I would like to start by thanking 2017 board of directors and unit president Dave Puryear for their outstanding service and leadership for the continued success of our unit. I look forward to their help and counsel as we kick-off 2018.
When my wife and I moved from the Boston area to Palo Alto in 2007, we came to the bridge club hoping to meet people to play social bridge. We not only met many wonderful people but found a social network and opportunity for mental stimulation, and caught the duplicate bridge bug. As I started attending the Tuesday morning lecture series it became more fun. In 2013 when I learned that unless somebody volunteered to support the lecture series it might come to an end, I decided to go for it.
It was just the beginning of my realization that the unit enjoys incredible support of so many volunteers. The crown jewel of our unit is the Firecracker Sectional Tournament held at our facility for the last 2 years made possible by James Stuart-Smith, Gill Barsley and the countless unit members who supported them. It is a showcase of what volunteers can do for an organization. This offers players a tournament to enjoy the competition and the surroundings but more importantly, it has provided a source of financial stability for our unit. A majority of our unit members have less than 500 points and the Firecracker and our Non-Life Master sectionals give them opportunities to learn and compete more often to get more points towards their goals.
I am delighted to announce that Carl Baeuerlen and Don Cohn have stepped up to co-chair the 2018 firecracker tournament to continue this great tradition.
We have a lot going for our unit. Many high level bridge players who are willing to mentor and help, a great library, free lecture series, many educational programs with great teachers, celebrity speakers, up and coming young players from SIVY, good competition at all levels with friendly players and directors, and finally the generosity of our members and guests who contribute to our unit and local charities.
We have a successful unit where people like to come and play, learn, grow, make new friends, and have fun. I look forward to your help in keeping it going forward and making it even better.