English Chess Forum

The following is factual and will no dout appear on our web site in due course. Last night was Cleveland chess associations AGM.
Before proceeding I need to turn the clock back to last years AGM. It was agreed by the members that CCA would run a Middlesbrough chess congress. Following that the members debated a proposal that the CCA fees go up from £3 to £10 to pay for it in the event of a shortfall in the coct of running it. That motion was defeated and no further action re a congress was taken. Step forward now to last night;
CCA has a trust fund in pace with around £15000 which finishes later this year. Those wanting to run a congress wanted to get their hands on some of that money. The legalities and technicalities of how that money should be used when placed in trust are not the issue now because last evening after much debate a vote was taken on proposal submitted by the CCA sec, a retired lawyer, that the money be distributed between the membership of the CCA as recorded on 1st June 2015. This was passed therefore the £15000 will not be available to the CCA.
Now we need to go back to the very start of the meeting when we were informed that there was no accounts,no treasurers report and worse he could not be contacted and had not been so for some time.In effect he had dissappeared. Thus there is no cheque book and no bank statements. People who were owned money to could not currently be paid, yes its all true I report it as fact. A terrible situation that started much earlier this year when the CCA fees were not paid to the ECF.(that was sorted out by other members of the committee) Worse it was barely discussed by anyone from the floor it was if it did not matter.
Last night the members once again passed another motion agreeing to run a congress this time spelling out the prize money and venue costs and once again no mention of how to pay for it.

So there we have it. We have passed a motion to run a congress with no significant funds to run it in the event of a loss over the agreed three year period, and appointed someone to run it. Indeed currently we have no idea how much we have got!. Exclude the trust fund money that has been managed by 3 trustees, we know whats in that bond.
Thankfully I managed to get a future EGM agreed before the start of next season to discuss how we are going to pay for the congress in the event of a loss maker. Current funds excluding the trust will not cover it. It is likely that CCA fees will have to go up but is that likely given last years meeting and worse if they do rise significantly would folk walk away.

Last night at times I thought I was sitting in the greek parliament! I find some chess players do not display a level of intelligence one expects of someone who plays the game.

I recently responded to the questionaire from the folk doing the review of the ECF, overdue I think. One can reasdonably ask the question what is it about chess both nationally and locally that produces never ending problems/disputes/debates; is it always going to be thus?

BTW as many know I financially supportchess congress/events locally, well I used to, and helped run them. Indeed I want to see another one but theres ways to do things without having rose tinted glasses. At some point reality is going to hit home.

Does sound like a bit of a nasty mess. The Cleveland league did strike me as being a bit unusually prone to disputes when I was drifting through.

Hate to say it but I can't help wondering if a Cleveland congress is viable any more. There surely aren't enough local players left for it to be self sustaining on their account. So I think you'd need people down from Newcastle or up from Yorkshire etc.

'Boro is a long way to get to from either place, so a major obstacle to start with. Darlington would be rather easier of course. Even then you'd have the problem with the Yorkshire chess calendar being so packed you're almost guaranteed to clash with something easier for an awful lot of your potential audience to get to

Inter-cousin marriage explains everything here

Thankfully I have just found out that our accounting system is to be normalised very soon due to contact finally being made with the former treasurer. It remains to be seen how we fund the congress however it will no longer be any of my concern. I have decided to call a day on the Cleveland chess scene. Maybe I will attend one or two congresses outside the area next season providing my health allows.(too add to my troubles I now have heart problems and am now a real pill popper!) I am getting too old to cope with the stress of chess politics and constant changes we have locally.
I wish you all well.

Before leaving this subject I feel it right to say this, The ECF and local chess associations all rely on the efforts of volunteers who for the most part do their very best for the organisation they belong too; many however have busy lives both working and domestically and there will be times when these pressures impact upon the amount of time they can give as a volunteer. Perhaps we expect too much of volunteers doing the job many people do not want. Perhaps then when wheels fall off we ought to be more understanding and forgiving and remember its all too easy to sit at a keyboard and comment. Those who do much work or have done so in the past perhaps have more right to comment than those who dont. As in our current situation I have no doubt there will be compelling and acceptable reasons leading to our meeting being given the information it was.

Perhaps we just have to accept that clubs ,associations and the like are what they are and not expect too much (I have been guilty of that)
Also members often get what they deserve in so much as in general members are not the least bit interested in how an organisations runs or who runs it as demonstrated by the numbers turning up at AGM's. Its usually a very small number of 'activists' that attend.

During my time as an organiser I realised that it can be a thankless job.

Voulnteers be they who do a good job or those who find it too much are too be thanked for either doing it or at least trying, without them where would chess be?

Hi Ernie...
Yes, your problems are by no means uncommon in chess..
Volunteers are key, and getting new faces on board to bring a fresh perspective is also important..
The busy lives syndrome plagues us all, as we live in a world where our politicians need everyone out working all hours (and paying more taxes), to make up for the shambolic governments who have squandered all the cash..etc. ..and I`ll not mention those greedy bankers that screwed us up in the 2008 debacle...
The North East is a hard pressed area...but we must face the challenges, otherwise a Greek disaster could befall us... hopefully not.

As for your chess problems...it starts at the grass roots....our clubs and chess bodies really do need to make top priority of encouraging newbies into chess.. ie, those who might just know the basic moves, to those who maybe played school/college chess and would like to return. And those players who play knockabout chess on the websites, who often don`t realise that they would actually be potentially good chess club material.These players who will probably be graded U80, but also others who might have played and may be higher....quite often such players are reluctant to join the local club because they don't feel they have the ability. They must be encourage to give it a try...and to accept that it might take a season or so to climb the ladder.... but with encouragement they can do it..! One port of call could be our local colleges...can they be encouraged to start a club, and maybe play some friendlies against local clubs, and join our leagues. There is abundance of talent out there, if only we could tap into it...

Publicity is vital...and calling for volunteers, noting that `a willing pair of hands` is often the key requirement, ....and much help can be sought.
I am often surprised by towns with quite good populations, and facilities, who don't have a local chess club. Our leagues need to try to encourage more start -up clubs in such towns, or localities.
Clubs need to welcome this group to play social and informal club competitions, maybe receive informal instruction and hints from other club members. These players will improve over a couple of seasons and hopefully become members of the club teams....I reckon you need a pool of several such players, to include some current members who may rank as lower order batsmen. Encouragement is the watch word...
Maybe you could speak to the secretary of South Shields chess club. They are undergoing a revival of late, and may offer some ideas on taking things forward.
Your Cleveland clubs need to look again at that trust fund they are distributing.. That sounds a very handy sum of money that should be put to good use.
As for your Congress...yes, picking a good date is important, as is good publicity.
Not that far away, Scarborough run a very successful annual event, so I think that Teesside should be able to muster a fair offering.
Your local support must come from Teesside Wear side Tyneside, Durham, Yorkshire...and further afield.
A good prize fund helps, and I`d consider having the Open section as FIDE rated...perhaps.
You need to talk to your north east 4NCL group...support from that camp, and any help would be excellent.
A good venue would be desirable.. I wonder whether Redworth Hall or such like could offer something for a weekend..
One point I`d make is to put a clause in your entry form saying that prizes may vary, dependant on entry numbers, and the Congress reserves the right to merge/split any sections depending on numbers.