|
The
ACBL Board of Directors met in Toronto just prior to the Summer NABC,
July 16-19, 2001. Items of interest on the agenda were as follows:
Item 012-42: Masterpoint Recording Errors. As soon as an error in
crediting masterpoints (too many or too few) has been discovered and/or
brought to management's attention (the error must have occurred within
36 months of notification), corrections shall be made as soon as
possible. A letter to the player(s) involved shall accompany the change
if the adjustment is greater than ten masterpoints.
Comment: This motion attempts to establish some broad policy for
the correction of masterpoints awarded incorrectly. Currently, no clear
policy is in place. The motion was deferred until the Fall meetings to
study the implications and effects on the various masterpoint races that
are conducted. I voted for deferral.
Item 012-43: NABC Site Selection Guidelines. Chapter 8, Appendix
6 (titled NABC Site Selection Guidelines), Section 2, Article C to be
amended as follows:
3. Restaurants - There should be a variety of restaurants in the area
around the playing site. These should range from fast food, inexpensive
restaurants to full service fine dining, and there should be an ample
selection of dining facilities within the immediate proximity of the
playing site. Since restaurants availability is critical to the success
of an NABC. This
guideline should rarely, if ever, be compromised. (Words added to
guideline are in italics.)
Comment: This was just another poke in a long line of punches
aimed at the Birmingham NABC last fall. Because of that, I abstained
from the voting. Thankfully, a majority of other board members
felt that the additional language was unnecessary and defeated the
motion.
Item 012-46: Masterpoint and Title Removal.
A. The ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations shall be revised as
appropriate to indicate the following:
1. Any participant(s) in an ACBL
sanctioned event convicted of premeditated or collusive cheating or any
participant who admits to such action or actions shall forfeit all
masterpoints and titles theretofore earned by said participants.
2. Any participant(s) in an ACBL
sanctioned event suspended for one year or longer as a result of ethical
transgressions, other than those set forth in paragraph A.1. above,
shall forfeit any masterpoints and titles won in the event in which the
offense(s) occurred. Further, the committee shall remove, as a minimum,
all masterpoints won within the 12 calendar months
preceding the date of the offense to a maximum of all masterpoints won
with the 36 calendar months preceding the date of the offense(s).
3. Teammates and partners of a
participant(s) who suffers penalties as provided in paragraph 1 and 2
above shall for forfeit any titles(s) and masterpoints won in events in
which the offense or offenses occurred.
B. Titles forfeited in paragraph A above shall remain vacant and there
shall be no change in rankings or awarding of masterpoints for other
contestants.
Comment: Although this motion did pass, I voted against it
because of paragraph A3. I do not think innocent parties should be
punished for the transgressions of partners and/or teammates.
Item 012-49: ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations part C is
rescinded:
Comment: This item reverses the restriction passed at the Spring
meetings that a player could not use an attorney as counsel at
disciplinary hearings. Since I voted against the original motion,
I was more than happy to vote to eliminate it. The motion passed.
Item 012-116: USA Representation in International Competition.
A. The authority for selecting and subsidizing athletes representing the
United States in international competition rests with the United States
Bridge Federation ("USBF").
B.....
C. The committee previously established by the ACBL Board to handle the
International Teams Trial ("ITT") and the Women's
International Teams Trial ("WITT") will cease to be official
ACBL bodies and no longer report to the ACBL Board.....
Comment: This motion passed. I voted against it because it gives
away control of the selection process for USA representation to all
international competition, not just the Olympics. This control has been
ceded despite the fact that most of the financial burden of funding the
costs of North American representation at international competition
remains on the backs or our members. In addition, the ACBL has lost one
of our best draws for possible corporate sponsorships.
Item 012-146: 3-Session Regional KOs. Regional Knockouts of three
sessions in length may be scheduled. The overall masterpoints will be
reduced by a factor of 30%.
Comment: I voted for the proposal because it just gives
tournament chairpersons just another arrow in their quiver. It passed.
Item 012-154: ACBL Alert Procedure will be amended as follows:
A. Leading low from a doubleton by agreement is a pre-alert and will be
indicated as such by adding a number 5 to Pre-alerts before Hand
on the Alert Chart.
B. The ACBL Alert Procedure is approved as amended and noted by the
attached Alert Chart and as amended in paragraph A above.
C. Management is authorized to make changes to the convention card to
maintain agreement with the alert procedure.
D. It is expected that there will be no further changes to this alert
procedure prior to January 1, 2005.
Comment: This motion was deferred until the Fall 2001 meetings. I
voted for deferral primarily because some of the changes to the alert
procedure (which are listed on the ACBL website) may be controversial.
Any such changes should go through some comment period whereby the
general membership has a chance to read and voice their opinions before
they become the Law of the Land.
Please contact me if you have any questions or opinions that you wish to
share:
Chuck
Wilkinson
1806-B
Saint Ann Street
Jackson, MS 39202-1257
Phone: (601) 948-7108
Fax: (601) 948-4522
E-Mail: cwilkin@aol.com
Return to Report Index Page |