Page 28 - ABF Newsletter February 2025

ABF Masterpoint Centre (MPC)
My ABF
An ABF number
Is created here.
All ABF numbers exist here.
Not all ABF numbers exist here.
An ABF number only exists if:
a) Player registers an account themselves; or b) One or more clubs list that ABF number as a member of their club.
Home club
Fundamental concept.
Every active ABF number has
exactly one club designated as the home club.
Largely irrelevant – only matters for annual member- ship payments (see below).
What if you are a member of another club as well as your home one?
May not be recorded at
all (there is an “Alternates” concept where clubs can add other people but it’s optional and many clubs don’t use it).
Multiple club memberships are fine. You can be added as a member by any number of clubs.
Who adds members?
The club (compulsory) – it needs to maintain a list of its home club members in the MPC.
The club (optional) – it can upload a list of all its mem- bers.
Who does the list of members for a club include?
Home club members only.
Depends what the club uploads! But it should be ALL members – NOT just home club members.
What is the list of members used for?
Limited things (by the MPC): • To confirm active players.
• To enable the ABF to bill for annual capitation fees.
Many more things (by clubs):
• To send email communications.
• To calculate member rate to tournaments which have differential entry fees.
• To allow entry to events designated as member only. • To calculate the right table money at a club session when paying with bridge credits.
• To issue annual renewals.
How are members categorised?
They aren’t – only home club members are listed.
Entirely up to the club.
Multiple membership types can exist (My ABF comes
with three default ones but custom ones can be added).
You want different ones for:
• Groups who pay different annual membership re- newal fees (this will often be Home and non-Home members)
• Groups who pay different table money.
• will pay member table money rates if you use myABF to run club sessions;
• will need to pay annual membership fees.
None of these things are limited to just home club members are they? So why should the member list in myABF be?
You certainly might wish to categorise home club members differently because they usually pay a dif- ferent annual membership fee. And you can set up whatever membership types you want (go to Club Settings - Static Data - Membership) to help do that.
How does a club get its members into myABF?
Up to you! There are four options:
1. Add manually (not practical unless you are a really small club)
2. Import from the MPC (but that will only import your home club members because that’s all the MPC has reliable records of)
3. Import from an existing membership system (myABF is set up to read member files exported from Compscore and Pianola)
Page: 28
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: February 2025