The USBF Board, with the assistance of its Counsel, Martin Harris, has been reviewing the USBF Bylaws this year. The Board proposes to adopt several amendments to the Bylaws at its meeting on December 28th. These Amendments resolve issues in the former Bylaws and don't make any substantive changes. The Board is also considering amendments to the Resident Member section of the Bylaws, which some may consider substantive. The Board has not yet reached agreement on how that section should be amended; as soon as a consensus amendment is available, it will be posted for your comments.

Changes that are being proposed at this time are:

1. A slight expansion of the organization's purposes, to make it clear that the USBF sometimes selects teams for international events that are not World Championships, and may do so other than by holding Trials.

2.  Clarification that a person must be an Active or Resident Member of USBF in order to vote for USBF Board members, participate in USBF Trials or represent the United States in a World or Olympic Championship. Note that "World Championship" is defined as a Team event for which the United States is entitled to one or two teams, so does not include the Rosenblum year events or Transnational events in other years.

3. Correction of a numbering error in the Resident Member section that made it unclear whether a "grandfathered" resident  member needed to continue to meet the conditions for Resident membership each year.

4. Addition of specific references to powers of the Board that have been assumed to exist.

5. Clarification that elections for the Board may be by email as well as written ballot.

6. Clarification the procedure for filling a vacancy on the Board.

7. Removal of the requirements that USBF committees have a certain number of Athlete Members.

8. Addition of a provision allowing the Board, by unanimous vote, to waive the 30 day notice provision for amending the Bylaws.

Click on the blue words to read the proposed Bylaws or a "red-lined" version which highlights the changes made in PDF format. If you have any comments on any of these proposed amendments, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will pass them on to the full Board for their consideration. 

Silver and Bronze for US in Team Events

Congratulations to the USBF teams in the 2012 SportAccord World Mind Games who finished Second in the Women's bridge event and Third in the Open Event. The USBF Women's Team, who lost to France in the Finals, was Lynn Deas & Disa Eythosdottir, Irina Levitina & Kerri Sanborn, and Janice Seamon-Molson & Tobi Sokolow. The Open Team, who defeated Sweden in the Playoff for Third, after narrowly missing the Finals, was Curtis Cheek & Joe Grue, John Hurd and Joel Wooldridge, and Ralph Katz & Howard Weinstein.

No Pairs Medals, but Most of the Pairs were in the Money

In the Open Division, John Hurd & Joel Wooldridge finished 4th, Ralph Katz & Howard Weinstein finished 6th and Curtis Cheek & Joe Grue finished 8th. In the Women's Division, Irina Levitina & Kerri Sanborn finished 5th, Lynn Deas & Disa Eythorsdottir finished 6th and Janice Seamon-Molson & Tobi Sokolow finished 11th.  Congratulations to all of them.

Silver in Open Individual for Wooldridge

Joel Wooldridge took the silver medal in the Individual phase of the SportAccord Open competition. Howie Weinstein was 8th and John Hurd 9th. In the Women's division, Irinal Levitina finished 5th, Janice Seamon-Molson 6th and Lynn Deas 7th. 

Links to complete results and Daily Bulletins for the tournament are on the tournament website.