November 2022 - 34

CLUB News
The road back
By Jessica Keich | Baton Rouge Bridge
Center
Going for gold
A lucky honor
By Lowell Lynde | Choudrant LA
Jane Lucky of McGehee AR celeThe
" Easy Bridge " class celebrates. (From
left): David Medlin, Jack Rourke, Norma
Zeringue, Bruce Williams, Linda Williams,
George Atherton, Susan Bankston, Kent
Israel, Lois Chadbourne, Bob Keich, Jim
Bates and Henry Manning
As is the experience with most
bridge clubs, the Baton Rouge Bridge
Center is focused on getting members
to return to live playing instead of
online. Vaccinations and masks are
part of the scene.
In April, the club sponsored the first
sectional since the COVID outbreak.
Attendance was fair, so George Atherton
and Janice Medlin, both club
members and instructors, signed up
20 students for " Easy Bridge " classes,
held in June. The goal was to bring in
new members. Most of the students
have joined the club and ACBL, and
classes continued into the fall. Another
sectional was held in August.
Overall, attendance has increased,
and recovery is ongoing.
Joseph Thal is an Israeli citizen who
joined the ACBL in 2005. He worked for
EL AL Airlines, first as a cabin attendant
and later as a flight manager. " I started to
request flights to the U.S. and Canada in
order to participate in as many regionals
and NABCs as I could, " recalled Thal. " I
tried to make it once a month, combining
business and pleasure at its best. "
Thal enjoyed many tournament successes,
including meeting and playing with
Lynn Deas and Juanita Chambers (now
both deceased). After an early retirement,
Thal continued to play in Israeli Federation
and European tournaments. " I finally finished
my requirements for the title of Gold
Life Master, and I am very proud of it! "
Vennie Sanders and Jane Lucky
Cheers from June Dorion, celebrating a
bot win and 100 years with a Manhattan.
President Mike Cresap overlooking the
Sizzlin' Summer Sectional in Baton Rouge
34 | Bridge Bulletin | November 2022
June Dorion beats the bots
By Lawrence Rawls | Croydon NH
June Dorion recently celebrated
her 100th birthday. She was born on
June 2, 1922, and currently lives in
Rutland VT. A Sapphire Life Master,
June is a professor emeritus of Castleton
State College, where she taught
French for many years. Several years
ago, she began playing online when it
became too difficult to attend sanctioned
bridge games in person. Her
success against the " bots " - as she
calls them - is truly extraordinary;
in August, she ranked first out of 717
players!
I have been playing against June
for over 40 years and can attest to her
being not only a lovely person but a
hell of a good bridge player.
brated her 90th birthday last month.
Jane, who was born Oct. 9, 1932, is
the mother of six and still active in
her community. She serves as organist
for her church and plays in
duplicate bridge clubs in Monticello,
Dumas and Pine Bluff.
I have what is perhaps a distinct
honor in the bridge world of playing
with three generations of the same
family: Jane; her daughter, Laura
Batey; and Jane's late mother, Vennie
Sanders, who was my partner on
a Swiss team when she earned the
points to become a Life Master.
November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2022
