[jillybean]

I am wondering if any BBF'er has had experience with a Unit Board Membership/Education role ?
I would like to tap into your knowledge and expertise in this area.

[CSGibson]

I am serving on my unit board, this is my third year. The first year I was I/N & Education coordinator. I reached out to build some of our bridge in school programs, and wrote some articles for our unit newsletter designed for I/N players. Our current I/N coordinators are newer players, and they focus on advocating and representing the interest of new players when doing our tournaments and other unit events, as well as education initiatives.

I've also been treasurer and done hospitality, both of which have much more defined duties.

[PrecisionL]

I have been Unit 165 President for 2 years and am now involved in Youth Bridge Teaching. Our Unit also has a strong Easy Bridge Teaching Series run by others. We are able to interest some from both programs in trying duplicate bridge at some of the more social games. A new program is to have social bridge players attend for a few free lessons on duplicate.

Jillybean, what exactly do you want to know? There are lots of teaching resources out there and I know about most of them, so ask away or e-mail me.

Larry

[SteveMoe]

Jillybean, I have repectfully stayed off our Unit board preferring to serve the Education Committee as a volunteer. My excuse is I'm employed full time and want to play as much tournament bridge as possible (and I'm sticking to it!!! ). Our membership is about 1000.

• We have an active Youth Program (High Schools) that is touch and go (fine where we have internal sponsors, no traction elsewhere).
  
• We have an active bridge lesson program and 5-6 teachers who offer classes to different levels year round.
  
• We have a 0-30 program that offers a free seminar on Saturdays and a relaxed 18-21 board MP game that's coached (players can ask quetions when they are stuck and can take back mistakes).
  
• We have a 99er Newletter and a seminar series for our Tuesday Evening 99er game.

All seminars are run by volunteers and we have a seminar plan with content made available on the web. We borrow heavily form other web sources.

This September 8 we will be running our first "Learn Bridge in a Day?" (Patti Tucker's workshop). We hope to attract 40+ interested people new to duploicate bridge. We will offer a free lunch and no fee for the experience.

We have a very active and popular Mentor/Mentee program that runs every summer. We ask experienced players to play with newer player. We offer 6-8 free games to these pairs during the summer - the program runs from June to Sept. The idea is to offer self-directed learning opportunities and capable coaches. Our membership really likes this program.

I would be happy to answer any specific questions you have about what we do.

Here are some website links that might help:

CBA Unit 124

CBA Seminar Series

CBA Newsletters

CBA Youth Bridge

[jillybean]

Thanks Chris, Larry, Steve. Expect a note in your mailbox within the next few days

Larry, I would just like to get some contacts and hear in general what others are doing with Membership/Education. I am very interested in introducing bridge to schools. AFAIK there is no program of this sort here and I would like to see what could be done. I know there is a lot of information online via ACBL and I have requested an information package but it would be good to have a few contacts who have done the ground work.

I think traditionally the education role has been centered around providing ACBL Education programs to the general membership (TAP, Director courses) and reaching out to teachers in local community centres etc while the I/N education program has been run by another person/group.

[TimG]

jillybean, on 2012-July-28, 10:49, said:

Thanks Chris, Larry, Steve. Expect a note in your mailbox within the next few days

Don't be too private about things. I'd like to here what people are doing (and imagine I am not alone).

Tim

[SteveMoe]

PrecisionL, on 2012-July-28, 08:04, said:

I have been Unit 165 President for 2 years and am now involved in Youth Bridge Teaching. Our Unit also has a strong Easy Bridge Teaching Series run by others. We are able to interest some from both programs in trying duplicate bridge at some of the more social games. A new program is to have social bridge players attend for a few free lessons on duplicate.

Jillybean, what exactly do you want to know? There are lots of teaching resources out there and I know about most of them, so ask away or e-mail me.

Larry

Larry, District 7 did a great job at the Gatlinburg Regional creating the 2-day workshop about approaches to growing youth bridge programs. We have 3 binders from that event. Thanks millions!

Talked with Chris Compton in Toledo about how to get and keep hhigh schools involved. His opinion is to cultivate a teacher/sponsor who can be passionate about starting and maintaining a club program. His experience in Dallas area taught him that short of helping schools with labor costs (offering a coaching stipend rivaling what schools spend on sports, say) we might not get much attention. Out pockets are not that deep in Cincinnati.

Regards,
Steve

[SteveMoe]

CSGibson, on 2012-July-28, 01:30, said:

I reached out to build some of our bridge in school programs, and wrote some articles for our unit newsletter designed for I/N players. Our current I/N coordinators are newer players, and they focus on advocating and representing the interest of new players when doing our tournaments and other unit events, as well as education initiatives.

Chris, I'd certainly like to hear what seemd to work with schools for you. I like your approach of having I/N coordinators to help transition in newer players. Will discuss wiht or committe here. Any tips, please let me know.

Regards,
Steve

[barmar]

They're not BBF people, but our unit president and several others around here have been heavily involved in teaching bridge in schools. I can give you his email if you'd like.

[CSGibson]

We have had two mildly successful bridge in school programs. In the first, we have had a private teacher not affiliated with the board go into schools and teach classes. In that case, we tried to offer support, but we were rebuffed, probably out of fear of having to deal with red tape/other personalities. We instead just made sure that we were in communication, and that we didn't do anything to impede his efforts. In the other program sponsored by the unit, we went into a private local school where we had a teacher connection, and offered to help with a special spring-break oriented program offered by the school. The unit paid for all of the teaching supplies (we have a decent operating budget from success at sectional tournaments and prudent spending), and provided help in the classroom for a four day immersion program, and we plan on following up with the school and students. At this point, the students involved in the program (around 8, I think), are playing on breaks with each other, and teaching their friends. I have not yet seen them involved in local tournaments, though part of the program was a day at the club.

[TimG]

It is my opinion that the success of such programs (any bridge teaching program) is too often measured in how many students immediately appear at bridge clubs or local tournaments. The real success of such programs comes from exposing people to bridge -- exposure that they no longer receive in their homes (or grandparents' homes) -- so that years from now when they are in a position to spend time and money on a leisure activity they'll think "yeah, I learned to play once" or "yeah, I've been playing bridge now and again on the internet for years, I'm ready to spend some time playing face to face". Bridge really requires significant time and today's teens, 20-somethings, and 30-somethings are too busy with other things (like career and family and pursuits that involve physical activity) to commit to bridge, but there will come a time when a pastime like bridge appeals more and prior exposure to bridge will help lead them in that direction.

[hrothgar]

TimG, on 2012-July-30, 07:28, said:

It is my opinion that the success of such programs (any bridge teaching program) is too often measured in how many students immediately appear at bridge clubs or local tournaments. The real success of such programs comes from exposing people to bridge -- exposure that they no longer receive in their homes (or grandparents' homes) -- so that years from now when they are in a position to spend time and money on a leisure activity they'll think "yeah, I learned to play once" or "yeah, I've been playing bridge now and again on the internet for years, I'm ready to spend some time playing face to face". Bridge really requires significant time and today's teens, 20-somethings, and 30-somethings are too busy with other things (like career and family and pursuits that involve physical activity) to commit to bridge, but there will come a time when a pastime like bridge appeals more and prior exposure to bridge will help lead them in that direction.

Agreed

From my perspective, the real challenge is the fact that kids don't get experience to basic trick taking games. I didn't really start playing bridge at all seriously until I started grad school, however, back during high school and college I played lots of games of Hearts and Rummy which provided the basic framework necessary to understand bridge. Its possible that teaching Hearts and Spades will yield better long term ROI.

[ggwhiz]

I did a stint but operated exclusively in the schools.

At our high point we had 23 classes in 17 Elementary schools but they were all taught by my partner in crime Carole and myself. Volunteers are always problematic ie. we had 38 tables of kids at our Regional and I stopped recruiting volunteers to help them with scoring etc. when I had 15 lined up. Not a single one showed up.

Since then our Unit runs a cyclical mentorship deal matching experienced players with newbies for x number of club games within 3 months that seems to work pretty well. The description is at www.unit192.ca under Education. The volunteer commitment is not onerous and the promotion of it doesn't take a ton of legwork. Heavy promotion of the Rookie Master games works well too.

I was surprised that these Rookie Master games seem to be Canadian only and unknown in the U.S. Details for our American friends are at www.cbf.ca and they are great when run as a real party.

For those of you dealing with kids bridge I'm working on an Ms Access database to handle volume with the notion of running 6 board simultaneous pairs tourneys for the young ones, eta November or so. I'll post the details but it belongs in the Youth Bridge forum which has so little traffic even I don't notice it much.

[blackshoe]

ggwhiz, on 2012-July-31, 09:02, said:

INot a single one showed up.

It's hard to get good volunteers. That said, these 15 people would go on my "don't ask, and if they volunteer anyway, politely turn them down" list.

[pigpenz]

blackshoe, on 2012-July-31, 15:46, said:

It's hard to get good volunteers. That said, these 15 people would go on my "don't ask, and if they volunteer anyway, politely turn them down" list.

I know the people who do this where I am from aren't exactly the type of people you would want teaching