2013 Final Stage

[Phil Taylor-Bowd]

Perhaps adding to the confusion, the online membership list does not currently show at least some memberships which have expired during the year and have been renewed. I recently renewed my Gold membership which was due to expire in July with the unexpected result that my name has disappeared from the membership list! The ECF are actively pursuing the problem with paysubsonline...

[Jonathan Rogers]

As a translation from Botvinnik might have said "It stands to reason that the ECF appeal committee must have discussed the case by now" ...

[LawrenceCooper]

Perhaps adding to the confusion, the online membership list does not currently show at least some memberships which have expired during the year and have been renewed. I recently renewed my Gold membership which was due to expire in July with the unexpected result that my name has disappeared from the membership list! The ECF are actively pursuing the problem with paysubsonline...

You are not the only one who has had this problem. One of the players who is playing in Big Slick was on the list (membership renewal due on 2 July) until he renewed and then he disappeared from the list. The system appears to have a problem with anyone renewing until 2014

[Roger de Coverly]

The system appears to have a problem with anyone renewing until 2014

That could have a certain logic. Earlier in the season, players were being offered a renewal up to 31st August 2013, so an expiry at the end of November 2012 cost 9/12 ths of the normal rate to renew. So are end June 2013 renewals being offered a 2/12ths renewal or a 14/12ths? Last year there was a 14 months for the price of 12 to cover players required to join in order to take part in that year's British Championship Congress. If, as it appears, the membership listing is broken, shouldn't the ECF be warning Congress organisers and players not to trust it where renewals are concerned?

In the near future, the system is going to have to be able to cope with people renewing ahead of 1st September 2013. Last year there was a lengthy discussion about how September Congresses would establish membership, particularly in the context of players renewing through MOs.

[Phil Taylor-Bowd]

You are not the only one who has had this problem. One of the players who is playing in Big Slick was on the list (membership renewal due on 2 July) until he renewed and then he disappeared from the list. The system appears to have a problem with anyone renewing until 2014

I'm now back on the list, so if you're still seeing people missing then perhaps you have a subtly different problem (although it sounds identical). I understand it required intervention from PaySubs to get me reinstated, I would have assumed they would have come up with a general solution rather than one specific for me.

[LawrenceCooper]

You are not the only one who has had this problem. One of the players who is playing in Big Slick was on the list (membership renewal due on 2 July) until he renewed and then he disappeared from the list. The system appears to have a problem with anyone renewing until 2014

I'm now back on the list, so if you're still seeing people missing then perhaps you have a subtly different problem (although it sounds identical). I understand it required intervention from PaySubs to get me reinstated, I would have assumed they would have come up with a general solution rather than one specific for me.

Yes, he has reappeared with an expiry date of 31 Aug 14.

[Angus French]

You are not the only one who has had this problem. One of the players who is playing in Big Slick was on the list (membership renewal due on 2 July) until he renewed and then he disappeared from the list. The system appears to have a problem with anyone renewing until 2014

I'm now back on the list, so if you're still seeing people missing then perhaps you have a subtly different problem (although it sounds identical). I understand it required intervention from PaySubs to get me reinstated, I would have assumed they would have come up with a general solution rather than one specific for me.

Yes, he has reappeared with an expiry date of 31 Aug 14.

Is 31 Aug 14 - and not 31 Aug 13 - correct?

Does Dave Thomas, the new Director of Marketing and Membership, know of the issue of disappearing renewed memberships?

A while, when I looked at renewing my Gold membership, which at the time was due to expire shortly, I found that, after I'd asked for a quote to upgrade to Platinum, the PaySubsOnline system had automatically upgraded me to Platinum at £0 cost but reset my Due Date to the current date.

I wonder what will happen in a few months when some people will want to pay for 2012/13 memberships and others will want to pay for 2013/14 memberships? Will the system be able to cope with concurrent periods? Perhaps there is already a problem and Phil and Lawrence's player have encountered it.

I have the impression that the system was comissioned without input from anyone with appropriate IT systems expertise... and I'm afraid that if this is correct then it is at greater risk of failing in various ways. (This might seem like harsh criticism but at least John Upham and I asked to see the requirements specification for the system but were told to get lost.)

[Mick Norris]

Am I correct that the ones with something in the due date column are people who joined under the old system?

Mark Lyell's entry is confusing

If yes, there seem to be over 70 due to renew prior to end August - including the Junior Director, so at least the ECF board will discover if there's a problem

If someone who is not a member joins now, and backdates to 1 September 2012, can they also pay for 2013/4 season?

[Roger de Coverly]

Mark Lyell's entry is confusing

Instead of replacing the existing string, the Gold membership narrative to 2013 has been appended to it. There are players here and there with doubled up narratives.

[Colin S Crouch]

Getting back to the main subject, the County Championships Final, the storm is perhaps only just starting.

I have just had an abusive email, making use of the f-word, by a Middlesex "colleague", who is strongly in favour of Holowczak's approach. Fortunately, he is in one of the lower sections.

Watch this space.

[Angus French]

Getting back to the main subject, the County Championships Final, the storm is perhaps only just starting.

I have just had an abusive email, making use of the f-word, by a Middlesex "colleague", who is strongly in favour of Holowczak's approach. Fortunately, he is in one of the lower sections.

Watch this space.

I'd like to know about the provenance of the rule on non-ECF members. I raised some issues about this last Monday and asked if anyone knew of the history. See http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... 35#p116134. So far no one has come forward to help explain.

In summary, my concerns are:
1. The rule as currently published is NOT as it was in the proposal text which was presented for discussion/approval at the 2012 Finance Council meeting.
2. The rule change is not documented in the minutes of the 2012 Finance Council meeting.
3. I attended the meeting and don't recall discussion or a vote on the proposed rule. It could be that I've forgotten (and also didn't note the change) though I'm confident that given the opportunity I would have voted against the proposal - and likely I would have remembered doing that.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'd like to know about the provenance of the rule on non-ECF members. I raised some issues about this last Monday and asked if anyone knew of the history.

There's a reference in the Board minutes.

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... -Final.pdf

Membership Requirements in ECF Events
AH reported that Home Chess was insisting on ECF membership for all events.

That's the same March Board meeting which imposed membership requirements on Schools events.

I'm not quite sure what or who "Home Chess" actually consists of, to be in a position to insist. Is it any more than an edict of the current director ?

[Angus French]

I'd like to know about the provenance of the rule on non-ECF members. I raised some issues about this last Monday and asked if anyone knew of the history.

There's a reference in the Board minutes.

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... -Final.pdf

Membership Requirements in ECF Events
AH reported that Home Chess was insisting on ECF membership for all events.

That's the same March Board meeting which imposed membership requirements on Schools events.

I'm not quite sure what or who "Home Chess" actually consists of, to be in a position to insist. Is it any more than an edict of the current director ?

Just to clarify: the Board meeting minutes are for the March 2013 meeting - which obviously took place after the (April) 2012 Finance Council meeting.
I guess that begs the question: Is it the case that AH sought Council's consent for the rule, didn't get the consent and then sought the Board's approval for the change - and this was given? (Of course, I sincerely hope that that's not what happened and I would be a bit incredulous if it did.)

[Graham Borrowdale]

Colin Crouch wrote:

Getting back to the main subject, the County Championships Final, the storm is perhaps only just starting.

I have just had an abusive email, making use of the f-word, by a Middlesex "colleague", who is strongly in favour of Holowczak's approach. Fortunately, he is in one of the lower sections.

Watch this space.

I guess an abusive email should not prejudice the decision either way, but I was hoping that this might be resolved amicably. If Middlesex consider that they lost fair and square over the board, they are not forced to take their place in the final, should the case be ruled in their favour. I don't see that 'Holowczak's approach' should be applauded by anyone just because they happen to be from Middlesex, or derided by anyone just because they come from Kent. In other words, the guy is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.
On the other hand, the phrase digging a hole for yourself also comes to mind...

[Roger de Coverly]

I guess that begs the question: Is it the case that AH sought Council's consent for the rule, didn't get the consent and then sought the Board's approval for the change - and this was given? (Of course, I sincerely hope that that's not what happened and I would be a bit incredulous if it did.)

The members only rule was in the draft presented to the April 2012 meeting, but without any penalties attached. At that time the then CEO insisted that it wasn't the ECF's intention that the membership proposals should discourage players from competing.

The penalties appear to be the invention of AH or the Board. A Controller more concerned with the sporting integrity of the competition might have written something along the lines that any non-members or those late renewing had a few days grace to become members or renew or else penalties would be applied.