Teaching at the Summer Congress
Has the EBU considered, as part of the Summer meeting, offering a 5 day course for absolute beginners? I regularly see in my newspaper advertisements for newcomers to join a course to learn how to play bridge. As these adverts repeat, I assume they have many takers.
A proposition to such people to learn bridge in a week under the auspices of the EBU might be well received.
Comments
How about taking it another step and offer "Improvers" teaching to people that have completed the beginners/Fasttrack sessions in the last 16 to 36 months (having had at least 12 months "practice")with a guaranteed entry into a competition later in the week? Or even better offer a course on duplicate laws and "best behaviour at bridge" so that newcomers can understand what they and their opponents can do wrong, also how and why they should call the director immediately!
CMOT_Dibbler
We did consider this, and contacted one of the most experienced teachers of accelerated learning bridge classes to see if he would run it, but after some thought we came to the conclusion that it was not well-suited to a congress: why would people choose to learn there, rather than near to home, and would anyone take up the offer while on holiday, especially if the weather was good? So we decided against it.
I quite liked the idea in theory that it might give something for non-bridge-playing spouses to do while spending the week at the seaside with spouses playing in the congress. (I confess, though, that I was unable to interest my wife in the idea when I was chatting to her about some of the ideas people were coming up with....)
I thought I'd already posted this but can't find it.
Let's not forget the excellent work done by The Really Easy Congress as part of Eastbourne!
Peter Bushby Suffolk