| |
Unit 430 Subsidy Policy
Below is the text of the Unit Subsidy Policy:
Special Event Subsidies
Exposé! The Truth Finally Revealed! by Bruce McIntyre
(This article is an updated version of one I wrote some time ago for the Matchpointer to explain the subsidy policy in an entertaining way...)
Rumors abound that winners of the “alphabet events” (which include some—not all—of the following: NAP, GNT, COPC, DDT, NHLPA, BC-STV, IOC, and PDQ) actually get bribed from the local Unit Board to go and play in the next level. The Unit Board, say the rumours, sits down and reviews the results and gives out money...if it approves of the winners. In this way, the Board’s favorites can be supported, while people who complain about local bridge can be denied funding and forced to pay their own way whenever they steal a local win and become eligible to travel to the National Finals. This is the way government money has been handed out in this country for many years—why should local bridge politics be any different?
In response, the Board was about to instruct me to say that “nothing could be further from the truth” until it was discovered that, in fact, “nothing” is what the Board actually does when it comes time to decide who gets the dough. There is a policy, two decades old, that decides who gets how much, and the Board consults the policy and gets the treasurer to write the cheques. Occasionally the Board may actually amend the policy. When they do, they get this article reprinted.
So what exactly is the policy? We obtained a copy of the rules on a sweltering day in July from a man in a raincoat. The Matchpointer’s crack editing staff found it far too complicated to reprint, so for enhanced readability we’ll paraphrase and hope that the tinier details can be safely ignored.
What events are subsidized? There are five annual events which the subsidy plan provides for. Three are run by the Canadian Bridge Federation, and two are run by the ACBL. These are:
- NAP: The North American Pairs, a four-stage pair event which begins with a club qualifying period from June—August, continues with a two-session District Final in late Fall or early Winter, and a National Final at the Spring NABC. There are three separate events, one for unlimited masterpoints, one for players under 2000 MP, and one for non-life Masters under 500 MP. At club qualifying games these three may be stratified together, but at the National Final (and usually at the District Final) they are separate events.
- GNT: The Grand National Teams, a three-stage team event which begins with a club qualifying period in the fall and winter, from which players qualify directly to the District Final in the spring. The District winners in each flight (same limits as the NAP, except at the District Final level Flight A is divided into an unlimited Championship Flight and an under-5000 Flight A) are invited to the National Final at the Summer NABC.
- CNTC: The Canadian National Team Championship, a three-stage CBF-run team event that begins with club qualifying games in the fall, qualifying directly to the National Final at CBF Bridge Week. A Flight B event also is held for teams of players under 2500 MP, but the club qualifying games may combine the two strats.
- CWTC: The Canadian Women’s Team Championship, an event which has no qualifying games at the club, and only one limitation (look at the title of the event again, especially at that second word, and see if you can spot it).
- In addition to these five events, the Unit also provides subsidies for local players selected to represent Canada by the Canadian Bridge Federation in international events.
Where does the money come from? There are five funds managed by the Unit Treasurer for subsidy money:
- a general subsidy fund which is all the money combined, divided into:
- an individual event fund for the three CBF events,
- an individual event fund for the international events,
- an individual event fund for the NAP,
- an individual event fund for the GNT,
Each year begins on about July 15, shortly after the first meeting of the new Unit Board. All four individual event funds begin at zero, anything left over from the previous year swept back into the general fund. Profits from the previous year's IMP League and Entertainment book sales are added to the general fund. Usually, a portion of the profits from the fiscal year just ended are also added to the fund at this point. (Even in years where the Unit doesn't make a profit, there is usually a fairly large donation.) The accumulated money, usually several thousand dollars at this point, is then allocated to the individual event funds: 70% to the CBF fund, and 10% to the NAP, GNT, and International funds.
Why are the allocations different? The Unit subsidies are meant to supplement the subsidies given by the event organizers. The amount of subsidy you can win from the event organizers are different for each event, so the Unit tries to equalize the benefits as much as possible:
The ACBL gives the top pair in each flight of the NAP District Final a large subsidy; second place pairs get a smaller subsidy; third-place pairs get an invitation to participate. The Unit adds a set amount to these subsidies, giving more to the second and third-place teams to offset the difference in the ACBL subsidies. The amounts are: $75, $150, and $225 per player for first, second and third place in the District Final.
In the GNT, District representative teams currently receive only $1400 U.S. to attend the National Final. Whatever is in the GNT fund is equally split between all eligible players, with a maximum of $400.
The CBF subsidies are focused on those pairs that play internationally. People who play in the Canadian Championship events pay large entry fees and receive no subsidies from the CBF. The Unit subsidy for players participating in the CNTC (either flight) or CWTC is based on the number of eligible players and the amount in the Canadian Bridge Championships fund, but the maximum subsidy is $400. International subsidies are also capped at $400 per player for each event, as long as there are adequate funds in the International Fund.
Over the quarter-century since the Unit set a policy on subsidies, the trend has been towards lower subsidies from the ACBL and from the CBF. This places a huge burden on Units like this one, whose players often qualify for national finals of events. When the subsidy policy was first established, the only sources of local revenue were the IMP League and the Entertainment book sales. Now neither of these sources is sufficient and the Unit devotes a fair bit of its profit each year. In addition, many intermediate levels (Unit and Zone Finals) have been eliminated, removing a key revenue stream from subsidy funds.
To counter this, the Unit has begun a twice-yearly FUNdraising Game. The Spring FUNdraising game supports the CBF events, while the Fall FUNdraising Game supports the NAP and GNT. These games are two-session Swiss Team events held at the Vancouver Bridge Centre beginning at noon on Saturday and ending at about 7:30 pm, with a short pizza break about two-thirds of the way through. The result of the game has no effect on subsidies, so it is a fun way to meet some of the players who will soon be competing at the highest levels of competition. Even if you are not going to the national final, by attending one of these games you will support local players who are. If you are going to the national final, you need to play in the game (or support the event with a donation equivalent to the entry fee) to qualify for a Unit subsidy.
Who is eligible for a subsidy? To be eligible for a Unit subsidy, a player must be a member of Unit 430 (ACBL membership, including Life Master Service Fees, paid up) before the start of the FUNdraising game preceding the national final. CBF dues must be paid in order to qualify for CBF subsidies. You must either play in the FUNdraising game, or (if you cannot play on the scheduled date) donate a two-session entry into event revenues (before the event is over) to qualify for a subsidy.
What’s the limit? The maximum Unit subsidy available to a player is $400. You can in theory get that amount several times a year by qualifying for the national finals of the NAP, GNT, and a CBF event, as well as being selected to play internationally. In practice your subsidy for any event will depend on how many others also qualify for a subsidy, and how much is in the fund.
What’s it all mean? It means that you play in these events at your own expense, at the club level and District Finals. Usually this is not a hardship, it requires a few entry fees and sometimes a two-day trip to Seattle, Tacoma or perhaps Victoria for a District Final. But if you represent our Unit at the National Final, we want to make it easier for you to do so. We’ll give you some money to keep the costs down a bit. It might not cover everything, but it’s better than nothing.
Unit 430 Subsidy Policy
2010 version
Unit 430's subsidy policy was first adopted in the 1980s and revised several times since, most recently in 2008. This is the 2010 version, which builds on the changes made in 2008. The purposes of the policy are:
- to provide financial support for Unit 430 bridge players who attend national championship events at North American Bridge Championships and at the Canadian Bridge Championships (the CBC, formerly known as CBF Bridge Week) each year,
- to encourage participation in these events by its support for our local players at all levels,
- to provide financial support for Unit 430 players who have been selected to represent Canada in major international bridge competitions,
- to set out a clear method by which funds are raised and given out, so that subsidies do not depend on the whim of the Unit Board, but on the established rules.
The 2008 revision addressed then-recent ACBL District 19 and Canadian Bridge Federation (CBF) changes that resulted in there being no further Unit or Zone Finals in any of the events. The lack of Unit and Zone Finals to raise funds for subsidies forced the Unit to find another method of raising funds for subsidies: the Spring and Fall Fundraising Events. These events are intended to be fun events for all, a challenging top-flight team game for the Unit's best players, and a simultaneous second bracket team game for all other players. Even players who do not intend to play at the national event finals may participate in these Fundraising Events and by doing so they will help support local players at all levels who have qualified for the national finals.
A further change was made in 2008 to provide smaller subsidy amounts than in the past, but to broaden the number of recipients by providing for some amount of subsidy for all players who attend and participate in the National Finals of the most important CBF events and those who qualify for the national finals of certain ACBL events. This will result in smaller dollar subsidy amounts when many players from Unit 430 attend the CBF National finals (usually when they are played nearby), and larger amounts when fewer players attend the CBF National finals (when they are played farther away).
The 2010 Revision:
- reflects experience in 2009 and simplifies the determination of amounts payable in respect of participation in CBF National finals,
- adjusts the amounts payable to participants in the NAP National Finals to reflect the extent of subsidization provided by the ACBL, and
- introduces a policy regarding the provision of subsidies for players selected to represent Canada at international bridge competitions.
The amount of money in each fund will be made public in the Matchpointer and on the Unit Web Page as soon as it is known, and the amounts payable to each recipient will also be published after all recipients have been identified. There will also be an overall limit (initially $400 for all events, but subject to annual review) to the amounts payable to any one individual for each attendance at the Canadian Bridge Championships, the NAP National Finals and the GNT National Finals.
The objective is to encourage players to participate in national finals when they are able to do so, either by qualifying through District Finals (NAP and GNT events) or by entering one or more major CBF team event finals at the Canadian Bridge Championships.
- 1. SUBSIDY FUNDS - - Unit 430 will establish a General Subsidy Fund, and specific event subsidy funds for:
- a) the North American Pairs (NAP) - the NAP Subsidy Fund
- b) the Grand National Teams (GNT) - the GNT Subsidy Fund
- c) the following Canadian Bridge Championship Events - the Canadian National Team Championship Flight A (CNTC - A), the Canadian National Team Championship Flight B (CNTC - B), and the Canadian Women’s Team Championship (CWTC) - collectively referred to as the CBC Subsidy Fund, and
- d) participation in international bridge tournaments following selection to represent Canada by the Canadian Bridge Federation - the International Subsidy Fund.
- 2. ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS - - Two Fundraising Events will be held each year, using the Unit's surplus of Unit Championship sanctions: a Spring Fundraiser (for the CBC subsidy fund), held if at all possible at least two weeks before the Canadian Bridge Championships; and a Fall Fundraiser (for the NAP and GNT subsidy funds), held if at all possible before the District Final of the NAP.
- 3. FUNDRAISING GAMES - Fundraising Games will be two-session team games, and will be scheduled to result in a minimum of conflicts with other significant bridge competitions. All players (including players from outside Unit 430) are eligible to play in the Fundraising Events, regardless of whether they have qualified for the events that the Fundraising Event is intended for, or the status of their ACBL or CBF membership. The results of the Fundraising Events have no bearing on the distribution of the subsidy monies raised. However, attendance at the relevant Fundraising Event (or a donation to Event revenues at least equal to the entry fee for the Fundraising Game), plus current ACBL and/or CBF membership at the time of the Fundraising Event is required in order for a player to be eligible for a Unit 430 subsidy.
- 4. SUBSIDY FUND MANAGEMENT - Except for amounts paid from the International Subsidy Fund and the NAP Subsidy Fund, subsidies for an event are limited to the amount in that event’s Subsidy Fund when the national final of the event begins. The general and specific event subsidy funds are handled under these rules:
- a. After July 15 of each year, once the Unit finances from the previous year are finalized, the General Subsidy Fund will be credited with:
- i. the net proceeds of the previous year's IMP League,
- ii. the net proceeds from the previous fiscal year's sale of Entertainment Books, and
- iii. any amounts donated to or raised specifically for the General Subsidy Fund, including 50-50 draws at Sectional tournaments.
- b. As soon as possible following July 15, the Unit Board may elect to make a donation from general Unit funds to the General Subsidy Fund. Following the meeting of the Unit Board at which this action is taken, the Unit Treasurer will redistribute the money in the General Subsidy Fund and specific event subsidy funds as follows:
- i. for each of the four event subsidy funds (the GNT Subsidy Fund, the NAP Subsidy Fund, the CBC Subsidy Fund and the International Subsidy Fund), the Unit Treasurer shall determine if a balance remains in that Subsidy Fund at the end of the preceding fiscal year,
- ii. for the GNT Subsidy Fund and the CBC Subsidy Fund, if the full balance in that event’s Subsidy Fund has not been paid, the remaining balance shall be returned to the General Subsidy Fund, and then
- iii. the total amount in the General Subsidy Fund shall be allocated to the four event-subsidy funds as follows: GNT 10%; NAP 10%; CBC 70% and International 10%;
- iv. finally, any money received or donated for a specific event but held for the following year will be added to that event's Subsidy Fund.
- c. The Unit Board may adjust the cap (described in section 6f) on individual subsidies for CBF events, NAP and GNT separately, but this must be done following the end of the the prior year’s National Final, and at least 30 days before the corresponding Fundraising Game.
- d. Net profits from the Fall Fundraising Event shall be allocated to the GNT Subsidy Fund and the NAP Subsidy Fund on a 50-50 basis as soon as possible once the net profit from the event is calculated.
- e. Net profits from the Spring Fundraising Event shall be allocated to the CBC Subsidy Fund, as soon as possible once the net profit from the event is calculated.
- f. In the event that the Fall or Spring Fundraising Event incurs a net loss, the loss will be paid for from general Unit revenue, not from the General Subsidy Fund.
- g. Funds received by the Unit from the CBF, ACBL, or from any fundraising event not sponsored by the Unit, intended for the General Subsidy Fund or the specific subsidy funds for an event or events, shall be immediately transferred to the subsidy fund for the intended event or events, in the proportions intended by the donor.
- h. Accumulation of funds for each event stops once the National Final for that event begins. Any extra funds received for the event thereafter are held until July 15 and are added to the following year's fund.
- i. The amounts payable from the NAP Subsidy Fund are set out in Subsection 6(b) and are dependent on the recipient’s placing in the District Final. Accordingly, the balance in this fund is permitted to carry a negative balance of up to $300.00, to be covered in subsequent years when fewer players qualify by the allocations from the General Subsidy Fund and the Fall Fundraising Game. In the event that the subsidies payable in any year will create a negative balance of greater than $300.00, all amounts payable in that year shall be reduced prorata so that the negative balance will be reduced to $300.00.
- j. Having regard for the intermittent nature of payments to be made, the International Subsidy Fund may carry a negative balance of up to $300.00, to be covered in subsequent years when fewer players qualify for a subsidy, by the allocations from the General Subsidy Fund. Should the International Subsidy Fund have a negative balance of greater than $300.00, the Unit Board may elect to either reduce payments to all eligible recipients in that year by the same amount, so that the negative balance does not exceed $300.00, or may elect to suspend the payment of subsidies for international travel, until a positive balance exists.
- 5. ELIGIBILITY FOR SUBSIDIES
- a. To be eligible for a subsidy, a player must be a paid-up member of the ACBL (including Life Master Service Fees) at the end of the Fundraising Event preceding the National Final of the event, and a member of Unit 430. The responsibility for establishing membership in Unit 430, or establishing that dues are paid, rests with the player.
- b. To be eligible for a subsidy from the CBC Subsidy Fund, a player must also be a paid-up member of the CBF at the end of the Spring Fundraising Event.
- c. To be eligible for any subsidy, a player must either:
- i. play at the corresponding Fundraising Event, or
- ii. make a direct donation of at least the value of a two-session entry, into event revenues, on or before the date of the corresponding Fundraising Event.
- d. A player must actually play in (and, if necessary, qualify for) the National Final of the event to be eligible for a subsidy.
- 6. EXPENSES COVERED BY SUBSIDIES
- a. Players eligible for a subsidy must apply by notifying the Unit Treasurer or the Unit Special Events Coordinator. In most cases, the Unit Special Events Coordinator will contact players eligible for subsidy once the entries for the national finals of each event are finalized by the CBF or by ACBL District 19. If a player is missed due to an error by the Unit Special Events Coordinator, the deadline for applying is four weeks after the end of the Canadian Bridge Championships for CBF events, or two weeks after the end of the National Final for ACBL events.
- b. The maximum subsidy a player can receive is never higher than:
- i. that player’s equal share of the card fees to play in the National Final,
- ii. plus that player’s travel expenses (the lower of the actual amount paid and an amount which would permit direct travel to the tournament site by the least expensive reasonable air flights) to the tournament site,
- iii. plus that player’s accommodation expenses (at the lower of the actual amount paid and one more night than the scheduled length of the national final event at one half the double room rate at the least expensive host hotel),
- iv. minus the player’s portion of any subsidies received from the ACBL, District 19, or the CBF.
- c. The Unit Treasurer may ask eligible players to provide information on outside subsidies received, and expected costs of travel, accommodation, and cardfees, if it seems possible that the subsidy given to a player may exceed the maximum subsidy. No advance subsidy payments will be provided.
- 7. PAYMENT OF SUBSIDIES
- a. A player who does not play in or is disqualified from the National Final loses his or her eligibility for subsidy for that event. A player unable to play in the National Final through no fault of his or her own may be considered for a subsidy depending on the circumstances, but only for expenses actually incurred.
- b. The initial amount payable to each player eligible for a subsidy from the NAP Subsidy Fund shall be determined, based on the player’s placement in the NAP District Final. Each player in the pair finishing first in their division shall receive $75, each player finishing second in their division shall receive $150, and each player finishing third in their division shall receive $225.
- c. The initial amount payable to each player eligible for a subsidy from the GNT Subsidy Fund is determined by dividing the total amount in the GNT Subsidy Fund by the number of eligible players.
- d. Each player who plays in one or more of the Canadian Bridge Championship national finals listed in 1(c) above will be eligible to receive a subsidy. The initial amount payable to each player eligible for a subsidy from the CBC Subsidy Fund shall be determined as follows. For the players who play in the national final of the CNTC-A event, an initial amount of $25 shall be paid to partially compensate for the greater card fees in that event. After these amounts are deducted from the balance of the CBC Subsidy Fund, the remaining balance shall be divided equally between all players who participate in one of the CNTC-A, CNTC-B, and CWTC events.
- e. A cap is set on individual subsidies and may be adjusted by the Unit annually, in the period from the end of the National Final for that event to 30 days before the Fundraiser for that event. Initial caps are:
- i. For Canadian Bridge Championship subsidies: $400.
- ii. For Grand National Teams subsidies: $400
- iii. For North American Pairs subsidies: $400
- iv. For International subsidies: $400
- 8. DISPUTES - In the event of a dispute about the interpretation of these rules, the Unit Board’s decision is final.
|
|
