Messages from the ADBC Board of Directors

Farewell Board Message
January 12, 2010

They say that time passes more quickly the older you become, and I am here to tell you that this is a true phenomenon. The last 4 years that have covered my terms as ADBC President have gone by in a flash. As I prepare to finish out my second term, I want to leave the ADBC members and players with some final thoughts.

Remember how things were at the club 4 years ago? We were at the Collins Street location, we had experienced many disruptions and annoyances from our neighbors, and then we were the victims of an armed robbery. The club was divided on whether or not we should consider moving to a new location --- we had just signed a new lease / could we afford the significantly higher rent / would the club survive such a dramatic relocation? A special meeting of the ADBC members determined that we would take a leap of faith and make the move. Looking back, it is clear that this was the right decision as the club has thrived over the past 4 years since that significant change.

We have continued to set new records in terms of increased attendance, table count numbers, revenue and net income totals, tournament revenues, and club assets. The club is healthy financially, and continues to pave the way for a bright future with numerous ongoing programs for new and intermediate players. Our club is viewed by many as the model to emulate in terms of club appeal and success.

However, none of these successes could have been realized without the hard work of MANY, MANY individuals. While I am tempted to name those who have been most helpful and supportive over the years, I will resist that temptation for fear of omitting someone. Suffice it to say that it "takes a village" to run a successful bridge club. I never cease to be amazed at how much work must go on behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. We are blessed to have many people who are willing to bring their time and talents to ADBC to ensure its successful ongoing operation.

It seems that we are losing many of our long-time members at an alarming rate. I ask you to join me in taking the time to remember those we have lost, and to work together to make sure that the club continues to run successfully as I know that each of them would have wanted. Let’s remember that ADBC is more than a place to play bridge - it’s a place to spend time with people who are important to us. For many, it is like a second home, and the players are like family. Like all families, we certainly have our share of dysfunction. But the positives continue to overshadow the negatives, thanks to the spirit and cooperation of many.

The upcoming membership meeting and election on March 27, 2010, is an important event as the club prepares to vote on 4 Board positions and ultimately select a new club president. Make your ideas and your vote count, and join us as we make these important decisions for keeping the club moving forward.

Thank you again to each of you for your support, your ideas, your feedback, and your hard work in support of the club. It has been my pleasure to serve as your president. See you at the table !

Caron

Special Message from the Board
Re: Club Policy Revision Pertaining to Slow Play
6/17/2009

It has been brought to the attention of the ADBC Board that the club is losing some of its regular players and irritating many others because of one primary reason: slow play.

A short time ago, the Board responded to multiple requests to change the start time of the Tuesday evening open/stratified game from 7:30 pm to 7:00 pm so that the game could end earlier. Since the change was implemented, game attendance has decreased and the finishing time has only improved a little. Upon closer analysis, the culprit again appears to be repeated slow play.

As players, we must all remember that bridge is a timed event. If a pair repeatedly takes more than their share of the allotted time for each round, they are inconveniencing their fellow competitors as well as disrupting the normal progression of the game. One table’s failure to finish a round on time can be extremely distressing to the waiting players, and chronic slow play can do a great deal to chase players away from the game entirely.

REMEMBER: Slow play is subject to penalty, and the director has the authority to do whatever is necessary to maintain the pace of the game. Late plays may be given, or scores may be adjusted. It is the director’s prerogative to determine the most equitable action to take. Accordingly, the Club’s "Rules We Follow" has been revised to strengthen the director’s options for restoring equity once slow play has been encountered.

ADBC fully supports and encourages new players to play at our club, and directors of games with masterpoint limitations should always take player experience levels into consideration when establishing the length of the rounds to be played. And, it is recognized that everyone -- even very experienced players -- may contribute to slow play on occasion. But, when a pair has fallen behind, it is incumbent on them to make up the time lost as quickly as possible.

Watching our pace of play is something we must all do - for the sake of the health of our games and out of consideration for our fellow players. The Board unanimously supports the strengthened club policy on slow play, and is asking its directors to take whatever actions are needed to preserve the integrity and the enjoyment of all of the events at ADBC.

As we near the end of 2008, the Board has taken the opportunity to carefully review the club’s current financial position and to try to anticipate what lies ahead in the upcoming year.

As of the end of October, the year-to-date table count was 274.5 tables ahead of the 2007 total. Good news as it shows that the club has sustained and even increased overall attendance. Also as of 10/31, the club had a net income for 5 months and a net loss for the other 5 months. Based on historical data, we anticipate that the months of November and December will show a net loss as well. On the positive side, there is a YTD net income of $3602 which does include our annual sectional tournament proceeds.

During 2008, we did make some needed repairs and improvements, and added some equipment to enhance the functionality of the club. We added some new games to our menu at the request of our players. And we continued to have extraordinarily successful special events, which have drawn players from various corners of the Metroplex and beyond. Our existing games continued to evolve as the players matured, and we have added new players to the fold with successful EasyBridge and teaching programs. We intend to build on these successes as we move forward.

Looking ahead, the Board is concerned that the club’s current cash balance (including checking account and investment account balances) is only enough to cover an average of two month’s of operating expenses. Our monthly rent will increase in 2009 - as it does each year, per our lease agreement. We expect that we will lose the $1000 income from the unit NLM sectional as the unit’s new facility will likely be the site for this event going forward. Director fees paid have increased based on the 3 games added to the menu, but the additional games have not generated significant income for the club. While we hope to sustain the overall levels of attendance that we have enjoyed recently, it is unrealistic to expect that we can continue to increase the table count to the extent that we have in the past couple of years.

In an effort to bolster the financial position of the club for the future, the Board has voted unanimously to increase card fees by $0.50, effective 3/1/2009. We wanted to take this opportunity to provide the data which was the basis for our decision, and to give our players adequate notice of this nominal increase. To help ease the burden in a small way, the club will no longer charge players for coffee beginning 3/1/2009.

It is our sincere hope that the members of ADBC understand and support the Board’s decision on the card fee increase as we all share the goal of sustaining and growing our club for many years to come.

Where has the year gone? I can hardly believe that we are nearing the last quarter of 2008 and that the holiday season will soon be upon us !!

ADBC has had a very good year, and we had a more successful summer than in years past. Year to date our table count is up 214 tables, or about 30 per month. From January through July, the monthly table count was at its highest in club history in each month except the month of March. Many thanks to our players, directors, and committees for devising and participating in lots of fun special events as well as regular club games.

Regarding the Club’s financial position, the increase in table count has translated into a healthy increase in revenue and a modest increase in net income (without considering our tournament proceeds). The Board continues to look for ways to operate the club as efficiently as possible while providing a great playing and learning environment for everyone. We have managed to keep our electricity bills under control by switching to an alternate provider, Accent Energy, and we have just locked in a nice 3-year fixed rate with them at 9.1 cents per kwh.

To improve the quality of the services provided by ADBC game directors, the club is hosting a "director’s refresher training" at the club on September 13 as well as a "new director’s training course" starting in September. We are delighted that 9 individuals are already signed up to take the new director training. Su Doe has generously agreed to head up all of these director sessions as well as prepare prospective directors for the ACBL exam.

Please make a note of the following upcoming events, and try to support as many of them as you can:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Board members, our game directors, our committee chairs and members, and the many people "behind the scenes" who work hard on an ongoing basis to make ADBC one of the premier member-owned bridge clubs anywhere. It is a pleasure to be affiliated with such a great group of people !

I can hardly believe that the first two months of the year have already passed us by. It has been a good while since the last Board message, so I wanted to write a report to set the stage for ADBC and provide a preview of what lies ahead in 2008.

After reviewing our 2007 financial reports, I am pleased to provide the following information:

2008 has started off well as the club had the largest table count ever for a single month during the month of January 08. This is due in large part to the highly successful special Saturday events, and the novice and intermediate programs and games. The February special event, our second "Eight is Enough" game, was a hugh success with 36 teams participating. A special thanks to Tom & Dorothy Moore and all others who helped to make this event such a terrific one!

While our special events are thriving, some of our open evening games as well as our daytime games are struggling. Members: Please do all you can to play in these games and support their sustainment.

The Board held a special meeting in late January with GIC representatives and various ADBC game directors. The purpose of the meeting was to review the entire menu of games offered at ADBC, and to identify any needed changes or additions. The games offered in other venues in the area were considered, as well as specific requests from our own members. It was determined that the Monday evening 0-600/pair game could immediately be upgraded to 0-750, and the Thursday evening 749er game could immediately become a 0-1000 game. These changes have already been implemented. Additonally, two new limited games will be added to the game menu starting March 6th: A new 11:30 am Thursday game for 299ers directed by Dorothy Moore, and a Thursday evening 199er game at 7:15 pm alternately directed by Dee Berg and Ann Overfield. The 199ers are invited to join Chuck & Caron’s 6:45 pm mini-lesson; then the 199er and 0-1000 games will begin at 7:15 pm.

If you haven’t already done so, please pay your dues and join the club for this year. At only $25 per person, this is a real bargain and an investment in your club. It gives you membership and club ownership rights, voting rights, and you get a minimum of two free games each year.

And speaking of voting, the Annual Membership Meeting and Board Election will be held soon - Saturday, March 15th. Details are posted on the website and on fliers throughout the club. Please make every effort to attend the meeting and vote for 4 candidates for the ADBC Board. And enjoy the first members play free game of the year! Also, please try to review the draft minutes from last year’s annual meeting prior to our March 15th meeting. They are accessible from our website, and hard copies are available for viewing at the director’s desks at the club.

Please make a note of the following upcoming events, and try to support as many of them as you can: