March 2025 - 30

BOARD News
These are highlights of actions taken by the ACBL
Board of Directors during its face-to- face (F2F) meetings
held before the Fall NABC in Las Vegas. The Board,
task forces and committees meet regularly online.
Budget
The 2025 operating and capital budgets were
approved. Budgeted revenues for 2025 total
approximately $18.5 million while estimated
operating and administrative expenses total approximately
$18.2 million; an estimated gain of approximately
$300,000.
The capital budget totals $770,000, the majority of
which will be spent on the modernization and migration
of applications that reside on the AS400. It is anticipated
that this project will be completed in the fall of 2025.
Strategic focus on tournaments, membership
The Committee of the Full Board reaffirmed the priorities
of the organization. Focus will remain on membership
recruitment and retention and financial stability,
and while combating cheating is still a priority, tournament
staffing and scheduling will be major topics for
both Board and management during the first half of the
year. Efforts to modernize software applications continue.
Phase 1 of BackOffice, aimed to streamline internal
processes while improving efficiency, is now complete
with a full rollout expected in 2025.
A Membership Recruitment and Retention Task Force,
a Club Task Force, an NABC Task Force and an Online
Provider Task Force were formed in 2024 to facilitate and
streamline planning. The task forces, with the exception
of the Online Provider Task Force, have concluded their
work, providing recommendations for the future.
ACBL Online Provider strategy will foster innovation,
eliminate dependency on one provider and give ACBL
the flexibility to meet the current and future needs of its
members. Its strategy includes offering e-sanctions to
educational platforms and to tech platforms to hold ACBL
games. Current trials with a number of potential platforms
are well underway.
Upholding ACBL disciplinary guidelines
The ACBL Board of Directors approved
amendments to the ACBL Codification and
the ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations
(CDR) to preclude ACBL members Not in
Good Standing from participating in United States Bridge
Federation (USBF), Canadian Bridge Federation (CBF),
and Federacion Mexicana de Bridge (FMB) Team Trials
and subsequent international bridge competitions. Both
30 | Bridge Bulletin | March 2025
the Codification and the CDR state that members Not in
Good Standing cannot represent any NBO in world and
zonal competitions and that the ACBL Board of Directors
has the authority to withhold funding to these organizations
for noncompliance.
Life Member category eliminated
The Governance Committee continues to streamline
the ACBL Codification, the compilation of the rules and
regulations passed by the Board. The goal is to create a
user-friendly document that is less complex in language
and in structure. Three motions put forth by Governance
were approved:
* The codification chapter on club games was updated to
add virtual clubs and the ACBL Clubhouse regulations
and remove outdated information.
* References to Life Members/service fees were removed
from the Codification. Transitioning life members to
regular members will help to standardize the arbitration
clause for all members, reducing legal exposure.
This category of membership was eliminated effective
Jan. 1, 2025.
* The process for nominating and selecting Board members
to serve as Executive Committee members was
elaborated.
Bylaws changes
A set of updates to the bylaws (see February,
pg. 76) pertaining to election of Board members
and members of the Advisory Council was
approved on first reading. Outdated information
was eliminated, language was simplified and provisions
addressing a vacancy on the Board of Directors
were generalized, providing the Board flexibility to proceed
with established provisions.
These changes will take effect after a second reading
and approval by the Board and upon ratification by the
Advisory Council.
Auditor selected
The Audit Committee solicited proposals from firms to
conduct audit and tax services for the ACBL from 2024 to
2027. Management and the Committee reviewed the proposals.
CBIZ was selected due to attractive pricing combined
with nonprofit experience. The Board unanimously
approved the selection.
Fairness in team events
Two items pertaining to team events at tournaments
were discussed but failed.
The Masterpoint Committee proposed allowing members
March 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2025
