District 19, ACBL, Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, June 14, 2004, Penticton, BC
1. The meeting was called to order by President Angela-Taylor Ferguson
at 9:30 a.m. She declared a quorum with the following members present:
Jennifer Ballantyne, Steve Hosch, Stuart Iedema, Dave Morrone, Kris
Motoyoshi, Barbara Nist, Gay Parrish, Margaret Pearce, David Schmidt,
and Angela Taylor-Ferguson. Absent were Dave Grubbs and Tom Hansen.
Also present were Dudley Brown, Secretary, and Clay Gerstenberger,
Treasurer, and for part of the meeting, Roger Putnam, District Tournament
Coordinator, and Matt Smith, Area Field Supervisor.
2. President Taylor-Ferguson allowed the following additions to
the Agenda:
a. Item 4.o. District Educational Liaison’s Report.
b. Item 6.h. The Status of contracts for the Victoria 2007 and 2009
Regionals.
c. Item 7.d(1). Anchorage Regional Free Play policy.
d. Item 7.d(2). Western Conference STaC.
e. Item 7.d(3). Tournament Staffing.
3. Schmidt moved and Ballantyne seconded to accept the minutes of
the Richmond meeting with the addition of “(One time only)”
to Paragraph 7e to be inserted after “Richmond 2004 Regional”.
Motion passed unanimously.
4. The following reports were received:
a. Treasurer Gerstenberger presented the following reports:
Wenatchee 2003 Regional Report showing a loss of $2,460
Puget Sound 2003 Regional Report showing a loss of $10,142
Penticton 2003 Regional Report showing a gain of $26,689 (U.S. equivalent)
2003 Regional Summary Report showing a net gain of $14,087
A 2003 Year Ending Report
b. The Treasurer asked that the exchange rate be established for
the money exchange service being offered by the District at the tournament.
Schmidt move and Parrish seconded to give$130 Canadian currency for
$100 U.S. Motion passed with 8 yes votes and 2 no votes with Nist
and Ballantyne recording their negative votes.
c. Schmidt discussed his DINO Budget Analysis Report covering 1997
through 2003, which showed that the District on an average expended
approximately $19,700 yearly for non-tournament items. He stated that
several expense categories were missing. The Treasurer said he would
check and submit a corrected computer disc for last year as soon as
he found why his computer program omitted them. Ballantyne moved and
Morrone seconded to accept the report as presented with the understanding
that a revised report would be furnished when corrected. Motion passed
unanimously.
d. Schmidt reported that he had sent out messages about the District
Charity Week games to clubs and would follow up with a correction
aligning the day with the correct date for the District wide hand
record game.
e. Tournament Administrator Brown requested that copies of playing
site contracts be furnished him as soon as signed.
f. Nist discussed possible ACBL Board action regarding lowering
the minimum age to qualify for junior status. She also said there
was consideration of changing the Recorder system so that the recorder
could not initiate an action against an individual.
g. In the absence of the Multi Level Committee Chairman, Parrish
discussed problems in setting District finals dates and locations
for the NAP and GNT. She is coordinating with the CBF to try to ensure
no conflicts with CBF events. The NAP finals are scheduled for the
first weekend in December during the Tacoma Sectional. Parrish got
agreement that the District would exercise the option of qualifying
60% to the District NAP finals and that Mid Chart could be used in
the Flight A finals.
h. Hosch reported that there were no current judiciary items.
i. In the absence of an I/N Report, President Taylor-Ferguson appointed
Morrone to replace Bower as the District I/N Coordinator.
j. Brown stated that for District Board positions for British Columbia
at Large, Vancouver Island, and Alaska, for the 2005-2007 period,
had been advertised.
k. Roger Putnam gave a new print out of tournament dates and made
verbal updates.
l. Nist reported which Board members had submitted their 2004 appointments
for the District Goodwill Committee and asked that other Board members
submit their appointments so individuals can be recognized during
the tournament and invited to the I/N-Goodwill Reception.
m. Dee Berry, District Education Liaison, submitted a written report
covering activities from March 28 2003 through early June 2004.
(1) The District has run Teacher Accreditation Programs as follows:
For the ABA in Seattle in March 2003 with three graduates
Victoria in March 2003 with 8 Canadian graduates
Penticton in June, 2003 with 12 graduates
Redmond, WA, in October 2003 with 9 school teachers graduating
Vancouver, B.C, in January 2004 with 6 Canadian and 4 U.S. graduates
(2) There were Director’s courses Sunday through Tuesday,
and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. This was the first time
courses were offered in the Northwest. There were over 20 participants
for the Club Directors Course and fewer for the Directors Update Course.
(3) There were teachers’ meetings at the Victoria 2003, Penticton
2003, and Seattle 2003 Regionals. ACBL President Al Levy was a draw
at the Victoria meeting but the other two were poorly attended, probably
due to the popularity of morning knockout events.
(4) I presented a talk to 24 novices at the Spokane Sectional.
(5) Speaker programs at the regionals have been well received and
attended with one unfortunate exception. I am not sure whether having
the talks in the main playing area is better than in a separate room
and am open to suggestions.
(6) The following recommendations were made:
Have “Director Please” a fixed item for Friday night.
Have at least two TAPs in 2004 (Penticton and Spokane)
Units should have Unit Growth Seminars (Information is available from
donna.compton<at>acbl.org.
Units should be encouraged to use the ACBL’s advertising program
with reimbursement up to 75%
A cruise director’s course should be offered once a year (How
about in Victoria in a side room between sessions on Wednesday.)
That DINO subsidize $25 per teacher who successfully completes a TAP
and teaches a class of at least 8 students. (At the very least the
bonus should go to a class within the school system which is not adult
education.)
n. President Taylor-Ferguson directed that an item on the benefits
of Unit Growth Seminars be put on the District Web Site. She thanked
Dee Berry for her report and activities as the District Education
Liaison. TAPs at 2005 regionals in Penticton and Spokane and a Cruise
Directors Course at the 2005 Victoria Regional were approved.
5. Unfinished business:
a. Nist reported that the District’s pencils and playing cards
do not qualify for the ACBL Co-Op Advertising program.
b. After discussion as to what response the District is to make
to the CBF’s request to place an ex-quota CBF regional in the
District, Hosch moved and Schmidt seconded to table action indefinitely
on approving a CBF Regional. Motion passed with 5 yes votes, 3 no
votes, and 2 abstentions.
c. Parrish and Ballantyne are coordinating GNT/NAP District Finals
with the CBF to try to make sure there are no conflicts.
d. Hosch reported that he was having difficulty in coordinating
a new contract for regional supplies as no one from District 18 has
responded to his queries.
e. Hosch stated that the contracts for Victoria in 2007 and 2009
were ready to sign but he was waiting to make sure that an alternate
site was not available. The 2007 contract with the Victoria Convention
Centre must be signed soon or the price may change.
f. Larry Chow would appreciate a District letter trying to help
him with his boarder-crossing problem.
g. Nist will get information from the League regarding increasing
the ACBL Insurance rider amount and will email Board members.
h. A decision on whether to have the next Wenatchee regional a 4-day
tournament was deferred until the next meeting at the SeaTac Regional.
6. New Business:
a. Nist moved and Morrone seconded to approve the request from Victoria
for a $800 (CDN) I/N Reception budget for the 2005 Victoria Regional.
Motion passed unanimously.
b. Hosch moved and Pearce seconded to approve the following new
Junior Player Policy: District 19 Junior Player Policy
1. At all District 19 Regionals, the entry fee for paid up ACBL
members in good standing who have not yet reached their 16th birthday
shall be $1 per session in the currency of the country in which the
tournament is held.
2. At all District 19 regionals, the entry fee for paid up ACBL
members in good standing between the ages of 16 and 21 years of age
(Have not yet reached their 22nd birthday) shall be no more than 50%
of the regular entry fee.
3. The above policies shall not apply to professional bridge players
of any age who are receiving direct financial benefit from participating
in the event.
4. District 19 encourages all units and bridge clubs to approve
similar policies for their sectional tournaments and club games.
Above motion was passed unanimously.
c. Parrish moved and Ballantyne seconded to purchase 8 walkie-talkies
for the directors’ use at District regionals. Motion passed
unanimously.
d. Schmidt moved and Pearce seconded that free plays authorized
from District Charity Week games may be used at all District 19 regionals,
including Alaska. Motion passed with 8 yes votes and two abstentions.
e. Hosch moved and Morrone seconded that free plays, excluding Charity
Week ones, that are not tournament specific, could be used an any
District 19 regional including Alaska subject to reimbursement to
Alaska for ones used at that regional. Motion passed with 8 yes votes
and one no vote and one abstention.
f. Parrish moved and Ballantyne seconded to change the rotation
plan moving the Puget Sound Regional out of August. Hosch moved and
Morrone seconded to table the motion until the SeaTac 2004 meeting.
Motion to table passed unanimously.
g. Hosch moved and Iedema seconded that there would be no additional
speakers at Wednesday nights opening ceremonies that were not already
planned for by the Tournament Chair. Motion passed with 9 yes votes
and one abstention.
h. Ballantyne moved and Motoyoshi seconded to order 2500 more decks
of District 19 playing cards to complete the give away cycle. Motion
passed with 7 yes votes, one no vote and two abstentions.
i. Pearce moved and Ballantyne seconded to set reimbursement rates
for this meeting at $170 Canadian per night for lodging and 20 cents
U.S. for mileage. Motion passed with 5 yes votes, two no votes and
3 abstentions.
j. Matt Smith and Roger Putnam addressed the Board’s concerns
regarding staffing at District regionals.
k. President Taylor-Ferguson reported that District clubs would
not be participating in the August Western Conference STaC as approval
from the District and units had not been requested or obtained.
8. The Board was in executive session from 1500 to 1530 hours.
9. Tournaments:
a. Pearce moved and Ballantyne seconded to approve Tony Ferguson
as Chairman for the 2005 Penticton Regional. Motion passed unanimously.
b. Parrish corrected the listing of tournament Liaison and Chairman
as follows:
Tournament: Dates Liaison Chairman
Nanaimo 23-29 Aug 04 Taylor-Ferguson Allen Ferguson
Puget Sound 11-17 Oct 04 Parrish Grubbs
Victoria 2-8 May 05 Taylor-Ferguson Buchanan
Penticton 13-19 June 05 Pearce Tony Ferguson
Puget Sound 22-28 Aug 05 Grubbs Parrish
Spokane 10-16 Oct 05 Motoyoshi Wimett/Hols
Richmond 9-15 Jan 06 Ballantyne Ballantyne
Penticton 12-18 Jun 06 Pearce Tony Ferguson
Puget Sound 21-27 Aug 06 Hansen
Yakima 9-15 Oct 06 Iedema
10. The next meeting will be October 11, 2004 at 9:30 at the SeaTac
Double Tree Hotel.
11. Their being no further business the President adjourned the
meeting at 1630 hours.
Respectfully submitted,
DUDLEY BROWN
Secretary
