July 2016 District Direction

By Ken Monzingo
ACBL President

Bridge is a complicated game of counting using very small numbers: only 52 cards, a 40 point count system of evaluating high cards, and only 15 bidding words – the numbers 1-7, the four suits, notrump, pass, double, and redouble. Yet hundreds of titles on bidding and play from dozens of great theorists are on the tables for purchase.
Bridge combatants have only two missions: offense & defense, each of which should involve some cunning, conniving and downright chicanery to snatch tricks away that belong to the other side. Therein lies the thrill of it all.
Bridge management and governance, on the other hand, is more complicated.

Board


ACBL Horn Lake, Mississippi, Management

• 220 total employees
• 60 full time workers in Horn Lake
• 160 part time/full time tournament directors including
11 field supervisors
168,400 Total ACBL Membership
• 71.63 average member age; 73.09 average age in D22
• 25 Districts throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico
20,150 largest (District 9 Florida), 3315 smallest (District               15 Oklahoma, Kansas)
• 299 unit boards, 5000+ teachers

Western Conference

• 24,700 average membership in three districts
• 9000 average membership in D17 (22 units), third largest
• 8700 average membership in D21 (23 units), fifth largest
• 7000 average membership in D22 (25 units), ninth largest

Governance/Board Operations

• 25 Board of Directors, one from each ACBL district
1 President, 1 Chairman of the Board, 1 Treasurer
• 3 member Executive Committee (East, Central & West)
• 26 board committees
• 15 member Ethical Oversight Committee
• 16 member Disciplinary Committee
• 7 member Appeals & Charges Committee
• 150 member Board of Governors
• 125-150 Board of Governors members, one chairman,
one vice chairman

Life Master Ranks

• 54,648 total Life Masters (pigmented point requirements
apply to each level)
• 7,093 Life Masters 300 (or 500 after January 1, 2010)
• 17,955 Bronze Life Masters 500 (or 750 if after January
1, 2010)
• 10,302 Silver Life Masters 1000
• 9,756 Ruby Life Masters 1500
• 4,167 Gold Life Masters 2500
• 2,557 Sapphire Life Masters 3500
• 1,557 Diamond Life Masters 5000
• 598 Emerald Life Masters 7500
• 329 Platinum Life Masters 10,000
• 334 Grand Life Masters 10,000 plus national championship
• 114 members of ACBL Hall of Fame

Playing Fields

• 3 North American Bridge Championships
• 9,500 Spring NABC average tables annually
• 13,300 Summer NABC average tables annually
• 11,000 Fall NABC average tables annually
• 130+ total regionals plus 2 I/N regionals, 2 senior
regionals and 3 regionals at sea
• 77,500 average total tables annually (regular land regionals)
• 1300-1400 average tables per regional
• 8323 Gatlinburg largest; 3876 Palm Springs second largest
• 900+ sectionals including 150 I/N sectonals, 4 online clubs
• 67,500 total tables annually, 130-140 average tables
• 90+ Sectional Tournaments at Clubs; 45,000 annual tables average
• 24,000 annual tables average in Western Conference
STACs (3)
• 3000-3200 Bridge Clubs (private and unit owned)
9 tables average size of club game

And finally: 2 - the number of times I compiled this list after deleting 6 hours of research and composing due to hitting the button without saving. Never again – the number of times I will not save my work. Not very presidential, I would say.

Peace my friends.