Board of Directors Meeting Minutes ACBL Unit 503
Tuesday, September 16, 2025, via Zoom
Directors Present
Liz Koh, Marc Cervellino, Stephanie Youngquist, DanThatte, Dana Shelley, H. Paul Davis and Dianne Giancarlo.
Directors not Present
John Schwartz, David Merenbach, Geraldine MacDonald and Alex Narasin
Also Present
Alan Templeton
M/S/P = Moved/Seconded/Passed
Call to Order
Liz Koh, President of the Board, served as Chair of the meeting, called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM and announced that a quorum of the Board members was present and that the meeting, having duly convened, was ready to proceed with business. Dianne Giancarlo served as Secretary of the meeting.
Approval of Meeting Minutes
Dan T, who served as Secretary of the August meeting, announced that the minutes of the August 12, 2025 Board Meeting were distributed for approval via email.
Financials Update
Marc C. reported that table counts at weekly F2F games declined recently, most likely due to the Santa Clara regional and the Labor Day holiday. Although average table count has been relatively flat over the last 7 or 8 months, it has grown by about 5 tables on a year-to-year basis. Marc C. noted that much of the growth is coming from the Tuesday limited game. Marc C. also reported that although we are above budgeted revenue, we are still operating at a loss and will incur a sizable loss for the year. For the first six months the Unit has greater revenue than projected due to Unit Sectionals, Celebrity Lectures, bridge classes at the club and interest income. Marc also reported that the Unit has incurred a loss of 11 members, 8 of whom did not renew and 3 of whom have died.
Mountain View Fire Department Visit
Marc C. reported that he and Liz K. asked the Mountain View Fire Department to visit our club in order to ensure that we are complying with their capacity limits. The Mountain View representative measured the club space and determined that the capacity is 232 people which is well within the number we have been seating. The representative asked that we display a maximum capacity sign.
Bridge Center Signage
Stephanie Y. reported that in order to change the sign on the outside of our building we would need to pay a permit fee as well as the fee for a new sign which would add up to about $1700. The Board agreed that it was not worth the expenditure and discussed whether we should put up a less expensive sign inside the front entrance hallway.
Fundraising Efforts with PBEF
Stephanie Y. reported that she is working with Bob Horowitz to raise donations beyond the normal fundraising amount for the PBEF by year end. Discussion ensued as to whether we should use naming opportunities for some of our games and tournaments to help raise these funds.
Donation to Buddhist Temple
Marc C. proposed that we make a donation to the Buddhist Temple located across the street from the club in recognition of their allowing us to use their parking lot for some of our tournaments and for their willingness to consider the possibility of our renting space from them for tournaments. M/S/P
Status with IFES
Marc C. and Liz K. reported that discussions with the IFES are ongoing.
Status on new initiatives (to increase F2F play)
Stephanie Y. reported that the special 50th anniversary event for the Club will be held on September 30. The morning will start with a lecture by Debbie Rosenberg. Stephanie has asked the Board to encourage members to sign up early. She will post a sign at the club to clarify starting times of the lecture and the game.
Liz K. reported that our next Celebrity Lecture will be Robert Todd who will teach a full day at the club on October 18.
Dana S. reported that the Swiss Team boot camp held on August 13 and 20 by Phil Abrahamson was not as well attended as they hoped it would be (14-18 persons) but people really enjoyed it and some have since been seen playing at team games. The Board discussed holding another such boot camp perhaps closer to the Unit’s March sectional and the GNT.
H. Paul Davis reported that he has discussed with Will Watson holding the next Pro-Am game on Monday, November 17.
Liz K. led a discussion on how best to honor Josephine Ventura who recently passed away. Her nephew Derek has conveyed to Liz that her last wishes were for the bridge community to not attend the church service which will be for family only, but to remember her at a bridge event and to make donations to the PBEF instead of sending flowers. Liz will follow up to find the best time to have a remembrance of Josephine before or after one of the games and to invite Derek to show a video that they made about Josephine at that time.
The Board meeting adjourned at 5:35 pm.