Compulsory Membership?

[Roger de Coverly]

I shall try to make it work rather than spend time continuing to object to it, but I do think it is right to raise questions about administrative problems.

There's a checkpoint in the fairly near future, which is whether the online membership system is delivered in working order on July 1st. If it isn't, critics of the ECF will be able to say that it was never on the cards and always just a political promise to gain support from those sceptical about the MO premise.

There's silence on the Framework agreement's apparent promise to allow ECF members to play anyone, anywhere in a non registered event and still have the games graded. It's logical in a way. The ECF are reverting to some aspects of the pre 1994 structure, namely that county associations finance the national body and that independent leagues and Congresses don't.

[Nik Puryer]

... or the secretary or treasurer can pretend to be each player in turn and use the website himself or herself.

Glad to see this, I was going to ask about it. Since the majority of our members would be unable/unwilling/too worried about using a computer/the internet to do their own memberships it seems that the easiest path will be for me to take their £13, logon and fill in their details, pay the £12 from my own penny bucket, and take all of the £1 oddments for a walk down the pub. Nice, cheers

[Greg Breed]

Counting the minutes, but what is the modern equivalent of 3 days and nights in the belly of the whale -trapped for 3 hours on the M25?

Spending my entire Saturday so far (I woke up and 5am for some unknown reason) reading this entire thread from start to finish (almost - I had to skip pages 16-35 for fear I would never escape!).

[Alex Holowczak]

Counting the minutes, but what is the modern equivalent of 3 days and nights in the belly of the whale -trapped for 3 hours on the M25?

Spending my entire Saturday so far (I woke up and 5am for some unknown reason) reading this entire thread from start to finish (almost - I had to skip pages 16-35 for fear I would never escape!).

On the bright side, you didn't have to attend the MCCU AGM today.

[John McKenna]

Congratulations to Greg for avoiding endlessly going round and round the circular arguments here.
And, has Alex H never heard of training film starring, John Cleese, called Meetings Bl**dy Meetings?

[Alex Holowczak]

And, has Alex H never heard of training film starring, John Cleese, called Meetings Bl**dy Meetings?

No, he hasn't, but will YouTube it when I've got a moment.

[Mick Norris]

Back on topic, the MCCU won't be running an MO, nor making ECF membership compulsory for playing in the MCCU County Championships (i.e. the Union stage of the ECF event)

The MCCU supports the ECF Membership scheme and encourages counties to become MOs (although the MCF will not, we know other counties will)

It was interesting to hear that the ECF will save money, despite the £5,000 cost of the new online membership system, as a staff member will reduce from 5 days a week to 2 days a week

And finally, we thought Andrew Farthing might miss the ECF too much much when he steps down in the October, so we elected him as the new MCCU rep to the ECF

[Carl Hibbard]

A week today we will see the online membership system, it should be interesting

[John McKenna]

The quiet week before the storm?
On the previous page the author of this thread (almost as long as the thread Ariadne gave to Theseus) answers his own question - the MCCU won't be an MO, nor make membership compulsory for the Union stage of the Counties Ch. So, it is not to be true compulsion in all cases, which I think we have known all along.
(It is, however, a case of moving from inviting individuals to enter freely through the front door to augmenting membership by mass enrollments via back doors.)

[Neville Belinfante]

The ECF system is doomed to failure because it is too complicated. This is neatly summarised in last Friday's Daily Telegraph in the following article - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/9347 ... -case.html

[Sean Hewitt]

The ECF system is doomed to failure because it is too complicated. This is neatly summarised in last Friday's Daily Telegraph in the following article - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/9347 ... -case.html

You'll remember that the initial proposal was for one level. Certain members of this parish thought that unfair and so we are now where we are. I don't think that three levels of membership should be that complicated for chess players to comprehend.

[Mike Gunn]

...including Neville! Neville, you were one of many people who told me last year that a flat rate membership for all players (say £18) would not work (actually I agreed) which is one reason why we now have the scheme we do. Council uncomplicated the board's scheme (removing the 85%membership threshold for a £1 game fee)and complicated it a bit (reduced game fee for juniors). In what respect are you now saying it is too complicated?

[John McKenna]

It's like moving from a mixed system of PAYE/self-assessment to a largely self-assessed tax base. Previously ECF direct members decided once a year what kind of membership they wanted (full/standard/family, etc.) and paid up front. The 'other half' had their dues collected for them as they played by way of game-fee. Many of the latter were only dimly aware of the indirect levy and a number blissfully unaware that they contributed anything to the ECF's coffers. Are the 'other half' in for a rude awakening?

[Roger de Coverly]

Many of the latter were only dimly aware of the indirect levy and a number blissfully unaware that they contributed anything to the ECF's coffers. Are the 'other half' in for a rude awakening?

The proposed Framework MO structures continue to hide the ECF in the background.

[John McKenna]

Have the recent announcements from the MCCU left the ECF hiding behind the clubs in that neck of the woods?
My current club will not hold its AGM until Sept. I am unsure how what is happening will be presented and implemented, but I will probably rise above it by taking out a new golden membership after my standard one expires at end of July. How quickly I do that depends on the options the ECF present to me for doing so. A pound off for joining online may be attractive to some but not a deal maker for me.