Hok Yin Stephen Chiu wrote: ↑Wed Oct 10, 2018 12:47 am
This thread started by Roger is actually worth a lot of attention, for a number of reasons.
Intentionally ambiguous or not, the ECF appears to have published a breakdown of costs that don't appear to add up properly in their requests for more funding, and seem to lack sufficient clarity that it would be expected in academia or industry:
The paper C29.12 asks for £26,500 of additional spending. However, the ECF Silver Reps have detailed that the ECF wishes to have £49,500 of additional spending - conversations with insiders indicate that the Silver Reps are closer to the real figures.. It took me a long while, and a lot of consulting to get to the bottom of this:
- 2018-19: Bronze-£16; Silver-£23.50; Gold-£34; Platinum-£70; J Bronze/Silver £5; J Gold £17;
- 2019-20: Bronze-£18; Silver-£27; Gold-£39; Platinum-£75; J Bronze/Silver £6; J Gold £19.5;
- 2020-21: Bronze-£20; Silver-£30; Gold-£41; Platinum-£80; J Bronze/Silver £6; J Gold £20.5;
(Current rates
https://www.englishchess.org.uk/members ... hip-rates/)
(Proposed rates
https://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-cont ... -rates.pdf)
Percentage Increase over 2 years from 2018-2020: Bronze 25%; Silver 28%; Gold 20%;
At the last Financial Council meeting, delegates expressed a concern that the proposed merger of Silver/Bronze would not give value for money to Bronze members (whilst, those in favour believe it would give people more chess opportunities by reducing barriers for Bronze members to play in Congresses).
Bronze members will now be expected to pay 25% more than at present for no extra benefit (significantly more than 2.7% annual inflation), Silver members will be expected to play 28% more, and Gold, 20%. I think delegates and leagues need to ask whether members are indeed getting 25% or even 28% more value from the ECF over two year? Or perhaps, the ECF can enlighten on the following:
- £17,500 extra on International Chess (on top of last years's £63,000 seems a bit excessive)
- £10,000 extra on a Development Officer seems a bit misplaced, many of the Directors already address much of what the role seems to entail.
When ECF fees start to increase above Student Union fees, then there are serious questions to be asked. (At Warwick University, members have to pay £19 to be allowed to join a student society, and then pay £3 to join the Chess Society, somehow these addition fee charges give me the same vibe as my SU, and that does not fill me with confidence)
The ECF should be making it easier for players to play in Leagues and in Congresses, not start by raising the financial barriers.
I think every League or Congress organiser needs to pay due attention to these proposals, and work out whether it is viable for the long term future of their members and clubs.
It is worth noting that Directors come and go, and their different priorities come and go, however what doesn't change is the desire to increase membership fees; once we set setting the precedence of 20%+ increases, you may find future Boards embarking on similar white elephant ideas.
I am sure a lot of chess players/members of the ECF come from industry, engineering, or a lean thinking background; there is probably a lot of untapped talent that can help the ECF achieve its objectives without setting a precedence of dubiously justified fee increases.
If the University of Warwick Chess Society can get sponsorship, I am quite sure the more experienced, and well-known ECF can secure more sponsorship as an income source.