SAN ANTONIO 1999
San Antonio provided a wonderful playing site and an excellent venue for
the Summer NABC. Attendance was 5% over projections to 12,281 tables. The
weather was hot and sunny. The famous River Walk provided an abundance of
eating establishments and unique shops. Overall it was a well-run
tournament with ample playing space.
The Hall of Fame banquet took place at the start of the tournament. This
glamorous event was full of emotion, especially with the tributes paid to
inductee Bobby Goldman who unexpectedly died in May. Paul Soloway did
himself and our district proud as the presenter. Kathie Wei-Sender and Bob
Hamman were the other living inductees.
The current yearly selection process starts with nominations from the Hall
of Fame committee. There are two nomination categories, living and
deceased players. Living nominees must be at least 60 years of age.
Ballots go to the top masterpoint holders, journalists and administrators.
The nominating committee also selects two Hall of Fame inductees. If you
are attending a summer NABC plan to attend this very special event.
World Bridge Federation
Jose Damiani, President of the World Bridge Federation, announced that the
International Olympic Committee has named the WBF as a Recognized
International Federation.
This means that the IOC now recognizes bridge as a mental sport. The IOC
has three categories of sports, physical, mental, and mechanical. The WBF
is making a major effort to include bridge as part of the Winter Olympics.
However, the charter must be modified because the current Winter Olympics
contains only physical sports that are held on ice or snow.
As a preview of what the Olympics might hold, the IOC will host a second
Olympic Grand Prix bridge tournament at its headquarters in Lausanne,
Switzerland, September, 1999, one year after its first bridge tournament.
There will be two events - an open team event between six teams selected
from around the world, including one North American team and a women's
event with four North American pairs playing against four European pairs.
Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs
The prestigious Blue Ribbon Pairs has been renamed. Edgar Kaplan is a
member of the ACBL Hall of Fame and the WBF Committee of Honor. A great
writer, editor, viewgraph commentator, theoretician, teacher, international
team captain, ACBL Board member, and recognized authority on the laws,
Edgar unselfishly gave his time and expertise to the game. The Board voted
unanimously to honor this man who so influenced the game of bridge.
Double Reading Requirement
The board made a significant change in their policy. The double reading on
financial matters was eliminated. This policy was in place to prevent the
board from acting rashly with respect to financial matters, but in effect
it has tied the hands of management and the board requiring sometimes 6
months or longer to enact the necessary financial changes.
Choice Pairs
Choice Pairs is a new event that can be run by any sponsoring organization.
The format is to schedule three sessions during one day (morning,
afternoon, and evening). A pair plays in any two of the three sessions,
and during the session that a player is not playing, he/she is eligible to
play in any other event.
In/Flight C Events
Up to five strats can be held in a one-session event with an upper limit of
300 or less masterpoints.
Two-session Flight C events may be broken up into as many as three strats.
Unit Mini-McKenney and Ace of Clubs Awards
To be eligible for an award in an Unit Mini-McKenney or Ace of Clubs race,
a player must be a member of that Unit for more than six months during the
year, and need not be a member of the last day of the year.
Unrecorded Masterpoints
Any active member having unrecorded masterpoints on his/her computer record
on August 31, 1999 will have those points recorded with no fee on that
date.
Any active member as of August 31, 1999 who, upon reinstating his/her
membership, has paid, since January 1, 1999 to have masterpoints won while
not a member recorded, will be issued a refund of the recording fee with an
appropriate explainatory letter from the ACBL.
Entry Fee Differential
The Board reaffirmed its policy that entry fees for non-members and unpaid
Life Masters will be $l.00 per player per session higher in NABCs than for
ACBL members and Life Masters who have paid their service fee. Charity
events and events limited to players with fewer than 20 masterpoints are
exempted from this requirement.
As of July 1999 (other than charity events or events limited to players
with fewer than 20 masterpoints), the sponsoring organization is urged to
charge an additional fee of at least $.50 for sectionals and $1.00 for
regionals. These fees remain with the sponsoring organization. At our
summer meeting the District 19 Board supported this policy. The sponsoring
organizations who do not charge such additional fees must remit to ACBL
$.50 for each session played per non-member or unpaid LM in addition to the
sanction fee. It is suggested that the sale signage present this as a
discount to members.
The added fee of $.50 per player, that is required to be collected at
Sectionals from non-members or non-service paying LMs is waived for StaCs.
Players Entering More than One Event
A player may play and earn masterpoints in as many sessions of bridge as
possible while not entered in a concurrent or over-lapping event.
A player who is on a team that has received a bye is considered entered in
that event when that event begins.
A player playing in or entered on a team in the ITT or the WITT, whether or
not that team has a bye, may not enter a concurrent or over-lapping event
either at the site of the Trials or elsewhere.
A player entered in a multi session event is permitted to play only in
concurrent one session events. He may not receive masterpoints from both
events, only one or the other, whichever is greater. For the purpose of
this motion Continuous pairs are deemed to be one session events.
Masterpoint Restricted Events
Unless the event's Conditions of Contest state otherwise, when entering a
masterpoint restricted event, a player is required to play by either the
masterpoint total as of the 15th of the month prior to the event or the
known current total at the player's discretion.
NABC IMP Pairs
The NABC IMP Pairs is no longer an event. The ACBL is looking for new
events to include in the NABC programs. One suggested event is the
Speedball Championship. A two day event with two session qualifying and
two session final, the rounds would be 11 minutes in length with tight time
monitoring. If you have other suggestions, please notify me in a timely
manner so I can bring them to the attention of the Board.
Grand National Teams
The GNT competition is revised to have four Flights as follows:
Flight C: Non-LM up to 500 MP
Flight B: 0-2,000 MP
Flight A: 0-5,000 MP
Championship Flight: Unlimited
If a club or Unit holds a stratified qualifying event, then that event will
be scored, and masterpoints awarded, with only three strats A (unlimited. B
(0-2,000 MP), c (NLM up to 500 MP). A team that qualifies in strat A is
considered to have qualified for the Championship Flight and/or Flight A
depending on their players masterpoint holding.
The format described will be in effect for two years 2000/2001 and
200l/2002 events and then reviewed by the Board of Directors.
The Board reaffirmed its position that no National Director will be allowed
to play in the final stage of the GNT.
The GNT Flight A masterpoints won at the NABC Final in the semifinals and
finals will be included for the Fishbein Trophy awarded to the player
winning the most masterpoints at the Summer NABC.
Flight B CNTC
The CBF was granted permission to add a Flight B to the Canadian National
Team Championship.
International Team Trials
Management was authorized to conduct the 2000 and 2001 Open Trials in the
Memphis area with the concurrence of the ITTC. The date will be between
Mother's Day and the 4th week in June.
WBF Laws Committee Representative
The ACBL will send a representative from the ACBL Laws Commission to the
Bermuda Bowl/Venice Cup World Championships in Bermuda January 2000. The
representative will be selected by the ACBL Laws Commission and will attend
all WBF Laws Committee meetings.
Approval of Zone Two Teams for International Events
The ACBL Board of Directors will act as the Zonal Conference for Zone 2.
The authority to approve all players and NPCs from Bermuda, Canada, Mexico
and the US participating in World Bridge Federation or international
competition is delegated to the recognized national bridge organizations of
those countries. Those names shall be submitted to the sponsoring organ
ization as long as those individuals meet all the requirements for the
Zonal Conference.
Discipline for Club Owners and Managers
ACBL Management may apply 5.3.1 (c) of the ACBL Code of Disciplinary
Regulations to either the sanction owner and/or the club manager when a
club owes ACBL a debt.
Conduct Offenses
A person who has been disciplined for serious unethical conduct by the WBF,
another Contract Bridge Organization or a significant bridge event sponsor
within the previous ten years must apply to the ACBL Board of Directors to
obtain permission to join the ACBL or play in an ACBL sanctioned event.
Bridge Appeal Committees
Members of the Board of Directors may serve on Bridge Appeal Committees in
Unit and District events.
Vice-Presidency
The ACBL Vice-President, if not already an elected Zonal Representative,
will serve on the Executive Committee, as a non-voting, ex-officio member.
Jr. Bridge Camp Policy
The ACBL shall establish and enforce a policy against the use of or being
under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at its Bridge Camp.
Management , in conjunction with League Counsel shall establish details of
the above policy recognizing that there may be different rules for the
under 21's as compared to the legal age 21 and over campers. As part of
the above, all camp participants (plus guardians for under age juniors)
must sign a written form acknowledging ACBL policies, rules and regulations
for the bridge camp. The signed form should indicate that failure to
comply with ACBL bridge camp policies may lead to expulsion from the bridge
camp. Management shall increase staffing of ACBL bridge camps verses 1998
level in order to provide adequate supervision and enforcement of ACBL
policies.,
Easybridge at Schools
The minimum number of boards played for 0-5MP games conducted in schools is
six for middle-schools through college. The masterpoint award will be .03
per table.
Matching Funds
Just to remind you that funds, limited to 50% of the cost of advertising,
up to $250, are available to units, clubs, bridge teachers, etc. Eligible
media are radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, and flyers.
Advertisements must meet certain specifications. Our District is
currently not using their share. I'd like to see us at the top. For
specific details, call Jean Patterson, 901-332-5586, x295.
Current Masterpoint Totals Online
Check your current masterpoint totals online. Go to the "Members" option
on the ACBL Home Page at www.acbl.org.
Learn to Play Bridge Software
Great new software for beginning bridge players is currently available
online. Learn to Play Bridge, commissioned by the ACBL and developed by
Fred Gitelman can be downloaded for free from the ACBL Web Page. If you
know a potential new player direct them to the ACBL Home Page.
Have a great time in Naniamo and I'll see you at the new Puget Sound
Regional site, the Howard Johnson Hotel in Everett.
Sincerely,
Barbara L. Nist