Guidelines for Running a Sectional

Major tasks:

• Prior to the Sectional
  • Get the sanction from ACBL (a year ahead is fine—the schedule can be sent in later). This is the Tournament Chairman’s responsibility.
  • Secure rental of the facility (might as well be done now. Soledad knows we’ll rent it, but it doesn’t hurt to confirm and get price set).
  • Three to six months ahead, send in the schedule. The director can help with masterpoint breaks.
  • Arrange caddies and partnership people, as well as publicity (ad in the Forum and flyers).
  • Set up bridge supplies: Cards and Boards, Pickup Slips, Bidding Boxes, Convention Cards, Pencils.
  • Set up hospitality supplies: Coffee, Tea, Cups, Creamer, Sugar, Stir sticks.
• At the tournament we need:
  • A hospitality person to buy the food and put it out. I have my buy list which includes dry goods as well.
  • A Drink Person to buy ice each morning, fill the coolers, procure water and soda. I buy each day according to what was drunk the day before. The variation in soda preferences is surprisingly large.
  • A Coffee Person to make coffee each morning (preferably an 1 3/4 hours before game time) and throughout the day. This includes cleaning the pots after each day.
  • A Duplicate Materials Person to make sure we have table guides, score slips, entry slips, pencils, boards for each session. This is done ahead of time.
  • A Card Tables and Chairs Person to borrow tables and chairs, keep track of where to put tables and chairs at the end, and move them around as needed during the tournament. Lots of labor here, but many people willing to help.

    Three is about the right number of people on this job.

  • A Garbage Person to carry the garbage bags out to the dumpster and put new bags in the containers, see that garbage is cleaned up after the sessions. On Sunday, this is a bigger job.
  • If we continue to serve lunch on Sunday, someone has to play caterer, picking up the food and organizing the presentation. Pauline was terrific this year (always is, really), but she said she might not be back. Probably we need one non playing person each session to keep food supplied, garbage under control and coffee supplied.
• During the tournament:
  • Caddies:
    • Place table-markers, bidding boxes, pick-up slips and pencils per instructions from Director.
    • Pick up score-cards
    • Tidy-up tables at conclusion of each session.
    • At conclusion of tournament, collect and store able-markers, bidding boxes, pick-up slips and pencils.
  • Each morning we need probably three people there early (the food person, the drink person and the coffee person would be the logical choices--but I have been all three of these and as I am just one, sometimes I’ve been busier than a one armed paper hanger.) to help prepare for the initial rush. We’ve been doing bagels and fruit in the morning. But whatever gets prepared, it should be ready 45 minutes prior to game time.
  • Webmaster posts results daily.
• End of Tournament
  • Caddies collect and store able-markers, bidding boxes, pick-up slips and pencils.
  • Soledad Club (or alternate) cleans up.
  • Tournament manager collects ACBL statement and income from Director, then submits report, funds and expenses to Treasurer.
  • Webmaster posts overall masterpoint list.