PITTSBURGH NATIONAL BOARD MEETING -- MARCH 2005
The board meeting was presided over by newly elected President Roger Smith
from Sacramento, California. I am hoping to get Roger to one of our Regional tournaments in Florida
so you will have a chance to meet him. Roger is a very personable President and is a strong believer that the
President should be the ACBL’s Ambassador of Goodwill.
Jerry Fleming, from Los Alamos, New Mexico, was re-elected as ACBL Treasurer
for another one year term May 1, 2005 through April 30, 2006.
There were three newly elected members who attended their first board meeting:
Bill Cook, District 10, Jackson, Mississippi, Bill Arlinghaus, District
12, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Jeff Taylor, District 20, Eugene, Oregon.
A lengthy Marketing Report was presented to the board which outlined an
extensive program to bring more junior players into bridge. The focus of this campaign will be in schools and junior camps. Also, the Marketing Department will be attending AARP and other conventions
which target seniors.
The Real Estate Committee gave a report to the board in which they recommend
the sale of our headquarter facility. The deterioration of the area surrounding our current location makes it
imperative that the ACBL headquarters be relocated.
A committee will be appointed and report back to the board at the Atlanta
NABC in July 2005 regarding affordable Insurance for Clubs, Units, and Districts.
A Century Club will be established for our members that reach 100 years
of age and an appropriate mention will be made in the Bulletin of this achievement.
NABC Site Selection:
A motion was made that Zones will no longer be criteria for site selections
for NABCs. I voted for this motion but it was soundly defeated. It is my opinion that NABC sites are selected because it is some Zone’s
“turn” to have a tournament. I believe we should select sites that our
members wish to come to. As one board members said, “Bridge players vote with their feet and dollars”. Pittsburgh was a very good example of this. The Pittsburgh hospitality was outstanding and the volunteers did a superb
job….BUT, Pittsburgh, the first week in March is cold,
rainy, and snowing, and the playing site left much to be desired. The attendance at the tournament was a big disappointment.
The Director in Charge fee will be replaced with an across the board increase to Tournament Director’s
session rates.
1. On DiC fees, non-salaried TD’s are paid in DiC fees.
2. It is understood that the fee charged to the tournament sponsor includes
an amount that pays the DiC fee.
Payment of WBF Dues: Beginning January 1, 2005, ACBL will remit to the WBF dues based upon
ACBL’s membership* excluding members classified as juniors.
*For all purposes, ACBL’s membership is the sum of all paid members and
active unpaid Life Members.
Previously, the WBF received monies based on ACBL members, including those
who had not participated in bridge for many years. This is quite a cost savings to the ACBL and I was very much in favor of
this.
Youth Camps:
Management will bring information to the board at the Summer 2005 NABC
regarding their efforts to have bridge included as part of organized summer
camps, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Youth Camps of all kinds.
Junior Fund Games:
Monies raised from Junior Fund games will be available for all junior activities. The first $50,000 or the amount collected annually, whichever is less,
will be given in July of the following year to the USBF to fund Junior
Team activities.
I am pleased to say that this was my motion and it passed. Beginning in 2006, all International Junior competition will be directed
by the USBF. Now money raised from Junior Fund Month and Junior games throughout the
year can be used to recruit young juniors to the game of bridge. Previously, Junior funds were used primarily to finance a very small number
of Juniors (Age 21 – 25) to compete in International Bridge events.
Board Operations:
Carried unanimously.
“There will be an oversight committee of the Board, appointed by the President,
whose duties will include addressing issues of conduct by Board members. The members of this committee will be appointed for three year staggered
terms and must be duly elected Board of Directors Representatives and not
be an officer of the ACBL Board”
Carried unanimously.