Questions without answers

Discussions regarding the 70,000 Free Chess Sets for Schools in England.
Sean Hewitt

Re: Questions without answers

Post by Sean Hewitt » Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:56 am

Carl Hibbard wrote:Where has the Director of Marketing gone?
:roll:
He was last seen attempting to parachute into the Director of International Chess job. Now we know why!!

Sean Hewitt

Re: Questions without answers

Post by Sean Hewitt » Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:05 pm

Mike Gunn wrote:The Chess Sets for Schools project is exactly what the ECF is about (promoting chess). Let's say it would cost about £1 million to do. If we were starting from scratch we might decide to spend £1 million differently but now we are committed to this scheme in the eyes of MPs and the schools. There are many ways the money could be raised (from chess players, the government, other sponsors, the lottery, from other good/services offered to schools). Walking away now and saying "sorry, we were let down by the company" is just not an option.
The only problem with this laudable plan is that the ECF does not have £1 million pounds. And it has no hope of raising such a sum either. After all, it's £100 for every player in England with a published grade!

Whether you think the ECF are morally committed to supplying the sets or not, they simply do not have the means - unless a white knight shows up (and not the kind that normally resides on b1 or g1).

John Philpott

Re: Questions without answers

Post by John Philpott » Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:13 pm

Neil Cooper commented, in relation to the original statement about Chess for Schools
It is still there on the actual ECF website! Go to the ECF home page, click on the first "...more" under the heading of 25 [I've removed the 0,000 to give a more accurate figure] Free Chess Sets for Schools, and you will find.....
Within the last hour the text in question that used to appear at the top of the Free Chess Sets box on the ECF home page has been deleted.

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Carl Hibbard
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Carl Hibbard » Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:38 pm

John Philpott wrote:Neil Cooper commented, in relation to the original statement about Chess for Schools
It is still there on the actual ECF website! Go to the ECF home page, click on the first "...more" under the heading of 25 [I've removed the 0,000 to give a more accurate figure] Free Chess Sets for Schools, and you will find.....
Within the last hour the text in question that used to appear at the top of the Free Chess Sets box on the ECF home page has been deleted.
I see, removed without even an explanation comment :?:
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

andrew martin

Re: Questions without answers

Post by andrew martin » Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:29 pm

The text was amended at Peter Wilson's personal insistance and quite rightly too.

He has been unable to defend himself recently against the personal attacks, after being muzzled under the banner of 'board confidentiality'. I have every sympathy for him.

I wonder how many of the board like the very unhealthy position of being muzzled, unable to say what they think? How long can that last before cracks or even chasms start to appear?

Mike Gunn
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Mike Gunn » Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:02 pm

Sean Hewitt wrote: The only problem with this laudable plan is that the ECF does not have £1 million pounds. And it has no hope of raising such a sum either. After all, it's £100 for every player in England with a published grade!
Finding this sum of money will be challenging but it is not impossible. The ECF needs to set up a fund to finance Chess for Schools and find the money where it can from individuals and organisations. Can somebody explain why the John Roninson money cannot be used to some extent? Is it because of the terms of his bequest or the terms of the trust that we set up? If it's the latter then chess sets for schools would seem to be an entirely appropriate use for the money from a charitable trust (it's a youth project).

Sean Hewitt

Re: Questions without answers

Post by Sean Hewitt » Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:10 pm

There are three problems with using the JRT to fund chess for schools as I see it. Firstly, there isnt anything like £1m in the trust (perhaps half that). Secondly, the income from the trust is currently being put to very good use funding junior chess, coaching, teams, players in world and europeans champs etc. and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. If you use the JRT money for CFS instead, then all of that good work stops overnight. Thirdly, it's not the ECF's money. It belongs to the trust which is independent. I'm sure the trustees would not see spending it on buying a load of chess sets for schools as being the best possible use of the money in the long term.

Steve Henderson
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Steve Henderson » Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:40 pm

Sean Hewitt wrote:Thirdly, it's not the ECF's money. It belongs to the trust which is independent. I'm sure the trustees would not see spending it on buying a load of chess sets for schools as being the best possible use of the money in the long term.
Sean, can you name the trustees of the JRT Fund?

Peter Turner
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Peter Turner » Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:48 pm

I believe the Trustees are: David Anderton, Gerry Walsh, David Welsh & Cynthia Gurney. May be one more person, I just check.

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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Peter Turner » Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:50 pm

The criteria for the Trust is primarily to advance chess education and supervision for those under the age of twenty one. It also includes students attending schools, universities and other educational establishments in England.

The Council of the British Chess Federation agreed to establish a Charitable Trust on the basis that the capital of the Trust should be maintained. The Trustees are Gerry Walsh, David Welch, Cynthia Gurney and David Anderton.

Peter Turner
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Peter Turner » Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:00 pm

Sorry, just seen it!! Only 9 out of 10 for spelling, should be David Welch.

Peter Turner
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Peter Turner » Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:00 pm

Sorry, just seen it!! Only 9 out of 10 for spelling, should be David Welch.

Tim Spanton
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Tim Spanton » Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:14 pm

I can't see why people think the ECF has a duty to supply these sets.

*The ECF was promised the sets by a company that apparently was happy to repeat its promise to MPs.

*The ECF invited schools to apply for the sets. They had to do this to ensure there really was a demand, and to discover the scale of the demand. It would have been embarrassing and wasteful if sets for 25,000 schools had been produced in advance but only 5,000 schools applied.

*The sets are almost certainly not going to be forthcoming but the fault for this does not lie with the ECF. Sure, this failure will not help the ECF, but the ECF is not to blame.

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Carl Hibbard
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Carl Hibbard » Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:52 pm

Tim Spanton wrote:I can't see why people think the ECF has a duty to supply these sets.

*The ECF was promised the sets by a company that apparently was happy to repeat its promise to MPs.

*The ECF invited schools to apply for the sets. They had to do this to ensure there really was a demand, and to discover the scale of the demand. It would have been embarrassing and wasteful if sets for 25,000 schools had been produced in advance but only 5,000 schools applied.

*The sets are almost certainly not going to be forthcoming but the fault for this does not lie with the ECF. Sure, this failure will not help the ECF, but the ECF is not to blame.
What can you suggest saying to the Schools who are still applying via the ECF web site then?
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

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Ben Purton
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Re: Questions without answers

Post by Ben Purton » Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:05 pm

The JR fund is great, it helped Sarah, My girlfriend play some tournaments this summer. Her Reports in one of the right move magazines. Its really nice that John is still remembered.

Ben
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