May 2018 - 8

Letters to the Editor

Not horsing around

I love the photo on the cover of the
March issue of the Bridge Bulletin.
The photo of Jan Martel leading those
two beautiful horses is such a pleasant
change from the usual covers - heartwarming, inspiring, and enriching the
level of the entire magazine.
MARGARET FILMER
Victoria BC
I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the cover photo and Leading
Lady article about Jan Martel in the
March issue. Words can't express how
much the horses on the cover resonated with me. As a new Life Master
and an equestrian, I thank you for presenting such an appealing image and
inspiring story that brings two worlds
together.
Below is a shot of me with my horse,
Portrait in Grey.
JUDITH PERRIER
Bethesda MD

Doing it right

Here in Saskatoon, we have a very
successful mentoring program for
players with less than 20 masterpoints.
Every Thursday, eight to 10 tables

8 Bridge Bulletin May 2018

of these players get together to work
with table mentors on improving their
games while competing against each
other. One of our life members, Sharon
Stevenson, organizes the mentors and
makes sure everyone has a partner. We
learn, eat, play and celebrate important
days - every holiday is exciting. We
recently celebrated one member's 90th
birthday! In this competitive yet nurturing atmosphere, we get the chance
to ask questions, learn from very experienced players, and enjoy ourselves.
Sharon also encourages us to compete
in the Non-LM tournaments at the
club and in other tournaments in the
province.
This group has become so popular
that we have our own sectional tournaments. Joyce Wilson, our director,
works with us to ensure good play at
every game. Over the course of the year
that I have belonged, we have increased
our numbers at tables and have most
assuredly increased our numbers in
tournaments. We have also experienced all types of play movements and
have had the chance to play in Swiss
teams. All this helps us beginning players to feel more comfortable competing at big tournaments. The key to the
program's success is the cooperation of
the more experienced membership and
the persistence of Sharon, who works
hard every week to make sure we have
an enjoyable and educational evening.
SUSAN PATTISON
Saskatoon SK

Silence is golden

Don't believe them when they say,
"Get in there and bid!"
In a recent sectional, my partner and
I passed out four boards in a 27-board
session. The results? Two top boards

and two averages - 68.75% on the four.
Pretty good compared to our modest
results on other boards and, in fact,
better than the overall results for the
winners (65.28%).
If we'd passed out every board, we
coulda won!
JAMES RUSSELL
Ottawa ON

Green isn't just for pass cards

I have participated in regional tournaments in seven areas of the country.
By necessity, large volumes of printed
paper are generated, mostly hand records and individual score sheets. And
yet, I have never seen a recycling bin
at any event. While some people may,
therefore, take their unwanted papers
with them for recycling elsewhere,
much of the paper winds up in the
trash. Why are we not recycling?
If your answer is that the tournament venues don't provide for recycling, there are certainly things that
can be done in response:
1. Insist that recycling bins be provided when negotiating with venues
for future events.
2. Contact the municipalities at
which events are held to see how
paper can be recycled locally.
3. If all else fails, realize that ACBL
staff members brought the paper
in and can, as representatives of an
environmentally friendly organization, take the discarded paper back
with them for recycling at their
home base.
Surely, showing that we are an organization that recycles would enhance
the ACBL's public image. And, of
course, it's the right thing to do.
THOMAS SCHOTT
Scarsdale NY
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2018