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7th Edition                                                       December 2007

 
In This Issue:
  1. A Letter From The Editor >>>
  2. Latest News >>>
  3. It’s Bunco Time >>>
  4. *Ask Babs >>>
  5. Bunco Recipes >>>
  6. Featured Group >>>
  7. Print a Copy >>> ( pdf- 13 pages - 1.2mb)

Special Holiday Edition!!!


A letter from the Editor:

race, the one word that seems to be the state of mind we all hope we acted on in 2007, but 2007 is not over yet. As this year comes to a close reflecting on the past seems to be a natural state of affairs. How did we treat our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones? Did we treat others as we hoped they would treat us? Do we have regrets? Did we forgive? Are we overjoyed with the blessings we received? It is that style of clarity that promotes living. Yes, living! Grace in our lives is the polish and beauty we add giving praise during this time of year.

Players if you raise your glasses, I’d like to make a toast to you, yes you, and Your grace as we roll into 2008.

Have a blessed and safe holiday season - KELLY ROSE PION

Latest News:

Happy Holiday’s Players!

I want to thank each one of you that have participated in World Bunco Association activities throughout 2007. It sounds so cliché to say “Wow look how fast this year has gone”, but it’s true.

It seems like yesterday we were in Las Vegas at the championship, with the regional’s leading up to it. Or, that The Bunco Times is celebrating its 7th month, which started during spring before the heat of summer and the kids out school.

After that there was the request for new official products, eco-friendly ones, and special combo packs from you players. That prompted “Life’s a Bunco”on www.ebunco.com, because life truly is a Bunco.

Then, we started our quest to implement and find the most appropriate players to be State and Regional Directors. This has been a process and taken longer than expected. But, in January you all will know who they are and what positions are still available to be filled.

As we recap, let’s not forget the most recent addition to the Bunco family, www.buncospace.com, the community for Bunco players that has created new relationships and inspired your favorite games growth.

Most of all there are those players out there that have forged ahead in 2007 to raise money for charities and the less fortunate using Bunco® as the vehicle. We take our hats off to you for the compassion you have in your hearts. Thanks for giving!

As the holiday season gathers around all of us the World Bunco Association wishes you, your family, your friends, and all those you hold dear: health, happiness, love and peace. CHEERS TO YOU ALL and we will see you in 2008.

Leslie Crouch

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It's Bunco Time:

Why not celebrate this New Years Eve with inviting your spouse or significant other to Bunco. A couple's Bunco is fun once a year just to let those that "roll their eyes" when we say Bunco, to see how fantastic it is and celebrate together at the same time.

Make it a Black & White theme party, decorate with lots of festive New Years decorations and serve your favorite "fancy" foods. Next time you tell that person you are going to Bunco they may not "roll their eyes", they may smile and just wish they were playing again………..Not until Next Year!!!

Have a safe and happy New Years!

Leslie Crouch

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*Ask Babs:

For any game questions I can be reached at: babs@worldbunco.com

Dear Babs,

We would like to make T-shirts for our Bunco fundraiser. Since Bunco is trademarked how can we do this without infringing on the WBA'S trademark and at the same time make our T-shirts look official?

Thank you,
Marge Parker, Tucson, AZ

Marge,

Please take a look at our new fundraising T-shirts on the eBunco site. We have designed a T-shirt with all of you in mind who want to have T-shirts for your charity events. They come is two colors with the WBA logo on the back. You can add your event logo if you like or simply use as is. Let us know what you think.

Thanks again for your email. Babs

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Dear Babs,

How do we rotate players in a large tournament setting? We are planning on
having a fundraiser for our local hospital and aren't sure how to do the
rotation in a large group. We will have about 144 players.

Thanks

Louise Turner
KC, MO

Dear Louise,
There are several ways of playing with a large group. Depending on how the
room is set up will depend on your rotation. Basically you will rotate very
similar as when playing with a group of 12. You can divide your players
into groups of twelve and each group will rotate within the 12 players.
There are several other ways to incorporate play for large groups but this
is the simplest way when playing with a group of 144.

Hope this helps.
Babs

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Let the Good Times Roll:

I look forward to receiving your recipes at:

mac@ebunco.com

December Recipes

New wines sent every month! NutriSystem, Inc.

Brie

Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 wheel brie cheese
1 can of cranberry preserves (can substitute other flavors)
1 package pecans

Directions:

Place brie wheel on a festive plate. Add preserves and pecans on top of the brie and place in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Serve with your choice of crackers or baguette slices.


Peppermint Meringues

Yields 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the cookies.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours in preheated oven. Meringues should be completely dry on the inside. Do not allow them to brown. Turn off oven. Keep oven door ajar, and let meringues sit in the oven until completely cool. Loosen from foil with metal spatula. Store loosely covered in cool dry place


Winter Wonderland Wine

Serves 16

Ingredients:
2 cup water
2 cup brown sugar
4 cups pineapple juice
2 cup orange juice
12 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
4 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups red wine
4 oranges
  16 cinnamon sticks, garnish

Preparation:

Directions:
In a large non-aluminum saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, pineapple juice, and orange juice. Season with cloves, allspice, 4 cinnamon sticks and salt. Cut the rind of 4 oranges into strips and stir into the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour in the wine. Heat to just boiling and remove from heat. Serve hot with a cinnamon stick for garnish.

OmahaSteaks.com, Inc.

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Featured Bunco Group:

The World Bunco Association would like to take this opportunity to share with you, the readers, some of the events that have occurred in support of others.

THANKS FOR GIVING


Portland, Oregon

The Portland Bunco Group, located in Portland, Oregon, began in 2006 with two friends, Cristina Gwynn and Shari Nilsson, trying to find a way to play bunco more regularly.  The women had been members of a "regular group" but the group had stopped playing regularly, so the two friends decided to start their own group.  The ladies posted info about their group and the group was formed!

Today there are more than seventy (70) active members in the group and they play throughout the Portland Metropolitan area in local restaurants, concentrating in three geographically specific locations to suit their membership base.  By meeting in local restaurants, everyone can relax, no one has to cook and it’s a true night out for everyone!

Exclusively women, the group ranges in age from early twenties to early seventies.  Some members are married with kids; some have never married or do not have kids.  There is a very community feel to the group.  Most months will find a minimum of 32 players playing and guests are always welcome.  It is very unusual that there be anyone who cannot play if they want to and the philosophy of the group remains that there is "always room for one more at the table".  Word of mouth has been very successful in maintaining the groups’ size.

The group has expanded beyond... only playing bunco to movie nights, home parties, socials and more. Close, personal friendships have thrived in the group from people who were total strangers when they first came to play their first game. 

This past October the group tackled their first fundraiser by holding the first ever BUNCO FOR BREAST CANCER-PORTLAND event.  They collected over $2,500 in cash and prize donations to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Plans are underway for a tournament to benefit BCRF at Seaside in February 2008, as part of the SEASIDE SISTERS EVENT. 

Cris Gwynn can be contacted at GwynnFamily@comcast.net


Abilene, Texas

October 23rd, 2007 was our 5th annual Bunco for Breast Cancer event, we have had the good fortune to grow every year.  The first year (2003) we had 225 participants and raised $2,800 this year (2007) we had 800 participants and raised $19,000. The money we raise supports the Hope Fund, which provides mammograms to ladies in our community who can not afford them.  We have always had such great support from the community for our events, this year we had 40 volunteers and 126 individuals and businesses contribute prizes and underwriting.

Dean Marcho and I were able to attend the 2007 World Bunco tournament held
in Las Vegas as well as the regional tournament held in San Antonio.  We were very impressed with how well they were run and incorporated some of the things we learned into our event.  We incorporated a theme with music (B-Boppin Bunco for Breast Cancer) and recruited more volunteers to "referee" the tables.  We received several comments from players who had attended our past event said this one was even better and many raved about the event.

Thank you again for your support WBA.

Denise R. Camacho, RT, R, M, QM
Lead Mammography Technologist
Hendrick Radiology Center
1850 Hickory ST.
Abilene, TX 79601
325-670-2215
325-670-3959 fax
dcamacho@hendrickhealth.org


Atlanta, Georgia

Bust A Move, a 3-Day walking team for Komen for the Cure, concluded their 2007 fundraising with Bunco for Breast Cancer.  Each attendee was treated to a wonderful buffet and had an opportunity to mingle and settle in before the event got underway. Attendees were put on teams of 4.  These 4 people stayed together all night and moved from table to table together.  To make things more interesting, the team used some of the items collected from sponsors to liven up each round. The first round was sponsored by Mary Kay and everyone received something from our local rep, Judy Holcombe.  The second round was sponsored by AFLAC, which consisted of numerous talking ducks and goats.  The third round was sponsored by a new company, Dirty Sox (www.dirtysoxusa.com) and over 25 people received the new socks.

After three full rounds and lots of laughs and yells of “Bunco”, the evening came to a close with the distribution of prizes.  Bust A Move even had “most spirited” and “biggest whiner” awards.  Each category winning team came up and participated in a roll off to see who would pick a prize first.  Each category had four prizes (Bunco, Binky, most losses, most wins and traveling).  Company sponsors included: 1-800 Flowers, North Point Mall, Wal-Mart, Starbuck’s, Mellow Mushroom, Hallmark Showcase, Carither’s Flowers, Cracker Barrel, Jason’s Deli, Taco Mac, TGI Friday’s, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Hooter’s, On the Border, Paper Affair, Crate & Barrel, Mori Luggage & Gifts, Ippolito’s Italian Restaurant, Godiva Chocolate, Yankee Candle Company and the Disney Store.
Bust A Move for Komen for the Cure raised $41,000 in 2007.
 
Kathleen Littleton
Email:  katlittleton@comast.net
Cell:  404-281-6368

Wishing you the best of the
holiday season from all of us
at the World Bunco Association
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