ABF AGM

The ABF Annual General Meeting took place on 22nd- 23rd April 2017, at the Rex hotel in Canberra. A significant part of the MC meeting on 24th April was to progress AGM decisions.

Summer Festival of Bridge now at Rex Hotel

The Rex Hotel has been confirmed as the venue for the Summer Festival of Bridge.

Appointment of Keith McDonald to the ABF Committee of Honour

For his outstanding contributions over 30 plus years, Keith McDonald was appointed to the ABF Committee of Honour. I personally thank Keith for his support and great service.

GNOT

The MC noted that Council had expressed its appreciation of the ABF’s continued support for the GNOT and their appreciation of the increased subsidies.

Tournament Organisers Workshop

Planning continues for a Tournament Organisers Workshop to take place in October. The ABF Secretary will email information to the invitees and invite States and Territories to send additional participants at their own cost.

ANC Strategic Review

The AGM discussed proposals from the ANC Strategic Review. We will present them and seek feedback at the Canberra ANC in July. Nothing will change before 2018 at the earliest.

WBF Event

The ABF will continue to investigate the feasibility of holding a World Championship in 2021 in Adelaide.  Further work will be done and more details will be released in due course.

ABF Travel Policy

An ABF policy for overseas participation by Australian representative teams has been agreed. We will only enter international representative events if the DFAT travel advice for the destination is level one (overall, exercise normal safety precautions) or two (high degree of caution). We will not enter events if the DFAT advice is level 3 or 4.

Note that the DFAT travel advice for Seoul remains at level one. For players who have already arranged to travel to Seoul and who are concerned about the perceived risk of tensions escalating rapidly, ABF policy is that players may withdraw at their own expense.

The 2018 Asia Cup is in Bangladesh, where the DFAT travel advice is level 3 (reconsider your need to travel). Unless the situation changes, the ABF will not enter the Asia Cup.

Commonwealth Nations Bridge Championships (CNBC)

Australia has been invited to enter the CNBC at the Gold Coast in February 2018. Each Commonwealth country has been invited to send two teams as national representatives, and can send further teams as additional entries. We plan to invite Open Playoff contestants to form two Australian representative teams, and Seniors’ and Women’s Playoff contestants each to form one additional team, for a total entry of four Australian teams.

Level of CTD required at ABF events

The MC has agreed with recommendations from the National Directors Accreditation Committee that more opportunities should be made available to level 2 and level 3 directors to direct in National Events. A list of the minimum level of director accreditation required for ABF events is attached.

Director Appointments

The ABF congratulates the following directors on their new appointments:

• Sebastian Yuen (ACT) has been appointed as National Director level 2.
• Bruce Crossman (ACT) has been appointed as National Director level 2.
• Laura Ginnan (VIC) has been appointed as National Director level 3.

Policy on Team Subsidies for Training Events

The MC approved a policy on team subsidies for training support leading in to representative events.  

ABF Board Dealing Tender

The ABF board dealing tender is planned to be released soon. Details on the web.

Council Mid-Term meeting

The ABF will hold the Mid-Term ABF Council meeting and the ABF Management Committee meeting on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October, 2017 in Sydney. 

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The Management Committee welcomes feedback and suggestions on these or other subjects. The next MC meeting is 17th – 18th June at Sydney Bridge Centre NSWBA

ABF Management Committee:
Bruce Neill (President), Allison Stralow (Secretary), Roy Nixon (Treasurer),
Dallas Cooper (MC Member), Kim Frazer (MC Member).
Russel Harms (General Counsel), Jane Rasmussen (Executive Secretary).

Attachment

Minimum Level of Director Accreditation 
Required for a CTD of an ABF National Event

National Directors accredited at Level-3 and Level-2 may be appointed to the position of Chief Tournament Director for certain specific ABF National Events. The general event requirements and limitations relating to appointment are as follows:

National Level-3

1. It must be a single-format event.
2. The event shall not be one that awards Open PQPs.
3. The total expected entry shall be less than 60 tables per session.
4. The conditions of play must be such as to require the services of no more than two Nationally-Qualified Directors.

National Level-2

1. The tournament may consist of more than one event, but any event run simultaneously with another must employ the same playing schedule and use a similar format.
2. The total expected entry size shall be less than 120 tables per session.
3. The conditions of play must be such as to require the services of no more than four Nationally-Qualified Directors.
4. The tournament shall not at any stage require the use of screens.
5. The tournament shall not at any stage utilise a BBO presentation of the play.

National Level-1 (or above)

Level-1 Directors may act in the role of CTD at any National ABF or ABF licensed event

Using the above criteria leads to the following current breakdown of events:

Tournament Organisers who are uncertain as to the status of a prospective appointee should liaise with the ABF National Event Coordinator.