The 7
NO CLUB OF MIAMI was incorporated on March 26, 2001. It has the distinction of been a non-profit
organization. The objectives of the club is to improve its member's skill level in the game of bid whist as well
as to promote an appreciation of the game. Challenges to surrounding bid whist organizations and assembled individuals
through tournament format, which will help achieve our first objective are welcome.
The Club shall raise funds through
club activities to provide grants or scholarships. The grants will be awarded to South Florida's families that have
a family member suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer's. The scholarship will be administered through the Diamond
in the Rough scholarship fund.
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History of Our Club by Lynda Brown
I am apologizing in advance to anyone or historical fact that i might have omitted. All documents and pictures presented
are from functions the Seven-No Club has given. To all Seven-No Members thanks for being a part of the Clubs History.
You have enriched my life and the love of the game, Peace and much love
Lynda
Bid Whist has always had a way of attracting competitive, fun loving people.
Some ten year ago many of our now club members were in different groups. Some played at a local club by the name of Big Daddy's
Bar and Lounge located on the corner on NW 119th st and 7th ave while others went from house to house playing the game
somehow a few players ended up playing at our current member Eric Peavy's home.
A common bond
was forged and like magic Eric's home became the place to be on Friday Nights. through word of mouth the group
began to grow, we love the game so much that playing only of Friday's was just not enough. Both Greg Brown and Lynda
Garfield volunteered their homes for play on Wednesday nights and before long we had about twenty five or more people showing
up to play. We were packed like sardines.
Our group was steadily growing so we approached the manager of
Tucker's Lounge about us playing there. An agreement was met and we started playing there on Sunday evenings.
It was in Tucker's Lounge were we first decided to form a club. Elections were held and our first club officers
were:
Greg Brown ~ President
David Michell ~
Vice President
June Rogers ~ Treasurer
Linda Coney
~ Financial Secretary
Rosa Donaldson ~ Secretary
Advisory Board
Eric Peavy
David Brown
BeverlyWalker
Gene Simmons
Lynda
Garfield
Sargent of Arms
Andy Watson
Tournament Director
Donald Delancey
After the club voted for its officers we were reminded that the club did not have a name.
Several suggestions were offered such as "The Bid Whisters Club", "Miami Whist Players", and even "The
Whist Bidders".
David Brown Stood up and suggested the club should be named after the highest bid that could
be made "7-NO" It was voted on and the members agreed overwhilmingly, thus the "7No Club of Miami"
was born.
Every member of the 7-No Club has contributed in one way or another to the success of the club because
every member has served in some capacity from being an officer to being a volunteer for one thing or the other that the club
was giving just showing their support by being an active member. Since first becoming a club other member who have served
as officers have been:
Alex Barnes ~ President
Charles Saunders ~ Vice President
Rick Kindred ~
Vice
President
Kirk Johnson ~
Vice President
Colette Williams ~ Vice President
Verdell Van Loan ~ Treasurer
Debra Myers ~ Treasurer
Cat Hall ~
Financial Secretary
Willie Jackson ~
Tournament Director
Tiquisha
Lee ~
Financial Secretary
Chanda Young ~
Secretary
John Jonson ~
Sgt of Arms
Tim Hodges ~
Sgt of Arms
Linda Brown ~
Sgt of Arms
We were a newly formed club but
we all had one thing in common, We LOVED the game of Bid Whist, thats the glue that continually held us and still does
hold us together. Our history is rich and strong an one that any member of the 7-No Club should be proud of. The club
was incorporated in October of 1995, at that time the club had 38 members. As a group of people 7NO was having so much
fun together we decided to form an entertainment committee to better organize and plan functions for the club.
Members
of the Entertainment Committee were:
Chris Gay
Paulette Kendrick
Debra Myers
Alex Bares
Betty Murphy
Colette Williams
The entertainment committee duties were to plan the club's
functions. They would make a calendar for a year full of events. They planned everything down to the tee, from
the menu's to the decoration. A few of the many events planned for the club were as follows: Hawaiian Party
Discovery Sun Cruise Family Day Picnic Fish Fry Club
anniversary Party 70's Party Halloween Party New Years Eve
Ball. At these functions everything was furnished by the club. 7NO members are becoming like one big family and
like any family we have a few rifs here and there but we always find ourselves working it out.
Club meetings were originally held at Ernie's but in order to have more privacy, Lynda went to the Joseph Caleb Center
and made arrangements to have club meetings there the second Sunday of each month at 3pm. Attendance to the meetings
were great. Almost 80% of club members were attending the meetings. A few meetings were also head at the Northshore
hospital conference room.
After leaving Tucker's for reasons i cannot recollect, 7NO began playing at The Big
Daddy's Lounge on 119th and 7th ave. Pretty soon we outgrew that space, and had to start looking for a new location,
we actually had to set tables up on the dance floor. The Roman Pub was our next home for about 5year. When we
first went to the Pub they agreed to pay our 1st and 2nd place tournament prize because 7NO had developed quiet a following
which would support the establishment, this was a win-win situation. Because th Pub payed our prize monies all entry
fees and membership dues went straight into our treasury. We played on Thursday night and Saturday Evening at the Pub, Wednesday
nights was reserved for practice. We had FUN.
7NO first official tournament was held at the Omega Center, it was
directed by Donald Delancey. As Tournament Director Don utilizes several ideas to increase our membership, One
of the things he did was a mail out campaign targeting card players who had participated in a recent spades tournament.
Our membership have fluctuated throughout the years, we would have several visitors stop in an play with us and some
of them would become members, for the most part we maintain between 30-49 members.
Then in July of
1997 it happened. Lynda heard on Hot 105, a local radio station an advertisements that a Bid Whist tournament was been
held in Tallahassee. The tournament was being held the same weekend as the clubs Annual Family Day Picnic which was
the last weekend in July. Lynda saw this as a way to meet more bid whist players and expand 7NO's horizons she decided
to forgo the picnic and go to Tallahassee and do some networking. Beverly, Verdell, Greg and David got wind of what
Lynda was up to and they decide they wanted to go play in the tournament. Lynn wanted to go also but did not have a
partner, after a little persuasion Lynda agreed to play with her but emphasized that her number 1 reason for going was to
network. They rented a ban and the six of them took off from Miami around 5pm on Friday Jul 25th headed for Tallahassee
for their 1st National Bid Whist Tournament. Since we had never played the style of played that was going to be played
at the tournament(Ace high nothing wild no kitty no low bids) we practiced from the time we left Miami until we pulled into
"Tallahassee which was around 3am. After checking into the Marriott which Lynda had previously reserved a suite
for networking, we continued to practice some more. Greg and his partner David along with Lynda and her partner ended
up been the top 2 teams in the tournament and refused to play each other for 1st & 2nd. The judges awarded
us 2 checks totalling $7,000($5,000 1st $2,000 2nd ). After paying all expenses we split the rest 6 ways.
The following Monday morning Tom Joyner of the "TJMS" announced the results of the Tallahassee Bid Whist Tournament.
He said " 7 No Club of Miami rode into Tallahassee and brought all the money back to Miami", we became nationally
known and thus the "Club of 'Champions" was born. The networking as paid off tremendously. We have
met so many friends that we might not have otherwise encountered if not for that 1st Tallahassee-Tournament.
"GOD
BLESS 7NO"
"MEMORIES FROM LYNDA BROWN
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