District 22 hosted the "Summer of the Millennium" NABC’S summer tournament and for the short time I attended it was great. The playing space was good and as usual California weather was wonderful.
Congratulations to Toby Soklow from Austin for being on the victorious Venice Cup Team that went to the Hague in July for a rematch of the Bermuda first and second place teams.
The annual Bridge Hall of Fame dinner honoring the inductees was held at the tournament
This is a very touching event and I would certainly recommend it to anyone attending a
Summer National. One of District 16’s most esteemed members, Dr. Jeorge Rosenkranz, was inducted
into the Hall of Fame. His beloved wife Edith and their children joined him
at the dinner.
Congratulations to you , Jeorge, from District 16.
FINANCE:
ACBL dues will increase by $2.00 to $32.00 effective January 1, 2001. It’s a good time to take advantage of the three-year dues program. Corresponding increases will be made in other dues categories and service fees.
The ACBL has suffered large deficits for the past two years mainly due to cost of living increases, retirement funds and new marketing programs. The Finance Committee has asked for a balanced budget for next year so there will be some serious cost cutting along with the dues increase.
LIFE MASTER SERVICE FEES:
It shall be the policy of the ACBL that Life Masters who are delinquent in their dues or service fees shall not be eligible to write Bulletin columns, give lectures or engage in similar paid or voluntary employment by the ACBL.
CLUBS:
The fee per sanctioned club game shall be increased from $1.00 to $1.25.
The annual sanction fee per club sanctioned game shall be increased from$11.00 to $11.50.
These fees are effective January 1, 2001.
VICE PRESIDENT:
Who was the only Vice President of the ACBL?
The office of Vice President of the ACBL lasted only one year and the BOD by a 13-12 voted to do away with the position.
Trivia Answer: Jim Kirkham, District 22 Board of Director
CELL PHONES:
Effective immediately (except for health related equipment or by special permission):
Cell phones, audible pagers, etc. may not be operated or operable in the playing area at NABC’s
All other tournament sponsors are strongly encouraged to adopt this policy
UNITS and DISTRICTS;
Effective immediately: a Unit of 200 members or less which averages 15 or less tables per session may run up to three non-championship sectionals a year.
Units and Districts that advertise in the Bridge Bulletin shall have their ad placed on the ACBL Web-site and be linked to the ACBL online at no cost to unit or district.
MANAGEMENT:
Management is authorized to require, at its discretion, business between ACBL and Districts of Units to be conducted electronically.
Management is authorized to vary the page count of specific issues of the Bulletin but in no event to go below 100 pages.
Management shall establish and maintain an up-to-date ACBL wide Recorder Database. A training program for Recorders will be started. The ACBL Recorder shall be available to assist a unit or district on recorder matters.
The Education Foundation will pay the ACBL administrative services costs.
TEAM TRIALS:
The East Memphis Hilton is approved as the site of the 2001 and 2001 Open Team Trials.
Las Vegas is approved as the site of the 2001 Women’s International Team Trials. Specific dates are June 18-24, 2001 during the Las Vegas Regional.
COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:
The North American Collegiate Team Championship is reinstated. Details will be presented in Birmingham at the Fall Nationals, 2000. It is thought that a University would have to have an active Bridge Club to compete.
WORLD BRIDGE:
The ACBL will remit to the WBF effective January 1, 2002 annual membership dues of 50 cents for each paid-up member, excluding juniors.
The United States Bridge Federation will be formed to represent the interest of all United States Bridge players. The ACBL is a Zonal organization and a US "only" organization is needed for affiliation with the US Olympic Committee.
NABC’S
Mid-chart events: It is now legal to use constructive defenses to 1NT opening's that do not contain a known suit.
The NABC opening night Charity Game shall be renamed the Educational Foundation game with all net proceeds going to the ACBL Education Foundation.
The NABC designated Charity Day ($6:00 per table) shall be renamed as the Educational Foundation day with all proceeds going to the ACBL Educational Foundation.
LIFE MASTER:
The Life Master Expert Designations program failed to get started and is therefore rescinded.
I am writing this before the tournament is ended as I will be going to Maastricht, Holland in a few days as a delegate and as a player on the Senior Team for the World Championships .The ACBL has three teams entered in the championships and our District has a total of nine members playing and one team captain. The three teams are the Open Olympiad, Women’s Olympiad and the Senior International Cup. Good luck to them all!