Bridge is alive and well....with the potential to reach new heights in the future.

My travels this year have taken me all over North America---to clubs, Sectionals, Regionals and NABCs. I have interacted with local bridge organizers, club managers, software developers, journalist and players at every level and age. I have seen an enthusiasm for bridge everywhere.

The enthusiasm of our players was no more apparent to my wife, Beverly, and me than in our recent bridge trip to Florida. We visited and honored three of Florida's 250 bridge clubs....Jourdan's of Boca Raton, the Fort Lauderdale Bridge Club and McGregor Point Bridge Club of Fort Myers....as well as the Marco Island Regional.

Throughout our trip we greeted and interacted with so many cheerful players...yes, mostly older players...whose lives center around bridge. Bridge is truly a social game for retirees lookig to keep mentally stimulated.

Successful bridge clubs are one of the keys to bridge's growth. All new players are developed at the club level, and lamost all our members play at the club level compared to only 25% of our members who play at Regionals and NABCs. Many successful bridge clubs have enterprising owners and managers. For Example, Ric Covalcius, co-owner of the McGregor Point Bridge Club is one of many club owners who has succeeded n obtaining local and Regional sponsors. The sponsors' contributions are passed on to the players in the form of free meals, show tickets, etc. There are many membership owned clubs, non more enterprising than the Fort Lauderdale Bridge Club. The relationship between this 800-member club and the city of Ft. Lauderdale is a model for other communities to emulate. The membership built a club on city park property and leased it back for $1/year. This has led to a sound financial picture allowing its members to enjoy many festivite activities and to contribute to many charities.

We support our 3,300 bridge clubs. I have heard many compliments from club owners for the help given them by the ACBL Club Department headed by Carol Robertson.

We help our local organizations successfully run its 100+Regional and 1000+Sectional tournaments. Attendance has been on the rise for the past three years.

Yes, bridge is alive and well, but how do we grow the game further?

Our CEO, Jay Baum, and his able management team, continue to improve services to our players. Currently they are developing programs to market and promote our game in schools and elsewhere. The success of these programs will go a long way to bringing bridge to the masses.