Promoting bridge this way and that

It seems like my long summer if over and its back to work.  We are watching new episodes of House, Dexter and Weeds (Ray) and Heroes (me).  Besides Love things are just humming at MPP.  One of the tunes is “Teacher Of The Year”.  You may have noticed in the new ACBL Bulletin that Master Point Press along with the American Bridge Teacher Association is sponsoring a “teacher of the year” award aimed grass roots bridge teachers.   We have already got a number of nominees and we are just starting the publicity.  Nominations close in April.  I hope that even those teachers that are nominated will realize that it is special to have your students pick you.

While I was in university one of the major ways I supported myself was teaching bridge.  I taught at Kate  Buckman’s Bridge School.  For a while I was the coordinator and I hired Ray as one of the teachers.  That was the last time that I was the boss!  Ray and I also did some practice teaching at a community downtown called St. James Town.  We had a great bridge group and we ran a game as well.  Once there was a fire during the game and the bridge players refused to leave until the firemen stomped in and insisted that they go.  Some of those bridge players are still friends.

It was during that time that I realized what a joy it was to teach.  I planned to be a high school teacher and I went to the College of Education after I got my Bachelors in Mathematics.  I never actually taught though.  It turned out that I feel in love with computer programming and joined a number of my friends at Crown Life Insurance company.  

I am also thinking about fund raising for Canadian Teams.  I am looking for people who might be interested in joining a committee to raise money.  My goal will be to focus on the 2011 world championships.  I have lots of ideas.  (I always have lots of ideas, ask Ray).  So please email me if you have any ideas or are willing to help at linda@masterpointpress.com.  At the moment this is completely unofficial,  just me and Pamela Nisbet with an idea.

Colin and I have started playing again.  At the moment you will find us in the bidding room.  My job in the next two days is to update the notes.  I am also starting to teach again online as a volunteer tutor.  That and some family matter mean this will be a busy month.  But then I like it that way.