Minutes for LBA Board Meeting June 27, 2008

President Jean Donoho called the meeting to order at 5:35 PM. The meeting was held at the Brownsboro Inn, in conjunction with the June Sectional Tournament.

Officers/board members present:

Kit Overpeck, Vangie Smith, Hannah Davis, Ted Flach, Karen Clear, Jean Donoho, Susan Cox, Frank Nelson, Charlene Daniels, Joe Dye, Rex Swauger, JoEllen Amrine, Ellen Schmidt, Elizabeth Rosenburg and Betsy Blakeman.

Attending non voting:

Paul Coulter, Scott Cox, A. Beth Reid, Mauri Malka, Pat London and Verna Goldberg.

Minutes:

Jean Donoho asked that the minutes for the February 15, 2008, Board Meeting be approved as written. Hannah Davis so moved, Susan Cox seconded the motion. The motion was passed by unanimous vote.

President’s Report:

Jean reported that since our meeting in February, there had been a change in the board’s makeup, due to the resignation of Gail Slater. Susan Cox graciously agreed to take over as Vice-President. Karen Clear was equally kind in agreeing to return to her previous post as the Historian through the end of 2008.

The new chairs approved in February, are in place and looking great. Jean mentioned that she had only heard favorable comments about them. We were all asked to encourage players to treat them gently. The old chairs were recycled with the majority going to a charity or the Campbellsville club. Jean offered special thanks to Rex Swauger for his work on this project.

This year will be an eventful one with our club hosting the Buffett Cup in September and working on preparations for the 2011 Spring NABC, Louisville’s first National tournament in more than 40 years.

We have to find a new location in which to hold our Sectional Tournaments. This will be one of our greatest hurdles this year. Brownsboro Inn is scheduled for demolition, sometime around the end of August.

The table count for Louisville Bridge Center club games remain high and we are attracting a lot of new faces at the club through the many classes.

Treasurer’s Report:

Frank presented the treasurer’s report which is posted monthly on the bulletin board. He still hasn’t received the Audit. Charlene said that she would try to get it done soon; time had gotten away from her.

Frank reported that the account for Nationals has $16,487.31. In September a week of special games has been scheduled in the District with a dollar a person going to the NABC tournament. In addition, a dollar a table extra will be charged at all Sectionals and Regionals in the District, earmarked for the NABC in Louisville.

Frank brought up a problem that he is having with rising gasoline prices. He must make many trips back and forth between the bank and the bridge center and it is becoming increasingly expensive. He put forth the idea that the treasurer, the secretary, the maintenance chairman, the supplies chairman and the concession chairman, have available to them a $25.00 per month allowance for gasoline. He would develop a form to be filled out and submitted for payment. Hannah Davis made a motion to put this into effect; Charlene Daniels seconded. The motion passed.

Buffett Cup:

Beth Reid and Pat London, co-chairs for the Buffett Cup in Louisville, presented their report. Beth said they were having a difficult time planning, as they were receiving very little information from Donna Compton, the chairman of the American Team. Beth is in charge of the planning for their meals and entertainment, as well as, the View Graph training.

Pat London is in charge of wrangling volunteers to drive to and from the airport and to Lynn’s Paradise Café on Tuesday night. Part of Pat’s plan for hospitality is to provide gift baskets for each participant and the persons traveling with the group. She would like to put Kentucky items in the basket and asked for help in having items donated. In addition, she would like a budget of up to $1,000.00, to purchase anything she might need for the baskets.

After tabling this request to the end of the meeting, Ellen Schmidt made a motion to make the $1,000.00 available, Susan Cox seconded and the motion passed.

The goal is to make the Buffett Cup such a success that participants from around the country and Europe will want to attend the NABC in Louisville in 2011, and will suggest to others that they attend.

Maintenance Report:

Ted reported that the carpet is being cleaned during the Sectional tournament and will cost $340.00. If we want to keep the carpet, it needs to be cleaned more often.

There was discussion of the third bathroom and asking Audrey to try to keep it cleaner and provide soap and hand towels.

Special Projects Report:

Hannah Davis reported that Shirley Mueller is working on the Directory. She has compiled the list and has it at the bridge center for members to check for new addresses and corrections to the information compiled.

Hannah showed us the new logo for the 2011 NABC Spring Tournament in Louisville. Elizabeth Rosenberg’s son, a graphic artist, created it. She reiterated that the week after Labor Day would be the Special Games week in the District to help raise extra funds. Each player will pay $1.00 a game more and receive extra points. It will be treated as a Sectional. Verna Goldberg has agreed to be Newcomer and Intermediate Chairman for the NABC. Frank Nelson is Treasurer and Financial Advisor, Helen Katz is in charge of tours, and the Holts, from Lexington, are Partnership Chairpersons.

The 299’er Tournament is slated for August 8 and 9, 2008. JoEllen Amrine and Diane Hugenard are working with Hannah and will be the co-chairpersons for 2009.

Charity Report:

JoEllen Amrine reported that she was overwhelmed by the support for the Charity Game in the spring. $1,130 was raised for the Kentucky Humane Society. She thanked Elizabeth Rosenburg, Kit Overpeck and Vangie Smith for their help.

Education Report:

Elizabeth Rosenberg reported that she was working on developing a youth program. She felt there were lots of possibilities to create such a program, including after school programs and in house lessons. She suggested the possibility of continuing education credits for teachers who learned to teach bridge. She is in hopes of developing a steering committee under the auspices of the Board.

Vangie made a motion to establish a steering committee and Kit seconded the motion. The motion passed.

New Business:

Verna Goldberg and Mauri Malka presented a proposal whereby they would develop the Education program for the LBA and take it over on a permanent basis. This would allow them to develop a curriculum and create materials so that what was taught at the bridge center remained constant. Scott Cox, our legal advisor, felt that we could consider such a proposal but that it needed to be made more specific, as to what they would do. The proposal was tabled until the Barren River Tournament when they would present an expanded proposal.

Rex Swauger has been investigating the possibility of purchasing new carpet for the bridge center. He had information on purchasing carpet tiles which could be replaced more easily than whole strips of carpet. The price to redo the bridge center would be approximately $5,000.00. Susan Cox wondered about the possibility of getting the carpet from the Brownsboro Inn, since it was going to be torn down. Several people felt that it would be risky. Rex agreed to chair a committee to continue investigating possibilities.

Vangie brought up the need to make some arrangement for the Kibitzer. Betty Mattison has always done it but is unable to this year. Paul Coulter is willing to do it, however, he felt there should be some remuneration involved for the time it would take. Vangie made a motion that the board would pay him $100.00, Kit seconded and the motion passed.

At 7:10, Ted Flach made a motion that the meeting be adjourned, Kit seconded the motion and the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted by Vangie Smith, Secretary Unit 117.