To join or not to join the ECF
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:47 pm
More accurately, should I renew my membership this year? My membership is up this month and I am in 2 minds about whether to renew or not.
On the plus side I am passionate about all children in England having the opportunity to play chess and I hope that the ECF may help to realise that aspiration. I also feel that I would like to support English chess generally.
On the minus side I have concerns about the ECF. Do I want to be associated with this organisation?
Clearly there are some very good people involved, Stewart Reuben springs to mind, but to me the organisation seems to lack direction and focus.
I was confused about the resignation of Martin Regan et al. I still do not know exactly why they left and this bothers me. As a member I had an e-mail about it but it did not explain what was really going on. Was it just a clash of personalities or was there some hidden agenda? It is a serious step to resign from an organisation midterm. I cannot condemn it as I once did the same thing resigning from the committee of an organisation midterm. I did so for serious reasons. I am worried that there was a lot more to the resignations than meets the eye.
I am also bothered about the link to this forum being removed from the ECF website. This seems petty and counterproductive. I am not happy with the way it was done without an item on the agenda. With the way the ECF is organised with reps consulting their areas this meant that no consideration of this move was available to the membership. I have mentioned my concerns to my rep.
Finally is the ECF interested in helping club chess to survive in the current very difficult climate? Why do I have this vague disquiet that the ECF is only really interested in elite chess and only considers club chess when they are hoping to rake some money from it? Why should the chap who has to decide whether he can afford the board fee before he sets off to his local chess club subsidise the ECF's ambitions?
I welcome any comments, advice /etc. that might help me to resolve my dilemma.
On the plus side I am passionate about all children in England having the opportunity to play chess and I hope that the ECF may help to realise that aspiration. I also feel that I would like to support English chess generally.
On the minus side I have concerns about the ECF. Do I want to be associated with this organisation?
Clearly there are some very good people involved, Stewart Reuben springs to mind, but to me the organisation seems to lack direction and focus.
I was confused about the resignation of Martin Regan et al. I still do not know exactly why they left and this bothers me. As a member I had an e-mail about it but it did not explain what was really going on. Was it just a clash of personalities or was there some hidden agenda? It is a serious step to resign from an organisation midterm. I cannot condemn it as I once did the same thing resigning from the committee of an organisation midterm. I did so for serious reasons. I am worried that there was a lot more to the resignations than meets the eye.
I am also bothered about the link to this forum being removed from the ECF website. This seems petty and counterproductive. I am not happy with the way it was done without an item on the agenda. With the way the ECF is organised with reps consulting their areas this meant that no consideration of this move was available to the membership. I have mentioned my concerns to my rep.
Finally is the ECF interested in helping club chess to survive in the current very difficult climate? Why do I have this vague disquiet that the ECF is only really interested in elite chess and only considers club chess when they are hoping to rake some money from it? Why should the chap who has to decide whether he can afford the board fee before he sets off to his local chess club subsidise the ECF's ambitions?
I welcome any comments, advice /etc. that might help me to resolve my dilemma.