Duplicate Bridge Association of
Atlanta
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING MINUTES August 4, 2004
President
Jack Feagin called the meeting to order.
Present: Board Members: Jack Feagin, Gaby Fadel, Kevin Collins, Beatrice Kemp, Sue Wolfe, Josie
Mitchell, and Carolyn Eckert. Invited guests: Bill Marks, Larry Rich and Dick
Myers, Bob and Barbara Heller
1. Minutes: of the July 7,
2004 DBAA Board meeting were
approved.
2. Financial: No Financials
submitted.
Proposals and Address from Bill
Marks:
The
meeting tonight focused on the presentation of three proposals introduced by Mr.
Bill Marks to the Board on suggested changes to the DBAA. As all interpretation of discussion is
subjective, these minutes will, therefore, reflect as clearly as possible, the discussion,
the essence of each commentator, and the outcome and/or results of the final
decisions reached by the members of the board.
Bill
Marks thanked the board for providing him time to present and asked that members
in attendance 1) to wait before commenting until he has completed his
presentation and 2) try to pretend that they were a club manager. Commenting on what he sees as the unfairness
of the DBAA and the oversights not being realized, the combined clubs (Alpha,
Roswell, Marietta & Cumming) have a greater membership and table count than
do the Atlanta Duplicate Bridge Center (ADBC).; most people in the greater
Atlanta area equate the DBAA with the ADBC as one and the same; functions
sponsored by the DBAA such as the Change of Rank Party, Casino Night are always
done at the ADBC; the map on the DBAA web page overlooked some area clubs; and
DBAA is unaware of what is happening at suburban clubs such as growth, lessons
and membership.
Proposals submitted by Bill Marks:
1.
Rotate Meeting of DBAA
board on a quarterly basis in clubs
other than the ADBC and rotate other special games such as the Change of Rank
Party.
2.
Cease the Unit
Game as it is currently known, then
other clubs could feel more comfortable in having a Wednesday night game. ACBL says DBAA has the right to hold the game
versus the moral right.
3.
DBAA should cease
operation if there is no agreement of
the two above issues.
Jack
Fagin: Bill’s history of the unit game
is not correct. The Unit Game as a
‘term” has existed for 60 years; his mother played in it and he started playing
it 30 years ago. The game is very
special and our bridge history and heritage is reflected in this game. However,
we can change the name since the concept of a Unit game has changed. The DBAA
will try to remove DBAA from any advertising.
Bill
Marks: when can clubs bid on hosting “Unit Games”?
Larry
Rich: should DBAA or local clubs run “Unit Games”?
Jack: DBAA runs
a non-profit game and the organization is managed by
elected officials from the greater Atlanta area. DBAA
represents the members first and then the clubs. All funds raised are used to promote bridge.
However, Unit Championships are special
games open to all clubs
Bill
Marks: why was Casino Night held at the ADBC?
Jack:
Casino Night was held as a fundraiser for the 2005 Summer Nationals and it was
thought it would be most successful and Dan donated his
club.
Bill:
DBAA always goes to Dan Plato (ADBC) to do things, why not other clubs? Jack: The DBAA has sent out many proposals
seeking involvement from other clubs.
Jack
commented that in correspondence to him from Bill, which ‘we haven’t done enough
for local clubs’. However, there has
been little or no input or concrete proposals from clubs for changes. However,
there are many programs that the DBAA has launched to promote bridge in general
and offering grants etc to all clubs.
Comments
on Proposals:
Jack:
Rotation of DBAA meetings can be difficult as most of the board members would
have a greater distance to travel and the Atlanta/Rowell/Alpharetta traffic at
after work hours is horrible. However,
DBAA would be willing to send some officials to go to games at the local clubs
and meet with members to receive and give comments and discuss ways to increase
bridge if the club extended an invitation.
The “Town Hall” concept would be a place to receive and give input from
all club members.
Larry: Each
local club should have representative(s) from their area attend the DBAA to
receive and give information and to volunteer efforts.
Bill:
Can Roswell and/or Alpharetta cease from membership in the DBAA or
set up a Northern type DBAA? Its is possible but there
are many reasons why that would not be a good thing to do.
Jack:
please explain how a DBAA meeting in Alpharetta or
Roswell will help your club?
A General Membership meeting should be held annually where information
can be exchanged. All members in the
greater Atlanta area should feel free to come to
meetings.
Dick
Myers: he has played in all the area
club games but it is difficult to get to Alpharetta.
Barbara
Heller: DBAA runs special games; Unit
114 is well represented by these special games.
Jack: DBAA does
many great things for the bridge community to include such things
as:
1.
“Brain Storming Session” at
the Atlanta Regional on Wed, Sept 1 between sessions
2.
Funding of the
Social Bridge Proposal from Patty Tucker and Samuel
Marks
3.
Grants to all area clubs that
DBAA will underwrite approved proposals for supplies for
games
4.
Underwrites “Free Play
Coupons” to give to new players who complete a certified training course in
bridge
5.
At least four other efforts
this year to promote the growth of bridge.
Proposal
# 1: Motion was made by Carolyn Eckert, seconded
and approved that at the request of the local club, DBAA will design a DBAA Day
and send officials to the local club for exchange of information and
input.
Proposal
# 2: Larry Rich: there is a conflict of
interest when DBAA promotes its Wednesday night game at the expense of other
clubs who do not have a Wednesday night game.
Motion was
made, seconded and approved that DBAA will cease to call the DBAA Wednesday
night game a “UNIT Game” and all DBAA correspondence and communication will
cease reference to it as a “UNIT Game”.
Proposal
# 3: Failed for lack of a motion
Atlanta Sectionals: Comments from Bob Heller: The
Hilton Atlanta Northeast will be the host hotel for the Sectionals in 2004 and
some in 2005. Since there were no plans
for a Spring Sectional in March 2005 at
the Hilton, Roswell Senior Citizen Center is available for a March 4-5-6, 3 day
tournament as a site. The facility wants
to have Bill involved in the tournament as he is an active employee of the
facility and manages the bridge games at the facility. This proposed plan is still in the discussion
stages with the facility directors.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Eckert
Carolyn Eckert, Secretary
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