[SBU Board] Fwd: DINO - Standing Discipline Committee

[JC Chupack]

Hi all,

Please see below and send any ideas for candidates my way. You're also
welcome to let me know if you yourself are willing to serve.

Thanks,
JC
__
JC Chupack (she/her)
* Seattle ACBL Unit 446 <http://www.bridgeinseattle.org> President &
Web/Email Admin
* Associate Director, Product Management at Chewy <https://www.chewy.com>



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Weinberg <judgejohn at msn.com>
Date: Tue, Jun 8, 2021 at 9:59 AM
Subject: DINO - Standing Discipline Committee
To: mdesinger at gci.net <mdesinger at gci.net>, barbrothrock at gmail.com <
barbrothrock at gmail.com>, julie.gordy at gmail.com <julie.gordy at gmail.com>,
jhosford at q.com <jhosford at q.com>, johng139 at shaw.ca <johng139 at shaw.ca>,
president at bridgevictoria.ca <president at bridgevictoria.ca>,
jaybrandt at comcast.net <jaybrandt at comcast.net>, 1951 at gmail.com jehake
1951 at gmail.com <jehake>, josmitty3952 at yahoo.com <josmitty3952 at yahoo.com>,
bridgequeen at comcast.net <bridgequeen at comcast.net>, vickihamende at gmail.com <
vickihamende at gmail.com>, ma_hesser at msn.com <ma_hesser at msn.com>,
mike at carapace.me <mike at carapace.me>, JC Chupack <jc.chupack at gmail.com>,
markcallen1977 at gmail.com <markcallen1977 at gmail.com>, gbliesner at hotmail.com <
gbliesner at hotmail.com>, susanvollmer at me.com <susanvollmer at me.com>,
dsschreck at msn.com <dsschreck at msn.com>, snowall at nwi.net <snowall at nwi.net>,
curt at gilbertcellars.com <curt at gilbertcellars.com>, johnperry at shaw.ca <
johnperry at shaw.ca>, dennis.tottenham at hotmail.com <
dennis.tottenham at hotmail.com>, warren.t.watson at gmail.com <
warren.t.watson at gmail.com>



Dear Friends -

I am serving as the Disciplinary Chair for ACBL District 19 ("DINO"), and
am writing to you as the Presidents of the ACBL units in our district.  (If
you are not the current President of your unit, please forward this to the
proper person, with a copy to me, so I can correct my records).

It is crucial to our game of competitive bridge that our players behave
properly at the table.  When another player or a director complains about a
player's conduct, the ACBL's Code of Disciplinary Regulations (CDR)
establishes a procedure for assembling a committee , and then holding a
hearing in appropriate cases.  The objectives of the hearing include
affording all parties a chance to be heard, and fairness in all other
respects; an unbiased decision as to what happened; and (when appropriate)
the imposition of discipline.

When this system operates properly, the ACBL's Zero Tolerance Policy has
real meaning.  All participants in our tournaments will know that improper
conduct will carry disciplinary consequences.  This serves to deter
misconduct, and to result in consequences when it does occur.

But this process does not just happen.  It requires the time and
conscientious effort of local bridge players.  Enlisting that help is the
purpose of this message.

DINO is responsible for resolving disciplinary issues which arise at DINO
regionals and at sectionals within our region, and at some other events.
(It does not cover conduct at privately owned bridge clubs).   When a
player alleges misconduct, our District Recorder investigates the matter,
and reports the result to the DINO President. who then decides whether to
file a "Complaint" against one or more players.  We then must assemble a
committee of bridge players (usually about five) to hear and decide the
case.  A prompt resolution is highly desirable.  We can only accomplish
this if we are able promptly to select qualified and willing committee
members.  Under the CDR, the preferred procedure is for each district to
have a standing committee of players who are qualified and willing to serve
occasionally on a committee.  DINO needs your help in forming such a
standing committee.

The CDR prescribes that committee members should be well-respected members
of the bridge-playing community.  The committee as a whole should represent
the diverse makeup of the District.  Members need not be expert bridge
players.  However it is important that each member have a reputation for
integrity, honesty and unimpeachable ethics.  Members should come from
different geographical areas when possible.

When a committee is needed to serve in a specific case, the Disciplinary
Chair, in consultation with others, will look first to the members of the
standing committee.  He/she will discuss any issues of possible bias with
each proposed committee member.

On behalf of the DINO President and Board, I therefore respectfully request
that you nominate members from your unit to serve on the District's
standing disciplinary committee.  The units with the most ACBL members
should nominate at least the following number of candidates: Vancouver and
Seattle seven each, Okanogan and Victoria four each, and Tacoma and Spokane
three each.  All other units should nominate at least two candidates.

How you select your nominees is up to you; but please consider the
qualifications set forth in the CDR, as summarized above.  Please contact
each person you propose to nominate, to be sure he/she understands the
task, and will serve on a committee when requested, unless there is a
schedule conflict, facts that suggest bias or an appearance of bias,
hardship relating to distance, or other good reasons.  Feel free to assure
candidates  that nobody will be required to serve on a committee if he/she
does not wish to do so.

The DINO Board will make or approve the final selection of members of the
standing committee.  There is no set term of membership on the committee.
A member may resign rom it at any time.  The DINO Board may also make
changes in the membership and procedures of the committee.

Membership on the standing committee itself will impose very minimal time
demands upon its members.  I do not anticipate there will be any meetings
of the standing committee.  The time required of a committee member in a
specific case are hard to predict precisely.  But we have conducted only
four hearings in the past four years, in part because tournaments have been
suspended for a portion of that period.  Typically, committee members read
a small number of documents prior to the hearing.  The hearing itself,
including the deliberations and decision, have typically required about
four hours.

You might be aware of the fact that, perhaps twenty years ago, DINO
assembled a partial list of persons who might be called upon to serve on
disciplinary committees.  That list is so outdated that we decided to
assemble a new list, "from scratch."  But feel free to consider at this
time any person in your unit who was on that prior list.

We would appreciate it if you would advise us by August 31 of the nominees
from your unit, ideally with an email address and a phone number for each.
We will follow up with each of the nominees.  I would also appreciate it if
you could acknowledge you have received this message.  And of course I
would be pleased to respond to any questions or comments.  My contact info
is judgejohn at msn.com, (206) 236-0668.

On behalf of the DINO President and Board, our thanks to you and your unit
members for assisting in this important task.


John L. Weinberg
DINO Disciplinary Chair
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