President's Corner

As the cooler fall weather approaches, many of us can’t help but reflect on where we were one year ago this month – the Marriott San Francisco and the Fall Nationals. Who would have thought that would be the last in-person NABC for possibly a year or more? And how prescient we were with our hand sanitizer giveaway for the I/N group!?

Even though there are no after-school SiVY Bridge programs this fall, we are continuing our mission to inspire the next generation of bridge players with our online bridge events. Every other Friday either a Casual Friday or Virtual Pizza Party is planned from 4-6 p.m. These activities give youth a chance to play bridge with other young players, receive coaching from adult mentors, and compete for prizes.

Other organizations, such as the South Bay’s Youth Bridge Association (YBA) and San Francisco’s Center for Bridge Education (CBE), are also providing online classes and clubs. One advantage to online bridge is that geography and commute traffic are no longer barriers.

This month on the Friday after Thanksgiving we’ve added a special Junior Day Anniversary Party and Tournament to mark the one year anniversary of the SF NABC Junior Day. While we can’t provide you food and drinks this time, we can offer a great way to play competitive or casual bridge from the comfort of your home – and a chance to win an Amazon gift card just in time for holiday shopping.

In our volunteer spotlight this month, we shine a light on Frank Smoot. Frank has been an active volunteer with SiVY Bridge since our founding, acting as frequent emcee at Pizza Parties, table helper, and Summer Camp teacher. In 2020 Frank helped us launch our online Casual Fridays and has mentored at 13 of the 15 events this year. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious, helping motivate both his youth students and his fellow volunteers.

Enjoy the newsletter, stay safe, and keep enjoying online bridge!

 
Randy Ryals
President, SiVY Bridge