In This Issue | Successful Tournaments | EZ Online Sanctioning | What Do I Do Now? | Charity at Home
Are You Linked? | Liability Insurance | Privacy Issues | Best Practices

American Contract Bridge League
Unit/District Officer eNewsletter
July 2005

Welcome to the first ACBL Unit and District Officer eNewsletter. The newsletter will be distributed electronically twice a year - in January and July - to all members profiled in our database as a unit and/or district officer.

With annual changes in unit and district boards, it is often difficult for newcomers to know the score, if you will, when it comes to insurance, bylaws, charity funds, etc. We hope this will keep you better informed in order to better serve your organizations. Your suggestions for future editions are welcome. Just send them to marketing@acbl.org.

We have not included an opt-out feature for this newsletter. We want you to read it! But if you choose not to, there's always the delete key. If you are mistakenly profiled as a unit or district officer, please contact us.

Successful Tournaments

We urge all tournament volunteers to check out the extensive Tournament Management section of the web site. It includes the Guide for Planning Sectional and Regional Tournaments, IN Tournament Planning Guide, Caddy Master's Guide and extensive information for tournament publicity - with important new e-mail advertising guidelines and a sample press release.

E-Z Online Sanctioning

We've made tournament sanctioning easier through online capabilities. Units and district tournament coordinators must have e-mail access. Sanction applications are submitted by the coordinator using our online sanction form. The person noted as tournament correspondent on the application also must have e-mail access, and the tournament contact should have access as well. Coordinators will receive an address for a bulletin board that includes the application and other tournament messages. In addition, anyone can post questions and comments at the open Tournament Chair Forum.

What Do I Do Now?

The ACBL provides a number of handbooks for unit officers. All could be used for similar positions at the district level. They include handbooks for the president, membership chair and more. Go to Resources for Units.

Charity at Home

Many members still wonder about the charity of the year. The charity of the year is now many worthy organizations selected by districts themselves, not by the parent ACBL Charity Foundation. This allows charity funds to remain in local areas to maximize interest from both members and media. Even if you are not a designated district this year, let your members know that their charity funds support such causes as juvenile diabetes and Meals on Wheels. They will want the generosity of others when their turn comes. The CBF Charitable Fund handles contributions in Canada. Please read important information about Charity Grants.

Are You Linked?

Dozens of units still are not linked to the ACBL web site. Some may have changed the site address and not notified us. Please go to District and Unit Web Sites to see if you are linked correctly. Send new addresses to webmaster@acbl.org.

Liability Insurance

Director's and Officer's (D&O) Liability Insurance is available for units and districts. For an application, contact Debbie Hill at Lipscomb and Pitts Insurance at 901-321-1000. The premium for units has been $475. The premium for the districts has been $1275. The ACBL is exploring insurance alternatives for the units and districts. General liability insurance also is available. Contact Denesa at J.D. Tanner & Associates at 800-609-1010. General liability covers slips, falls, libel and slander.

Privacy Issues

Privacy issues are becoming an increasingly complex issue. One member recently asked us to use his member number as his name so his name would not appear on recap sheets! Federal law is clear that you may not publish private information about a person (name, phone, address, e-mail address) without that person's permission. Unit 144 in Memphis , for example, provides members with an update form for the annual unit directory. We know of at least one district that published information on the web site without members' permission and was bombarded with complaints. Click here to view the ACBL's privacy policy.

Share your ideas for successful membership drives, tournaments, volunteer recruitment and more. Send ideas for future issues to marketing@acbl.org. Use Best Practices as your subject.

Free for a Day

Unit 126 in Connecticut, offers a day of free entries to non-members at sectionals with a second day free if they join. Such a deal!

More Advertising Help

Unit 128 in Florida, uses its member rebate funds to further reimburse teachers and clubs advertising for lessons beyond what is available from the ACBL Cooperative Advertising Program. What a great use of these resources!

For additional information and services for units and districts,
please contact us toll free at 800-467-1623 or e-mail us at service@acbl.org.