November Board Update

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Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
First, thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Meeting! We hope all attendees felt represented and that their voices were heard.
  
Our Annual Election results saw 2 Board Members, Larry Cohen and Joyce Pepple, re-elected to 3-year terms. You also elected Melissa Conrad to her 1st  3-year term on the Board.
  
As was noted at our Annual Meeting, December will mark the departure of former President Andie Marshall from the Board. There is no way to adequately describe all that Andie has done for IBC, but both Management and Leadership will always be grateful for all the work that she has done, and her legacy will echo in our club for many years.
 
That Time of Year:
 
The IBC Board would like to remind everyone that we are now accepting Membership dues for 2026. The ability to reach our budget goals depends on continuing to have a strong membership base. Please renew your commitment to IBC at your earliest convenience.
 
On that note, the 2026 Budget will be finalized at the December Board meeting. Once the Board has approved the Budget, it will be posted on our bulletin board in the hallway.
 
Monthly Recognition:
 
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Bev Brown, and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is   
Mary Holwick.
 
Congratulations to them both!
 
Looking Ahead:
 
We have an exciting lineup of events coming up, including the rest of the month!
  
November
  • All month long and into December
    • Toys for Tots
      • Please bring in NEW toys to donate to this wonderful organization which will wrap and deliver presents to children in need this holiday season. 
  • Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd
    • Sectional at IBC (no regular IBC games)
    • Play for SILVER points
  • Monday 24th-Wednesday 26th
    • Stardust 33% Gold! 
  • Thursday 27th – Club Closed in observance of Thanksgiving  
Please mark your calendars for the Indiana Bridge Foundation Celebration on Wednesday 12/31/2025
 
For more December events, please see the calendar posted online and on the bulletin board, as well as the weekly newsletter!
 
NEW NEWS!
 
CPR training has been completed by all game directors.
 
As always, the IBC board welcomes your comments and questions. 
 
We are here to serve you!
 
Larry N. Cohen

October Board Update

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Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
  
Great news on two fronts!
  
The Non-Life Masters Regional (October 3rd-5th) was a huge hit! Attendance was up from last year, and we received overwhelming compliments from visiting players about the IBC and the welcoming nature of our members. Thank you for representing us so well!
  
We also want to specifically recognize and thank the Life Masters for the sacrifice you made to ensure IBC could host this successful event.
  
We’re thrilled to announce that the IBC will be hosting acclaimed bridge teacher and author, Robert Todd, on Saturday, November 1st, and Sunday, November 2nd!
  
Mr. Todd is well-known for organizing bridge cruises and lecturing at major tournaments. We strongly encourage all beginning and intermediate players to attend one or more of his sessions. The cost is a small investment compared to the valuable knowledge you’ll gain, which will help you prosper in your bridge game for years.
  
As an added bonus, attendees can purchase a raffle ticket for a unique opportunity: after the Sunday lunch following the third session, one lucky winner will be drawn to play a game with Mr. Todd as their partner!
  
Monthly Recognition:
  
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Randy Helmink, and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is Jean Barnas.
  
Congratulations to them both!
  
Financial Health:
  
The growth in both face-to-face gameplay and general revenue maintained its strong pace all summer long. Our continued performance indicates a high likelihood of fulfilling all budget estimates, and we anticipate ending the fiscal year with revenues slightly exceeding expenses.
  
Membership renewal is now open. We encourage all members to renew promptly so we can continue our positive fiscal performance.
  
Looking Ahead:
  
We have an exciting lineup of events coming up, including the rest of the month!
  
OCTOBER
Friday – 17th: Charity Game ACBL Charity Fund 
Saturday – 18th: Mixed Pairs (All players welcome)
5:30pm – Social Hour
6:30pm – Game 
19th- 25th: Club Appreciation Week!
Thursday – 23rd : Soiree Game ($8.00 – 18 boards) 12:00-2:00pm.
Monday – 27th & Tuesday – 28th : Your total points will be split into one-third Silver points and two-thirds black points.
Wednesday – 29th : Instant Matchpoints! – 11am – OPEN. All the masterpoint awards will follow the Royal StaC format. That means instead of your final masterpoint total being 100% BLACK, it will be split evenly into 25% GOLD, 25% SILVER, 25% RED, 25% BLACK. Click HERE for more information.
Friday – 31st : Halloween Party! (Costumes are encouraged but not required!)
  
For November events, please see the calendar posted online and on the bulletin board, as well as the weekly newsletter!
  
NEW NEWS!
  
To enhance safety, the board has authorized CPR training for all game directors. This required training must be completed by the end of the year.

As always, the IBC board welcomes your comments and questions. 
  
We are here to serve you!
  
Larry N. Cohen
larry@norle.net
     

September Board Update

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Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the owner of a bridge club on the West Coast. Our clubs are of similar size, and they’re facing the same opportunities and challenges we are. He reached out to me because he wanted to know “the secret of our success.” We had a few video calls to talk about the day-to-day operations that make a club thrive.
What I told him is that our success isn’t a secret. It’s built on the commitment of everyone involved: our staff, our Board of Directors, our amazing teachers, and our dedicated members.
 
Two recent examples of this commitment speak for themselves:
  • The Longest Day Thanks to the tireless efforts of many, especially the leadership of Mary King, our fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Foundation surpassed our ambitious goal. We’re incredibly proud to announce that the Indianapolis Bridge Club raised the 3rd largest contribution among all ACBL clubs. You can see the final total on the thermometer posted on the north wall of our hallway. It’s also worth noting that the ACBL is the largest single contributor to the Alzheimer’s Foundation through “The Longest Day” initiative. Look for more on this in an upcoming issue of Bridge Bulletinmagazine.
  • The Mentor Program Our incredible mentor program returns this week for the fall season. We have over 30 mentor/mentee partnerships, which is a testament to the commitment of both our experienced players who are willing to share their time and knowledge, and our newer players who are eager to learn and grow.
Speaking of commitments, the Nominating Committee is now forming to make suggestions for the 2026 IBC Board of Directors. If you are interested in one of the few openings, please feel free to contact Linda Cronkleton who is Chairing this ad-hoc Committee.
 
Monthly Recognition:
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Wagner Van Vlack, and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is Diane Dickman. Congratulations to them both!
 
Financial Health:
Our club’s financial health remains strong, with our Financial Committee reporting that we are ahead of our budgetary expectations. This is a direct result of your active participation in our many games, making them robust and well attended.
As you may know, we recently began accepting credit cards. Some of you have asked about the extra fee. This is a processing fee that our bank charges the club for each transaction. As a not-for-profit entity, we pass this fee on to our members. Many other organizations, like my community center, place of worship, and the charities I contribute to, do the same so they can receive the full benefit of every donation.
I initially wondered if the small extra fee was worth it, but after weighing the time it would take to go to an ATM or a bank, I concluded that the convenience of using a credit card made it worthwhile for me. We know everyone’s circumstances are different, so please remember that paying with cash is always an option.
 
Looking Ahead:
We have an exciting lineup of events coming up:
This Week
  • Tuesday (09/16): Mentoring Program Kickoff
  • Wednesday (09/17): POM Party for Maureen Clerkin
  • Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Club Championships at all face-to-face games
  • Saturday, September 20: Our annual Back-to-School Social. Wear your favorite school’s colors! Our superb grillers, Tony and Scott, will be cooking, and we welcome you to bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share. We’ll have a 0-750 game and an Open game. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m., with play beginning at 6:30 p.m. 
 In the Coming Weeks
  • Wednesday, September 24: Club Championships continue.
  • Saturday & Sunday, September 27-28: ACBL Pop Up, with 50% Red and 50% Black points awarded.
  • October 3-5: Indy NLM Regional. Details are posted on our bulletin boards. Gold and Red points will be awarded. (IBC will be closed during the Regional)
As always, the IBC board welcomes your comments and questions. We are here to serve you!
 
Larry N. Cohen, President
IBC Board of Directors

August Board Update

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Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
Serving on the Indianapolis Bridge Center’s Board of Directors is a challenging but deeply rewarding experience.
 
The reward comes from seeing our club thrive under the excellent leadership of our staff—Sharon, Matt, and John—and our dedicated game directors. Our days are almost always filled with multiple games that run smoothly, and the satisfaction of our members is a testament to the legacy of excellence established by our founder, the legendary Easley Blackwood.
 
The main challenge is ensuring the club’s financial health. We rely on three primary sources of income: annual membership fees, game fees, and donations. While we are all facing rising costs, we’ve been fortunate to see an increase in game participation. In fact, we are more than $10,000 ahead of our pace from 2024 at the halfway point of our fiscal year, which is incredibly encouraging since our budget is set to show a deficit until membership dues start coming in this fall.
 
To continue this positive trend, we encourage everyone to pay for their coffee, snacks, and water whenever possible. These small donations have a huge impact on our ability to maintain the club’s financial stability.
 
Monthly Recognition:
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Maureen Clerkin, and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is Gene Lemke. 
Congratulations to them both!
 
Looking Ahead:
This Saturday (08/16): our Mixed Pairs game. It’s always a great time. Bring a side dish if you are able. 5:30pm to eat and with a start play time of 6:30pm. 
 
Saturday, August 23 is the Blackwood Individual at 1pm. You don’t need a partner for this game. Each person gets to play with many different partners. It’s a fun way to honor our founder, Easley Blackwood. Signup in the hallway has started.
 
August 30 & 31 (Saturday and Sunday): ACBL Pop-Up games with 50% REDpoints. 
 
The September calendar is coming out soon, so be sure to check it for our upcoming events! We’ll be hosting several Club Championship games as well as some special team games that will offer 5% GOLD points.
 
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our next Social on Friday, September 20. The theme is “Back to School,” and we can’t wait to see what the Social Committee has in store for us. We do know that Tony & Scott will be grilling! 
 
Credit Cards and Weekly Newsletter
We’re excited to announce that the Indianapolis Bridge Center will begin accepting credit card payments starting September 10. Keep an eye on Joyce’s weekly newsletter for more details on this new payment option.
If you aren’t already, we highly recommend subscribing to Joyce’s weekly update. She works diligently to provide all the important information on upcoming events, including special games with extra points and other opportunities you won’t want to miss. Continued thanks to Joyce and those who help her for being so timely and informative.
 
Convention Cards
To help keep our games running smoothly, the Board and staff ask that you bring a convention card to every game. Having a card allows your opponents to quickly see the meaning of your bids without having to stop and ask, which keeps the game moving at a good pace.
 
If you are playing with a new partner, we suggest arriving early to fill out your cards together. Our staff is always happy to help if you need assistance with the process before the game rush begins.
 
Help Us Spread the Word!
The Communication and Marketing committee has created a new business card for the club, which you can pick up from the Director’s table. We encourage you to take some and help us spread the word about the Indianapolis Bridge Center! You can post them on community bulletin boards or hand them out to friends who might be interested in playing. There’s even a blank space on the back to write your contact information.
 
As always, the IBC board welcomes comments and questions. 
We are here to serve you!
 
Larry N. Cohen

July Board Update

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Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
It is hard to believe a month has gone by since I last addressed you. We have been so busy at IBC and that is such a good thing.
 
Last month we conducted our Longest Day activities, raising funds to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. While we are still tabulating the final total, we have raised over the $50,000 we set as our goal for this year. We were fortunate this year to have the efforts headed by Mary King who oversaw a huge team undertaking. I cannot overstate how much work Mary put into this project. Thank you to all who participated in any way, whether it was through coordinating, collecting, bidding, baking, donating, or buying. It truly is a team effort at IBC, and it is your dedication that makes this club special; playing bridge is our commonality but our desire to serve a cause makes us more than a business.
It makes us a community.
 
One of the most critical missions of the IBC Board is to ensure that we remain fiscally responsible. It is our pleasure to report that, to date, we are very close to being on track with our budget. May 2025 reports indicated that IBC had more income and more expenses than anticipated but the extra income was more than the increased expenses.
 
The table count for June was 559 (May was 468 when the club closed for a week due to Regional, and in April it was 503). Additionally, online games were fourteen. 
 
We are pleased to report that our free class for beginners had over fifty new students. New players mean new members and hopefully we can reach our 2025 goal of four hundred paid members. We are currently at 383 paid members and counting.
 
Monthly Recognition
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Patty Cole, and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is Margaret Gisler. Congratulations to them both!
 
Take a Card/ Take a lot of Cards!
Our Membership and Marketing Committee have created business cards to publicize IBC. We encourage you to take some and distribute them on your community bulletin boards and to any of your friends who might be interested in joining our ranks. Business cards are located at the Director’s table in the main room. Thanks to the Committee for an excellent piece of work.
 
Opportunities to Play Abound
We want to encourage everyone to check out our Thursday Soiree Game! It is a quick, 18-board game that is rapidly gaining popularity. Also, do not forget about our Tuesday evening online game!
 
We are also excited to announce that the Wednesday evening game, which is 0-100, will be adding a 0-500 section to hopefully attract more attendance, especially among working folks.
 
DO NOT FORGET
This Saturday, July 19 is our Ice Cream Social.
  • Dinner at 5:30
  • Games at 6:30 (open and 0-750)
  • Signup sheets posted in the hallway
Do I really need to stop at an ATM?
The Board and Staff are working to implement a system that will allow those who desire to pay with a credit card to be able to do so. Please be patient as it takes some time to work out the details but for those who have asked, we are trying to meet your needs. Details will continue as we get close to a roll-out.
 
Staying informed
We hope that all of you get Joyce’s weekly Update/Newsletter, it provides many special dates for games with extra points and opportunities. If you are not receiving this weekly email, please let either a Staff or Board Member know, and we will add you to the list. Continued thanks to Joyce and those who help her for being so timely and informative.
 
As always, the IBC board welcomes comments and questions. We are here to serve you!
 
Larry N. Cohen

June Board Update

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Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
Before I get to the latest IBC news, I want to take a moment to acknowledge something truly special: the remarkable generosity and commitment of our members. It’s genuinely a joy to be associated with this organization. The response to our new coffee maker fund-raiser was simply overwhelming! Thanks to two “angel” donors who made significant contributions and your incredible generosity to our “Coffee Fund-Raiser.” We’ve been able to completely replenish our coffee and water supplies. I have no doubt our members will continue to donate as they’re able, ensuring IBC always has plenty of snacks, water, and coffee on hand.

Once again, we are going to turn to all of you for support! Saturday, June 21, is THE LONGEST DAY at IBC. We direct our efforts to fight Alzheimer’s. IBC has a long history of generous donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.The Indianapolis Bridge Club, though smaller, demonstrated remarkable generosity by ranking 4th in donations among all ACBL Clubs in 2024. This year we are offering a wide array of activities, including a bake sale, a wine pull, and a raffle. Do not miss our silent auction, featuring exciting opportunities like tickets to various professional sports games around Indianapolis! You can also contribute to our Wall of Remembrance by donating in honor of someone you are playing for.
 
Monthly Recognition – May:
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Darrow Neves and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is Joe Mattick. Congratulations to them both!

In other news, our Indy 500 pool raised $400, which will allow us to purchase new chairs to replace those beyond repair.
Reminder: WE WILL BE CLOSED 4TH OF JULY!

Looking ahead:

North American Pairs dates:
June 17, 23, and 27
July 2, 5, and 14
 
Club Championships dates:
 June 16, 19, and 25.
  July 10, 12, and 13
 
Pop-up Red dates (50% Red points): June 28 and 29.

We want to encourage everyone to check out our Thursday Soiree Game! It’s a quick, 18-board game that’s rapidly gaining popularity. Also, don’t forget about our Tuesday evening online game!
 
As always, the IBC board welcomes comments and questions.
We are here to serve you!
 
Larry N. Cohen
larry@norle.net

May Board Update

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Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
As we have had a busy month, I wanted to let you know of a few items that are of interest.
 
At our May Board Meeting we reviewed our financial situation, and I am pleased to note that we are very close to our target income. We continue to watch expenses. Although we had to upgrade and repair our chairs, we had some “Angels” who made  voluntary contributions to help offset much of that expenditure.
 
It is also notable that we are going to have to replace our coffee maker. This expense and the cost of coffee, water and snacks are small in the everyday scheme of things but over the course of the year are not insignificant items in our budget. When possible, please continue to drop your change (and small bills) into the cups and jars provided. We are also planning a “Coffee Fund Raiser” for June 9.
 
At the Board Meeting, it was discussed how important the health and safety of our members is to our club. With that in mind our Club Manager, Sharon, will be arranging for our Game Directors to all have refresher courses on CPR and Defibrillator usage. We hope all IBC members will let the Game Directors know how much we appreciate their diligence and their time spent on this effort.
 
The IBC Board also would like to encourage participation in the Tuesday night on-line game. You can find information about that game in Joyce’s weekly email.
If you need  help learning how to navigate this game, both Sharon and the Assistant Club Manager, Matt, will be glad to assist you.
 
Monthly Recognition:
Our Player of the Month is Rahul Kapur and our Novice of the Month is Cris Bahret. Congratulations to them both.
 
Looking ahead:
  • 25% Silver Points Days – Monday – Wednesday, May 19-21
  • 25% Gold Points Days – Thursday – Saturday, May 29-31
  • Noel Helmink Memorial Game – Wednesday, May 28 at 11AM Open game
  • Mary Ann Kanervo
    • Celebration of Life on May 30 at 5:00 PM in Robertson Chapel at St. Luke’s.
    • Dinner afterwards at the Indianapolis Bridge Center catered by our own Patti Knote.
      • Sign-up sheet posted in the hallway (sign-up is important so Patti knows how much food to prepare).
      • There is no game at this event.
The Longest Day is June 21. Watch for activity all through the month.
 
We hope you read Joyce Pepple’s weekly e-mail newsletter. Tons of information and lists of IBC member’s accomplishments. If you are not receiving it, let an IBC Board Member know and we will get you added to the list. Joyce’s hard work is a true labor of love and is so vital to IBC.
 
Larry N. Cohen

April 2025 President’s Letter

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April 16, 2025

Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
We have reached mid-April and IBC is humming with activities.
 
We were fully able to tackle the chair refurbishing. While there are still some chairs that will need new parts most of the work is complete. All those who gave their time to the task have our gratitude. I also want to express our gratitude to Tony Benner for his work on our amazing March fundraising campaign, to those who sold entries, and all who participated. The NCAA Bracket Challenge was so well received by our members that they had to create three pools. His efforts raised $660 for our operations. But more importantly it served as an engaging topic and sparked a lively conversation among the club members and helped to foster a sense of camaraderie within the group. The Champions, Florida, made Danny Hibner, Mary King and Catherine Benedict, each winner of 5 FREE GAMES. Next year, it could be YOU!
 
The number of players at our games is increasing; In March we saw an increase of over ninety players, as compared to March of 2024. Remember you can see our monthly player count on the thermometer, posted in three places around the club.
 
Our staff deserves kudos, for creating the color days which incentivizes our play. Still remaining this month, are 4 more SILVER days and 3 more Club Championships. May’s calendar has not yet been posted on our website, BUT tentatively there will be 4 more Club Championships and a week of SILVER and week of GOLD. Keep an eye on the website for the exact dates. Also, please be aware that IBC is the site of the Indy Section at the Club, May 2-4. Be ready for a May “checkered flag,” social on the 17th. There may be an opportunity for an Indy 500 Pool.
 
Monthly Recognition:
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Steve Davis, and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is Tony Benner.
Congratulations to them both.
Watch the Club Calendar for their parties. You can find the Club Calendar on our website. It also will be posted in Joyce’s weekly updates. Remember that those updates and calendars are also posted on our bulletin boards in our hallway.
 
IBC had a great showing at the GNT (Grand National Teams):
First in “Flight C”: Colleen DesRosiers, Doug Kenny, Jan Kiles, and Chris Egan.
First in “Flight B”: Tom Frank, Nico Sneider, Brett Roby, and John Jordan.
We will be rooting for them to win at NATIONALS!
Coming up this weekend: Saturday April 19 is our mixed pair social. Not only is this a great game but the pitch-in buffet is always a delight.
The Board wants all IBC members to know that on March 26, we had a highly successful retreat. We refined our strategies to move IBC to even more solid ground both in finance and programs. We are pleased to state that currently we are running ahead of 2024 financially and are cautiously optimistic that the trend will continue. The Treasurer, Nick Curott, has done an excellent job of making our financial position very transparent, and given us a clear path to achieve our goals.
 
As always, our Board stands ready to serve you and will always welcome questions.
 
Larry N. Cohen

March 2025 President’s Letter

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March 13, 2025

Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
It is hard to believe that March is almost half over. It has been a busy time at IBC. While we were closed for Regionals our staff and volunteers were diligently cleaning our center. 
  • All tables and chairs were wiped down. 
  • The parts for the damaged chairs, seats, seatbacks, and arms were delayed. They will be replaced as soon as the parts come in.
  • Every bidding box, and every bidding card were cleaned as was every Bridgemate.
Thank you to all who contributed their time and effort.
 
We are in a special week (March11 – 16) where 1/3 of your points are upgraded to RED. Next week (March 17- 23) 1/3 of your points will be upgraded to GOLD! The final week of March (24-31) 1/3 of your points will be converted to SILVER!
 
Player Recognition:
  • Our Player of the Month (POM) is Donna Eide 
  • Novices of the Month (NOM) are Kathryn and Jim Poole. The Pooles’ party will be Tuesday, March 25 at the 6:30 0=200 game. Watch the calendar for Donna’s party.
  • The following people became life masters at the Regional:
    • Brock Cagann
    • Marcia Fisch
    • Carol Fridlin
Congratulations to them all. 
 
You can find the Club Calendar on our website. It also will be posted in Joyce’s weekly updates. Remember that those updates and calendars are also posted on our bulletin boards in our hallway.
 
Coming up this weekend: Saturday, March 15, we will have our Taco Tip-Off Party with a March Madness theme. Included will be a Club fundraiser with chances to win free game tickets. Your team will be selected from a Blind Draw pool. Many of you have already bought a ticket for the drawing.
 
The Board wants all IBC members to know that Wednesday March 26, the Board will have a working retreat to refine IBC’s goals, discuss our strategies, and assess how effective the board has been in following our mission.
 
In closing, let me say it is an honor to serve as Board President of IBC.
I am, as are all Board Members, here to enhance your membership experience.
Please do not hesitate to contact me (or any Board Member) if you wish to share your thoughts.
 
Larry N. Cohen

February 2025 President’s Letter

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February 12, 2025
Dear Members of the Indianapolis Bridge Center (IBC):
 
Continuing the tradition of our immediate Past President of the Board, Andie Marshall, I am committed to providing you with a monthly update of all the news of our club.  Following Andie in leading is a difficult task but trying to communicate as thoroughly and clearly as she did is probably impossible. Just know I will try to be just as transparent and diligent as she was. 
 
With that being said, the Board met on Monday, February 3rd, and began the task of forming Committees to assist the IBC Management team in making our club an efficient and welcoming place for everyone. Below is a list of our committees. I hope you will reach out to the committee chair(s) listed if you are interested in joining. 
  • Communications and Marketing Committee – Co-chaired by Joyce Pepple and Linda Cronkleton, is tasked with keeping us all abreast of all the news that is generated by our activities.
  • Financial Committee – Chaired by Nick Curott, has the massive responsibility to not only see that we “live” within our means but plot our financial future so that we can continue to thrive and grow.
  • Membership Committee – Co-chaired by Andie Marshall and Susan May, leads the effort to not only retain membership but to actively encourage new players to swell our membership ranks.
    • Communications sub-committee led by Joyce Pepple
    • Marketing sub-committee led by Linda Cronkleton
    • Social sub-committee – Led by Joe Shierling and Beth Morton, is invested in giving our game sessions a festive atmosphere through parties and theme events that make coming to IBC feel like family gatherings.
  • Technology Committee – Chaired by Brenda Smith, is constantly assessing and evaluating the Club’s current technological assets while keeping an eye on the ever-changing advances and needs of our systems.
Why do I tell you all this?
The IBC Board is committed to increasing Committee involvement with the General Membership. To that end we are actively seeking your participation in whatever area interests you to whatever level of activity you are comfortable with. Our Committee chairs are currently recruiting Committee members and we hope that you will join us. If you have an area of expertise, please let us know so that we can learn and grow from your talents. If you just want to help where needed, there are plenty of opportunities. If you have yet not been recruited but want to join our efforts please let a Board Member know.
 
New News!
Saturday the 8th we had 13 teams of 4 participate in our GNT warm-up Swiss Teams Event, this was a great turnout. Hopefully everyone will be inspired to participate in the District Qualifier in Cincinnati, April 12 and 13. Even if you did not play in the warmup, there is still time to join/put together a team for that event.
 
In the month of January, we had 405 tables of F2F bridge and 12 online.
 
Monthly Recognition:
Our Player of the Month (POM) is Mike Hellmer and our Novice of the Month (NOM) is Doug Kessler. Congratulations to both of them.
 
Watch the Club Calendar for their parties. You can find the Club Calendar on our website. It will also be posted in Joyce’s weekly updates. Remember that those updates and calendars are also posted on our bulletin boards in our hallway.
 
Reminder: The Regionals are coming February 24 through March 2. Click here for the tournament flyer. There will be no games or classes at IBC, except for the beginner classes which will still be held Wednesday (February 26, Thursday (February 27) and Sunday (March 2).
 
Volunteers needed during the regional.
 
1 – At the Regional
  • 6 people for set-up Sunday, February 24 at 1:00 pm
  • Welcome/Newcomer Table – 4-6 people daily
  • Sign-Up Sheets posted at the club
  • Contact Judy Sosin for information at judysosin@gmail.com
2 – At the Indianapolis Bridge Center
  • starting Monday, February 24 (and every day until all  work is completed)
  • daily from 10:30 am. to 12:30 p.m.
  • replace seat cushions and seat backs
  • clean tables, bidding boxes, etc.
Mark your Calendar for Saturday, March 15 when we will have an evening Tip-Off Party–An NCAA Basketball Celebration theme. Details to follow, but in Indiana where basketball is “more than just a game,” everyone will want to show off their colors. Included will be a Club fundraiser with chances to win free game tickets from a blind draw pool.
 
In closing, let me say it is an honor to serve as Board President of IBC. I, along with all Board Members, are here to enhance your membership experience. Please do not hesitate to contact me (or any Board Member) if you wish to share your thoughts.
 
Larry N. Cohen