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District
Director's Report
November 2006 (
Rich DeMartino)
Hawaii NABC
The Hawaii NABC was held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, a fantastic site on beautiful Waikiki beach in Honolulu. This resort features exotic wildlife including tropical penguins, botanical gardens and 5 pools. There are numerous good restaurants of all types both in the Village and within walking distance or a short cab ride away. Room rates were very reasonable for Hawaii, with very good rooms as low as $150 per day. Both the playing space and the hospitality were excellent. I wish to commend the local volunteers for doing a terrific job as hosts.
Unfortunately, attendance was only 8,608 tables, about 1,400 lower than expectations. One of the reasons is that many brought their families and took advantage of the super weather to tour Honolulu and the numerous beautiful and historic sites. Others either left early or arrived late to tour other islands. Still others stayed home believing the trip was too long.
This was the first NABC held in Hawaii since 1983. In my six years on the Board, this is first NABC I can recall where everyone who attended had a wonderful time; complaints were almost non-existent. I’m sorry that more of you were not there to enjoy this great tournament. Don’t miss the next one!
I’m happy to report that Pat McDevitt won enough masterpoints in the Senior KO to become District 25’s eleventh Grand Life Master. Kudos to Pat on achieving this important milestone.
Top Ten Finishers in NABC Events from District 25
|
Lawrence Lau, Westport CT |
2nd |
Senior KO Teams
|
Geof Brod, Avon CT |
3rd/4th |
| Pat McDevitt, Brookline MA | |
| Thomas Smith, Stamford CT | |
| Rich DeMartino, Riverside CT |
|
Simon Kantor, Agawam MA |
5th/8th |
Highlights of ACBL Board Meeting
Financial Status
For calendar year 2006, Management is currently projecting a loss of $116,000, compared to a budgeted gain of $65,000. A significant reason for the difference is the sale of the ACBL Product Store to Baron Barclay. This sale will be beneficial to the ACBL bottom line starting in 2007 but for last the few months of 2006, the reverse is true since there is a loss of revenue from product sales without a corresponding decrease in salaries and benefits.
For 2007, I am pleased to report that the Finance Committee is projecting a profit of about $175,000. What makes this result even more favorable is that there are no proposed changes in fees, except for the following:- Tournament Directors’ Fees will be raised 4%, to provide for salary increases. Since TD fees charged are still lower than actual salaries plus benefits paid to the TDs, the Finance Committee approved an 8% increase in TD fees to bring the fees more in line with actual TD costs (a catch-up). The additional 4% in TD fees will be offset by a corresponding decrease in Sanction Fees for Regionals and Sectionals (about a 6.7% decrease).
Mini Life Master Pairs – Conditions of Contest
Based on a survey taken of the
players, this event will consist of six sessions, two qualifying, two
semi-final and two final sessions. Those playing in the event had a definite
preference for this format.
CEO Report
CEO Jay Baum reported the following:
- Membership has grown by 1,067 since January 1. This is a very good trend and the CEO is especially optimistic because of the increase in paid members.
- Participation in 2006 sanctioned tournaments has been strong. Regional tables are up 3.4%; Sectional tables are up 2.7%, due in part to 17 additional tournaments; and, STAC tables show an increase of 2.8%.
Masterpoint Committee
The Masterpoint Committee, which I chair, will begin its work in earnest at in St. Louis. Many ideas are on the table for consideration so if you have input, now is the time to let us know your thoughts. I am proposing a new method for computing masterpoints for KOs which is based on the quality of the field, rather than the number of tables in play. Significant additional analysis is needed to determine whether or not this idea has merit.ACBL Goodwill Committee & Charity Committee Appointments
It gives me great pleasure to announce the following appointments to the ACBL National Goodwill Committee and the National Charity Committee. These are lifetime appointments honoring players who have contributed substantially to bridge in our District.National Goodwill Committee
Ann Borgshulte, Lexington MA |
Frank Lombardo, Winchester MA |
National Charity Committee
Frank Hacker, Barre VT |
Robert Smith, Manchester Ctr VT |
TOP 25 MASTERPOINT WINNERS – Hawaii NABC
|
Name |
Total Points |
Points Won in NABC+ Events | ||
|
1. |
Simon Kantor, Agawam MA |
114.77 |
69.18 | |
|
2. |
Rich DeMartino, Riverside CT |
112.46 |
106.37 | |
|
3. |
Jim Gordon, S. Burlington VT |
92.02 |
32.00 | |
|
4. |
Lloyd Arvedon, Bedford MA |
71.98 |
40.00 | |
|
5. |
Florence Hackman, Chatham MA |
67.39 |
||
|
6. |
Pat McDevitt, Brookline MA |
66.92 |
60.00 | |
|
7. |
Judith Murray, Harwich Port MA |
65.87 |
||
|
8. |
Geoffrey Brod, Avon CT |
62.62 |
62.62 | |
|
9. |
Lawrence Lau, Westport CT |
48.98 |
48.98 | |
|
10. |
Allan Rothenberg, W. Hartford CT |
46.37 |
46.37 | |
|
11. |
William Nason, Groton MA |
42.86 |
||
| Robert Bertoni, Haverhill MA |
42.86 |
|||
|
13. |
Nathan Glasser, Somerville MA |
41.18 |
0.96 | |
|
14. |
Lois Zeisler, Fairfield CT |
36.96 |
||
|
15. |
Bud Biswas, Lexington MA |
36.43 |
||
|
16. |
Nataly Goldin, Auburndale MA |
35.12 |
||
|
17. |
Edward Spear, Bangor ME |
34.54 |
||
| Rosalind Spear, Bangor ME |
34.54 |
|||
|
19. |
Peter Manzon, Waltham MA |
33.57 |
||
| Rick Holcomb, Malden MA |
33.57 |
|||
|
21. |
Lon Sunshine, Framingham MA |
29.78 |
0.92 | |
|
22. |
Phyllis Fireman, Chestnut Hill MA |
25.98 |
||
| Paul Fireman, Chestnut Hill MA |
25.98 |
|||
|
24. |
Sandra DeMartino, Riverside CT |
23.29 |
||
|
25. |
Sheila Middleton, Milton MA |
22.96 |
Top Platinum Masterpoint Winners - 2006
The ten leading masterpoint winners in NABC+ events for 2006 are: Rich DeMartino (243); Geoffrey Brod (211); Doug Doub (205); Simon Kantor (204); Steve Earl (147); John Stiefel (143); Lloyd Arvedon (140); Pat McDevitt (115); John McLaughlin (96) and Dick Budd (94).
The 2007 Spring NABC is in St. Louis from March 8 - 18. The 2007 Summer NABC is in Nashville and the 2007 Fall NABC is in San Francisco (beginning on Thanksgiving Day).
Rich DeMartino
District Director
PREVIOUS REPORTS
August 2006 District Director's ReportApril 2006 District Director's Report
November 2005 District Director's Report
August 2005 District Director's Report
March 2005 District Director's Report
December 2004 District Director's Report