JustinHorton wrote:Ah, I am a halfwit. Please carry on without me.
ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
-
- Posts: 10357
- Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
- Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Any postings on here represent my personal views
-
- Posts: 140
- Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:07 am
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
I have been taken to task by 2 people already that in my SCCU report I glossed over the item on the Strategy Statement to the point of giving the wrong impression. On reflection, and scratching my aging grey memory cells as best I can, I shouldn't have said the Statement was approved by Council. There were a number of comments from the floor and a certain amount of disappointment from the Board that these had not been submitted sooner as the Statement had been advertised on the ECF website back in July and comments requested. The CEO repeated this request and such comments will be considered for any updating of the document and further consideration by Council. I think, though, the point remains that this will always be a document subject to frequent updating.
I'm sure the official Minutes will cover this more fully than my brief notes at the meeting did.
I'm sure the official Minutes will cover this more fully than my brief notes at the meeting did.
-
- Posts: 2393
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:44 pm
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Julie's recollection (after having scratched her ageing memory cells) is correct - at least as far as my own ageing memory cells recall.
Feedback received since the AGM suggests that there are no particular showstoppers in the strategy statement as presently drafted. We will of course reflect on points raised and amend/update as appropriate, but in the meantime will press on with the various objectives included in the strategy statement to the best of our ability.
PS Julie, I do hope that the scratching involved was purely metaphorical. If not, we may require a new NED ere long.
Feedback received since the AGM suggests that there are no particular showstoppers in the strategy statement as presently drafted. We will of course reflect on points raised and amend/update as appropriate, but in the meantime will press on with the various objectives included in the strategy statement to the best of our ability.
PS Julie, I do hope that the scratching involved was purely metaphorical. If not, we may require a new NED ere long.
-
- Posts: 2151
- Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 1:37 am
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Mike, I'll be submitting some comments shortly.Mike Truran wrote:Julie's recollection (after having scratched her ageing memory cells) is correct - at least as far as my own ageing memory cells recall.
Feedback received since the AGM suggests that there are no particular showstoppers in the strategy statement as presently drafted. We will of course reflect on points raised and amend/update as appropriate, but in the meantime will press on with the various objectives included in the strategy statement to the best of our ability.
PS Julie, I do hope that the scratching involved was purely metaphorical. If not, we may require a new NED ere long.
To be clear, though: there was a vote and Council decided to refer the Strategy Statement back to the Board.
-
- Posts: 2393
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:44 pm
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Indeed.
To be clear though: we're not going to sit on our backsides doing nothing until it does go back to Council. I repeat - no showstoppers were raised during the Council meeting or after it.
To be clear though: we're not going to sit on our backsides doing nothing until it does go back to Council. I repeat - no showstoppers were raised during the Council meeting or after it.
-
- Posts: 5249
- Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:56 pm
- Location: Croydon
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Sorry, but that's tough.Julie Denning wrote:There were a number of comments from the floor and a certain amount of disappointment from the Board that these had not been submitted sooner as the Statement had been advertised on the ECF website back in July and comments requested.
The proper place for members of Council to comment on papers submitted to Council is at meetings of Council.
-
- Posts: 2393
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:44 pm
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
I'm sorry David. That's just can't be right. Of course Council members can comment at the meeting itself - that is their right. However, common courtesy (and efficiency) suggests that if papers are issued beforehand specifically asking for comment then Council members should rouse themselves to do so. Otherwise we would have a crescendo of activity for half a day twice a year with nothing in between, rather than a regular flow of information in between Council meetings.
Moreover, if the Board has been (rightly) criticised in the past for poor communication to Council members - something we have worked hard to put right, then it behoves Council members to communicate as well when they are invited to do so.
Unless of course you see the whole process as some sort of twice-yearly formal ritual......
Moreover, if the Board has been (rightly) criticised in the past for poor communication to Council members - something we have worked hard to put right, then it behoves Council members to communicate as well when they are invited to do so.
Unless of course you see the whole process as some sort of twice-yearly formal ritual......
-
- Posts: 2151
- Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 1:37 am
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Well, sure but there is lots to consider and consult upon for Council meetings and the Board might also avail itself of comments made on previous versions of its Strategy Statement.
-
- Posts: 5249
- Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:56 pm
- Location: Croydon
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
When I was a member of Council, I considered it my duty to attend meetings twice a year, to study the papers beforehand, and to turn up to Council meetings ready to comment with as much intelligence as I possess.Mike Truran wrote:I'm sorry David. That's just can't be right. Of course Council members can comment at the meeting itself - that is their right. However, common courtesy (and efficiency) suggests that if papers are issued beforehand specifically asking for comment then Council members should rouse themselves to do so. Otherwise we would have a crescendo of activity for half a day twice a year with nothing in between, rather than a regular flow of information in between Council meetings.
Moreover, if the Board has been (rightly) criticised in the past for poor communication to Council members - something we have worked hard to put right, then it behoves Council members to communicate as well when they are invited to do so.
Unless of course you see the whole process as some sort of twice-yearly formal ritual......
That was the accepted practice for many years.
Then in the present decade, aided by the growth of the internet, Boards started to publish documents between meetings and to ask for comments by intermediate deadlines. This not only curtails the exchange of views at Council meetings but requires a continuous rather than a twice yearly commitment from Council members.
It is one of the reasons why I no longer serve.
-
- Posts: 6028
- Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
- Location: Evesham
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
This forum has that effect now good or bad.
Cheers
Carl Hibbard
Carl Hibbard
-
- Posts: 21312
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Prior to the establishment of the ECF in 2005, BCF Board meetings had something of an overlap with Council meetings, given the potential headcount of attendees at Board meetings who were there because they represented an organisation.David Sedgwick wrote: This not only curtails the exchange of views at Council meetings but requires a continuous rather than a twice yearly commitment from Council members.
It might have been possible to set up the ECF's in house forum as a virtual Council meeting. Anyone could read, but only named Representative members could post. Nothing is truly confidential at Council meetings, given that the attendees, in theory at least, have to report back to their sponsoring bodies. You could nevertheless have a section confidential to Council members and invited guests provided it was accepted it would leak.
-
- Posts: 21312
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Discussion was always continuous, the BCF held Board meetings with numbers of potential attendees in the twenties or thirties. In addition the "letters" pages of Chess, the SCCU Bulletin, the BCF's Newsflash offered other avenues for debate, if in slow motion. From the 1990s onwards, "early internet adopters" could converse on the rec.games.chess.* newsgroups or the Compuserve chess forums.Carl Hibbard wrote:This forum has that effect now good or bad.
In the Gerry Walsh era, it was possible to discuss the BCF/ECF without the BCF/ECF having much of a clue it was being discussed.
-
- Posts: 21312
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
The November issue of Chess has just arrived.
In it Malcolm Pein comments that there was
He's referring to this
Do those who attended the meeting recognise this change of policy? I'm not sure whether the expenses of International teams count as "basic administration" or "development".
It's a high risk policy to rely on future bequests and sponsorship, since if these don't materialise your planned activities go down the tubes.
In it Malcolm Pein comments that there was
.a major policy shift at the last ECF Council
He's referring to this
.basic administration costs in the future covered by membership fees. Development plans for international chess and junior chess will be supported by the capital funds and future bequests and sponsorship
Do those who attended the meeting recognise this change of policy? I'm not sure whether the expenses of International teams count as "basic administration" or "development".
It's a high risk policy to rely on future bequests and sponsorship, since if these don't materialise your planned activities go down the tubes.
-
- Posts: 2069
- Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:28 pm
- Location: Morecambe, Europe
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
Malcolm said this in the meeting and it was confirmed by David Eustace, but the proposed five year budget showed by the end year that 50% of the proposed membership fee increases were being used to support international chess. David Eustace reluctantly conceded this and promised to see if the figures could be rearranged.
-
- Posts: 2151
- Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 1:37 am
Re: ECF October 2016 – Minutes of AGM
I'd like to see the text of Malcolm's piece.
So far as I read it, the Five-year Plan has significant increases in expenditure on International chess and most of this is set to be funded from the ECF's accounts; essentially out of income from membership and game fees. I expressed concern about this at the AGM and also by email to Malcolm beforehand. See here for a chart showing actual and projected expenditure on international chess for the years 2006/7 to 2020/21.
So far as I read it, the Five-year Plan has significant increases in expenditure on International chess and most of this is set to be funded from the ECF's accounts; essentially out of income from membership and game fees. I expressed concern about this at the AGM and also by email to Malcolm beforehand. See here for a chart showing actual and projected expenditure on international chess for the years 2006/7 to 2020/21.