ORLANDO NATIONAL BOARD MEETING – NOVEMBER 2004

REPORT FROM DISTRICT DIRECTOR: SHIRLEY SEALS

District 9 certainly has bragging rights over the success of our NABC in November. We hosted the third largest Fall NABC ever…14,641.5 tables were in play over a ten day period. The World Marriott Center playing space was spacious and all on one easily accessible level. The hotel itself was beautiful and the staff the most gracious and hospitable that I have ever known.

My thanks to the Volunteers who helped make this tournament a success.

Endless hours of volunteering (that a nice word for working)……by many, many people made this possible.

Good News: The Unit 128 Southeastern Tournament ..March 28 thru April 3…will also be held at the World Marriott Center. We look forward to having the largest Southeastern Tournament in history.

And More Good News for the five Units within our District. Beginning January 1, 2005, Units will receive 11% of full dues payments and Life Master Service fees paid by their members. This motion means more money for all of ACBL’s units and the amount will automatically increase with any future dues increase.

Congratulations are in order to my friend Roger Smith, from Sacramento, California, who was elected as our President for 2005. Roger has asked me to continue as Chairperson for the Junior Committee. This is a challenging job, but a critical task, to increase Junior Members in ACBL.

I was pleased to be elected as Treasurer of the ACBL Charity Foundation for another year. The old Charity of the Year program has been replaced by a program where, on a rotating basis, each District will receive $20,000 to donate to charities within their District. Our District will not receive an allocation until

2007, but it is never too early to start to think of worthwhile charitable organizations in our area.

My motion to limit attendance at Junior Camps to individuals under the age of 21, rather than the current practice of under 26 year of age, failed…but the vote was close. I still feel that 21 to 26 year olds should not be a “camp” situation with 16 year olds. The majority of the board felt that by restricting attendance to those under the age of 21, would eliminate the camp because there are not enough junior bridge players under the age of 21….especially those who attend this camp from other countries.

So my job is clear….GET MORE JUNIOR PLAYERS INTO ACBL.

District 9 has greatly reduced rates for Juniors to play at our Sectional and Regional Tournaments….so I ask all of you…..encourage Juniors in your club and area. With the average age of ACBL members in District 9

at 70.56…..we must recruit young players…and soon.I

The North American Pairs event has improved by over 10,000 tables this past year. A strong promotional effort by ACBL and reducing fees charged to play from $1.75 to $1.00 per session were very instrumental in this success.

The Finance Committees’ 2005 budget was approved with an anticipated loss of $349,000. Jerry Fleming proposed, and the board agreed, that we limit the effect on tournaments of the director fee increase to 3 ½%, the amount of anticipated cost increases. This was done by leaving the 6 ½% director fee increase, but lowering sectional and regional sanction fees by an amount that would make the “effective” increase 3 ½%.

An Insurance Committee will be appointed by the ACBL President review all liability insurance policies available to cover ACBL and its district and Units and report to the Board of Directors specifically on what is covered and not covered by these policies at each level. A preliminary report will be made to the Board of Directors at the Spring 2005 meeting in Pittsburgh with a final report no later than the summer 2005 meeting in Atlanta.

The Director In Charge (DIC) fee was replaced with an across the board increase in Tournament Directors’ session rate.

I wish all of you….on this New Years’ Eve of 2005….a Happy New Year and a Healthy 2005. I hope to see many of you at our three Nationals coming up..

NABCs will be in Pittsburgh in the Spring, Atlanta in the Summer, and Denver in the Fall. All are exciting locations….and NABC tournaments are the most exciting of all.

Keep in touch with me and let me know what I can do for you to make bridge

a more meaningful experience for you.

Shirley