On March 8, 2005, the ACS Texas Pool League Association won a full judgment for $6,898.00 against the Billiard Congress of America in the El Paso County Court in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The $6,898.00 represented the $1 rebate per Texas league member that was due to the ACS Texas State Association from the BCA for the 2003/04 League Year.This suit stemmed from the perplexing decision by the Board of the Billiard Congress of America in the Summer of 2004 to withhold the 2003/04 $1 per member rebates to all state associations who chose to affiliate with the ACS – American CueSports Alliance or to become Independent in the current 2004/05 league year.This was a most puzzling policy decision by the Board of the BCA, since the rebate was due for the league year prior to the 'sale' of the BCA league and player programs, and a few other state associations that renounced their former BCA state affiliation in Summer, 2004, had already rightfully been rebated by the BCA.This is even more puzzling when you consider that the Associations were all completely separate organizations who were not contractually bound to the BCA in any future year. These state associations voluntarily continued to affiliate with the BCA, a year at a time, solely based on preference and the promise of the Rebate Program – a promise that was made at the start of the 2003/04 league year to each of the State Associations and that was now not being kept at the end of the 2003/04 league year. While the monies may not have been that significant to the Billiard Congress of America, it certainly was to the ACS Texas State Association and the others. The associations were rightfully counting on the rebates to help pay for the cost of staging their annual State Tournaments which had already been held. In some instances, the association officers had to cover the unexpected shortfall out of their own pockets. It is hoped that the Billiard Congress of America will now properly settle with the other ACS or independent state associations (formerly BCA) of Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Georgia who are still waiting for their rebates.WC Dixon – President of the ACS Texas Association was quoted as saying, "Although we had no part or say in the unfortunate decision by the BCA to 'sell' their league and player programs without counseling from the membership it impacted, we definitely felt we had a say in whom we affiliated with or not at all. It was our choice to make, and to be pressured in this manner to affiliate with the BCAPL was not right or appreciated. All we wanted was for the Billiard Congress of America to pay us what was previously promised and rightfully due. It was a very sad day that our Association, who had supported the BCA for years, had to sue the BCA for that to happen."For further information, contact ACS Texas Secretary, Connie Featherston, at [email protected].Click Here to Unsubscribe from receiving Future ACS Updates
