AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE

                                                                  2990 Airways Blvd. Memphis Tenn. 38116-3847

Richard G. Anderson

District 18 Director

2719 Jolly Place

Regina, Sk. S4V 0X8

Canada

H: (306) 761-1311

F: (306) 789-4919

Email: rgand@sasktel.net

December 16, 2003

REPORT FROM THE FALL ACBL BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEETINGS

      New Orleans is a great city to visit and to play bridge in. An array of dining at various costs is available in the French Quarter. Combining this with a single sight location and a wonderful group of volunteers, made for a very successful tournament.

I. Financial Issues

      The ACBL remains in fine financial health. The Finance Committee worked hard to produce a 2004 break-even budget with minimal price increases. Here are the highlights.

      1) No membership dues increase.

      2) No sanction fee increases for clubs or tournaments.

3) TD Tournament session fees will increase by 4%, which is significantly less than the 7% originally projected.

4) NABC entry fees will increase by $1/player/session in 2004. 25% of this increase will go to the sponsoring district to use toward hospitality.

5) The Board revised the marketing budget guidelines to be in the range of 12-15% of total budgeted expenses. We remain fully committed to providing adequate funds for marketing in order to attract potential new members.

6) Effective January 1, 2004 the ACBL per diem in Canada will be the lesser of the amount established by the Treasury Department in Ottawa, or the amount established by the IRS for Memphis multiplied by the current ACBL exchange rate.

II. Board Meeting Actions

      The agenda was not as overwhelming as it sometimes is, but several committees put in long hours. The three day meetings in 2003 were a good idea and saved at least $25,000 in administrative expenses. Here are some highlights.

1) On July 8, the first Thursday of the New York City NABC, there will be a two-session Regionally rated Stratified Pairs game for the benefit of the International Fund and the ACBL Educational Foundation. The proposed entry fee is $35 per person. NOTE: There will be single session entries available for the International Fund in the afternoon and for the Educational Foundation in the evening.

2) In an effort to stimulate renewed interest in the North American Pairs (NAOP), ACBL management will promote the event more extensively at all levels of competition. In addition:

                  A. The club level sanction fee will be reduced from $7 to $4 per table (ie.: from

                        $1.75 to $1 per player surcharge).B. The conditions of contest have been amended to make it easier for players, units and districts to comply. Specifically, if there is no Unit Final, a four-session District Final will no longer be required. Also, it will no longer be necessary for a player to be a member of the Unit where the NAOP game is played. This means you could earn your club round qualification in a Unit other than the one you reside in.

      3) The ACBL will no longer charge for replacement Goodwill Committee Pins.

4) Effective 2004, an annual Regional will be awarded to a District of the USBF”s choice for the purpose of supporting teams representing the US in international competition. The CBF had previously been awarded the same privilege. The CBF’s first Regional will be in Montreal, February 24 - 29, 2004.

5) A two-session stratified regional rated red/gold point junior pairs event was approved for the Summer NABC. It is likely that the ACBL Educational Foundation will award scholarships to the winners.

6) The first Youth Challenge Cup Competition will take place July 13 - 14, 2004 in New York City during the summer NABC. Three teams from Europe (WBF Zone I) will play against three teams from the ACBL (WBF Zone 2). There will be two United States teams and one Canadian team. Funding for the teams will come from their respective National Bridge Organizations. Eligibility is defined as being born on or after January 1, 1983.

7) An interesting note from the WBF meetings in Monaco: The WBF voted to raise the age limit for Seniors effective January 1, 2005, in annual increments of one year until the age of 60 is reached. It seems likely that the ACBL will follow suit. Let me know what your thoughts on this one!!

      I will close by wishing you all the best during the holiday season. 2004 will be an exciting time in our District and in your Unit and club. Make plans to attend the District 18 Regionals: Lethbridge - April 5 - 11; Sun Valley - May 3 - 9; Red Deer - August 9 - 15; and Billings - September 13 - 19. I hope to see you all soon.

 May family and friends share the joys

of this wonderful Holiday Season.

Best Wishes for the New Year.

Dick

Dick Anderson

ACBL Board - District 18