October 2023 ECF AGM

[John Upham]

The October 2023 ECF AGM looms and I cannot hide my excitement.

More seriously, which directorial posts are up for election/re-election?

I'm hoping at least one of these will be for the Director of Junior Chess and Education.

Can anyone confirm one way or the other?

Can anyone confirm the typical annual budget available for the above role?

What is the length of tenure following election?

[Angus French]

Why don't you look up the answers to your questions rather than have others do the work for you?

[John Upham]

Why don't you look up the answers to your questions rather than have others do the work for you?

I'm not aware of where to look them up Angus.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'm not aware of where to look them up Angus.

The ECF site would seem the obvious place to look and the papers for the forthcoming Finance meeting should have both past and proposed future expenditure associated with the Junior director.

One of the questions is easy, Directors are elected for a three year term of office. It used to be one year only.

[IM Jack Rudd]

https://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-cont ... ations.pdf

Finance Director
Home Director
Membership Director
Non-Executive Director #1

[John Reyes]

are you thinking of standing

[John Upham]

are you thinking of standing

Absolutely not!

I would not be willing to operate in a D-Notice prescribed régime.

However, I am hoping that by the appropriate time we will have at least one alternative candidate who, if allowed to, will bring a great deal to the role that hitherto has been sorely missing.

Also, the candidates will wear fewer hats per person with fewer potential issues relating to alleged conflicts of interest.

[Andrew Zigmond]

However, I am hoping that by the appropriate time we will have at least one alternative candidate who, if allowed to, will bring a great deal to the role that hitherto has been sorely missing.

Which particular role? Who is the candidate?

[John Upham]

However, I am hoping that by the appropriate time we will have at least one alternative candidate who, if allowed to, will bring a great deal to the role that hitherto has been sorely missing.

Which particular role? Who is the candidate?

I will leave those details for this place to speculate about.

[John Upham]

However, I am hoping that by the appropriate time we will have at least one alternative candidate who, if allowed to, will bring a great deal to the role that hitherto has been sorely missing.

Which particular role? Who is the candidate?

I will leave those details for this place to speculate about.

If you wish you could consider which roles are currently filled with someone who is doing no more than treading water.

[Angus French]

Which particular role? Who is the candidate?

I will leave those details for this place to speculate about.

If you wish you could consider which roles are currently filled with someone who is doing no more than treading water.

Brilliant.

[Paul Cooksey]

I assume John is continuing his criticism of Alex Holowczak as Junior Director.

You can argue that Junior Director is the most important Director, even including CEO, since that is where the money is.

I assume when there is criticism of the Junior Director it is because organisations and/ or individuals feel they should be getting more money from the ECF. Maybe they should, but speculation seems pointless until someone shares their alternative plans.

[Roger de Coverly]

I assume John is continuing his criticism of Alex Holowczak as Junior Director.

Thinking back to 2021, the EJCOA threatened to put up a candidate against the re-election of the Junior Director. Nothing eventually happened and in the actual election I don't even think there was much support for "none of the above".

[Paul Cooksey]

Some papers now uploaded to https://www.englishchess.org.uk/about/e ... and-board/

[Roger de Coverly]

Some papers now uploaded

In the consolidated report they claim

The following (non-exhaustive) list gives an idea of the extent of these services:
• Maintaining and developing rating services;
• Maintaining and developing the league management system;
• Dealing with new and renewing members;
• Organising ECF tournaments and congresses;
• Producing the ECF’s monthly magazine ChessMoves and annual yearbook;
• Keeping the ECF website up to date;
• Ensuring that facilities such as the events calendar, the registered coaches scheme, the junior
clubs development pathway, the clubs home page, the club finder facility etc are regularly
reviewed and updated;
• Maintaining and developing our complaints/safeguarding/safe space policies;
• Working closely with the Chess Trust and the John Robinson Youth Chess Trust;
• Working closely with Chess in Schools and the Community on prison outreach work;
• Supporting international team trips;
• Running three ECF online clubs;
• Providing training and refresher course for arbiters

That's a long list.

They also claim

For the avoidance of doubt, the Board would like to make clear that although its preferred option is to adopt a single membership fee model for the longer term (on the basis that the cost of providing most ECF membership benefits is broadly the same per member regardless of the amount of chess that a member plays, and that therefore those membership benefits should be available equally to all members regardless of the amount of chess played

How do they justify that statement given that it would seem obvious that the person playing over 100 games a season makes far more use of the ECF office than the person playing 4? Equally should they be asked to make equal financial contributions to the financing of the England international teams?

I see also that Tim Wall is trying for a Board position for the umteenth time.

b) Director of Home Chess:
Tim Wall, nominated by: Northern Counties Chess Union [C39.7b(1)]
Nigel Towers, currently in post and agrees to continue;