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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">
<DIV>I agree, sounds like a valiant effort. Tim, to a short sight sighted group.
No thanks to our other rep. Is Steve expected to represent the Unit/Board or his
personal view?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Larry</DIV>
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<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=pattimcbridge@gmail.com
href="mailto:pattimcbridge@gmail.com">Patti</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 17, 2017 2:35 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=sbuboard@mailman.celestial.com
href="mailto:sbuboard@mailman.celestial.com">Seattle ACBL Unit Board</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [SBU Board] Club issues with the expanded Regional
schedule</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif">Thank you for the
effort, Tim and Steve</DIV></DIV>
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<HR>
<SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif"><A
href="mailto:judgejohn@msn.com">John</A></SPAN><BR><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif">10/17/2017 12:43
AM</SPAN><BR><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif"><A
href="mailto:sbuboard@mailman.celestial.com">Seattle ACBL Unit Board</A>; <A
href="mailto:alkibridgeclub@gmail.com">Nick Tipton</A>; <A
href="mailto:stan.milliman@gmail.com">Stan Roberts</A></SPAN><BR><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: calibri,sans-serif">Re: [SBU
Board] Club issues with the expanded Regional schedule</SPAN><BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=WordSection1>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Very disappointing result – but good effort,
Tim.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The problems of our clubs <I>are</I> the problems of our
units, and of our districts, and should be recognized as such.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>As Benjamin Franklin said, “If we do not hang together, we
shall surely hang separately.”<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The consequence of ignoring the clubs’ problems is not so
draconian – but the principle is the same: if the clubs suffer, we all
suffer.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>John Weinberg<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B>From:</B> Sbuboard
[mailto:sbuboard-bounces+judgejohn=msn.com@mailman.celestial.com] <B>On Behalf
Of </B>Tim White<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 16, 2017 8:19 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Nick Tipton <alkibridgeclub@gmail.com>; Stan Roberts
<stan.milliman@gmail.com><BR><B>Cc:</B> Seattle ACBL Unit Board
<sbuboard@mailman.celestial.com><BR><B>Subject:</B> [SBU Board] Club
issues with the expanded Regional schedule<o:p></o:p></P></DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Nick and Stan,<o:p></o:p></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>Thank you for including me on distribution of your emails
below. Consideration of your request reached a point of culmination
today. While I wish I had better news, I would like to report back on how
your request has been handled.<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>The U446 board took up your request at its September 11
meeting. (Note for background: as part of its effort to better
harmonize with the clubs, the unit board had previously undertaken an analysis
to better understand the extent of conflicts between various tournaments'
sessions and regularly scheduled clubs games within U446 and how these conflicts
may cannibalize clubs' business.) There was much discussion during the
unit board meeting. Your request was viewed very favorably and the
following motion carried unanimously: <I>“Moved that The Unit 446
representatives to the District 19 Board be tasked to convey at the October 16
district board meeting, Unit 446’s concern with adverse impact on club games of
the Monday afternoon session at Lynnwood because of the proximity of three club
games, and ask that the tournament chairs discontinue that session so as to best
serve our bridge community.”</I><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>On September 17 I sent a note to Steve Kasner, our other U446
rep to the D19 board, alerting him that he and I had been tasked as above to
speak at the Oct 16 (today's) D19 board meeting on behalf of U446 in support of
the clubs.<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>Today in Olympia, D19 held its fall board meeting as
scheduled. Your request was addressed on the agenda under New
Business. The President read your letter aloud. I then requested
time to speak in support of the request. I reported on the discussion at
the Sept 11 U446 board meeting and read aloud the motion adopted (italics above)
tasking the U446 reps. I emphasized Nick's point about acting for the
greater good of the bridge community and the importance to the long term health
of the game of considering actions' effects on constituencies at district, unit,
club and player levels. I reported that U446 is making an effort to
harmonize its activities with the clubs because it sees the health of the clubs
as essential to the long term success of tournaments. I noted the growing
financial challenge clubs face as a result of increasing sanction fees, player
demographics, and in the case of Alki the emergent parking problem, all of which
make clubs that much more vulnerability to cannibalization by conflicting
tournament sessions. I reported that for these and other reasons U446 has
decided to cut back to a two-day summer sectional in 2018 so as to deconflict
from club games on Friday.<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>There were no other comments in support of your
request. The gist of the other comments was that this is not D19's
problem, that D19 is taking advantage of an opportunity to better leverage its
fixed costs at Lynnwood to get more revenue, that it's not D19's job to solve
clubs' problems, and that the clubs should solve their problem by getting more C
level players out to play. The other U446 rep spoke in opposition to the
request. I then tried to go after one of the problems underlying the
addition of the Friday afternoon session at Lynnwood by making the following
motion: <I>"In setting session schedules, D19 regional tournament chairs
shall consult with the local unit."</I> This motion died for lack of a
second.<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>I regret your request has not produced a change in D19's view
of its approach to scheduling at Lynnwood. I assure you the U446 board is
sensitive to the impacts of conflicting events on club attendance and financials
and will continue to explore ways to harmonize its activities with the
clubs.<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>Tim White<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>U446 President<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>D19 Board Member<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>On Sep 9, 2017, at 6:03 PM, Stan Roberts <<A
href="mailto:stan.milliman@gmail.com">stan.milliman@gmail.com</A>>
wrote:<o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><BR><BR><o:p></o:p></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; MARGIN-TOP: 5pt">
<P class=MsoNormal>Nick makes good points about the health of the bridge
clubs. We at<BR>ESBC had a large loss for the month of August. It would help
if, we<BR>could get Monday back. Please consider Nick's request.<BR><BR>On
Fri, Sep 8, 2017 at 1:47 PM, Nick Tipton <<A
href="mailto:nick_tipton@yahoo.com">nick_tipton@yahoo.com</A>>
wrote:<BR><BR><o:p></o:p></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; MARGIN-TOP: 5pt">
<P class=MsoNormal><BR><BR>District 19,<BR><BR>Congratulations on a well run
Lynnwood Regional. I heard many good things<BR>about it from the
hundreds of bridge players that I personally know who took<BR>part.
The exception to that were some relatively minor complaints about<BR>hard
copies of the bulletin. I suspect that the number of hits on
those<BR>pages was a bit lower than expected. There were a number of
changes in the<BR>event scheduling. Some were good and some not so
good. One player told me<BR>that the Tues-Wed morning Swiss game was
cancelled due to sub-minimal<BR>attendance, as was the three session morning
KO on Thurs-Fri-Sat mornings.<BR>I also heard many good things about the
Gold Rush Pairs, and that making<BR>those daily would have brought more
people in.<BR><BR>The purpose of this email is to express my concerns for
the change to<BR>Monday's schedule. Adding an afternoon session Monday
allowed the Opening<BR>KOs to run through Tuesday night without requiring
three sessions on<BR>Tuesday. This change adversely affected the local
clubs. I firmly believe<BR>that a healthy tournament schedule is
important to the health of the overall<BR>bridge community. However,
this must be tempered with allowing the local<BR>bridge clubs to continue to
exist. All bridge clubs run at or near the<BR>break-even point, some
even below it. Mondays are a historically good day<BR>for bridge
clubs. Taking at least half of our tables away on the opening<BR>day
of a regional is adding insult to injury when we must remain
closed<BR>Tuesday-Sunday of the rest of the week. Speaking for Seattle
Bridge Center,<BR>we lost an estimated $1000 in revenue from the week's
closure. Considering<BR>that a good month is anything over $200 in the
black, this guarantees that<BR>August is a month that requires at least 3-5
months of financial recovery.<BR>I have spoken with Stan Roberts, the owner
of the Eastside Bridge Center,<BR>and he has indicated that he has very
similar concerns<BR><BR>Of course Puget Sound must have an annual Regional
Tournament. Please keep<BR>in mind that although this is the only
Regional that we must lock up our<BR>clubs for, we are greatly affected by
all of the local regionals, whether<BR>they are in Olympia, Leavenworth, or
farther afield. Vancouver, Penticton,<BR>and Seaside take 30%-50% of
our club players in spite of their distance.<BR>Just as damaging are the
twelve open sectionals (Olympia north to the<BR>border) that draw down our
attendance. If you put it all together, owning<BR>and operating a
bridge club is just barely viable. If the bridge clubs<BR>begin to
fail, then tournament bridge will not be far behind.<BR><BR>I am asking,
indeed pleading, that D19 return to the normal 18 sessions
per<BR>Regional. It probably seems minor that we are losing one more
session with<BR>this change, but it truly does make a difference to the
financial viability<BR>of a bridge club. I understand that you cannot
control any of the<BR>Sectionals, and that you are unlikely to curtail the
number of Regionals<BR>each year. Expanding the number or the length
of Regionals is a step in the<BR>wrong direction.<BR><BR>I currently
distribute fliers for all of the local and neighboring<BR>tournaments, but I
find myself asking why I am working against myself in<BR>doing this.
Is part of the District's mission statement to work towards the<BR>benefit
of the bridge community as a whole? I found nothing on the <A
href="https://nam03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2FD19.org&data=02%7C01%7Cjudgejohn%40msn.com%7C9d33858b89ba46efe15408d5150de9d4%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636438071868585247&sdata=2DAdU%2FNFU6bCavTZVfEMTrRfa%2FjUSIKxA8wrN8pV014%3D&reserved=0">D19.org</A><BR>website
that suggests that, and yet I am confident that every member of the<BR>board
would personally support that idea. New players play
almost<BR>exclusively at the club level, sometimes for years, before ever
playing a<BR>tournament. If all Bridge Clubs revert to non-profit,
twice a week games in<BR>church basements, then the available bridge classes
will drop precipitously.<BR>Within 2-3 years, it will be easily noticeable
at the club level, and in 3-4<BR>years, 199er games at tournaments will no
longer get enough players to<BR>guarantee a game. If that starts to
happen at the Sectional or Regional<BR>level, then new tournament players
will be very few and very far between.<BR><BR>Thank you for your
considerations,<BR><BR>Nick Tipton<BR>Seattle Bridge Center<BR>Alki Bridge
Club<o:p></o:p></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P>
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