DISTRICT 9 UPDATE BY SHIRLEY SEALS ShirleySealsFl@aol.com
SUNSHINE BRIDGE NEWS ARTICLE – MAY / JUNE 2006
SHIRLEY SEALS – DISTRICT 9 DIRECTOR
Our board meetings here at the Dallas NABC have just ended
and the following is a recap of some of the actions taken by the National
Board.
- The Insurance
Committee met in very long sessions with Met Life to develop a policy
which would provide coverage to Directors and Officers of ACBL Units and
Districts with some general liability. This is a policy that ACBL
would fund and would be available to all Units and Districts.
Clarification of many issues, including cost, will be investigated
and the findings brought to the Board of Directors at the Chicago NABC
this summer. The development of an insurance plan to cover Districts and
Units will be a great savings in cost......plus provide coverage for those
Units and Districts who presently are not covered.
- ACBL
will host, and partially fund, a World Bridge Federation Junior Individual
Championship Competition in July 2007 in Nashville, Tennessee. This
competition is open to all Juniors 26 years old and younger. Juniors
will play with many partners…chosen at random for this three day
event. No pre-registration is required. As we get closer to
the July 2007 date, I will have more precise information. Please get
in touch with me if you are a Junior, have Juniors at your club or home,
or know of a Junior interested in participating.
- In an
effort to make Pair Games more competitive with Knock-Out events, a motion
was made to allow Regional Pair Events to receive credit for the average
number of tables in I/N pair events and Side Game series sessions held
simultaneously with the pair event. This was approved by the board
and referred to the Masterpoint Committee for action.
- I have
saved the best news for last. As you know the membership in ACBL has
been static for many years. Currently our membership is 154,000 with
District 9 (Florida) having approximately 18,000 members. One of my main
goals has been to develop a comprehensive marketing plan directed at the
50+ age group. As a direct result of ACBL Management presence at AARP
conventions, we are working closely with AARP to establish a number of
ACBL-AARP games culminating with an ACBL tournament at the AARP convention
this year in Anaheim. These games will be held in Alexandria, Chicago
(NABC), Phoenix, Seattle and Atlanta, sites selected by AARP.
AARP is committed to promoting these games to its 36 million members.
This is one of the most exciting outreach programs in the history of
the ACBL. We are optimistic that the exposure of bridge by AARP will
increase our membership drastically over the coming years.
- Please
keep in mind the emphasis on teaching bridge. Teaching bridge continues to
be a force in bringing new players into the game and new members to ACBL.
Teachers recruited 6,405 new members in 2005
Thank you all again for allowing me to serve you, and our
District, on the National board. I travel with a laptop so it is very
easy to contact me by e-mail, telephone, or FAX. I always welcome your
comments.
Check our District 9 website for all the current information on tournaments
and other events of interest. www.District9ACBL.org