News, Upcoming Special Games & Events

Date	Time	Event
All Dates		NEWS on Wireless Scoring We decided to purchase the wireless scoring system. Unit 103 has agreed to pay for half of the purchase price for all clubs in Minnesota. We have been raising funds and in just one month we raised enough to cover our half of the purchase! Today we met that amount. Thank you to all who so generously contributed.
Thursdays 2/4-3/25	10:00-noon	Beginning Bridge Lessons Eight weeks of lessons followed by supervised play. Teacher: Doug Frost. Call him at 651-429-6209 with questions or to sign up. Cost $45
Mondays 2/8-3/29	2:00-4:00pm	Intermediate/Defense Bridge Lessons Eight weeks of 1 hour lessons followed by 1 hour of supervised play. Teacher: Marlene Stronge. Call her at 651-482-9714 with questions or to sign up. Cost $45
Monday 3/1	10:00am	Club Championship
Wednesday 3/3	6:30pm	GNT Qualifier - Team Game $7
Thursday 3/11	6:30pm	299er Club Championship
Saturday 3/20	12:00pm Lunch and Awards 1:00pm Game	Unit 103 - 2009 Ace of Clubs & Mini McKinney Awards Luncheon & Game
Wednesday 3/24	10:00am	Unit Championship $7
Saturday 3/27	11:00am & 3:30pm	Units 103/178 GNT Final $64/team This event will be at the Bridge Center of St Paul. The points awarded will be red and gold for all stratas. FLYER
Wednesday 3/31	6:30pm	Club Championship

Organization
Manager: Marlene Gipson
Asst. Manager: Kim Hayward
Board of Directors (8/09-7/10):
Peter Solberg, president
Mary Meinecke, vice president
Nan Gabriel, secretary
Shu-mei Hwang, board member
Mary McIntyre, board member

Brief History & Mission
     Dick Baker began the St. Paul Bridge center and held games in various locations including Stillwater, Hastings, 3M, Century College and more. He would drag the boards and bridge supplies, coffee pot, and cups. Soon he sought a permanent location, however, he needed financial support and found doners in Bob Lakken, Bob Steinfeld, Dean & Mary Ann Cook, Marlene Kasmirski-Stronge, and Linda Delzell. With this funding, he bought tables and chairs that are still used. He rented the space at English & Hwy 36, designed the layout: office, cloakroom, kitchen, bathrooms, and smoker (back in the days when smoking indoors was still allowed).
     Dick did the directing, teaching, and preparing lunches and dinners with the help of volunteers.
When Dick had bad times, he always said Bridge cured him. He died in 1996, but the club continued. In the late 1990s the club incorporated and became a federally recognized not-for-profit organization, with the new name Bridge Center of St. Paul. The club is governed by an elected Board of Directors and promotes and offers Duplicate Bridge instruction, games for all levels (9-10 games per week), and tournaments in a friendly club atmosphere in the East Metro area.