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The Chronicle
Community Focus
Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point
section C The Choice for African-American News May 3, 200 1
Community
Calendar
Exhibition features works
by students
The Southeastern Center for Con
temporary Art (SECCA) will present
Dreamscapes: Visual Poetry, an exhi
bition featuring works by K-12 stu
dents from the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County system. May
12 through June 3.
This annual collaboration with the
public school art program will focus
on dreams and the connections
between visual art and language.
Inspiration will come from SECCA's
Artist and the Community project
Lesley Dill: Tongues on Fire: Visions
and Ecstasy and from the works of
other 20th century artists dealing with
visions and dreams, notably the Surre
alists.
An opening reception for Dream
scapes: Visual Poetry; Lesley Dill:
Tongues on Fire: Visions and Ecstasy;
Homegrown I: Celebrating the Arts of
North Carolina and Susan Shatter:
Paintings will be held on Friday, May
11, from 7-9 p.m. The event is free and
open to the public. For more informa
tion. call SECCA at (336) 725-1904 or
e-mailgeneral@secca.org.
Happy Mother's Day from the Greens
boro Symphony Orchestra
On May 10 and 12 at the War
Memorial Auditorium, the Greens
boro Symphony Orchestra will per
form Beethoven's "Ode to Joy Sym
phony No. 9." As an ode to all moth
ers on this Mother's Day weekend
with the purchase of an adult ticket,
you can bring your Mom for one-half
off. This is just a small way to tell her,
"Thanks for being such a great Mom."
Ticket prices are $27, $20, $15 and
$12.
This offer is available only at the
Greensboro Symphony Box Office.
Call 335-5456 extension 223 for more
information.
Redistricting input sought
RALEIGH Local residents will
have a chance to offer their input on
new boundaries for congressional and
legislative seats during public hearings
at several area locations at 7 p.m. Fri
day, May 4.
Lawmakers will hold the May 4
public hearing at the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro, with
videoconference hook-ups at Win
ston-Salem State University and at
Guilford Technical Community Col
lege in High Point.
Legislators redraw state House
and Senate and U.S. House districts
every 10 years to reflect population
shifts based on the decennial census
count. The new plans must be enacted
before candidates begin filing in Janu
ary 2002.
Sen. Brad Miller, D-Wake. is co
chairman of the Senate Rcdistricting
Committee, along with Sen. Frank
Ballance, D-Warren, and Sen. Steve
Metcalf, D-Buncombe.
Reps. Ronnie Sutton, D-Robeson,
and Larry Justus, R-Henderson, are
chairmen of the House Legislative
Redisricting Committee. Reps.
Thomas Wright. D-New Hanover, and
Ed McMahan, R-Mecklenburg, chair
the House Congressional Redistricting
Committee.
The hearings will last up to two
hours. Speakers are asked to limit their
remarks to five minutes and to provide ^
a written copy of their remarks to the
committees. A sign-up sheet for
speakers will be available at each site
one hour before the hearing.
Anyone who wishes to submit
written comments to be included in
the public record may send those com
ments to Redistricting Committee. 300
N. Salisbury Street. Suite 545 Legisla
tive Office Building, Raleigh, NC
27603 - or send their comments via e
mail to public comment@ncleg.net.
For more information on attend
ing the hearings, call Bill Gilkeson or
Erika Churchill at the N.C. General
Assembly, (919) 733-2578. For details
on the Greensboro hearing site, con
tact Angela Constantino at (336) 334
5414. For the Winston-Salem location
contact Cecilia McDanie! at (336) 750
2632. For the High Point site contact
Beverly Gass at (336) 334-4822.
La Nouveaute Bridge Club celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1961.
La Nouveaute Bridge Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1986.
La Nouveaute Bridge Club celebrated its 65th anniversary on April 28, 2001, at the Anderson Center.
Left to right: Billie Jones, Ruth Oliver, Carolyn Black, Virginia Newell, Marie Burney, Rita Bultman, Vir
ginia Wiseman, Mary Andrews, Kay Clark, and Arlayne Tate. Front row: Billie Matthews (treasurer),
Marian Wilson (alumna) and Clara Gaines, president.
Lunch
and
Bridge
La Nouveaute Bridge Club celebrates 65 years
of fun and fellowship at luncheon
BY FELEC1A P MCMILLAN
COMMUNITY COKKLSHONDLVI
When the founders of La
Nouveaute Bridge Club orga
nized the group in 1936. they
embodied the meaning of the col
loquial French phrase "New Kids
on the Block." Now they boast of
being the oldest bridge club in
Winston-Salem. Having celebrat
ed their 25th anniversary in 1961
and their 50th anniversary in
1986. the club members invited
special guests to join them at the
bridge luncheon to celebrate their
65th year in Winston-Salem at
the Anderson Center on Satur
day. April 28. The group spent
one hour eating lunch and four
hours playing bridge.
Having spent fond moments
chatting and socializing during
the opening reception, the club
members found it challenging to
tear themselves away from each
other and get down to the busi
ness of lunch and bridge.
According to Clara Gaines, pres
ident, the purpose of the club is
simple.
"When the club was estab
lished, some ladies wanted to get
together for the purpose of play
ing bridge" as well as for the pur
pose of enjoying each other s
company," said Gaines. At that
time, there were few outlets for
entertainment. We had to make
our own fun. What is our pur
pose? We have no purpose, as
such. We are the purpose."
Most of the founding mothers
were teachers, businesswomen,
housewives and librarians. They
were Nell Bausman, Dee Bran
don. Vah Cromwell, lmogene
Ellis. Eleanor Hall. Medora Hill,
Bea Jordan. Ethel Stith, Nell
Wright, Faye Cash and 1 illie Jel
fcrs. Gaines recognized the two
alumnae members also Marian
Wilson, who was present, and
Macie Brown, who was absent
due to illness.
Gaines joined the group in
1955 at the invitation of her col
league at Atkins High School.
Ethel Stith. Gaines taught Eng
lish and Stith taught physical
education. At first, Gaines was
reluctant to join, but her friend
ship with Stith sealed her interest
in joining.
"Blacks did not have much
social life. Bridge was a very good
outlet," said Gaines. "We met
twice a month at first.
The group has had only three
presidents Medora Hill. Marie
Burney and Clara Gaines. Billie
Matthews is the treasurer. Like
the early founders, the current
group maintains a membership of
13. Now the group meets each
third Saturday from 1-5:30 p.m.
at homes of different members,
except in the months of July and
August. Just as the founders did
in the 1930s, the ladies take out
their fine china, crystal and sil
verware to adorn their dinner
tables. Although the dinner table
decor sets the tone for elegance,
dinner and bridge become a casu
al affair. However, in the begin
ning, the dress code was more
formal.
Marie Burncy, a member of
the group for 27 years, remem
bers the difference.
"We used to dress up. We
always had on heels 27 years
ago," said Burney.
Gaines added, "I'd come in
pajamas if 1 could. 1 just want to
relax. But in the '50s and '60s,
they were really serious."
According to Burney and Vir
ginia Newell, the founders were
serious about more than their
attire. They required strict adher
ence to the rules of the game.
"We just play bridge for fun,
but the founders were experts,
staunch bridge players: They
would strive for excellence," said
Burney. "If you did not follow
suit or if you did not play the
right card, they would look at
you crossly."
"No one was allowed to talk
during the progressions." said
Newell. "It could be very dis
tracting when you are trying to
concentrate. It is like playing golf
and a person is about to putt. No
noise is allowed because the
golfer must concentrate,"
"They went by the letter of
the law," said Burney.
"Now we walk all over the
place." said Gaines. "The
founders never had any cross
words, but they had a look they
would give you if you played the
wrong way."
Billie Jones commented. "If
we were getting mega bucks, it
might make a difference."
When the group started, the
prizes were 25 cents, 50 cents and
one dollar. For the luncheon, the
prizes were genuine lead crystal
vases and jewelry cases.
All of the members have dif
ferent levels of skill. Each of
them learned to play under vari
ous circumstances.
Gaines considers herself "a
mediocre player."
"I just take it lightly. I wear it
loosely, but I love it because it is
mind-boggling and it involves
different strategies." said Gaines.
V, Bridge < C2
Irene Hairston, Clsie Blackman and Gladys Oldham strategiie about their moves.
Clara Gain;, president of La Nouveaute Bridge Club, called the meeting to order.