Charles W Wood - credible or not?

[Nigel Wright]

This all seems to be getting out of hand in my opinion. I haven't read anything for days, and I come on here and there are 3 pages of posts in a topic aimed at discrediting one of the hardest workers the ECF has to offer. Does anybody else wish to take up Charles' responsibilties and try their best to improve Junior Chess, and with it, Chess as a whole? Didn't think so.

And maybe there is potentially an income boost for Charles here. So what?! He is putting a tremendous amount of effort into this project, so does he not deserve it? Would you not do the same? I can't comment on whether or not I believe Charles is doing this for his own profit or not, I have not got the knowledge and life experience that most of you have.

There are plenty of people that do voluntary work for the ECF, like Carl Hibbard for example (sorry for involving you Carl). He says himself that he wouldn't mind a bit of cash coming in for the good work he does, and if he could, I'm sure he would make this forum income-generating by sponsorship etc. But I don't see anyone having a go at him for it. If this forum became sponsored, it wouldn't be good morally and generally for the ECF. But I don't see how that is different to Charles and his RA potentially making a bit of cash to improve Chess in Bradford by jumping on his own bandwagon.

I personally think this topic should be completely removed by the moderator. There is no need for the abuse that has been flying about thanks to its creation.

Ask yourselves this question. Could you, or would you, do what Charles is doing, or do it any differently? I think I can answer that for pretty much all of you : NO.

Some people just need to get a grip...

[andrew martin]

Nigel,
If £ 10 of coaching material or equivalent is sold into each of the 25000 schools, I am sure that you can see this is more than just pin money. That money should mostly go to the ECF for the development of junior chess and certainly some into the coaching budget.

I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with someone earning money from chess,especially if they are working like a trojan, but there are ways of doing things.


Andrew

[Charles W. Wood]

Nigel,
If £ 10 of coaching material or equivalent is sold into each of the 25000 schools, I am sure that you can see this is more than just pin money. That money should mostly go to the ECF for the development of junior chess and certainly some into the coaching budget.

I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with someone earning money from chess,especially if they are working like a trojan, but there are ways of doing things.


Andrew

Nope, not after Martin Regan said different. So no. Was a while ago because we needed an inline with ECM stop gap, not needed now.

[Nigel Wright]

If you walk away and it (the ECF) goes down the crapper, that's just like removing PCSO's from active duty in my opinion. If the people who try and improve things, the people that CAN change things, abandon things when the going gets tough, then what is the point?

And who are you referring to being deceitful?

[Nigel Wright]

Nigel,
If £ 10 of coaching material or equivalent is sold into each of the 25000 schools, I am sure that you can see this is more than just pin money. That money should mostly go to the ECF for the development of junior chess and certainly some into the coaching budget.


Andrew

Fair enough, I understand that, but do you honestly believe that Charles is trying to get that much money off people and use it to his own benefit?

And if there is a way of doing things, could you please enlighten me on how your approach to this whole thing would be? (I'm not trying to offend you or say you are incapable of doing it or anything, I just don't understand some of what is being said and therefore gives me a disadvantage)

[andrew martin]

Sorry, this has all been discussed. Like Ernie, I am getting very,very weary and disheartened.

That takes some doing.

[Nigel Wright]

Well I hope I have the same values as you when I join the Police Service (almost put Force then... ).

I'm sure many of us will miss some of your valid contributions to this forum.

[Neil Graham]

I have decided to delete my posts on this forum and will no longer contribute anything further in regards to the discredited unfit for purpose orgnaisation known as the ECF. The recent post by the ECF CEO is a clear indifcation that this forum serves no purpose unless its benign blather.

I have much better things to do with my time than try to contribute in a meaningfull way when it is clear to me its a complete waste of time. I will continue to serve my County Association with vigour and enthusiasm and the less I have to do with the ECF and what it does the better I will feel. If it went under next week I would not weap a single tear.

It is also clear to me that I have become involved with some duplicitous individuals who I was not able to see through via cyber space. No I am not referring to Charles W Wood .

Perhaps those that resigned had a point after all.

You don't contribute by spending hours on the internet making specious posts on forums (or is it fora) about meetings which you didn't attend and debating on what is basically a talking shop. Very early on I suggested if you were dissatisfied with the ECF and its President how you could go about either getting a vote of no confidence or indeed sorting out candidate(s) who were more to your liking. At the end of the day the ECF is a Federation of which Cleveland is a member - and the running and organisation of the ECF is down to the members. If the ECF is "discredited" that is a direct reflection on those who voted in the Directors and Officers including, presumably, your own county.

I am pleased that Cleveland will react with vigour and enthusiasm; it will save other counties who had to play a preliminary round in the Counties Championship at some expense the chagrin of finding out that their match was unnecessary as Cleveland defaulted their quarter-final game.

As for the Charles W Wood debate, I long ago lost the will to live (or at least read all the posts). I have two county teams to sort out for the semi-finals; venues to arrange; players to contact - real chess to organise. Like Andy Martin whilst welcoming sensible debate and information on this forum, I have found the last tranche of posts dispiriting to say the least.

[Paul Stimpson]

Personally I am not comfortable with the title of this thread.

However I do believe there are real issues with this project that need discussing.

Reading everything that has been posted on here leaves me with only one real conclusion, To me it appears the ECF have created a Hybrid solution to manage this and it is clearly not working.

The ECF are not (for reasons only known to them, using all of the assets open to it) for this project.

Charles is asking County Associations to get ready with the big 3 for this project and that they be responsible for providing the coaching and/or tuition to the Agency providers (The people running the clubs in the schools).

This seems to me to be at odds with the Manager of Coaching's remit to provide an ECF Accredited base of coaches certified to a recognised level of ability under the responsibility of the ECF.

We are in danger of having the same inconsistent level of junior coaching across the country as we have now.

The well resourced areas will flourish and the less privileged areas will wilt.

It is beyond me that someone of International recognition as a Coach and is in post at the ECF as Manager of Coaching was not consulted and onboard to deliver the requirements that we all clearly wish this project to provide.

Can someone please answer that?

[Mike Truran]

I think people are losing the will to live on this one. A masterclass in prolixity and obfuscation (and often sheer incomprehensibility).

[David Robertson]

You've lost the will to live, Mike; not hard to believe. What began as a serious thread addressing serious issues has been lost in a forest of nonsense. Moreover, a key part of my initial post concerning the involvement of commercial interests, and associated dirty tricks locally, has been censored. I chose my words carefully; reported verbatim the words spoken to me; and stand by the statements now deleted.

I've said pretty much all I intend to say on the matter. Censored or not, the truth of my statements are self-evident, if not to the ECF,then to colleagues in the MCA. I may have more to say in due course on the Atticus forum where I can better protect threads from foolish diversions. That's all from me in this thread though - unless dragged back . I have the answer to my question

David Robertson