. Oddly
enough, the whole room seems to
need to switch boards at the same
time. So be patient. You're not going
to a fire. Remember that many of
these children do not play bridge, and
most have no idea what is done to
the cards and why it matters so much
that the right cards are exchanged. So
keep an eye on them after they leave
your table to make sure they go to the
right place. And when the new boards
arrive, say, "Thank you."
Before sending the boards, take a
look at their numbers and color to
ensure the boards you get back are
correct. They should match colors
and be sequentially connected to
the boards already played. If you
suspect a mistake, call the caddy back
(politely), and ask them to check. In
the event of an error, screeching at
the poor child will not only not help
September 2007

matters, but will send their Adoring
Relative (A.R.) down on you like a
ton of bricks. You may never be able
to play in that town again.
The caddies do seem to have a lot
of down time, and to some players
that seems the perfect opportunity to
use then as our waiters or minions.
But they are not there to get your
coffee or tissues or throw your trash
away. If you do treat them like a
waiter, you should tip them like a
waiter.
Lastly, watch what you say to or
about them. Remember that the
aforementioned A.R. has ears all
over the room. Many years ago,
before marriage and children, the
Hat Lady's intended, the Rottweiler,
was playing with a very nice, very
religious pediatrician. After the caddy
- a stunningly beautiful young

Marie Sander
hatlady@prodigy.net
lady - had dropped the boards off,
an opponent made a bawdy comment
about the caddy's attractiveness.
This breach of courtesy was not
well received by the other players
at the table. The "gentleman" had
ignored the obvious warning signs:
My fierce Rottie was his LHO, and a
Bible was on the lap of his RHO.
Let's just say play was delayed for a
while, and the gentleman in question
is probably still in therapy.
Y'all play nice now.
r

charity Foundation election notice
If you are an ACBL member interested in running for the Board of
Trustees of the ACBL Charity Foundation, you have until Oct. 1, 2007, to
submit a written declaration of candidacy.
One member of the Foundation's five-member board will be elected by
the ACBL Board of Directors for a four-year term. Directors do not receive
expense reimbursement. The election will take place during the fall Board
meeting in San Francisco.
If you wish to become a candidate for the Foundation's Board, you
may send a written declaration of candidacy containing your name, address, player number and biographical information to:
Charity Foundation
2990 Airways Blvd.
Memphis TN 38116-3847 or
e-mail: Kelley.McGuire@acbl.org
45

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2007