ECF Annual General Meeting 13 October 2012

[E Michael White]

The people with IA, FA or ECF Arbiter titles on the Board are Sean Hewitt, Alex Holowczak, Roger Edwards, Mike Gunn and me

How many of these or others elected have qualifications which might help achieve success as the small internet based SME charity that the ECF needs to become ?

I know Chris Mattos and John Philpott are qualified accountants and both have connections with charities but do any of those elected have any of the following or exposure to working with :- CISSP, ISSA5173, ISEB DPA, PCI DSS, CTIA, CISM, CRB checking, participating membership based charities and for grading expertise - information theory and the mathematics of abstract algebra plus other areas which would help the ECF attain the goals ?

The arbiters you disparage are the people who give up a significant amount of their free time to organise chess events and make them happen.

This one is often overplayed. Arbiters use some of their spare time to do what they like doing. Chess players use some of their spare time to do what they like doing.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Alex H and I are maths graduates; my maths may be rusty, but I expect I can contribute things.

Sean Hewitt's a civil servant; he'll probably have some insight into the workings of the government on these things.

[Roger de Coverly]

but do any of those elected have any of the following or exposure to working with

I know they are depleted, but would anyone care to write down the board order for the "ECF team"? They might have to borrow the Chairs of the Finance and Governance Committees and the Company Secretary to make up the numbers.

[E Michael White]

They might have to borrow the Chairs of the Finance and Governance Committees and the Company Secretary to make up the numbers.

Do you mean make up numbers in a team or numbers in ECF reports ?

[John Upham]

I know they are depleted, but would anyone care to write down the board order for the "ECF team"?

What is the relevance or point of this comment?

Are you attempting to infer a relationship between a Clarke grading and administrative ability?

[Roger de Coverly]

Do you mean make up numbers in a team or in ECF reports ?

In a team, since I'm using chess metaphors. With "new management" in charge of financial reporting, you might hope, probably wrongly, that they would carefully examine the ECF's likely income and expenditure over the period to 31st August 2013 with a view to removing the fictional elements used to secure the 70/30 vote.

[John Philpott]

Roger de Coverly wrote

I know they are depleted, but would anyone care to write down the board order for the "ECF team"? They might have to borrow the Chairs of the Finance and Governance Committees and the Company Secretary to make up the numbers.

I am not sure what this proves, but the answer is:

1. Jack Rudd 220
2. Mike Truran 189
3. Chris Mattos 179
4. Chris Majer 171
5. Sean Hewitt 164
6. John Philpott 158
7. Roger Edwards 150
8. Alex Holowczak 128
9. Mike Gunn 123
10. Phil Ehr u/g

[Roger de Coverly]

Are you attempting to infer a relationship between a Clarke grading and administrative ability?

Assuming a Clarke grading or Elo rating is an expression of chess strength, how does this board compare to some of its immediate predecessors?

[John Philpott]

Of course, the playing strength of the ECF team would be significantly strengthened if the Company Secretary was omitted in favour of the FIDE Delegate.

[John Upham]

I am not sure what this proves,

I am: nothing whatsoever. Perhaps RDdC believes that there is a correlation between grading and professional competence? Who knows and who cares.

[Roger de Coverly]

I am: nothing whatsoever. Perhaps RDdC believes that there is a correlation between grading and professional competence? Who knows and who cares.

There is a correlation between grading and chess experience. ECF Directors should be cautious about advocating changes in areas where they lack practical experience.

[Sean Hewitt]

The people with IA, FA or ECF Arbiter titles on the Board are Sean Hewitt, Alex Holowczak, Roger Edwards, Mike Gunn and me

How many of these or others elected have qualifications which might help achieve success as the small internet based SME charity that the ECF needs to become ?

I know Chris Mattos and John Philpott are qualified accountants and both have connections with charities but do any of those elected have any of the following or exposure to working with :- CISSP, ISSA5173, ISEB DPA, PCI DSS, CTIA, CISM, CRB checking, participating membership based charities and for grading expertise - information theory and the mathematics of abstract algebra plus other areas which would help the ECF attain the goals ?

My degree was in statistics. During my career I set up and was a Director of easyCar, followed by a spell as a Director at Virgin Cars. Having retired, I started playing chess (having not played since I was at school). After 3 years I was then persuaded to go to work for The Football Association in the Midlands. I implemented CRB checking for football referees in the area. After moving north, I left my FA role and moved into the civil service (for my sins).

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm a chess organiser first and foremost. I enjoy it, and I think I'm reasonably good at it. I am a qualified arbiter, but primarily so that I can arbit at my own events. That said, I was fortunate enough to be asked to arbit at the European Individual Championships last year, and the ACP nominated me to arbit at the Olympiad this year.

As non-exec, I see my role as trying to ensure the board fulfils it's obligations whilst offering some of my business experience where I can. It's interesting that of the 8 council members who preferred no one in that role rather than me, most were in the Roger Edwards / Alex McFarlane camp. That's not a surprise given my proposal of the 'toothless tiger' motion but what did surprise me is that the other dissenter was the newly elected Gold member rep. Given that e2e4 events are nearly all FIDE rated (so mainly Gold members playing) and seem to be well received by the players I was surprised by that vote. To the best of my knowledge, I've never met nor corresponded with the chap. Can anybody who was at the AGM shed any insight on his reasoning?

[Sean Hewitt]

...bearing in mind the treatment dissed out to other candidates who did put out statements of `opinion`, which were then contrued as `policy` and castigated as unacceptable by the muppitts running the ECF circus.

OMG. Mena mena

[Ian Jamieson]

That's not a surprise given my proposal of the 'toothless tiger' motion but what did surprise me is that the other dissenter was the newly elected Gold member rep. Given that e2e4 events are nearly all FIDE rated (so mainly Gold members playing) and seem to be well received by the players I was surprised by that vote. To the best of my knowledge, I've never met nor corresponded with the chap. Can anybody who was at the AGM shed any insight on his reasoning?

I wasn't at the AGM and have no idea of his reasoning but Bill Armstrong plays for the same club as Roger Edwards and I think he was one of those who "proposed" him as President. (I can't remember in what capacity.)

[Krishna Shiatis]

I agree that the ECF treatment of Adam seems very strange...

What is the point of people putting out there honestly held views, if the ECF are going to treat them with such contempt. All officers are entitled to there views...that does not make them magically become `POLICIES`....

Now to the key point... Adam is not an unknown quantity, he has a track record for organising significant number of chess events, which have been successful, as far as I know, and have contributed significantly to ECF chess. He`s also made significant numbers of contacts with those in our chess circles, so he is not exactly an unknown quantity. He`s also made key contacts in chess circles.

So the key question is...can he do the job of Marketing Director with reasonable confidence.

I`d have said there looks to be a fair chance that he`d make a good fist of it.... But the meeting decided they`d rather have nobody...?? Very bazzaar...unless Adam has really got the backs up for some reason and made himself `outcast`....

I agree with David. I am not sure why Adam was treated this way. I do not know much about the factions within, nor about what happened on the day - but it does seem unfair - maybe I am not in possession of all the facts here.

I think that Adam has contacts and would have been a good Marketing Director and he was volunteering for the job. Nobody knows for sure how exactly he would have fared - one can only judge him on his achievements thus far. It is not as if we do not need him.

Was there a reason why Adam did not put out his manifesto?

One thing to come out of this meeting is the need to find peace within the ECF itself. There does appear to be a serious rift with two main factions.