Programs - Fifth Chair Foundation

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Mentoring Program
Team Games Program
Mentor-Novice Tournament Program
Other Programs

Junior Collegiate Team Championship Conditions of Contest

Mentoring Program

Mentors are experienced players willing to donate their time back to the game they love to help bring a new generation into the game of bridge. Mentors agree to play at least one one-hour learning session with their adopted learner per week (an average); answer questions via e-mail; and generally support their learner’s bridge education process. Experience, patience, interest and humor are important characteristics of the successful mentor.

In this program, which is active on OKbridge and Bridge Base Online, The Fifth Chair Foundation assists mentors and novices in forming relationships to further the participants’ bridge understanding.

To volunteer to be a mentor on either service please complete our Volunteer Application.

To become a learner in the Mentoring Program please complete the Learner Application for either OKBridge or Bridge Base Online. You will see conformation that your application has been received but we won't be able to make an assignment until a mentor is available.

Mentor Program Info & Recommendations

Mentors are intermediate plus, advanced and expert bridge players who wish to give back to this wonderful game by helping those who are learning. Mentors agree to play an average of one one-hour session (or more/longer!) per week with their adopted novice, answer questions and generally support their novice’s learning process. It is suggested that mentors schedule the first mentoring session within one week of receiving an assignment.
Mentors and learners should log the hands you play so questions, explanations, thoughts and suggestions can be e-mailed back and forth with a common frame of reference.
To give the learner a good workout during playing sessions, it is suggested that bidding proceed as normal, but that the novice sits in the declarer’s seat for all the pair’s contracts.
Humor, fun and patience are key elements of successful mentoring.
Fifth Chair does NOT in any way investigate the mentors and learners that take part in our program. The foundation, including its volunteers, officers and directors, does not accept any liability for the conduct of program participants. Online bridge is like other online communication services - people can and do misrepresent themselves in order to take advantage of the unsuspecting, resulting in tragic financial and physical consequences. Online bridge players, mentors and learners alike, are encouraged to be extremely cautious in disclosing personal information to others on the Internet.

Team Games Program

In this innovative program learners bid and play hands in a team game format with follow-up commentary by an expert at each table. This also offers the learners an opportunity to ask questions and receive answers immediately following each hand. Table managers seat players and kibitzers are welcome.

On OKbridge, Fifth Chair sponsors two separate team games, one for novices and another for intermediate players.

OKbridge Novice SAYC Team Game Schedule*:
Team games are on Saturdays at 8 am Pacific Daylight Time
April – October: 7 hours after GMT
November – March: 8 hours after GMT

OKbridge Intermediate 2/1 Team Game Schedule:
Saturdays, 1:30 pm Pacific Daylight Time

*Please note that this team game is for novices working to improve their use of Standard American Yellow Card. Reservations are not taken prior to the game and all seating is handled by table managers.

On Bridge Base Online, a similar team game program will be instituted as soon as the software is available.

Mentor-Novice Tournament Program

On OKbridge twice a month mentors and their adopted novices compete head-on in special tournaments. These events give novices a chance to test their developing skills against a more even playing field and are enormous fun for all participants. These free tournaments are 20 boards and afterwards participants receive an e-mail outline of all hands played.

OKbridge Mentor-Novice Tourney Schedule:
Second Thursday of each month, 6 pm Pacific Daylight Time
Third Saturday of each month, 3 pm Pacific Daylight Time

The rules of contest: Each partnership must be made up of one player with stats below 50%. Partnerships of two players below 50% stats are also welcome. All OKbridge convention cards are allowed, but no other conventions.

If you want to play in this tournament and your novice or mentor cannot play, OR you do not have a mentor, join the partnership desk 15 minutes before the game.

On Bridge Base Online a similar program is planned as soon as the software is available.

Other Programs

Fifth Chair Trophy
Every year The Fifth Chair Foundation awards the only major trophy given in a novice event at the Spring NABC to the winning pair in the national 49ers event.

Junior Collegiate Team Championship
This annual event is played online on OKbridge and is co-sponsored by The Fifth Chair Foundation, ACBL and OKbridge. It features an international field of college students and is a free event.

The Fifth Chair Foundation is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt (in the U.S.) organization.	Search Fifth Chair Copyright © 2008 Fifth Chair Foundation, Inc.
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