Plans for the 2009-2010 school year are underway. If you have an opinion, tell your principal, or email us at twincitybridge@google.com.

In the spring of 2010, we'll offer a 6th-grade Mini-Bridge club. Kids in this after-school bridge club will learn to play a card game called Mini-Bridge. At Mini-bridge, four people play as 2-person partnerships. Each pair works together to win tricks. Playing well is an exercise in cooperation, competition and logic. Mini-bridge lessons will include evaluation of the hand, play of the cards, scoring and etiquette.

Mini-bridge uses deductive reasoning as Bridge does, but omits Bridge's bidding language and conventions. Mini-Bridge is also similar to such trick-taking games as Hearts, Spades, Whist, Pinochle, or Euchre.

Beginning in December, 2009, we'll offer a 7th-grade Bridge club. Kids in this afterschool bridge club will build on their mini-bridge skills to learn the rest of the game of Bridge. In Bridge, partners use the special coded language of bidding. This is the aspect of the game that many bridge players consider to be the most challenging, filled with nuance and mystery. There are many approaches to bidding, varying widely around the globe. We will learn Standard American bidding conventions.

How hard is it to turn a group of novice 6th graders into diehard bridge players in just a few weeks’ time? The coaches make it seem as easy as winning a trick with an ace! Every Wednesday after school, sixteen sixth graders from Upton Middle School in Saint Joseph, Michigan make their way to the school’s conference room to add a new element of mini-bridge to their repertoire of techniques. I’m lucky enough to be one of those sixteen kids who have benefited from Upton’s inaugural Bridge Club.
We began with simply trying to get as many tricks as possible but soon started to play with dummies, trumps, and more advanced strategies. The coaches are all members of the Twin City Bridge Club and are donating their time and talents to our club. The sixth graders have not only gained the experience of playing bridge, but we have also developed friendships with our coaches and fellow players. All in all, the Upton Middle School Bridge Club has been a positive and fun way to spend Wednesday afternoons.
~submitted by Trevor Greissinger


Bridge club is by far the best club. Everyone is always in a happy mood and always ready to learn more about bridge. The volunteers that teach you bridge are very helpful, nice, and funny. When I came into bridge I knew nothing about but because of the volunteers I know way more now. If you ever what to join a club or want to learn how to play bridge or want to learn a fun competitive game this is it.
~submitted by Talha Salman

Carol Purdy is a life-long game player; her current favoites are Bridge and Rumikub. She has ACBL titles of Life Master (she plays a lot of bridge!), and Club Director (she knows a lot of bridge rules!). She is also webmaster and co-manager of Twin City Bridge Club, the sponsor of Berrien Youth Bridge. She was a HOSTS mentor at Fairplain West School for several years until the program ended. Now she volunteers with AARP, and occasionally coaches computer courses at SeniorNet.

Cathy Cawley recently started playing bridge after retiring from a long career in the Airline Industry. She completed a bridge course offered at the St Joseph Library, sponsored by the Twin City Bridge Club in the fall of 2008. Cathy jumped in and started enjoying the social aspects of bridge. She and her husband Gale share this newly found activity with their friends and have found it a great way to enjoy a social evening. The Cawleys have eight grand children living in Connecticut, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Texas. For Cathy, working with the students at Upton Middle School is an exchange with those who volunteer to add challenge and activities to her grand children's lives in their communities.

Larry Wagner says he was reasonably successful in life despite playing bridge. "I have been playing Bridge since my college days. It is a game I thoroughly enjoy (would probably enjoy more if I ever won). During these 50+ years of playing I have made 17 of my contract bids, executed 4 successful finesses, been end-played 230,897 times, have never returned my partner's lead, have trumped a good trick 78,903 times, and mis-read my partners bid more times than I can remember. With this record of Bridge achievement I look forward to helping the kids compile similar skills." In the few spare moments he spends away from the card table, Larry has managed to accomplish a few other things: Graduate Vanderbilt Univ -1960 Captain of foot ball team senior year; 4 years as Officer in U.S. Marine Corps; 33 years with Whirlpool in Personnel/Human Resources; Past President St.Joseph Lion Club---currently Chairperson of Lions Handicapped Children Camping Committee; 8 Years in HOSTS mentoring program in Benton Harbor; too many years to count as Coach, Manager, Umpire, and President of St. Joseph Little League Baseball Assoc; Same # of years in Rocket Football; Past President of St. Joseph H.S. Football Boosters; Past President of St.Joseph Catholic Church Parish Council.

Bob DeVries learned to play Bridge...with a capital B...after he retired from 41 years with Michigan Bell / Ameritech. (See? You can teach an old dog new tricks!) At the time, the legendary Karl Benson was teaching bridge at St. Joe HS, and Bob has been hooked ever since. He plays duplicate and social bridge, and managed the DEKKA Bridge Club at the Senior Center for 9 years. He served 2 years in the US Navy (long before starting his bridge career). Bob also found time to serve at the First Congregational Church, and at St. Joseph Township as Park Comm/Trustee/Treasurer. Bob says he wants to help the youth at Upton learn the game so it will remain an important, active part of their lives.