Dear Cindy,

The ACBL Board of Directors held its fall meetings face-to-face (F2F) Monday, November 21 through Wednesday, November 23, 2022 in Phoenix, AZ. The ACBL Board of Directors, committees and work groups continue to meet regularly through Zoom and conference calls.

The information presented in this report has been sourced from the ACBL Board Committee Chairs and the fall Management Report. Meeting minutes will be posted to the ACBL website early January 2023.

Happy Holidays,

Cindy Shoemaker

Region 10 (District 17) Director

ACBL National Board

As of September 30, 2022, the ACBL has 136,892 members and assets of $16,884,757. The ACBL has an operating loss of $715K for the first nine months of 2022.

Although Providence was a successful NABC with 7,500 tables, the financial loss from the tournament was $68K before the allocation of NABC overhead expenses. NABCs that are held in convention centers are typically more expensive to run than NABCs where the play is held within the hotel. It is expected that the Phoenix NABC will incur a loss as well.

Management presented the 2023 budget to the Board at the meetings, predicting a loss of $1M in 2023. The Board voted against the budget and tasked management with making substantial cuts in overhead to more closely align income and expenses.

The Board approved continued funding for Boost Face-to-Face Bridge, a pilot program of the ACBL and the ACBL Educational Foundation, which launched in September of 2022. The program is aimed at building membership by providing support for F2F beginning bridge teachers and F2F bridge clubs. Selected teachers must offer guest memberships to students and have access to a F2F club where students can take lessons and advance to in-person supervised play. 

The ACBL uses social media ad campaigns to identify individuals interested in learning bridge. Leads generated from these campaigns are then funneled to participating teachers. The ACBL is tracking program results and analyzing the data to ensure efficiencies in lead acquisition/cost.

Appeals and Charges (A&C) held no hearings subsequent to those it reported on during the November 14 Special Board meeting. In Phoenix, A&C reported that a matter concerning a Negotiated Resolution (NR) was still pending. A&C rejected the NR but offered the parties a condition for acceptance by A&C. A&C will report further on this matter during its next report to the Board on hearings. Hearing reports are available at the Ethics & Discipline area of the ACBL website here: https://www.acbl.org/ethics//

A&C has been working with bridge constituencies toward implementation of a computer-based cheating detection tool in ACBL’s disciplinary regime.

A&C has been in communication with the Advisory Council’s Anti-Cheating Committee, ACBL’s Online Ethical Oversight Committee, ACBL Recorder’s Office, cheating detection tool developers and organizers of the Institute for Bridge Arbitration (IBA). Working with its developers, A&C has been coordinating the approach for determining the tool’s fitness for purpose of the ACBL, including validation studies, independent review and a documenting report.

A&C has developed a draft Standing Order that will implement provisions for discipline based on use of a cheating detection tool, including those involving the IBA. The IBA will be an independent body affiliated with the American Arbitration Association. It is the body to which cases not eligible for more limited disciplinary action will be referred. It will also hear appeals of cases involving discipline imposed for first degree ethical violations. IBA’s board is in place. It is identifying candidate arbitrators who have expertise in bridge and is developing a training program for its arbitrators.

The Strategic Committee Chair reiterated that F2F clubs are key to building membership and are essential to bridge education and to maintaining community, and emphasized the Board’s commitment to a robust return to F2F bridge. The committee then outlined a proposal for a new fee structure, and pooling and volume rebates for virtual clubs and in-person clubs who operate a VACB. The proposal was accepted by the Board, and an action item was put forth to management for implementation in January 2023. 

The Communications Task Force Chair reported the progress and completion of 11 initiatives for 2022. This includes the creation of national board reports and the refinement of the ACBL Board page contained in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin. 

The Governance Committee Chair re-emphasized the important work the committee and the Board will continue through 2023:

Understanding governance in the context of the ACBL is key to transitioning to a smaller Board of Directors—it is important to ensure that the Board, management, the Advisory Council, supporting committees and other stakeholders (the 13 Regions comprising the 25 Districts and 300+ Units, members, teachers, club owners, online partners) are able to work together with clearly defined roles, responsibilities and authorities.

Continuing work by the Governance Committee to streamline the Codification will help make governance understandable to all these groups. In fact, one recognized objective of good governance is, “…holding the balance between economic [ACBL Budget] and social goals [Customer Satisfaction] and between individual [players in different Districts] and communal goals [what is best for most/on average]...." This objective is a primary consideration in our ongoing work.

Only one motion was on the Phoenix Governance agenda: Motion Item 223-GV01 consolidates and clarifies the process and procedures pertaining to Board minutes, particularly as it relates to the Board page contained in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin. 

Motion carried: 18-0-0

Effective: November 2022

In July and August, IT operations underwent a review by a Board-appointed expert volunteer committee that identified areas of high risk and set priorities. A consultant has been engaged to help move these recommendations forward and the search for a new IT Director is being conducted. The modernization of applications that reside on the AS400 is a top priority.  

The Bridge Committee considered a number of bridge-related motions during its fall meeting:

Motion (Item 223-BR01) increases the limited regional allocation to Districts from three to five, providing Districts with greater flexibility to incentivize I/Ns to return to F2F tournament play. 

Motion carried: 15-0-1

Effective: November 2022

The ACBL allocates to each District one week of Sectional-rated F2F NABC fundraising games in each of the three years prior to an NABC held within a District. Motion (Item 223-BR02) provides Districts with an additional opportunity to raise funds for NABC hospitality through special Virtual Club (VACB) games. In addition, it allows the weeks to be counted on a 12-month calendar preceding the NABC, providing greater flexibility, especially for NABCs held on or before 2025. 

Unanimous in committee and moved to the consent calendar.

Effective: November 2022

The Canadian Bridge Federation has the right to hold a regional to benefit its teams. Motion (Item 223-BR03) gives the Mexican Bridge Federation the same right, subject to the same regulations. 

Motion carried: 17-0-1

Effective: November 2022

Motion (Item 223-BR04) moves that management designate one week in each of the Special Games months for VACBs to hold special games for the designated charities -- Junior Fund, Educational Foundation, Grass Roots Fund, International Fund and ACBL Charity Foundation, a charity or charity fund. In April, VACB games held during the designated week will benefit the ACBL Charity Foundation.  

Motion carried: 16-1-1

Effective date: January 2023

Motion (Item 223-BR05) provides Units the ability to reduce costs by permitting Tournament Assistants and club directors to run Local Sectionals and NLM Sectionals. 

The ACBL will provide educational content for Tournament Assistants and club directors who wish to be eligible to run Local and/or NLM Sectionals or assist during larger tournaments. 

The Tournament Assistants and club directors will be required to pass a test on directing skills once every two years to continue working during those tournaments. 

Motion carried: 15-2-0-1

Effective: January 2023

Motion (Item 223-BR06) creates an Ace of Virtual Clubs race in addition to the Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs. All sanctioned games held at VACBs are to be counted in the Ace of Virtual Clubs races at the Unit, District and ACBL-wide levels. These VACB games are not to be counted in the Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs race which will be for F2F club play only.  

An amendment to the motion was proposed stating that sanctioned games held at VACBs are not to be counted in the Mini-McKenney race. Because of the potential impact, this amendment will be reconsidered in an upcoming January Board meeting. 

Motion carried: 18-0-0

Effective: January 2023 

Motion (Item 223-BR07) allows VACBs a virtual appreciation club of the week in October with increased masterpoint awards. 

Motion failed: 6-11-1

Two Royal STaCs have been allocated to each District beginning in 2023.

The Royal STaC deviates from a regular STaC in that players can earn 25% silver, 25% gold, 25% red and 25% black masterpoints instead of all silver points.

Joann Glasson, District 4, was elected by acclamation as ACBL President for a second one-year term, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.

Margot Hennings, Region 4, was elected by acclamation to the newly formed position of ACBL Vice President for a one-year term, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. 

David Lodge, Region 11, was elected by acclamation as the ACBL Treasurer for a one-year term, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.

The following individuals have been certified as having been duly elected to the ACBL Board of Directors for four-year terms, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026:

Jeff Overby, Region 8; Cindy Shoemaker, Region 10 and Jackie Zayac, Region 12. 

ACBL CHARITY FOUNDATION ELECTION

The National Board elected Jennifer O’Neill, District 17, as a Trustee to the ACBL Charity Foundation for a four-year term, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026. 

Brian Platnick, District 13 and Franco Baseggio, District 24 were appointed as the Nadine Wood Volunteer Members of the Year. 

Morris Jones, District 23, was appointed the 2023 Aileen Osofsky ACBL Goodwill Member of the Year.

Betty Starzec, District 16, was appointed as the 2023 ACBL Honorary Member of the Year.  

David Lodge, Region 11, was appointed as the Western Zone Executive Committee member for a three-year term, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025.  

Cindy Shoemaker, Region 10, was appointed as the Western Zone Executive Committee member alternate for a three-year term, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025.