March 2008 - 9

The American Contract
Bridge League

From
the CEO

President
Dan E. Morse
Chair, Board
of Directors
Sharon Fairchild
Chief Executive Officer
Jay A. Baum
ACBL Counsel
Peter Rank
Chair, Board
of Governors
Linda Mamula
Board of Directors
District 1 * George Retek
District 2 * Jonathan Steinberg
District 3 * Joan Levy Gerard
District 4 * Craig Robinson
District 5 * Sharon Fairchild
District 6 * Nadine K. Wood
District 7 * Bruce Reeve
District 8 * Georgia Heth
District 9 * Shirley Seals
District 10 * Bill Cook Jr.
District 11 * A. Beth Reid
District 12 * William Arlinghaus
District 13 * Harriette Buckman
District 14 * Sue Himel
District 15 * Phyllis Harlan
District 16 * Dan E. Morse
District 17 * Jerry Fleming
District 18 * Richard G. Anderson
District 19 * Donald Mamula
District 20 * Jeffrey Taylor
District 21 * Roger L. Smith
District 22 * Gayle Andrews
District 23 * Rand Pinsky
District 24 * Alvin Levy
District 25 * Richard De Martino
To contact your district director,
address your e-mail to
district"*"director@acbl.org
(Enter the district number
where you see "*".)

March 2008

Now is the time
We all know the saying about what to do when opportunity knocks. Well, the
ACBL is on the verge of hearing one of those proverbial raps that come once
in a lifetime.
I'm talking about the fact that in the next five years, 70 million people -
Baby Boomers - are going to retire.
These people will be looking for something to do with their time, and there
will be legions of them who don't want to - or can't - play golf or take up
other physical pastimes.
For years now, we have all been hearing and reading about the importance of
keeping our minds active, especially as we grow older.
Do you see where I'm heading with this? Of course you do.
A major percentage of these new retirees are prime prospects for membership in the ACBL. Some may actually have been active members before
careers and families started taking up most of their time.
In any event, they will soon have the time and the wherewithal to get into
club and tournament play, where they can use those brain cells, meet new
friends and have a lot of fun.
The ACBL will, of course, focus marketing efforts on these new prospects,
but we need for you, the regular members, to do your part to make it work.

Good sports
In this issue, we recognize a top sportsman and the 2007 volunteer of the
year.
What the ACBL needs is for you to step up in both of those areas, especially
when it comes to welcoming new members.
Working together, we can change the image of duplicate by welcoming new
or returning members. We must make sure that everyone who tries our favorite
sport has a good time. If they don't, they won't come back. It's that simple.
Many clubs have mentoring programs, which is where your volunteer efforts
can be felt. Taking a newcomer under your wing is a great way to welcome
that person to our game. Do you remember your own start in duplicate?
Wouldn't it have been great to have someone take a personal interest in you? If
your club doesn't have a mentoring program, step up to the plate and start one.

Changes
Bridge, especially at the tournament level, has changed a lot over the past
couple of decades. We occasionally hear negative comments about the proliferation of knockouts, but our table count at regionals continues to grow, a
clear indication that tournament organizers are giving people what they want.
With your assistance, that's where we intend to
focus our energy. Let's make sure our prospective
new members find a pastime to keep their minds
active while they have fun.
Jay Baum, CEO
9

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2008