<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">At various times during our unit board meeting Monday evening (thanks Monty for hosting), we discussed electronic device policy, player memo / Zero Tolerance, and loss of the Marketing by Pianola email blast tool.<div><br></div><div>FYI, please see my email to the CEO (2 emails down this string) and his reply immediately below.</div><div><br></div><div>Tim</div><div><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">Bahar Gidwani <<a href="mailto:bahar@acbl.org">bahar@acbl.org</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><b>RE: cell phone policies and GNTs?</b><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">April 12, 2018 1:31:07 PM PDT<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">Tim White <<a href="mailto:trkwhite@gmail.com">trkwhite@gmail.com</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Cc: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">Marv Norden <<a href="mailto:marv.norden@gmail.com">marv.norden@gmail.com</a>>, Ralph Wilhelmi <<a href="mailto:ralph.wilhelmi@comcast.net">ralph.wilhelmi@comcast.net</a>><br></span></div><br><div>Agree with you completely on the first two items. We're trying to get this onto the agenda for Atlanta Board meeting. Stay tuned.<br><br>Re the third one. Marv can share with you a write up we provided him on this issue. It is not about money but about protecting the quality of our email list and ensuring local control of marketing efforts. We've asked for feedback from the Board on the matter. Let's see what advice they decide to give us.<br><br>Thanks. I appreciate the arguments you've marshalled and may "crib" some of them as we prepare for Atlanta and a discussion of these issues.<br><br>Bahar Gidwani, CFA, FSA<br>CEO, ACBL <br>662-253-3175 (o)<br>901-314-5975 (c)<br><a href="mailto:bahar.gidwani@acbl.org">bahar.gidwani@acbl.org</a><br><br><br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: Tim White [mailto:trkwhite@gmail.com] <br>Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2018 3:13 PM<br>To: Bahar Gidwani <bahar@acbl.org><br>Cc: Marv Norden <marv.norden@gmail.com>; Ralph Wilhelmi <ralph.wilhelmi@comcast.net><br>Subject: Re: cell phone policies and GNTs?<br><br>Bahar,<br><br>Thank you for your engagement on these matters. As a D19 board member, GNT/NAP Coordinator, and First Alternate Director, I would like to add emphasis and focus to some of the items in your email below -- and to raise an additional matter I believe warrants ACBLHQ attention. In addition to our Marv, our D19 Director, I am copying our D19 President Ralph Wilhelmi on this email as these topics arose during discussion at our D19 Board of Directors meeting last week in Burnaby, BC.<br><br>1. Electronic device policy. We are in need of a uniform electronic device policy for District GNT and NAP Finals. As you know, these events are no less significant than districts' regional tournament pairs or team events, as they qualify pairs/teams to play for a national championship at the spring (NAPs) and summer (GNTs) NABCs. Disruption by electronic devices could conceivably influence the outcome of these events and therefore determine which pairs or teams win/qualify to proceed on the national finals. It's the ACBL BOD's place to address this gap in regulations and to provide a uniform electronic device policy for all the districts for their GNT and NAP finals (as has apparently already taken place for regional tournaments). In absence of another approach, would it not make sense to immediately flow down the same national electronic device policy to the districts' GNT and NAP Finals that now applies to the districts' regional tournaments? Implementing a policy here and alerting/training TDs to enforce it is needed.<br><br>2. Zero Tolerance. Based on my experience planning and chairing events at the district and unit levels, I would also like to ask for your and the ACBL BOD's intercession to implement a much-needed improvement to bring about additional meaning to our ZT policy. Here's how I'm coming at this -- I view the event organizer (normally represented on-site by the event chair) and the Director-in-Charge as partners in planning and conducting the event. This partnership should include dealing with alleged ZT violations. If and when an alleged ZT violation arises, under sections A and B of Law 91 the DiC is vested with the authority to impose immediate disciplinary action in the form of penalties in points (part A) or disqualification (part B). It is proper that only one official (i.e. the DiC) be vested with this authority. HOWEVER, impacts of an alleged ZT violation can vary greatly and can be so profound as to have substantial adverse consequences for the entire event in-progress and more broadly going forward. I have experienced this as D19 GNT/NAP Coordinator. I encourage -- in the strongest terms -- you and the ACBL BOD to consider and adopt a change to the Laws (revision to Law 91 or otherwise) that compels the DiC to immediately notify the event organizer of an alleged ZT violation and to confer with the event organizer in weighing potential real-time disciplinary action. The event organizer brings the perspective of the context of the entire event, its exposure to immediate and long-term harm, and its relationships with the venue and associated organizations. As presently written, Law 91 section B requires that the DiC obtain the approval of the Tournament Organizer to disqualify a player. One can infer from this that the DiC could/should confer with the event organizer when weighing how to handle any alleged ZT violation. Again, the event organizer must deal with the immediate, the broader and the long term impacts of an alleged ZT violation, and thus I feel very strongly that it should be made unequivocally clear that event organizer (or his/her designate) is to be (a) immediately notified by the DiC of any alleged ZT violation and (b) consulted by the DiC in considering potential real-time disciplinary action(s). As part of such a revision to the Laws, TDs should be alerted/trained.<br><br>3. Loss of email blast tool. I understand the ACBL is not renewing the contract with Pianola that expires on June 30 and under which districts and units have had the ability to send email blasts publicizing their events. If this decision was taken on the basis of cost, I strongly believe it is penny wise and pound foolish. Leaving aside the loss of this important tool for regional and sectional tournaments, I would like to address the impact of this decision on GNTs and NAPs. District 19 has twenty-four units that span a vast geographic region from Alaska to the Oregon border. Our members are not concentrated within a few units within a one-day's drive. Email blasts using the marketing by Pianola tool have been invaluable in promoting the GNT and NAP Finals in D19. Attendance at our Districts Finals has jumped substantially since we've been using this tool. Many more of our players are now involved in these events and the events' financials are greatly improved. As I understand, the Pianola commission on email blasts is 1 US cent (US$0.01) per delivered email. In D19 about 3,600 of our members receive district-wide email blasts -- thus apparently costing about $36 per blast. Getting just one more NAP pair or one more GNT team to enter the D19 Finals brings in far more revenue that the cost of the email blast that publicizes the event. If the concern that led to non-renewal of Pianola is that the ACBL bears the entire cost of these email blasts that are employed by (and important to the success of) the districts and units, then I plead with you and the ACBL BOD to re-examine this decision in light of the overall attendance and net financial benefits to the ACBL and its constituent districts and units. It appears impractical for districts and units to work out on their own individual recovery plans for the dis-continued contract for email blasts. And the ACBL has much greater scale with which to contract Pianola on this important capability. If the issue at HQ is the cost, please consider offering the districts and/or units an opportunity to assist by carrying or contributing some sort of transfer cost -- we're all part of the same enterprise after all. But in the mean time please do not allow this important tool to lapse.<br><br>Thanks for your consideration,<br>Tim White<br>D19 Board Member<br>D19 GNT'NAP Coordinator<br>D19 1st Alternate Director<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>On Apr 12, 2018, at 8:05 AM, Bahar Gidwani <bahar@acbl.org> wrote:<br><br><blockquote type="cite">Official response is that there are no uniform cell phone policies still, below the Regional tournament level. The same is true on Zero Tolerance (no uniform policy below the NABC level), fragrance issues, and slow play.<br><br>IMHO, this is not good for bridge! We are working with the Board on this subject and plan to propose ideas in Atlanta for how to improve the situation. I'd like to see the cell phone policy extended to all tournaments. I'd also like to clarify ZT (make sure everyone knows exactly what it covers and how the penalties work) and then extend it down, as well.<br><br>Not sure how best to handle slow play. There were a lot of "clock nazi" concerns the last time we addressed this. Fragrance (and second hand smoke) are a health issue for some of our members. But, it is hard to ask TDs (or tournament organizers) to stand by the front entrance and sniff people as they go in and out!<br><br>Glad you have Tim and Marv on this thread. I'd welcome input and advice from any of you on how to move things forward in this area. We will probably reach out to the TD involved in the specific incident you mention, but that will be an informal customer service "training" thing from our side.<br><br>Bahar Gidwani, CFA, FSA<br>CEO, ACBL <br>662-253-3175 (o)<br>901-314-5975 (c)<br>bahar.gidwani@acbl.org<br><br><br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: Eric Sieg [mailto:easieg@gmail.com] <br>Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2018 12:10 AM<br>To: Marv N <marv.norden@gmail.com>; Bahar Gidwani <bahar@acbl.org><br>Cc: Tim White <trkwhite@gmail.com><br>Subject: cell phone policies and GNTs?<br><br>Hi Marv/Bahar,<br><br>There was a cell phone incident at a recent district GNT final (championship flight). In the middle of a match, with boards still to play, a competitor in the event pulled out their cell phone and started interacting with it for a while before eventually putting it away and continuing play.<br><br>When the director was called, the opponents of the person who was playing with their cell phone informed them that there was no cell phone policy and unless they were sure he was trying to cheat in some way there was no penalty.<br><br>Would it be possible to clarify the status of GNT and NAP finals with regards to cell phone policies? In San Diego, my understanding is that board voted to extend the NABC cell phone policies to regionals and not to sectionals. However, it is unclear if the NABC policies are extended to GNT and NAP district final events since they are technically their own classification. Is there any chance we could get clarification as to whether GNT and NAP events are now covered by the NABC cell phone policy? Or is it still up to each district to define their own cell phone policy (or lack thereof) for GNTs and NAPs?<br><br>I realize you likely don't know yourselves, but hoping you can point me to someone who can answer definitely.<br><br>Thanks!<br><br>Eric<br></blockquote><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>