Happy New Year! I wish you all a healthy and joyous 2020 with lots of good bridge!

Actions at the San Francisco ACBL Board Meeting

Philadelphia NABC

After the success of the 2018 Philadelphia NABC, I was approached by ACBL management to consider the scheduling of another NABC in Philadelphia. Although Philadelphia typically hosts the spring NABC, after the issues with the Flower Show, the snow and the two St. Patrick's Day parades during the 2018 NABC, I replied that we would happily host another NABC, but only in the summer or fall.

Contracts were approved in San Francisco for two upcoming national tournaments to be held in Philadelphia. We will be hosting NABCs in the summer of 2025 and 2030. The NABCs will be at the Marriott in downtown Philadelphia with overflow playing space in the Convention Center.

A motion was also passed at the meetings to allow earlier start times in some NABC events in Atlanta. With an aging membership, we might want to consider earlier times in Philadelphia.

Clubs

A motion was passed to increase the amount of time allowed for the running of Club Appreciation games from only the month of October to the month of October and the first half of the month of November. This is to allow clubs that don't run every day more time to schedule these games that will pay some gold points.

ACBL Live for Clubs is available and being used by at least 60% of clubs with a push to have all clubs use it by early next year.

Among other advantages, this new software will enable ACBL to produce lists of NAP and GNT qualifiers.

Finance

Each year as part of the budgeting process, the Finance Director, working with the Finance Committee, will review all ACBL products and their related expenses and include suggested changes in the prices of those products as part of the annual budget. Motions on pricing of ACBL products will no longer be made by board members, but the entire board will maintain final approval of changes as part of the budgeting process.

Currently motions to change in sanction fees, membership fees and tournament director fees come from the board of directors. In the future these changes will be made as part of the budget process in an effort to match revenues with expenses.

Tournaments

A motion to put limits on the size of brackets for KO events was withdrawn. A motion was passed to correct the masterpoints that are awarded to events with very small brackets.

The age to participate in senior events at tournaments was raised in Las Vegas. The Senior age was raised from 60 to 65 and Super Senior was raised from 70 to 75.

At the Columbus NABC all players who had previously attained the senior age were grandfathered in to play in senior events effective 1/1/20.

Conduct committees at regional tournaments are eliminated. In the future any disciplinary issues will be handled by the director-in-charge.

Miscellaneous

Unit Disciplinary and Recorder positions have been eliminated. Unit Disciplinary and Recorder issues are to be submitted to the District Recorder for consideration.

DISTRICT 4 PLAYERS WHO MADE THE OVERALLS IN NATIONAL EVENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

Mitchell Open B-A-M: 17 - Connie Goldberg

Mini Blue Ribbon Pairs: 7 - Lisa Mita; 28 - John Dickenson, Susan Morse

Mixed Swiss Teams: 21 - Bob and Joann Glasson

DISTRICT 4 PLAYERS WHO SCORED IN THE HIGH OVERALLS IN REGIONAL EVENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

International Fund Pairs: 1 - Janis Wachsman

Sunday Open Pairs: 8 - Bob and Joann Glasson

Monday Compact KO 3: 2 - Lisa Mita

Monday Evening A/X/Y Swiss Teams: 9 - Michael Shuster

A/X/Y Pairs: 6 - Bob and Joann Glasson

Tuesday Open Pairs: 2 - Bob and Joann Glasson

Thursday A/X Pairs: 8 - David Hoffner

Thursday Side Pairs: 3 - John Gassenheimer; Jill Fisch

Thursday Compact KO 2: 2 - David and Janis Wachsman

Saturday Side Pairs: 3 - John Gassenheimer; Jill Fisch