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Orlando
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How the Orlando Metropolitan Bridge Center
Operates OMBC operates very differently from other bridge clubs you know. It is a Bridge Center, not a club. Clubs operate within our Center. Each club owner buys a sanction from ACBL for each game they wish to run. The sanction is renewable annually. When they are approved for the sanction, they become a club owner. Each club owner pays rent to OMBC based on the number of players in each of their games. They even pay rent on themselves if they fill in. The club owner also pays sales tax to the state of Florida on each entry fee, and a fee to ACBL for each table as well as each game. All of these bills are paid monthly out of the $5 you pay to play.
Each
club owner is responsible for their own coffee, snacks, coffee cups, napkins,
convention cards, pencils, playing cards, duplicate boards, travelers, computer
paper, etc. These costs also come out of the $5 you pay to play. Club owners are responsible for the entire operation of their own games. If they wish to play in their own games, they may do so; if they wish to bar someone from their club, they may do so; if they refuse to take reservations for N/S positions, they may do so. In doing whatever they want in running their games, they must stay within the guidelines of ACBL, OMBC, and the City of Orlando. Each club owner does their share of work to keep OMBC open daily. If games fail, and there is no one else to take on that game, the Center loses money. Presently, the Center is closed on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. We hope this situation changes in the near future. Each club owner is a member of the Board of Directors. Other board members are bondholders. Anyone may become a bondholder. Check with a club owner to see if bonds are available if you are interested. The Board of Directors (3 club owners and 4 bondholders) maintains and oversees the building, issues facility use agreements to club owners, and sponsors fundraisers. The rent collected from club owners and money from the fundraisers all go into an account. From that account the treasurer pays all the bills related to operating the Center. It costs a lot of money to keep a building of this size, especially when it is open 7 days a week and is used by hundreds of people weekly. The Board of Directors meets monthly. A typical agenda might include fundraisers, maintenance problems, hiring or firing service people, or requests for bond purchase or redemption. If you need any further information about OMBC, be sure to ask a Board member so you are given correct information.
Click here to view the OMBC Bylaws (PDF file).
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