October 2022 - 18

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Meeting
These are highlights of actions taken
by the ACBL Board of Directors at
during its face-to-face meetings held
prior to the Summer NABC in Providence
and during a special meetings
held virtually in May.
ACBL takes new
approach to increase
membership
The Board of Directors approved
funding for a new ACBL and ACBL
Educational Foundation pilot
program aimed at increasing ACBL
membership and providing support
for face-to-face beginning bridge
teachers and face-to-face bridge
clubs.
Robert Todd, president of the
ACBL Educational Foundation,
presented the pilot proposal to the
Board.
" We need a partnership between
bridge teachers who need students,
clubs that need players for their limited
games, the ACBL who needs new
members, and the ACBL Educational
Foundation who needs to look out for
the long-term good of bridge, " said
Todd.
Approximately 50 beginning
bridge teachers are being selected
to participate in the pilot program.
Selected teachers must have access
to a face-to-face bridge club where
students will take lessons and then
advance to in-person supervised
play. The students will then be
offered free 120-day ACBL Guest
Memberships.
The ACBL will use digital marketing
channels (Facebook and Instagram)
to generate and furnish leads
to teachers and prospective students
interested in taking beginning bridge
classes. Leads will be funneled to
participating teachers. The Educational
Foundation will track program
results and analyze the data to ensure
efficiencies in lead acquisition/
cost.
A task force has been formed to
18 | Bridge Bulletin | October 2022
develop the process, metrics and
timeline.
The task force includes Todd,
Educational Foundation Executive
Director Kristen Frederick, Educational
Foundation Vice President
Joel Kramer, ACBL Board President
Joann Glasson, ACBL Board Members
Paul Cuneo (Region 9) and
Cindy Shoemaker (District 17), and
ACBL Director of Marketing Mary
Stratton.
Board protects Hall of
Fame and Grand Life
Master status
The ACBL Board passed a motion
to protect the integrity of the ACBL
Hall of Fame and Grand Life Master
status. The motion amended the
Code of Disciplinary Regulations
(CDR) to include the forfeiture of
masterpoints and titles for members
found guilty of first-degree ethical
violations that result in the expulsion
or suspension of the offender for two
or more years. Furthermore, those
members would be permanently ineligible
to be awarded the ACBL rank
of Grand Life Master and permanently
ineligible to be inducted into
the ACBL Hall of Fame. Offenders
who are Grand Life Masters and/
or are members of the ACBL Hall
of Fame would be stripped of these
distinctions.
Board downsizing prompts new
vice president position
The Board created a position of
vice president to replace the position
of chair of the board, a position that
has traditionally been filled by the
most recent past president serving
on the Board.
As the Board becomes smaller
under the Board reorganization plan,
it is possible that there may come a
time when there are no past presidents
serving on the Board. The vice
president will have most of the same
duties as the chair of the board, but
ACBL elections and
appointments
Barbara Heller was certified as
having been elected to the ACBL
Board of Directors to complete the
remaining term for the Region 6
Director, July 11, 2022, through Dec.
31, 2024.
Cheri Bjerkan, Jordan Chodorow,
Ira, Chorush, Richard Popper and
Rick Rowland were each appointed
for a three-year term to the Online
Ethical Oversight Committee from
the end of the summer 2022 NABC
through the end of the summer 2025
NABC.
Supporting face-toface
bridge
At the special meetings held virtually
in May, the Board took a number
of actions aimed at supporting a
robust return to face-to-face bridge
at clubs and tournaments. These
actions include:
* Eliminating requirements for
afternoon or evening starts on the
first day of regionals to allow flexibility
in scheduling.
* Limiting special online
games.
* Adjusting masterpoint awards for
club games to reflect the number of
boards played.
* Reducing masterpoint awards for
will always be elected by the full
Board.
This will become effective upon
approval by the ACBL Advisory
Council following a second reading
of the ACBL bylaws.
The Board also eliminated the
rotational requirement for NABCs
to be held every six years in certain
cities in order to allow more flexibility
in scheduling, and it modified
election procedures pertaining to
appointed positions on the North
American Bridge Federation board
and the World Bridge Federation
executive council.
October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2022
