ACBL Director's Report
ACBL Director's ReportHello, everyone --
There were several interesting topics at the Board of Directors meeting in Toronto. The first was the search for a replacement for retiring CEO Jay Baum. The search committee received 80 applications, did phone interviews with 30 candidates, interviewed 12 in person and made a unanimous recommendation to the full Board. After more than four hours of presentations and question-and-answer sessions, the full board agreed. Until the new candidate signs a contract, I cannot release his name, but it should be available on the website soon. I have high hopes for his future success with our organization.
The next most interesting topic was the new method of using strength of field to determine masterpoint awards. This formula has been used for some time in knockout team events, and starting next year, it will be extended to pair events. I had the sneaking suspicion this would work against a small district like ours, and gave the Barometer Pairs we run at some regionals as an example, but I was assured that event would receive more masterpoints under the new formula, not fewer. It will result in fewer masterpoints for restricted games (299er events, for example), but the overall masterpoints awarded will not change significantly. The biggest change from the old formula is that masterpoint awards will be based on the average masterpoint holdings of all the pairs entered, not the number of pairs entered. Details should be available at the second reading in Seattle.
The World Bridge Series may return to the US in 2018. The ACBL will be a sponsor if it does, but the USBF will have most of the responsibility as it did in Philadelphia in 2010.
A motion to allow attorneys back into disciplinary hearings was defeated 13-12. I was opposed to this motion, having led the way on the motion that banned them several years ago. Nothing that has happened in the meantime convinced me that we had made a mistake.
A motion to allow the ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations and the disciplinary process to be used for behavior at clubs was defeated. (It can currently be used only for unethical behavior.) Our lawyers tell us that we sanction games, not clubs, and that to maintain our independence from the clubs, we need to stay out of their business as much as possible.
We now have two upcoming NABCs that are using the “daylight” start times (approximately 10am and 3 pm) -- Philadelphia next summer and Atlanta in 2013.
A motion to waive entry fees for the Grand National Teams national finals was defeated. This would have cost $32,000, and It was felt that it would not increase attendance at the club, unit and district levels. Another motion to allow average masterpoints to be used to determine a team’s flight for the GNTs was also defeated. The various GNT coordinators are communicating by email right now and hope to meet in Seattle. I will attend if the meeting if it’s held while I am there. GNTG district finals can now be held on the internet.
Opening 1C with 4-4-3-2 distribution is now defined as a natural opener. This means that certain defenses like CRASH and suction can no longer be used against that opening bid. Also, a cheapest club bid response over a NT opener would not be alertable, no matter what the structure is. Rebids by the notrump bidder which are different from standard, such as puppet stayman, would remain alertable.
A few things in closing: Our Flight B GNT team – Rich Pestien, Mary Allen, Fei Dong, Charles Young and Pat Moos -- made it to the national semifinals. We are very proud of them. And Jay Baum will be making his final appearance as CEO of ACBL at the St. Louis Regional (August 8-14). He plans to be there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. See you there.
If you have questions or suggestions about ACBL Board actions or other bridge matters, please contact me at gkheth@hotmail.com or 917 S. Main St., Morton IL 61550-2419.