English Chess Forum

As readers will be well aware, the MoU between the ECF and Holloid to produce 70,000 chess sets expires this summer. We don't know yet how many sets will be produced but the betting is that it will fall short of the figure specified.

At the April finance council meeting I asked ECF CEO to give an undertaking that a further MoU or contract would not be signed without specific council approval. Chris replied that he was unable to give that committment at this time and that he would need to consider the matter before responding fully.

Some two months later we had heard nothing so last week I wrote the following email to Chris



I haven't had a reply yet so I have today given 7 days notice that unless a reply is forthcoming I shall commence the process to call an EGM. Given the revelations inb the CoM thread that the true cost of CfS has been significantly understated we cannot allow the board to commit the ECF to significant further expenditure on this project without understanding fully the current position.

I had been in e-mail contact with CEM about an unrelated issue, and there was a period of time from Monday to yesterday where he didn't e-mail. I don't think it was ignorance of your e-mail because it was something he didn't want to reply to.

I gather that there's a Board meeting on Thursday; presumably this would be discussed at that?

Out of interest, what do you have to do to call an EGM?

_________________
February 16-17: 2013 BUCA Team Championship
April 20: 2013 British Blitz Championship
July 27-August 10: 100th British Chess Championships

I'm sure you're right. Fingers crossed.





For a company limited by guarantee, this is 10% of the votes available at the time the EGM is called. I think there are a little under 300 votes available so you would need 30 votes to call an EGM.

I counted 249 at the Finance Meeting. (I seem to remember adding them all up, but it was two months ago...)

So if nothing else has affiliated, you'd only need 25 votes. You have 4 from e2e4, plus probable support from Leicestershire (not sure how many votes they have), so you'd only need about 20 more votes.

How much does it cost financially to arrange this though?

_________________
February 16-17: 2013 BUCA Team Championship
April 20: 2013 British Blitz Championship
July 27-August 10: 100th British Chess Championships

I speak for 12 votes as the representative for various bodies so if your maths is right (and I am sure it is) I need 13 more. I have no doubt from conversations I've had that I could have the required support within the hour!

However, I do hope that it won't be necessary. After all, why would the ECF not be prepared to seek Council approval before signing another MoU or contract with Holloid?

I believe that the cost of the Euston hotel basement is of the order of £1500 per day to the ECF.

I seem to recall that the Chairman of the Finance Committee advised (at the April meeting) against an EGM being called on the grounds it would cost money to organise.

Perhaps we could ask for sponsorship from e2e4?

_________________
Chess Images: http://johnupham.smugmug.com/Chess
IT Manager for the British Chess Magazine: http://www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk
Twitter: @jeupham
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.upham

I am sure that this was said in jest. However, we would be happy to accomodate an EGM at one of our events at nil cost to the ECF.

However, I remain optimistic that this will not be necessary because the ECF will give the required undertaking.

As the deadline approaches has anything further been heard?

_________________
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

I believe that an ECF board meeting took place on Thursday.

I am confident that AR will update us all on the discussion items that ought to be transparent.

For the secret items I will have to consult my friends in low places

Here is one of my recent meetings : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8r-YD3FdlE

and my main source is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWXavWsYBR4

_________________
Chess Images: http://johnupham.smugmug.com/Chess
IT Manager for the British Chess Magazine: http://www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk
Twitter: @jeupham
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.upham

I've been given to understand that Chris Majer will be contacting Sean Hewitt shortly.

I don't wish to comment or speculate about the likely content of the reply.

I'm pretty sure everyone realised it "was not without significant risk" - clearly they thought it was a risk worth taking. From what was offered to them at the time, I can see why they'd do it.

_________________
February 16-17: 2013 BUCA Team Championship
April 20: 2013 British Blitz Championship
July 27-August 10: 100th British Chess Championships

When it was supposed the 250,000 chess sets were going into 25,000 schools, if the ECF had taken no action then they would have been hounded from pillar to post by the critics. Once they were embroiled in this project amongst all the fanfares, the die was cast. Without a complete and successful rollout of the sets over a reasonable time-frame, the ECF has been stuck in the middle,with nowhere to go.

Can anyone update us on the decision of the board in this matter : the meeting was on June 18th 2010?

There were other matters discussed that I would like to know the outcome of.

_________________
Chess Images: http://johnupham.smugmug.com/Chess
IT Manager for the British Chess Magazine: http://www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk
Twitter: @jeupham
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.upham

I'm sure the minutes will be published in due course.

_________________
February 16-17: 2013 BUCA Team Championship
April 20: 2013 British Blitz Championship
July 27-August 10: 100th British Chess Championships