Minutes

WBL Board Meeting

November 20, 2002

In attendance: Wei Bao, Dick Wegman, Steve Robinson, Barbara Shaw, Don Berman, Dave Ruderman, Lee Jensen, Ben Laden, Barbara Doran, and guests Charity Sack, Donna Rogall, Jim Allen, Steve Forsythe, and Jane Sturgis.

The Minutes were approved as submitted.

Treasurer Steve Robinson reported that we have $2112.66 in our checking account. For the calendar year thus far we are operating at a loss of -$9665.53. That amount does not include the $10,000.00 donation to Nationals and the $5,000.00 donation to BridgeatSchools! It was noted that reduced attendance was the major cause. There was a committee appointed to look in to the problem and report at the December Board meeting. The report was approved.

Old Business:

Donna Rogall, Bulletin Editor, said that the surveys were published in the most recent issue and she had received 10 responses in the first week. Fred King mentioned that it took slightly over 30 minutes to complete the survey. She said that she e-mailed some surveys and Don Berman was working on putting it on the website.
She asked if we were going to put the January and February Sectionals in the same issue of the bulletin or have two separate issues. Michael Carroad will announce the survey is available at the Unit game. This bulletin deadline is November 21. She needs the schedule of the Unit games and Sectionals. The next Sectional has been changed to the first weekend in January the 2d through the 5th. It will be at the White Oak Armory. Dick Wegman has called and cancelled the Church. Lee Jensen has signed a contract with the White Oak Armory.

Dick Wegman said that he talked to Joe Miller at Ohr Kodesh. Mr. Miller stated that he has not consulted with his Board yet. Dick reported that the charge would be significantly higher that the Church. The figure of $1500 per month, whether used or not, was mentioned. Dick said that he did not seem enthusiastic about having us there. Jim Allen said that a couple of their board members were unhappy with us. There have been neighbor complaints and the parking was crowded. Michael Carroad suggests that we commit to the Church soon. We need to be certain about where we will have the Unit game. Dick Wegman said that he will make a commitment to the Church for the indefinite future.

Barbara Doran reported that the Silver Spring Civic Center, scheduled for completion in 2005, is a facility large enough for the Unit Game, Sectionals and maybe our Regional. The organizers have evening meetings in the Chamber of Commerce Building. She asked Lee Jensen to be our liaison and he agreed.

Fred King said that he is trying to organize bridge lessons during the Thursday night Unit game. Steve Forsythe presented some proposals. He suggested 1/2 hour lesson followed by play for the newcomers. There was a question of marketing costs? Barbara Doran asked if we can afford $120.00 for Steve Forsythe plus marketing costs? The question of retention of the new players was important. Dick Wegman proposed a minimum salary + an amount for each table over a number to be decided. Dave Ruderman and Fred King suggested that we form a committee of 3 to meet with Forsythe and discuss ideas. Jim Allen stated that in the past attendance was high for the first 6 weeks when the classes were offered free. Then once a minimum fee was assessed the attendance dropped. If there is a break in the sequence of classes then attendance will drop. Therefore try and offer the classes in a consecutive sequence. Barbara Shaw suggested for a second time that we not ignore the hundreds for social players who may wish to improve their bridge skills. That is a pool of players who already know how to play party bridge or at home duplicate and is a source of future players for the Unit if we can reach them. She suggested working with the syndicated bridge columnists and the ACBL to supply teachers for their bridge groups. For a minimum fee of perhaps $10.00 per person a teacher could go to their group once a month and give a half hour lesson and supervise the play for an hour. Through this contact the teacher could introduce them to the Thursday night Unit game and perhaps we would pick up a few new players this way.

Fred King then reported on the Unit Growth Seminar he organized. Betty Starzec, from the ACBL came and met with a group of WBL Board members and other interested people on Sunday, November 17 at the WBC. Dick Wegman, Charity Sack, Jim Allen and Fred King are on a committee to help increase our Unit Game size. Fred reported that the ACBL is willing to help. If we follow up and report we can get $.25 per member. Last year we received $273.90 a $.05 per new member increase. Fred reported these suggestions. People who have not renewed their membership need to be personally contacted and asked why they didn’t renew their membership and encouraged to do so. The new member retention rate is 49.89% in the WBL while nationally it is 52.84%. 65% of our members are NLM. We need a new member I/N Director. We need coaches and mentors to make people excited about learning bridge. There is a TAP course which we offer at our Regional which we sponsor for $1700.00. The web based partnership desk is a good start and Don Berman reports that we have a half a dozen people signed up. Jim Allen reported that the WBC has a once a month mentoring game on Sunday afternoon. He has around 18 tables regularly. Fred also said that we need to work with the local Chambers of Commerce, Newcomers Organizations, and local Realtors and supply them with information perhaps a flyer that they could give to incoming residents. We need to recognize volunteers. And it would be a good idea to have name tags at the holiday party. Jim Allen suggested that we have an I/N tournament for the Unit. He also thought we should have a teacher’s library in conjunction with the NVBA perhaps 8-10 books for multiple teacher use. Dave Ruderman asked what happened to our bulletin board. He will check.

Michael Carroad’s e-mail on random thoughts and questions was briefly discussed. Once again the thought that we have too many Sectionals was presented. The suggestion that we drop one of the sectionals was mentioned but tabled. Barbara Shaw mentioned that Margo Hennings was willing to drop an NVBA Sectional if we did. Michael pointed out that one reason why our attendance has dropped at regular sectionals is because we now participate in four STACs where people can get silver points in their own clubs and don’t need to drive to sectionals to earn them. Attendance at Regionals seems to be holding since the popular KOs are an easy way of getting large amounts of gold points. Jim Allen mentioned that many older club players simple are not interested in becoming life masters and therefore don’t care about silver and gold points. They just want to play bridge and be left alone. Michael Carroad reported that Richmond's Easy Bridge is growing and our major problem is that we have no Edith or Leslie anymore.

Dave Ruderman then asked for the normal $800.00- $1000.00 for Kitty Gottfried to spend on the holiday party to be held Thursday night December 12. The request was approved.

Dave Ruderman also moved that the WBL adopt the Appeals Committee procedures recommended by the National Board. Discussion followed. It was determined that we need to have more knowledge about exactly what the procedures are before deciding. The motion was withdrawn.

Barbara Doran then thanked Jim Allen for hosting the meeting and coming to our rescue in an emergency.

The December meeting will be held at Francis Burke's on Wednesday, December 18.

The January meeting will be at Ben Laden's on January 22.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara Shaw, Recording Secretary