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Volunteers help grow the game

Posted By: Phil Simborg
Date: Friday, 1 July 2011, at 1:24 a.m.

Thanks to Rory, Wayne Wiest, and Russ Lyutik, I was able to run a 4-day summer camp for junior high school girls in the Western Suburbs of Illinois at a private Catholic School. We ended up with 11 girls and today, 6 parents also came to play and learn to play. All were given backgammon boards, and all will be going back to their 6 schools and starting backgammon clubs in the fall, and in addition, a club will be started at Trinity High School and a team will form to compete with other High Schools in the Chicago area and possibly on line against others around the country.

Programs like this will, over time, bring many more people in contact with Backgammon and will result in the growth of the game in all areas. These program are only possible because of the leadership and support of the US Backgammon Federation and because volunteers like myself and those above are willing to give their time and skills to make it happen.

WE NEED MORE PEOPLE all over the country to help us start clubs at public and private schools, colleges, meetup groups, and private organizations. People is all it takes...we've got a great game and a great story about teaching kids math and life skills. Also, those who say the gambling aspects of backgammon will keep up out of the schools are being proven wrong...it's NOT AN ISSUE at all with the Dominican Sisters and their schools, and it has never been raised as an issue or objection to me in talking with other educators and parents.

Got some spare time? Know someone connected with a school or group that would like to play some backgammon? Contact Joe Russell or me and we'll give you some ideas and tools to get things going.

Messages In This Thread

• Volunteers help grow the game
  Phil Simborg -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 1:24 a.m.
  • Volunteers help grow the game
    Michael Petch -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 3:23 a.m.
    • Volunteers help grow the game
      rory -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 3:39 a.m.
      • Volunteers help grow the game
        rory -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 3:41 a.m.
        • Volunteers help grow the game
          Michael Petch -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 3:55 a.m.
          • Volunteers help grow the game
            Rich Munitz -- Sunday, 3 July 2011, at 2:59 p.m.
        • Volunteers help grow the game
          Michael Petch -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 4:32 a.m.
          • Volunteers help grow the game
            Bob Koca -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 4:49 a.m.
            • Volunteers help grow the game
              Michael Petch -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 5:29 a.m.
          • Volunteers help grow the game
            Tom Keith -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 1:20 p.m.
            • Volunteers help grow the game
              Michael Petch -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 10:27 p.m.
              • Volunteers help grow the game
                Joe Russell -- Saturday, 2 July 2011, at 1:52 a.m.
      • Volunteers help grow the game
        Chiva Tafazzoli -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 8:38 a.m.
        • Volunteers help grow the game
          Stick -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 8:45 a.m.
          • Volunteers help grow the game
            Michael Petch -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 8:50 a.m.
          • Volunteers help grow the game
            Chiva Tafazzoli -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 6:42 p.m.
  • Volunteers help grow the game
    Vincent Foley -- Friday, 1 July 2011, at 1:55 p.m.
  • Volunteers help grow the game
    Michael Petch -- Saturday, 2 July 2011, at 4:52 a.m.
    • Volunteers help grow the game
      Steve Mellen -- Saturday, 2 July 2011, at 6:45 a.m.
      • Responded to Privately *NM*
        Michael Petch -- Saturday, 2 July 2011, at 8:26 a.m.
    • Volunteers help grow the game
      Bob Koca -- Saturday, 2 July 2011, at 3:52 p.m.
  • Volunteers help grow the game
    rew -- Saturday, 2 July 2011, at 7:18 p.m.
  • "maybe some gambling"
    mtuhtan -- Monday, 4 July 2011, at 6:42 a.m.