Happy Holiday Season, Unit 498 Members!
President’s Message
by Lauren Rosen
I have truly enjoyed volunteering as President this year and writing this newsletter for the past 17 months. The main reason the position was so enjoyable was having the chance to work
alongside some wonderful Board members. Everyone did so much more than expected from their job descriptions.
Vice President and Mentor/Mentee game coordinator Kit Morse always lent a great perspective to every discussion and activity. We relied on her wise ways to create a warm,
welcoming environment at our Unit games and events.
Treasurer Rita Armstrong kept scrupulous accounts and let us know how we could put our funds to the best use. She was steadfast in moving our player development efforts forward
with her ideas and contacts.
Tournament Coordinator Carol Lashman managed some of the best bridge events in our area — Two two-day Sectional Tournaments in Mountain View and two Non Life Master Sectionals at the
Villa. She also continued to improve our Unit website as well as our internal Board communications.
Unit Games and Special Events Coordinators Leslie Braker and Eileen DiGiorgio practically doubled the number of games and events we as a Unit were able to
offer. They managed everything from flyers to food for our activities, which this year included an awards night and Swiss Teams series.
Membership and Outreach Coordinator Jeanne Urich brought the joy of playing bridge to Unit members old and new. In addition to welcoming new members and getting them involved,
she was instrumental in adding the successful Mark Sorenson and Mary Bates playing opportunities. She was also a fixture at our Club games, making sure everyone felt welcome and informed.
Two very important members of the Board will be leaving at the end of the year.
Secretary Carl Ebeling was able to digest all our Board conversations into actionable minutes to keep us all on track. His perspectives on how to get more people involved
playing bridge led him to take on the partnership desk role, where new players and veterans alike were able to rely on him to find the right match for our games and tournaments. We will miss
having him available at all times to send out emails, as well as his calm presence.
Past President Janice Carter continued to share her talents and expertise with Unit 498. She was always a positive supporter of new players and ideas, and she helped make
everyone feel comfortable and included. We’ll miss her positive attitude and her food supply expertise.
Please join me in thanking them heartily for all their efforts on behalf of Unit 498!
Congratulations and best wishes to the new Board as presented by our Nominating Committee:
President Kit Morse
Vice President Eileen DiGiorgio
Treasurer Rita Armstrong
Secretary Kathryn Barnard
Director Leslie Braker
Director Carol Lashman
Director Robert Lerche
Director Jeanne Urich
Past President Lauren Rosen
December 13: Unit Game, Annual Meeting and Holiday Party
Mark your calendars for our Unit Game, Annual Meeting, and Holiday Party on Saturday, December 13. We will serve lunch at 11:30 with the game starting at 12:15.
This game will be FREE! Instead of an entry fee, we invite you to bring a toy donation for Samaritan House. Toys should be new, unwrapped, with a value of $25 or more. We have already put a
collection bin for the toys in the Villa bridge room, and toys will be accepted anytime through December 13th.
We will also be holding a brief annual Unit meeting before the bridge game, as required by our by-laws, to elect two new board members, the new executive committee, and present a short financial
report.
Pre-Register
for the Unit Game Here, as space is limited.
If you need a partner, please sign up at the Partnership
Desk. Please contact Carl
Ebeling if
you have questions or need help finding a partner.
San Francisco NABC
The North American Bridge Championships are underway and running at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis through December 7.
Whether you’re a beginner or an aspiring world champion, there is something for everyone at the NABCs.
On Wednesday, December 3rd, District 21 will host a complimentary light lunch for all players competing in the 0-299 bracket.
For more information about GRIN (Gold Rush, Intermediate, Novice) events, contact Janelle Van Rensselaer, janellevanr@gmail.com.
As usual at NABCs, there will be a full schedule of regional, NABC, and NABC+ events. The Fall NABCs feature the Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs and the Reisinger Board-a-Match teams.
The host committee needs volunteers! If you can spare a few minutes at any time during the tournament, please sign up at the District 21 NABC
volunteer website.
Finally, all members of Unit 498 will get a $10 per session discount on table fees (without having to get a hotel room). Use Entry
Express to buy your entries. To get the discount, both members of a pair or all members of a team must buy their entries together.
Fall Sectional
Our Fall Sectional at the Palo Alto Bridge Center on November 1st and 2nd was another huge success. Thanks to Carol Lashman and her team of volunteers, players from around the Bay Area were
able to compete and earn Silver masterpoints playing pairs on Saturday and teams on Sunday.
Ron Morris and Bill Chow won the competitive 99er section on Saturday with a 75% game, making them the newest Art Weinstein Trophy Winners!
 Congratulations Ron and
Bill!
It’s not too early to line up your partners and teammates for our first Sectional of 2026 on February 21st and 22nd. Find out more at our website.
Mentor/Mentee Game
We had our final online Mentor/Mentee game of the year on Thursday, November 6. Bob Gleason and Diane Ross, Pete Goldsmith and Paula Pagano, and Mark Sorenson and Julie Navid were the
top-scoring pairs and everyone came away with a greater understanding of this game we all love.
Thank you to Kit Morse for organizing these games and an extra thank you to the approximately 30 mentors who participated in the program this year. We all look forward to starting up again in
2026!
Swiss Teams
Our final Swiss teams event of the year was on November 12. Every player involved that night earned masterpoints, with Lina Reznik, Art Quey, Doug Seifert, and Chuck Simmons leading the
way. Thank you to Jenny Kuhn and her regular players for accommodating these monthly games this year and for introducing the teams format to many players who hadn’t yet experienced it.
Learning and Casual Playing Opportunities at Unit 498
Jenny Kuhn will offer a workshop on NT bidding, Jacoby Transfers and Stayman on Wednesday December 17 at the Villa from 12:45 to 2:45.
She’ll serve a light lunch starting at 12:30 followed by a lesson and practice hands to focus on bidding.
Cost is $35 per person or $25 if you play in the 10:00 Easybridge game that day.
Please register with Jenny directly: jkuhn@peninsuladbc.com
There is still time to join Jenny Kuhn’s current Easybridge 1 course.
Contact Jenny directly (jkuhn@peninsuladbc.com) if you, your family or friends are ready to learn bridge or review bridge basics. This course is held every WEDNESDAY from 10:00 - 12:30
at the Villa.
Bi-weekly supervised play with Mary Bates
Unit 498 hosts Supervised Play with Mary Bates at the Villa on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of most months from 1:30 to 3:30. Because of the Holidays, we will offer only one session in December
on the 10th. The full schedule will resume in January with sessions on the 14th and 28th.
Come and practice your bridge playing in a relaxed, social setting with Mary and other experienced players on hand to answer any questions that may arise during the bidding and play of the hand.
No partner required!
Cost: $5
Register by emailing Mary Bates at marymanleybates@hotmail.com
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