ECF Elections 2015

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
benedgell
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by benedgell » Thu Oct 15, 2015 10:28 am

A huge number of vote- holders appointing proxies for this one. Almost all of the congresses and not far short of half the leagues/ county associations. I wonder how many people are actually going to be at the meeting?

Roger de Coverly
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Oct 15, 2015 10:37 am

benedgell wrote:A huge number of vote- holders appointing proxies for this one.
The Pearce report gives the current Council structure a clean bill of health, but says that organisations should both ensure that someone attends on their behalf and that person consults locally. Ironic then if such a report should be passed by absent proxy givers.

Andrew Zigmond
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:39 pm

I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence. To be entirely fair the outcome of the EBU court case is today's headline news but even so.

So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
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Carl Hibbard
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Carl Hibbard » Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:52 pm

Andrew Zigmond wrote:I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence. To be entirely fair the outcome of the EBU court case is today's headline news but even so.

So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
Did I miss something again?
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LawrenceCooper
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:57 pm

Andrew Zigmond wrote:I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence. To be entirely fair the outcome of the EBU court case is today's headline news but even so.

So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
He's hit the nail on the head. Whilst the elections may go some way to achieving your first step I regret to say that it will need "None of the Above" to spring a surprise victory to totally eradicate it.

LawrenceCooper
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:57 pm

Carl Hibbard wrote:
Andrew Zigmond wrote:I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence. To be entirely fair the outcome of the EBU court case is today's headline news but even so.

So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
Did I miss something again?
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/Forum/vi ... &start=100

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Carl Hibbard
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Carl Hibbard » Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:02 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Carl Hibbard wrote:
Andrew Zigmond wrote:I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence. To be entirely fair the outcome of the EBU court case is today's headline news but even so.

So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
Did I miss something again?
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/Forum/vi ... &start=100
I see.
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

Andrew Zigmond
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:21 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Andrew Zigmond wrote:I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence. To be entirely fair the outcome of the EBU court case is today's headline news but even so.

So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
He's hit the nail on the head. Whilst the elections may go some way to achieving your first step I regret to say that it will need "None of the Above" to spring a surprise victory to totally eradicate it.
At the same time the truth of the matter has been an open secret for some time. It could be close.
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IanCalvert
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by IanCalvert » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:10 pm

Andrew Zigmond wrote:
At the same time the truth of the matter has been an open secret for some time. It could be close.
In the hope of good governance, I hope the truth is whole and unembellished and open to all with voting power on Saturday but do not believe it!

I feel some form of OMOV combined with an ECF strategy would be long overdue good things : see also "1066 & All That" .

An important irony is that this horrendous PR has apparently arisen partly because of Bob Kane's concerns about the effect of technical problems of Championship internet broadcasts on sponsorship.

I suspect most UK sponsors would be repelled by the senior management farce of the last few months.

CONFLICT NOTICE: Bob Kane is a fellow Middlesex U180 player.

Neville Belinfante
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Neville Belinfante » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:43 pm

Yesterday, Alex McFarlane wrote:The ECF has no Manager of ITC. It would be hoped that such a person would have been able to prevent or cure the commentary problems that existed at the British.

Such a person if they had existed would have reported to Bob Kane.
...
Since when does the vacant post of Manager of ICT report to the Commercial Director. According to http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... g-2014.pdf he or she is appointed by the board and reports to the Chief Executive

Andrew Zigmond
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:49 pm

Obviously I have a conflict of interest as well as a member of Alex's team within the Home Directorate. I should also add that it was Ian Calvert who named a specific individual.

I've noted at the other place that the rashomon effect may be a factor here. I have also tried to judge people as ECF officials rather than people; aside from Alex and a nodding acquaintance with Dave Thomas I don't know any of the board and key players personally.

Regarding the technical problems at the British I'm sure Alex appreciates those same concerns and knows that if re-elected the same thing cannot be allowed to happen at Bournemouth. The infamous email exchange (of which nothing is known except two words) wasn't so much about those concerns but more about how they were expressed.

It does seem that, at best, the Commercial Director (and we should note that the role is a new one so we have no comparison point) has come onto the board with an agenda and sought to impose his will on other directors without making any attempt to build the working relationship. The result from the point of view of the directors affected is a loss of job satisfaction, morale and a sense that they are being undermined and driven out of something they once enjoyed doing. I can speak from experience here as this has happened to me twice in recent years - once professionally and once in voluntary chess circles and it is not a pleasant situation to be in. Furthermore when the resentment does spill over into conflict the other director does, unfortunately, have to justify why their new approach was better.
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John Philpott

Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by John Philpott » Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:06 pm

Ben Edgell wrote
A huge number of vote- holders appointing proxies for this one. Almost all of the congresses and not far short of half the leagues/ county associations. I wonder how many people are actually going to be at the meeting?
Andrew Walker has today produced his workbook from which the voting cards for Saturday will be generated. I am running a final check of my totals against Andrew's before publishing the next version of the voting register.

Even after taking the many proxies into account, there are still 55 individuals able to cast votes at the AGM, although there can of course be no guarantee that each and every one of them will turn up. My educated guess would be that there will in practice be between 40 and 45 present with votes, plus 8 or 9 in attendance (e.g. the members of the Pearce Commission and the Minutes Secretary) without votes.

Roger Lancaster
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Roger Lancaster » Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:50 pm

On another thread, someone whom I take to be a supporter of Phil Ehr argues that his CEO position entitles him to act as "imperator" rather than "primus inter pares". If one accepts that hypothesis, then the question of bullying - by the CEO, at any rate - doesn't arise as he has been granted absolute power. I'm prepared to accept that the hypothesis is intellectually tenable but I find it very hard to believe that, when Phil Ehr was elected, the electorate intended to confer absolute power.

David Robertson

Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by David Robertson » Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:52 pm

Andrew Zigmond wrote:I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence....So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
Be careful what you say, lest you sound a fool. Stewart Reuben has questions to answer too. He may not think it. But I do. There are no naive actors here. But some are fools.

Andrew Zigmond
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Re: ECF Elections 2015

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:58 pm

David Robertson wrote:
Andrew Zigmond wrote:I think most of us will have seen the post Stewart Reuben made in the other place on the `Women's Chess Development Fund` thread (which effectively became the Home Director election thread). This post was made in the early hours of the morning and suddenly there is silence....So the cat is now out of the bag. This is not primarily a contest about policy. If it were that debate could be heard. It is about standing up to bullies and those who would make their case with smears and intimidation. Removing such people from a position of influence within the ECF must be the first step.
Be careful what you say, lest you sound a fool. Stewart Reuben has questions to answer too. He may not think it. But I do. There are no naive actors here. But some are fools.
In good faith - I am well aware that Stewart Reuben has his critics. On other hand he must be qualified to know what `wounding`, justified or unjustified (to use his words) is. My post was more a comment on the lack of response from various individuals quick to put the `arbiter-controller nexus` down.
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