|
The ACBL Board of Directors met in Las Vegas just after the Fall NABC, November 28-December 1, 2001. Items of interest on the agenda were as follows:
Item 013-216: All new member rebates for the 1st and 2nd year are canceled.
Comment: Five or six years ago, the Board passed financial incentives for teachers, clubs, & units to recruit new members for the ACBL. The incentives were put in place in the hope that they would encourage greater emphasis in ACBL membership growth at the local level. A recent management review of the program revealed that this program has not measurably improved new member recruitment. Since it costs the League approximately $40,000 per year for the incentives, management recommended termination of the program. The board approved management's recommendation.
Item 013-217: The College Bridge Championships be discontinued.
Comment: This program has never been very successful. In the 2001 event, for instance, only 9 colleges participated in the qualifying rounds and 6 colleges attended the finals in Toronto. This program was canceled by ACBL in 1996, but was reinstated in 2000 when the ACBL Educational Foundation Board of Trustees voted to donate $20,000 annually to fund the project. As long as the Educational Foundation was funding the project, I saw no reason to discontinue the program. I voted No, but the majority of the board decided to cancel the program.
Item 013-230: Junior Coupons at NABCs. Student coupons shall be given to those who have not had their 22nd birthday or those that have offered proof that they are full time students and have not reached their 26th birthday. Such proof shall be given in advance of entry purchase to the office of junior affairs. The cost of entries purchased using student coupons shall be a $5.00 US discount from the regular entry fee.
Comment: Currently, anyone under the age of 26 is eligible for junior coupons at NABCs, which allows them to play for $6.00/session. This motion restricts the eligibility for junior coupons, and increases their cost. Motion passed.
Item 013-232: Out of the funds collected from Junior Games, the ACBL shall pay the expenses of a team captain for the juniors to accompany the team to Salt Lake City. This is for the attraction arranged by the WBF to promote the entrance of bridge as a sport in the Turin Olympics in 2006.
Comment: I voted against this motion because these juniors will not be representing the ACBL; they are representing the USBF, which is a separate organization founded to oversee all international bridge events, especially the Olympics, for the US bridge players. If this demonstration is important enough, the USBF should be willing to pay for the expenses of a Junior Team Captain to go to Salt Lake City. Motion passed.
Item 013-147: Mini-Spingold Changes.
A. The masterpoint awards for the Mini-Spingold will be:
1. 75 masterpoints for first place in the 0-1500 category.
2. 100 masterpoints for first place in the 0-5000 category.
B. The restriction that the event be completed in five days is removed from the Conditions of Contest. The event will end as dictated by the total number of teams entered and Appendix C. (Note: Appendix C establishes how the bracket is constructed.)
Comment: To date, the masterpoint awards have been determined by the ACBL masterpoint formula. The awards given for this event in Toronto this summer were 65 points for about 40 teams in the 0-1500 event, and 125 points for about 100 teams in the 0-5000 event. I voted against Part A because the size of the fields should determine the masterpoints awarded for a relatively new event. Due to the size of the field in Toronto, 3-ways matches were still being played in the 3rd day of a 5-day event, so I voted in favor of Part B. Both Parts passed.
Item 013-151: Super Senior Event Classification.
A. 65+ years of age and 75+ years of age are approved event classifications for Sectional and higher-rated tournaments. (Note: A 55+ event remains an approved category.)
B. An age restricted event may be run as a:
1. Stand-alone event, which may be either open or stratified by masterpoints with a maximum of three categories.
2. Stratified event, with up to three age restricted categories. If stratified by age, the event may not be stratified using any other indicator.
C. A 65+ or 75+ stand-alone event is treated as though there are two restrictions. (Note: the masterpoints are 70% of those for an event with no age restriction and no other restrictions.)
Comment: This item was deferred until the Spring meetings in Houston. Given that the average age of the ACBL membership is well into the 60s, my initial reaction to this motion is favorable. If any of you have any strong feelings about this subject, please let me know.
Item 013-153: Management shall make arrangements to add two events to the Summer NABC schedule. Each event will be conducted concurrent with the six-session Life Masters' Pairs.
A. One event is limited to Life Masters with no more than 1500 masterpoints and the other is limited to Life Masters with no more than 5000 masterpoints.
B. Except for the masterpoint restrictions, the conditions of contest of each event will be identical the six-session Life Masters' Pairs that has no upper masterpoint limit.
C. The masterpoint award for both events will be calculated using the current formula for a Nationally rated event that has no predetermined masterpoint award. There is a cap on the first place award of 50 masterpoints for the LM to 1500 event and 75 masterpoints for the LM to 5000 masterpoints event.
D. Management shall determine appropriate official names for this event.
Comment: This motion was deferred until the Spring meetings. Opinions or recommendations welcomed.
Item 013-150: ACBL Alert Procedure.
A. The alert procedure is approved as attached. Effective date: 03/01/02
B. Management is authorized to make changes to the convention card to maintain agreement with the alert procedure.
C. It is expected that there will be no further changes to this alert procedure prior to January 1, 2005.
Comment: Hard to believe that it has been 5 years since the last change in the alert system, but here we go again. I voted against this motion because many of the changes are being made to fit the expert game at the expense of the newcomer/casual bridge player. Given the obstacles we already have in place to make our game attractive to the masses, these changes just add one more brick to that barrier. Some of the significant changes are:
1. The HCP range for all 1NT openings will be announced. For natural overcalls, an Alert is required for natural no-trump overcalls with fewer than 14 or more than 19 HCP.
2. Natural three-level responses to a NT whether a jump or not do not require an Alert.
3. Natural non-forcing opening suit bids with an agreed range between 10-21+ HCP do not require an Alert.
4. Non-forcing 1C and 1D opening bids that may be fewer than 3 cards in length will be announced. (Forcing opening bids that may be short will still require an Alert.)
5. Non-forcing 1NT response or forcing 2NT response that may bypass a four-card major does not require an Alert.
6. Natural 2NT responses to one of a suit opening will not require an alert if they are invitational (10-12) or forcing (13-15).
7. Except for a jump raise that is not in competition and weak, no jump raise requires an Alert.
8. 1NT or 2NT rebid that implies a balanced hand does not require an Alert even if the agreement is that four-car majors may be bypassed.
9. Except for Doubles and Redoubles with highly unusual meanings or unexpected meanings, these calls do not require an Alert. (Some examples of highly unusual doubles or redoubles are: 1H-X for penalty, double of a splinter bid to request a lead in a suit other than the suit of the splinter, 1H-P-2D-X as lead directing or penalty.)
10. Passes with highly unusual or unexpected meanings require an Alert.
11. All transfers from diamonds to hearts and from hearts to spades at any level are announced if the preceding bid was a natural NT bid.
12. No alert is required for the 2D response to a strong artificial 2C opening that is waiting or negative.
13. Over opening 2-level suit bids: Conventional and/or forcing 2NT responses are not alertable; Natural and non-forcing 2NT responses are alertable.
14. A direct cue-bid of natural opening bid is alertable if it is played as natural. (Example: 1D-2D.) All other cue bids, including those that are natural, are not alertable. (Example: 1D-P-1H-2D natural or 2H natural are not alertable).
Item 013-15: Approval of the 2002 Budget.
Comment: The ACBL lost money in 1999 and 2000. This year, we expect to be $400,000 to $500,000 in the black. A break-even budget is planned for 2002. This includes reductions in salary expenses due to some staff reductions in Memphis, a hike in tournament sanction fees, and higher NABC entry fees. Marketing expenses are gradually being increased each year so that we shall hit our target of 15% of budget by 2005. The tournament division is on course to get to its goal of break-even by 2005. A Capital Expenditure Budget for 2002 of $375,000 was also approved.
Item 013-62: Section 11 of the ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations is amended as follows: (Underlines indicate new material.)
11. Disciplines Involving Units or Districts
11.1 When it is alleged that a Unit has violated ACBL, District, or its own bylaws or regulations, has acted in an illegal or improper manner, or has improperly failed to act upon a complaint, a member, or group of members, or Unit or District may bring the matter directly to the District Disciplinary Committee to request a hearing. The District Disciplinary Committee may decide not to conduct a hearing for reason, including but not limited to: the case does not warrant any action, the matter was dealt with in a reasonable manner at the Unit level, or the matter lacks significance to warrant a hearing.
11.2 When it is alleged that a District has violated ACBL or its own bylaws or regulations, or has acted in an illegal or improper manner, or has improperly failed to act upon a complaint, a Unit, a member, or group of members may bring the matter directly to the ACBL Board of Director's Appeals and Charges Committee to request a hearing. The Appeals and Charges Committee may decide not to conduct a hearing for reasons, including but not limited to: the case does not warrant any action, the matter was dealt with in a reasonable manner at the District level, or the matter lacks significance to warrant a hearing.
Comment: Motion passed.
Item 013-40: The Appeals & Charges Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for any agenda items dealing with Conduct, Deportment, and Ethics and any regulations involving same. This is in addition to those responsibilities of hearing appeals and reviewing cases.
Comment: I voted against this motion because it reduces the checks and balances needed in board operations. The Appeals & Charges Committee should hear and review cases. Other committees should deal with governance issues. Motion passed.
Item 013-41: The stipend paid to Board of Director Members and the Chairman of the Board of Governors shall be $750 per trimester starting January 2002.
Comment: This moves the expense reimbursement stipend back to what it was before it was lowered last year. Motion passed. I voted yes.
Item 013-49: A check off box be established on the membership forms to offer members the option of opting out of the selling of personal information to outside organizations.
Comment: This motion failed, but I voted yes. The ACBL makes about $35,000 - $40,000 a year from the commercial rental of member names. The ACBL staff screens the commercial purchasers of the ACBL mailing lists, so some of the junk or objectionable mailers are eliminated. Any member who contacts ACBL can have their file coded "do not sell name." Despite all this, I still think members ought to be offered the right of opting out on a regular basis.
Item 013-57: The ACBL Board of Directors will review the housing contract with Mega Housing with a recommendation from the Board of Governors that the contract should not be renewed.
Comment: After hearing management's recommendation, and reviewing the terms of the contract, the Board voted overwhelmingly to defeat this proposal (0 yes/24 no/1 abstention). Management plans on evaluating this service in the fall 2002 as part of a three-year review cycle. If you have any complaints about Mega Housing, please address your concerns to ACBL Headquarters and me.
Item 013-58: 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. This will not affect masterpoint races already completed or rank achieved already recognized. A letter to the player(s) involved shall accompany the change if the adjustment is greater than 10 masterpoints.
Comment: This sets a general policy to guide management in addressing these problems. Motion passed.
Item 013-60: Board of Directors Meeting at ACBL Headquarters.
A. All Fall meetings of the ACBL Board of Directors will be held in the headquarters city of ACBL rather than at the site of the Fall NABCs.
B. All attendees to the BOD meeting will be reimbursed for expenses according to regulations in place at the time of the meeting.
C. If a Fall meeting of the ACBL Board of Directors is held at the headquarters city of ACBL, board members will not be reimbursed for attendance to that Fall NABC unless they are receiving authorized reimbursement for other services provided at that NABC.
Comment: I was one of the cosponsors of this motion. It is important for board members to attend NABCs, but it is equally important for board members to regularly visit ACBL Headquarters. There would be some small cost savings and increased efficiency at that board meeting, but the major benefit would be the strengthening of the Board, Management, Employee team concept. The motion was deferred until the Summer meetings.
Item 013-131: The change of 4 flights for the GNT, done for 2 years on an experimental basis, is now accepted as a permanent feature of the GNT.
Comment: Motion passed.
Item 013-132: Instant Matchpoint Game.
A. Games meeting open standards will be considered in open contest. (Note: ½ table games will be included.)
B. Minimum number of boards to be played by any pair in the open contest is 20 boards.
C. Howell movements meeting open standards will award a Gold point for first place.
Comment: Motion passed.
Item 013-130: The lowest flight for GNT and NAOP competitions be changed to 0-500 MP's with no designation or reference to Non-Life Masters.
Comment: Motion failed.
Item 013-133: Inter-Club Championship Games.
A. ACBL Management is authorized to sanction and conduct inter-club championships, which are administered online but played "live."
1. ACBL may sanction and conduct the event.
2. ACBL may hold the sanction and sublet the administration of the event.
3. If requested by a group of clubs, ACBL may authorize (grant a sanction to) a qualified person to administrate such an online-administered, inter-club championship for those clubs.
4. ACBL may authorize (grant a sanction to) a qualified person to conduct an online-administered inter-club championship or sanction the event.
The masterpoint awards for this event are the same as inter-club championships administered manually.
B. In addition to a clubs regular club championship, the club may participate in an additional four (4) inter-club championships administered online. A club may not use one or all of its regular, quarterly club championships to participate in inter-club championships whether administered electronically or manually.
Comment: Motion passed.
George Retek, ACBL President for 2002, has made the board committee appointments for 2002. I shall be serving on the following committees:
CEO Review Committee (Chairman)
Audit Committee (Chairman)
Election Protest Committee (Chairman)
Finance Committee
Member Services Committee
Education Committee
Assuming no hitches in contract negotiations, Jay Baum of Omaha, Nebraska has been hired as ACBL CEO, effective 01/01/02. Mr. Baum has been with the Greater Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau since 1984, serving as Executive Director since 1989. He is an ACBL member with 3800 masterpoints.
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 |