Greetings!

The recent ACBL National Board meetings in San Francisco were substantive and highly productive. To keep you informed of our progress, this report outlines the key outcomes of those sessions—including ACBL financials, membership trends, and tournament developments.

This report also highlights the ongoing efforts to combat online cheating, alongside summaries of committee actions, election results, and the ACBL 2026 award recipients.

I am deeply honored by the unanimous vote of my peers to serve as ACBL Board President. While I am energized to take on this national role, my commitment to District 17 remains steadfast. I look forward to balancing both responsibilities and continuing to serve our bridge community.

Please feel free to share your feedback by replying to this message. I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Land of Enchantment Regional in Albuquerque (January 12–18) and at our District 17 tournaments throughout the year.

Respectfully,



Cindy Shoemaker

region10director@acbl.org

719-337-6258

The 2026 operating and capital budgets were approved.  Budgeted revenues for 2026 total $18,188,000 while estimated operating and administrative expenses total approximately $18,168,000; an estimated gain of approximately $20,000.  

The capital budget totals $780,000, the majority of which will be spent on the migration of applications from the legacy AS400 platform to a modern web-based environment.

The November 2025 report indicates a 7% decline in total Membership, falling from 128,622 last year to 119,618.

This is accompanied by a slight dip in new Member acquisition, with YTD sign-ups reaching 5,663, down from 6,181 in 2024. However, these figures are balanced by a significant expansion in new guest memberships, which rose from 2,813 last year to 7,524 this year—a growth of 167.47%. This substantial interest represents a vital path to recovery as we work to advance guest members from initial engagement to long-term commitment.

The ACBL continues to utilize EDGAR (Everyone Deserves a Game Above Reproach) to detect online cheating. Two large, new runs, comprising almost 20,000 player numbers were submitted in August and September.

Since February 1, 2024, 31,057 players have been submitted for screening. Of those, 1,462 players identified by EDGAR have been charged or have received Official Warnings. The current online cheating rate, which includes all players (Members, non-members, and inactive accounts), is estimated to be between 3 and 4%. This number will decrease as all players who were subject to Player Memos for purported ethical violations have now been run. We estimate the final rate will be ~3%.



Disciplinary actions have included Official Warnings (431); Fast Track Discipline (FTD) (719); Negotiated Resolutions (NR) (50); Management Adjudications (7); and Institute of Bridge Arbitration (IBA) resolutions (44); with 35 resignations with pending charges, and 139 pending cases.

The Committee Chair reported on three approved Negotiated Resolutions (NR). Two of these cases involved conduct violations at tournaments; one was a repeat offender who agreed to a 6-month suspension for acts of abuse or violence and rude behavior. The other player received a 120-day suspension for public accusations of cheating and improper conduct at the Summer NABC in Philadelphia. A third NR was for Misuse of Hand Records. He was a Virtual Club director who made use of his access to Common Game records to cheat in online games. He agreed to a 2-year suspension. This person was still directing at the time his behavior was detected, so Management issued a Suspension Pending Hearing (SPH) until the case was resolved.

Click here to view Hearing Reports and the Under Discipline List.

Following the summer 2025 meetings in Philadelphia, this update details the Championships for All initiative. This strategic restructuring of the NABC business model aims to improve operational efficiency, bolster financial sustainability, and elevate the tournament experience for players of all skill levels.

This includes consolidating events, streamlining schedules, and right-sizing venues to optimize staffing and volunteer time. Also, implementing pre-registration and tiered pricing to align fees with participation and facility costs.

The fall 2028 NABC in Austin will serve as the pilot for this streamlined model. Its success will be evaluated using participation trends, budget outcomes, and Member feedback to maintain an adaptable and inclusive approach.

SUMMER 2031 SITE SELECTED



The Board approved the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the summer 2031 NABC due to availability, projected profitability and waived resort fees. 

Governance continues to streamline the ACBL Codification, the central repository of Board-approved rules and regulations. By shifting operational details out of the Codification, the Committee aims to provide greater clarity and transparency regarding the regulations that impact Members.

The Committee completed and the Board approved the Board Resource Manual (Motion 253-GV05). This internal guide serves as the definitive reference for governance, procedural, ethical, and administrative matters of the Board.

Following this project, Codification, Chapter IV - Board Procedures, was replaced by the newly revised Chapter IV: Governance and Operations (Motion 253-GV04), with the exception of the Committee sections which are being revised.

Looking ahead, upcoming Codification deliverables include formal approval of the rewrite of the Membership Chapter and revisions to the Unit and District Chapters. Also, a focus on standardizing terminology and phrasing across all foundational documents, with a key priority on implementing gender-neutral language, will occur.

Additional motions include:

Motion 253-GV01: Transfers independent management of the ACBL Charitable Recognition Award to the ACBL Charity Foundation, continuing the tradition of honoring Members for exceptional dedication to charitable causes.

Motion 253-GV02: Establishes a Board Oversight Committee framework, including the Code of Conduct and ethical commitments expected of Board Members, and outlining the disciplinary process for infractions.

Motion 253-GV03: Amends Codification Chapter I - Membership, A. Membership, Section 2, Definitions and Rights of ACBL Membership by defining the rights and responsibilities of non-members. 

Motion 253-GV06: Amends Codification, Chapter VII - International Bridge, B. WBF Representatives and NABF Board Members by clarifying requirements for North American Bridge Federation (NABF) Board Members and revising requirements for the NABF Representative to the World Bridge Federation (WBF) Executive Council, specifically setting a two-year term and requiring the representative to be an active ACBL Board Member.

Non-agenda Item 253-01: Formalizes the ACBL Organizational Framework, the hierarchy of governing documents that define the structure, rules, and operating procedures for the ACBL and the ACBL Board of Directors.

Motion 253-BY01: Advisory Council Committees (First Reading). This amendment to Article IX, Section 9.2 of the ACBL Bylaws proposes granting the Advisory Council full discretion over its committee formations, allowing committees to be established as needed rather than by mandate. 

Following this First Reading, the proposal remains subject to a second Board approval, ACBL Bridge Bulletin publication, and final ratification by the Advisory Council.

The Committee updated the Conflict of Interest forms, distributed and collected the forms for 2025/26 from both incumbent and incoming Board Members, and emphasized the importance of self-reporting any potential conflicts.

Cindy Shoemaker, Region 10, was elected by acclamation as ACBL President for a one-year term, January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026. 

Dennis Carman, Region 5, was elected as ACBL Vice President for a one-year term, January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026. 

Joann Glasson, Region 3, was elected as ACBL Treasurer for a one-year term, January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026. 

Rebecca Brown, Region 9, was elected by acclamation as ACBL 401K Trustee to complete the unexpired portion of the four-year term (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2028) held by David Lodge, Region 11, effective January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028. 

Margot Hennings, Region 4, was elected by acclamation as the North American Bridge Federation (NABF) Representative to the World Bridge Federation (WBF) Executive Council for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027. 

Tim White, Region 13, was elected by acclamation as a North American Bridge Federation (NABF) Member to complete the unexpired portion of the three-year term (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2027) held by Mark Aquino, Region 2, effective November 23, 2025 – December 31, 2027.  



The following individuals have been certified as duly elected to the ACBL Board of Directors for a three-year term (January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028): Dennis Carman, Region 5; Cornelia Gould, Region 11; Margot Hennings, Region 4; and Susan Miguel, Region 2.