MINUTES OF THE WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIT 195 of ACBL BOARD MEETING 
held at Steaks Eatery, 4243 Oaklane, Jackson, Michigan on Saturday, January 6, 2007

The meeting was called to order by President Dennis Carman at 6:15 PM.

Present were:
President Dennis Carman
Precinct  1  -  Duane Little, Joe Manhart, and Nancy Yarbrough
Precinct  2  -  Joanne Molt 
Precinct  3  -  Eugene  Kales, Alternate Alice Hill
Precinct  4  -  Alan Bau, Judy Euler, Marian Vyverman, and Bob Houtrow
Precinct  5  -  Pete Fleming and Alternate Robert Ploiegstra
and guests
Board Member absent: - Dave Kamm, Roger Anderson, Sally Spalsbury and Brenda Walz

     The Minutes of the Board Meeting at Muskegon, July 29, 2006 were approved.
     The Financial Report was presented by Joe Manhart.  After questions and discussion the report was approved.  A motion was approved to have Alan Bau audit the financials of the Unit as he did in 2003.
                                             
DISTRICT 12 INFORMATION
     The Grand National Teams District Final will be on March 24 and 25, 2007 at the Finnish Center in the Detroit area. No pre qualification is needed.  Details and a
preregistration form are on the District web site.  Advance registration will save a lot of money.
     The District Board voted to hold the District Final of the NAP game in Lansing on September 30, 2007.   No Unit Final games will be held.  Anyone qualifying at a club may play in the District Final.  At the meeting, Dennis moved that Unit Finals be held, but there was no second or discussion.
     Bill Arlinghaus plans to run for a second term on the ACBL Board.  No other candidates are known at this time.
     There was talk of revising the District 12 by-laws which could decrease the votes
that our Unit has. At present we and each Detroit Unit get two votes and the two smaller Units get one. No decision was reached.

COMMUNICATIONS     
     Joe reported that since August he had sent out about 35 sets of free plays for Unit 195 Sectionals to new members of ACBL and Unit 195,  None have been used, so far.
     
TOURNAMENT RESULTS:
     Muskegon Sectional:  Joe reported a loss of $334 with only 69.5 tables and Saturday free plays for Board members.  There were only 7.5 tables for each session on Friday,  For 2007 a Saturday/Sunday only tournament is scheduled. A free dinner at Joe’s house for the Board and all players after the Saturday games was well received.  
     Grand Rapids Regional:  Joanne ran another good Regional in Grand Rapids and netted the Unit $5473.
     Traverse City Sectional:  The tournament and the food were enjoyed by the 122 tables of players and provided a profit of $174.
     St. Joseph held a Sectional for the first time since 2003 at a new location.  
There were 88 tables and a loss of $153.
     
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULING:
     Most of the 2007 Tournaments are scheduled for close to the same dates they 
were held in 2006.  The St. Joseph Sectional is scheduled for October 12-14.  
     The 2007 and 2008 Regionals will be at the Grand Inn in Grand Rapids where 
we get low priced rooms, can bring in food,  the rent is low, free parking,  a comp. room 
per 15 paid room nights (It was  one per 50 in Kalamazoo at the Radison).  Nobody has found a  good facility at a reasonable price anywhere in Kalamazoo.  Unless the Lansing people come up with a satisfactory site with reasonable costs and details agreed as to food, water, coffee, etc. by the end of January, Joanne should sign with the Grand Inn for 2009.  The search for a site for 2010 should continue.

NAP AND STaC GAME SUBSIDIES
     The Board unanimously approved subsidizing these games again for 2007.  Clubs will be reimbursed $3 per table for one NAP game per sanctioned session each month in June, July and August.  The Unit will pay the total cost of the STaC games directly to the District.  The clubs will report their results to the director and pay nothing. (Catherine, I promised to use bold, large print in next years letter including this information!)

DISTRICT WEB SITE
     Alan Bau asks that any changes in club starting times, locations, contacts, etc. be 
sent to him so that the Web site will be accurate and up to date.  
          
DETROIT NABC, 2008
     Dennis reported that the Detroit Units are contributing $25,000 each.  We and the other two Units have not promised any funds.  The NABC committee is planning buses from Detroit suburbs to the games, but not buses from west Michigan.
     Joanne Molt has been investigating our Unit subsidizing, or providing, bus transportation from Kalamazoo and/or Muskegon or Grand Rapids with pickups in Battle Creek, Jackson, and Lansing. Joanne found that a bus could be hired for $600 to 700
each way.   The plan is to have the busses take people for a designated 4 days, to 
Detroit on Monday morning and returning Thursday.  She suggested that potential riders pay $30 to reserve their seats, but will get their money back when they get on the bus.  Rooms with two beds at the Marriot are $129, plus tax.  She asked that we ask at our
clubs to find out how many are interested.  Dennis asked for responses as to interest in buses at our next Board meeting.  Club managers should be asked to supply 
information and responses concerning buses.  Other support for our members is a possibility.
     Dennis reported that the ACBL Charity Foundation will provide $20,000 to the
District for charities that the District will designate.  He asked Arlinghaus how he intended 
to distribute that money and to furnish a proposed distribution at the May, 2007 District meeting.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE BOARD
Dennis Carman was reelected President without opposition and Joanne Molt was reelected Vice President likewise.  Catherine Gay and Joe Manhart were nominated for Secretary/Treasurer and, by written ballots, Catherine Gay was elected.  The Board stipulated that both Catherine and Joe be paid for January and for February if the 
transition extended that far.  (As of January 12, Catherine  has all of the files etc. and 
the checking account and CD’s have been transferred.)

     Pete Fleming thanked Joe for his years of service as Secretary/Treasurer.

NEW BUSINESS

     Gene Kales asked that the District Web Site be set up so that he or any 
authorized individual could access a pertinent segment on the site to enter results of club games or other such information.  No decision was reached.

     Judy Euler moved that Alan Bau and his partner should both play free in Unit 195 tournaments.  There was a second and unanimous approval.

     There was some discussion of cell phones ringing during play.  The Board will ask the Director to announce at the beginning of each session that cell phones should be 
turned off.  No specific penalty was adopted.       

     The next Board Meeting is scheduled for July 14, 2007 in Muskegon.

     The Meeting was adjourned at 8:15  pm.

Respectfully submitted,



Joe Manhart

Additions or corrections should be sent to:

Catherine Gay
5417 Lindenwood St
Kalamazoo, MI 49004-1961
musicat@net-link.net