DISTRICT 9 UPDATE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007

 

FALL 2006 NABC BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS:

 

It is with pleasure that I can report that I was elected as the representative for the Eastern Zone on the Executive Committee for a three year term beginning the first of the year. The Executive Committee is called upon to deal with urgent matters that come up between regular board meetings.  I hope this is an indication of good things to come….the election for President of ACBL for the year 2008 takes place in July at the Nashville NABC 2007 board meeting.

 

The Trustees of Charity Foundation met and I was again elected as the Treasurer for a one year term.  Each year the Charity Foundation gives $20,000 to five (5) Districts on a rotating basis.  District 9 receives these charity grants in the year 2007.  This sum can be divided into no more than five (5) separate grants, each of which must be made to a qualified 501c (3) organization. 

If you would like to recommend an organization that meets these qualifications, please let me know.  

 

We are so proud of our Florida players:

 

*Zeke Jabbour was voted as the ACBL Honorary member of the Year for 2007.  Zeke is a frequent player in our Regional tournaments and is the popular author of the “Winsome and Loathsome” column in the Bridge Bulletin magazine.

 

*Steve Garner and Howard Weinstein won the prestigious Life Master Open Pairs event at the Hawaii NABC.

 

Jay Baum, CEO of ACBL, reported that membership in ACBL is predicted to increase 1,375 new members by year end.  Also, table count in Regional, Sectional and STAC games show increases in 2006. 

 

With the sale of the Product Store, office space required by management has diminished greatly.  The headquarters building and warehouse are up for sale and an offer to purchase has been made.   There is nothing concrete to report since the sale has not been finalized.

 

The ACBL Board of Directors will engage in an educational program at the March 2007 board meeting in St. Louis.  The program will last one day and be conducted by Board Source, a consulting organization, with topics determined by the President and Management.

 

A motion was made to designate a specific month as Educational Foundation Month.  This decision was deferred to the Spring 2007 board meeting.

 

The board voted against a motion to issue a sanction to the European Bridge League to issue ACBL masterpoints to ACBL members attending a European Open Bridge Championship.

 

A motion to eliminate the requirement of ACBL Sanctioned Clubs to run Charity Games was passed unanimously.  However, if clubs choose to run a Charity Game, the first ACBL sanctioned charity game, if any, plus at least every other subsequent game conducted by a club in a calendar year, must be for the benefit of the ACBL Charity Foundation.  Games that are not run for ACBL, may be for the benefit of any governmentally-recognized charity, charity foundation or charity fund.

 

A motion to allow full time or part time ACBL Tournament Directors to serve as elected or appointed Unit or District Board members was defeated.  This would be in direct conflict with employment policies within ACBL.

 

A motion to approve the origination of an ACBL Foundation to fund educational, charitable, social, scientific and historic endeavors that either promote bridge or for the benefit of bridge players or bridge entities was defeated.  This was a very close vote.  I voted against forming another foundation since we have in place an ACBL Educational Foundation and ACBL Charity Foundation.

 

The Finance Committee worked long and hard hours to complete budget projections for 2007.  The 2006 budget figures show a loss of approximately

$120,000, but the projections for 2007 are favorable.

 

I was pleased to see so many Floridians at the Nationals in Honolulu.  Many of players won or placed in National events.  It is not too early to start planning a trip to St. Louis for the Spring NABC.  All NABC events in 2007 will be at Marriott Hotels.

 

 

Shirley Seals