At the Table
A county newsletter makes the case that the table itself is the point
Fairfax County tells its older residents that American Mah Jongg is worth learning for the company as much as the game, and points them at a discounted class.
The Golden Gazette, published by the Fairfax County Department of Family Services in Virginia, ran a July 2026 piece on why more older adults are gathering around a table to play. It names American Mah Jongg specifically, and describes players meeting at community centers, libraries and neighborhood cafes.
The article cites the National Mah Jongg League, founded in 1937, as now reporting more than 350,000 members nationwide. That figure is the newsletter's, attributed there to the League.
The county points readers to classes through Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education, and notes a 25 percent senior discount for adults age 62 and older. The piece does not publish a per class price.
Prim's view, and it is only a view. A county government telling its older residents to go learn a tile game is a small thing that says something large. The game is being handed along by institutions now, not only by friends.