Scorecard by Rebecca Brown -Region 9 Director

Scorecard (May/June)

I attended my first Board of Directors meeting as your Region 9 Director in Memphis. The meetings took place over four days preceding the start of the NABC and were jam-packed, including a visit to the home office and ACBL museum. It was lovely to meet the staff, many of whom I’d only met by phone. In addition to the formal meetings, the Board members and staff had opportunities to meet in the evenings, fostering good communication and exchange of ideas. The Board, Committees and Task Forces continue to meet regularly online via Microsoft Teams and Zoom between in person meetings at the NABCs.

The following summarizes the Spring National Board report:

1. In February 2025, the gain from operations was $159k, exceeding the budget by $81k but falling $39k short of the 2024 figure. Monthly revenues reached $1.32M, $45k above the $1.127M budget. Expenses were $1.16M, which was $36k (or 3%) below the budgeted $1.2M. Year-to-date (YTD), the gain in net assets totaled $257k. This is $364k greater than the budget but $186k less than the $443k YTD gain from the previous year. The balance sheet remains strong, featuring $9M in investments and $5.8M in deferred revenue from future membership expirations.

2. As of February, while overall membership showed a decrease from 130,602 last year to 124,076 this year, YTD figures indicate a positive trend with a 25.77% increase in new members and a 27.27% increase in new guest members.

3. Two exciting initiatives, the ACBL Community and Jump Start Bridge, are invigorating the bridge community by engaging current players in new ways. The ACBL Community gives players the chance to support their local F2F bridge clubs while enjoying online competition and earning special Masterpoint rewards. This central hub connects players from local clubs, the ACBL Clubhouse, and Community Games. Importantly, a portion of every game entry fee in the Clubhouse directly supports the player's local club. (I have had several inquiries about the ACBL’s support of F2F clubs. This is an example. For details, go to https://www.acbl.org/portfolio/daily-online-games/

Jump Start Bridge, an initiative led by Patty Tucker, introduces bridge to middle and high school students, fostering skills such as critical thinking, mathematical reasoning, and social development. As of mid-March, over 100 dedicated volunteers have contributed more than 3,000 hours, connecting with nearly 2,000 prospective teachers at 20 gifted children and math conferences nationwide. As a result, 411 teachers have registered, successfully bringing the game to over 18,000 students across 236 cities in 35 states and two Canadian provinces. The program is poised for further expansion, with presentations scheduled at major upcoming educational conferences in 2025. For details, go to https://www.jumpstartbridge.org/

4. During its meetings, the Board favorably received a proposal for a Ranking Rewards Program to acknowledge member progress. This initiative aims to reward dedication, increase tournament participation, and enhance member loyalty through benefits for reaching milestones such as Life Master.

5. The Board addressed "Pathways to Improving Tournaments," a comprehensive initiative addressing challenges for tournament organizers. Drawing on feedback from organizers

and players, and in close collaboration with attending Tournament Directors, the Board discussed three key areas: optimizing tournament schedules, refining overall scheduling, and improving staffing models.

Following these initial discussions, the Board identified key areas for improving tournament operations at all organizational levels, such as developing best practices to help organizers optimize tournament schedules and actionable strategies to enhance staffing models. Updates will be shared with the membership as this initiative progresses.

6. The Memphis meetings provided an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of the organizations involved in fostering bridge internationally. Officials from the World Bridge Federation (WBF) presentation included an overview of current WBF structure and goals and future plans. The Presidents of the Canadian Bridge Federation (CBF) and the Federation of Mexican Bridge (FMB) joined the presentation via Zoom. A representative from the United States Bridge Federation (USBF) was on-site.

7. The ACBL continues to utilize EDGAR (Everyone Deserves a Game Above Reproach) to detect online cheating. Since February 1, 2024, 12,089 players have been submitted for screening. Approximately 700 players identified by EDGAR have been charged, and the current online cheating rate, which includes all players (members, non-members, and inactive accounts), is between 2.5% and 3%. Screening of all online players is hoped to be completed by year-end. Disciplinary actions have included Fast Track Discipline (303 players), Negotiated Resolutions (45), Expedited Disciplinary Panels (9), and Institute of Bridge Arbitration resolutions (26), with 20 resignations to avoid discipline and other cases pending. To view Hearing Reports and the Under Discipline List, go to https://www.acbl.org/ethics/.

8. The Governance Committee is advancing several important initiatives. These include streamlining the ACBL Codification, revising the Board Resource Manual, and reviewing the Board's election processes.

Two motions to amend the ACBL Bylaws received unanimous approval at their second readings in Memphis and were ratified by the AC at its March 30 meeting:

• Motion (251-BY01) updates Articles V-X concerning the Board and AC elections by eliminating outdated information, simplifying language, and generalizing Board vacancy provisions for greater flexibility.

• Motion (251-BY02) amends publishing procedures, allowing the ACBL to notify members of bylaw changes by either publishing the full text or providing a website link in its official ACBL publication, streamlining the notification process.

9. Announcement of host sites for upcoming NABCs: summer 2028 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando (July 21 - August 8) and summer 2029 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtown (July 27 - August 14).

10. Aileen Osofsky ACBL Goodwill Committee: Betty Starzec, Houston, has been appointed as the Central Region Co-Chair to the Goodwill Committee, effective March 3, 2025, to complete my unexpired term which expires in March 2027.

Suffice to say, the meetings were very productive, but also fun! Please let me continue to hear from you so that I may represent your concerns accurately. Region9Director@acbl.org