[hallway]

WANTED: Mentors; Open Session Teachers; Course Instructors

The Beginner Intermediate Lounge (BIL) has members keen to learn the game you love.

We need help from those of you keen to share your expertise.

MENTORING: Working one on one, with a pair or quartet an hour a week, tuition tailored to suit the student. Times by arrangement with the student. Assignments 6 months. Sessions can be held in the BIL’s LearnBrdge Classroom ( Pvte Club)

Click Here for detailed information

To register : Click Here

OPEN SESSION TEACHING: Weekly session (1 – 2hrs) fixed day/time for as many months/years as one wishes. Prepared or random hands. Students attend when available. Listed on the BIL Calendar. Held in the BILies Retreat (Public Club)

For more information re available time slots, formats etc. write to admin@bilbridge.com

To register : Click Here

COURSES: 4 – 8 weeks sequential lessons on a Topic of choice – prepared hands and course notes. Courses are pre-registered and level restricted. The BIL has 6 skill level categories Starter, Beginner, Improving Beginner, Intermediate, Improving Intermediate, Upper Intermediate. The classes are held in the BIL’s LearnBrdge Classroom (Pvte Club).

For more information: write to admin@bilbridge.com

To register : Click Here

Open Session Teachers and Course Instructors are assigned a BIL Assistant to look after the ‘housekeeping’ during the lessons.

THE REWARD: The chance to share your knowledge and the satisfaction of giving back to the game you are so passionate about.

[BabsG]

I started learning bridge 2 years ago in the Beginners Intermediate Lounge. After a faltering start (attending senior community bridge classes) and continually being rejected as a 'beginner' at local bridge clubs, I had more or less given up the notion to learn the game. I heard through a friend about BBO and logged in occasionally to watch the experts play. For some reason, I stumbled into the BIL. I enrolled in the Beginner Bridge Program (Bridge 101) and got immediately hooked.

I have nothing but admiration for the BIL: Maureen, the teachers, the mentors, the special guests and presenters and the volunteers who dedicate their time and share their expertise with us students. If not for these amazing people, I might be knitting socks rather than experiencing the thrill of going down in 7NT doubled.

[Vampyr]

hallway, on 2014-January-16, 13:44, said:

THE REWARD: The chance to share your knowledge and the satisfaction of giving back to the game you are so passionate about.

I thought the BIL charged a fee for membership?

[diana_eva]

Vampyr, on 2014-January-17, 04:41, said:

I thought the BIL charged a fee for membership?

They have a lot of open lessons, held in the public club BILies Retreat. No membership fee required to attend such lessons.

[Vampyr]

diana_eva, on 2014-January-17, 07:23, said:

They have a lot of open lessons, held in the public club BILies Retreat. No membership fee required to attend such lessons.

Yeah, I am just wondering where the money goes if not to instruction.

[hallway]

Vampyr, on 2014-January-17, 07:59, said:

Yeah, I am just wondering where the money goes if not to instruction.

The BIL is manned solely by Volunteers who give so much of their time and expertise in all manner of ways. They are the Strength and the Soul of the BIL.

The BIL receives NO Subsidies, NO Grants, NO Sponsorship. It has of necessity to be self funding.

You ask - Where does the money go if not for instruction?
a. The Banks - bank fees, currency conversion fees, international transfer fees and any other fee they can dream up !
b. BBO Tax
c. The BIL Library - domain, hosting, maintenance, programming charges for the never ending upgrading due to the proliferation of gadgets etc. etc.
d. The Maintenance and upgrading and development of the Mentor Console
e. Monthly Mail Distribution Charges - a paid service to protect members email addresses
f. Prizes for events, team leagues etc.etc.
g. The usual Administration expenses every organisation has to meet
h. Debt Servicing - the BIL borrowed to have the online BIL Library site established.
and so the list goes on

While the instruction given by the teachers, mentors, tutors for BIL activities is a gift, for those who are professional teachers it can be cost effective advertising. By its very nature, being as it is for learner players, the BIL membership is ever changing

[PhilKing]

How many paying members do you have?

[hallway]

HI Phil

The numbers fluctuate all the time and there are several categories of member

If you are a teacher wondering how many you are likely to get at an Open Teaching Session I cannot even begin to guess at this time

Until such things as
Day / Time of Day / student level / format / system / using Text chat or BBO Voice etc have been settled upon there is no telling

The BIL is global and member ages range from 6 to 96

and then there is the Teacher's style / their familiarity with using the BBO's teaching tables etc. So many variables all of which impact on attendance

For any new to the BIL teacher it is a case of take the plunge and see how it all pans out. Some have come and gone rather quickly, others have been teaching BILies now for many years.

I'm the only one with a Life Sentence so Open Teaching Sessions can be cancelled with a week's notice ( preferably more) . I would though expect a teacher to complete a Topic Specific Course. There is no commitment to do another.

[Vampyr]

hallway, on 2014-January-17, 21:47, said:

The numbers fluctuate all the time and there are several categories of member

How many are there right now?

[PhilKing]

This thread reminds of some of infamous threads on the Two+Two forums - and not in a good way. I'm out!

[hallway]

PhilKing, on 2014-January-20, 10:52, said:

This thread reminds of some of infamous threads on the Two+Two forums - and not in a good way. I'm out!

I don't understand what that means - but maybe that is a good thing !

I have spent the last 10 years providing BBO members who want to learn to play bridge with the opportunities to do so. I don't work for BBO and I don't get paid for what I do. I don't even play bridge any more!

I posted this thread for one reason only - to see if there were any Expert players available at this time who are willing to share their knowledge with those who would like to learn to play good Bridge.

I am disappointed that, so far, no one has offered to join the 2014 BIL's mentoring/teaching/tutoring teams

Those who are helped are appreciative - a couple of examples :-

"I've made some accomplishments in the year I have been playing face to face bridge. I owe my f2f success to the years I learned so much attending lessons in the BIL when it first began,"

"Thank you isn't enough. Last October (2012) I started a course of Bridge, once a week for 2 hrs. Of course it wasn't enough! Then I discovered BBO , a great improvement. But I still needed to learn the basics. THEN I found the BIL Mentoring Program. I must admit I had my doubts. WONDERFUL. You found me a mentor who always has time for an explanation, a word of encouragement but most of all is teaching me correct Bridge. A heartfelt thanks to you all, especially to my Mentor.

"Thanks very much for assigning me a Mentor. I already feel happier and more confident as a bridge player. His lessons and explanations are very clear and understandable. He sends us transcripts and homework for every lesson and I am certainly appreciative for the time he spends helping us voluntarily. I couldn't ask for a better mentor and feel very fortunate to be part of this group."

It works both ways the Teachers and Mentors tell me how much their bridge benefits from the time they spend putting together the lessons.