November 2008 - 6

Viewpoint
By Brent Manley

Climate is what we expect. Weather is
what we get.
- Mark Twain

Goodwill
Now and then - fortunately, less often than in the past - I receive correspondence from ACBL members who have had bad experiences at clubs or
tournaments. They are mostly complaining about boorish behavior.
As a way of reminding people that a friendly, welcoming atmosphere is key
to the long-term prosperity of the ACBL, I occasionally publish letters on the
subject. I have written about the topic in this column more than a few times.
It is my estimation that, in general, efforts to improve players' behavior at the
table have paid off. The atmosphere is certainly much better than it was when I
first started playing many moons ago.
That's not to say, of course, that there is no room for improvement, but we
are way ahead of where we used to be.
I believe we owe some thanks to ACBL members who have taken leadership
roles in making duplicate a friendly game.
One of them is Aileen Osofsky, chair of the ACBL Goodwill Committee. She
never stops encouraging people to be friendly, ethical and sportsmanlike when
they play bridge.
Another person who comes to mind when I think of goodwill and friendliness is Zeke Jabbour. Zeke is as competitive as anyone you will ever encounter
at a bridge table, but he is also widely respected and loved because he is a
really nice guy.
My friend Zeke has been writing for this magazine for about a decade, and I
have been his editor for well more than 100 columns. As I reflect on the content of those messages and tales, I remember lots of interesting stories, many
of them about his own foibles, but mostly about his personal celebration of
what bridge and his dear wife, Sharon, have meant to him for a very long time.
I have had many conversations with Zeke. He is unfailingly pleasant, always
smiling, always positive. He has shared his personal struggles with Parkinson's
disease with readers, and this month (see page 61), he is inviting us to celebrate an anniversary with him.
Zeke and those who emulate his positive outlook on life - and who take
that attitude to the bridge table - do a lot of good for our game.
Think about the components of the word "goodwill." It's basically two
words, and the second implies an intention. We must have the will to do good
for bridge. Always trying our best and being an ethical player are important
elements, of course, but being friendly and considerate to partners and opponents establishes the climate we want in our game.
Be like Zeke - and do it on purpose.
r
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Letters to
the Editor
Hail to Harry
To the Editor:
A lot has been written on these
pages on the merits of using the 30point scale in victory points versus
the 20-point scale. I have been part
of the discussion in promoting the
30-point scale.
At the recent sectional in Titusville
FL, the scale became largely irrelevant thanks to Harry Falk, who ran
the tournament.
Our good fortune in this case is
that Harry took the time to duplicate
the boards for all tables in the Swiss
teams so it didn't matter which scale
was used.
It was nice not only to have hand
records available after a Swiss teams,
but also that the director used the
down time while we were playing to
do something to make the game more
enjoyable and fair for everyone. Sure,
the card-sorting machine helped, but
the effort was appreciated. Thanks,
Harry.
MARK RAPHAELSON
Orlando FL

On his way
To the Editor:
Thank you for the excellent article
on the First Youth NABC (September,
page 14) and the win registered
by my partner, 12-year-old Adam
Kaplan, and his teammates in the
National Youth Swiss Teams.
By the way, Owen Lien, one of
Adam's teammates, finished fifth in
Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2008