Free Chess Sets for schools

[David Robertson]

Hi Donna

Nice rant! I'm very impressed

Now, I hope you don't think I'm being cheeky, but before you turn off the light tonight, could you just dig Charles in the ribs and remind him to name those schools he promised me. He'll know the ones I mean

Thanks and bless

David Robertson
Atticus CC & MCA Junior Officer

[Justin Hadi]

Charles deserves a lot of credit for even what has been achieved so far. Worst case scenario is 40,000 FREE CHESS SETS to be used by schools. That is obviously a good thing. Holloid have already promised this, and it would be a massive own goal for them to renege. If they do that, which seems very unlikely people will be able to moan then.

Assuming the sets are made, there is around £2m investment in junior chess for free. Even without the hauliers working, whom I believe are in discussion with Charles right now, you get investment in the local area at worst. Given the sets have already been promised, isn't that enough reason to be optimistic? I reckon plenty of marketers would be interested in this one.

Even without coaching chess sets for schools are a good thing. Credibility of the ECF is one thing, but would the kids care about that? No, of course not. And not about what is written on these message boards. Would the arrival of the sets, and the involvement of local MP's help chess in this country? Of course.

You might moan about organisation, but 40,000 FREE SETS have already been scheduled for production. Worst case. I am not saying that everything has been perfectly organised (it never is), and there are some concerns but there is only upside here, providing you can move the goods. Goodwill goes a long way and I'm sure given everyone wants this to work, absolute worst case there would be people willing to help move the sets.

Frankly this is a fantastic project, and I am amazed that people are continuing to criticise when it could adversely affect delivery. Surely a public forum is not the place for this, not for me anyway. Surely we should get behind this one! Those bickering do themselves no credit. I'm just an average player (and not particularly pleased with the ECF in general) pleased that this is happening.

WELL DONE CHARLES.

Justin Hadi

[Charles W. Wood]

Hi Ernie

Feeling well, yes. Over worked and under paid, a little, but nothing I can't handle (hang on, not paid is the right answer). Donna is right in her blunt but correct observations, but the project MUST go on. Martin is right though a lot of the hard questions are because I post, but I feel that using this forum has given me two things.
1. Me the chance to keep you guys as informed as possible.
2. A chance to see the ECF as a whole, the good, the bad, and the very ugly.

When I got asked to look at this project not many people had an idea on how it would work. Peter Wilson was the man who asked how it could happen, we are now here. Very much on the tipping edge. Three more yes' and we are off.

But try and imagine this for a minute: a man scared of travelling, makes lots of calls to a possible sponsor he has spent several nights making sure they have the right ethos and ability to be able to help before a phone is picked up. Then a clever set of calls to get passed every obsticle put in the way of ordinary sponsor requests. Then after many calls, and hundreds of questions about everything you can possibly imagine from structure of the organisation, to what you lot are like (yes I have to stick up for you lot no matter what). Then being asked to travel (the thing I hate the most) to several meetings somewhere in the country. To then get a tentative yes..........

Life is then good.

BUT out of the blue something happens in the ECF/forums/chess world and the sponsor's researchers spot this and the possible sponsor says "NO!".

Then within 5 minutes of making a pot of tea, you click open a web browser and start again with a big smile on your face. Thats been my last 6 months and 2 days. (I'm not counting, honest).

To find that your are then accused of "Blathering", Chirping", "Loosing credability", "cheating", "Lying", "Unable to run the project" (God bless Andrew), and the one that stings the most "Ill eductated", all that from your peers. Well done. Now which one of you "know everythings" could have even got this far? Not many! Who could have done it and still say that he is not in any camp? None! Who could have got this far, taken this much stick and will still say, "I'll run this till I'm asked to leave or its finished"? I'll let you guys answer that. In your shame.

Credability, I have never had any. And its still more than most of you. Eh Mike T.

[Charles W. Wood]

BTW thats not aimed at Ernie, who has put very well balanced arguements forward the kind its nice answer. Not like some.

[Paul Stimpson]

Charles,

I think you have exaggerated some of the comments slightly, Andrew certainly never said you were unable to run the project!

That aside, I think the real problem here is the coaching side of the project. I am sure Charles you are working very hard and doing a very good job with the sets and distribution side of things.

However I find it absolutely astounding that the ECF have a manger of coaching and a recognised syllabus for teaching and this seems to have been completely overlooked. Andrew was tasked with bringing the accredited coaching side of things forward and surely a project such as this should have his full involvement?

The numbers you have been quoting are causing concern among the chess coaching community and rightly so. Without the expertise around the country to help with this, the project will not fulfil its true potential (I dare not say fail! eh Charles)

Essex had a Megafinal last week and some of the entrants from schools that have chess clubs run by well meaning Teachers and helpers, thought ...

"If I give check 12 times I win"

"My teacher said I can Castle out of Checkmate"

"I checked him 50 times, it's a draw"

I could go on ....

Thankfully these occurrences weren't too common on the day.

I would be worried that the extra 500,000 juniors are likely to be of the same or similar standard and whilst more players are always welcome, the Junior organisers are going to have a lot of work undoing a lot of incorrect learning.

[andrew martin]

When one of the best-connected people in English junior chess offers you help, you would be ill-advised to turn it down, let alone send your wife into action to defend your position.

As I've said many times before, everyone wants this project to succeed ( so nobody wants the project to fail ). But anyone who knows anything about the assembly of management teams will recognise the role of a ' plant', an awkward member of the team who is willing to ask the hard questions and make themselves unpopular to get the project properly and correctly pushed through. The team at Holloid must know that....so in the end all the assumed negativity is not that at all, merely a desire to see this wonderful idea enacted.

[Justin Hadi]

Andrew,

Do you think it is a good idea to ask hard questions on a public forum where potential sponsors might be looking? Once again, this should be continued in private communications.

[andrew martin]

One more thing : can you, in any of my postings, find a sentence where I say that Charles Wood ' is unable to run this project ' ?

[Mike Truran]

Charles

You really don't set out out to win friends, do you? Why on earth would you suggest in your recent post that I have less credibility than you? (as if it were some sort of competition?) If you had bothered to read my original post properly, you would have clearly understood that I was not questioning your credibility, but was instead saying that it was being questioned by someone else - in the hope that in so doing it would encourage you to redirect the thrust of your posts. If you're going to have a pop at people, I suggest you aim at the right target.

To be crystal clear:

1. I wish you nothing but success.

2. I suggest that you would help yourself and the project greatly if you were more transparent as regards what is/isn't going on and if you actually answered some of the questions that you are being asked directly and succinctly.

Mike

[andrew martin]

One more thing before I leave....

Can you name some of the ' army of people' who are helping you please. I will know them for sure. Not the ECF Office people, because they do a wonderful job, but that legion of organisers nationwide who are going to make this tick.

I can then talk to them and try to make some progress on what appears to me to be the colossal brief of how we are going to get coaches into these schools to follow the sets up.

This is not negativity, just a burning desire, which you clearly share, to get this pushed through.

I am thinking of all those kids.

Thank you.

Andrew

[David Robertson]

can you, in any of my postings, find a sentence where I say that Charles Wood ' is unable to run this project'?

No. But it might be true all the same

David Robertson
Atticus CC

[Charles W. Wood]

When one of the best-connected people in English junior chess offers you help, you would be ill-advised to turn it down, let alone send your wife into action to defend your position.

As I've said many times before, everyone wants this project to succeed ( so nobody wants the project to fail ). But anyone who knows anything about the assembly of management teams will recognise the role of a ' plant', an awkward member of the team who is willing to ask the hard questions and make themselves unpopular to get the project properly and correctly pushed through. The team at Holloid must know that....so in the end all the assumed negativity is not that at all, merely a desire to see this wonderful idea enacted.

Hi Andrew

An offer of help is normally face to face or bare minimum by phone call, neither has happened. If you don't know the exact detail of whats going on its just another project sat trying to help but not being able to do much as communication is the key to such a large project. No Communication, then the project does not benefit.

You have said that you wanted the project to succeed but have said in the next line "I've always had doubts about this project". So which is, doubting or wanting to get on board. Sniping from the edge is not helpful, either get on board (which I would welcome) or back off. As for a "Plant", there are many who question the project with a view of driving it forward, BUT they are in contact and ARE part of the team. As Fergus once said "Who's Andrew Martin?" which just about sums it up. The process its self, and an understanding of the sponsors and in your case Agency requirements are essential to even get a grasp of the basics.

Just to put balance to this, I see you as one of two coaches in England who I would call "Supercoches". The kind of coach the rest of us take tips from, the kind that holds a room full of kids hanging on every word. As a coach myself both of the "Supercoaches" I speak of have given me a bench mark to strive for. BTW the other one is an advisor with regard coaching, and phoned in January to see if he could help.

Call when your wanting to be part of the team.

[Charles W. Wood]

Charles

You really don't set out out to win friends, do you? Why on earth would you suggest in your recent post that I have less credibility than you? (as if it were some sort of competition?) If you had bothered to read my original post properly, you would have clearly understood that I was not questioning your credibility, but was instead saying that it was being questioned by someone else - in the hope that in so doing it would encourage you to redirect the thrust of your posts. If you're going to have a pop at people, I suggest you aim at the right target.

To be crystal clear:

1. I wish you nothing but success.

2. I suggest that you would help yourself and the project greatly if you were more transparent as regards what is/isn't going on and if you actually answered some of the questions that you are being asked directly and succinctly.

Mike

Mike

I have to disagree. I read it like the bullies mate stood at the side saying "yeh what you gonna do now". Questions, hmmm. your comment came after I said that David was going to get as much information as I could give him tomorrow. Yours wasn't much of a question though was it.

[Charles W. Wood]

One more thing before I leave....

Can you name some of the ' army of people' who are helping you please. I will know them for sure. Not the ECF Office people, because they do a wonderful job, but that legion of organisers nationwide who are going to make this tick.

I can then talk to them and try to make some progress on what appears to me to be the colossal brief of how we are going to get coaches into these schools to follow the sets up.

This is not negativity, just a burning desire, which you clearly share, to get this pushed through.

I am thinking of all those kids.

Thank you.

Andrew

I'm down in London on the 7th June, I will gladly pop in and go through the names and job rolls then. Not posting it here, not until I've check with the board and the county officials first. Which I already know will be a no.

Colossal brief, not really. Walking into an organisation on a Monday morning as the Sales team manager of the biggest IT training company in the UK. Then being told you have no staff but can get some. And I have an income target of £27m from the £22m done the year before then on top of that never had any dealing is this market place (I didn't know the product). And it worked.

Communication was what made that project, what stops the good development in the chess world is communication (or lack of it), whats making this project work is communication. If your not in the loop your not part of the team, to be part of the (ever growing) team you must except one thing, some of the things you know as fact are wrong (most of the things you perceive are just on the small scale not the large). Everything we are learning (and boy are we) has been done 6 months earlier by the army Cadet Force, now they are going to every (or as many as possible) schools. They started that project by only putting people on the team who were ready to change their thinking.

[Charles W. Wood]

Andrew,

Do you think it is a good idea to ask hard questions on a public forum where potential sponsors might be looking? Once again, this should be continued in private communications.

Charles is a project manager for the ECF.

The ECf has always been very poor at communicating with the members.

All that is currently being debated is common knowledge in the world of chess.(Okay those that really care)

Transparancy is the only way to help get the ECF out of the mess it is currently in.

Andrew and others have asked perfectly reasonable questions of a kind (i) that responsible sponsors ask.
(ii) the ECF should be clarifying with Charles.
I dont see a problem but you are entitled to your opinion and respect you for offering it. Maybe more people should be prepared to comment because thats what this forum is for.

I am not a believer in all aspects of business being opened up to all on these forums but I cannot see what there would be about this project that needs to be clouded in secrecy.

Hi Justin and Ernie

Your both right. Thats the problem, one sponsor is this and another is that. Balance and as much freedom of information is a trick which takes much doing.

You may notice, Andrew and Mike have recently got more stick than say David. Thats because both have been quoted by sponsors, because both are seen as senior members of the ECF by sponsors. Perception IS reality! Always!

Ernie, Andrew does do some great questions but that little "I've always had doubts" as a senior Manager does not help and is seen as a Senior Manager (who I agree needs to be involved) not believing the project or wanting the sponsors to back it. Perception is reality.

Your perception as chess players is to speed up the whole project and get it done now, or that every official should be named, or that coaching is not top of the agenda. Thats your reality, sadly its based around your preset perceptions, which are one of the reasons council would rather chew off their right arm than trust the chess world on mass. E.G.: how many of you (inc. Andrew) think that most of the people running school chess clubs are teachers? I haven't met one yet in charge of any chess clubs I have set up through the councils across the country. Your perception is your reality until your ready to change it.

Answer this question that I know what the answer is. And I'm asking four of you, Ernie, Mike T, Andrew and David.

So why don't we have chess in every school?