Betty Schultz Kelley has become the first Platinum Life Master at Village Card Club.
"What does it take to become a Platinum Life Master besides 10,000 points? First, you must love bridge and enjoy playing duplicate bridge at local clubs. Then, you must be willing to travel to Sectionals, Regionals and National Tournaments to earn the points for the different levels of ACBL Life Master," the club said in a news release.
"In 2003, the Village Card Club didn't know when Betty Schultz Kelley moved to HSV that she would become their first Platinum (10,000 master points) achiever," it said.
Kelley's "bridge journey" began in Illinois, when she began playing with her friend, Gina Doss, at a local club that turned into going to many tournaments on their way to earning the points required for becoming a Life Master. After they both moved to Hot Springs Village and joined the Village Card Club, they continued to play together. Kelley also played with many other VCC members, including Ned Irving, as she continued her journey to becoming a Diamond Life Master (5,000), an Emerald Life Master (7,500) in 2014 to now a Platinum Life Master in 2020.
"After the coronavirus forced the VCC to move to virtual games online, Betty continued to play which enabled her to earn the last few points that she needed for this impressive achievement," the release said.
"Betty is not only the first Platinum player at the VCC but also the first nonprofessional bridge player in Unit 161 (most of Arkansas) and 29th in ACBL District 10 (most of four states). Betty has contributed also as a Board Member at the VCC and Unit 161, VCC game director and bridge teacher," the release said.
"The Village Card Club is very proud of Betty and her impressive achievement and are proud to have her as a member of the Village Card Club of Hot Springs Village!"
Society on 05/23/2020