What is the ECF for?

[Roger de Coverly]

I'm probably going to regret asking this question, but what potentially dangerous bear traps are you thinking of?

I dare say David Pardoe will answer for himself ... One I may have spotted is that if a local chess club is in some shape or form an affiliate of a charity, that it might be demanded that the charity oversee its activities, give it permission to exist etc.

It might be the case that the tax and other benefits outweigh the downside, but if there is a downside, it should be identified.

Apart from some inscrutable questions on the ECF website and vague references in ECF Directors' election addresses, reports on progress towards charitable status have been non-existent.

[David Pardoe]

There are a couple of threads that have raised many questions/concerns about how the ECF can split itself into two or three fragments in order to achieve `charity status`.
We still await answers to many of these concerns and questions.
How many people have read these and feel sceptical and even bemused about the Houdini act required to convert us into this new `model`.
Why are we really doing this.....?
Presumably, if and when a formula is produced for this transformation, all the various chess bodies will be given a year or so to go through the fine detail, hold meetings and consult in detail about exactly what is proposed, what the likely/possible short and long term potential implications (and possible benefits) might be, along with any potential downsides. What potential damage and risks are there if this experiment goes wrong in various ways, and what safeguards are we putting in place to minimise any risks.. And how would these new bodies work, post transformation, given various senarios..Will there be overlap, conflict, confusion, chaos, or just business as usual, with no noticable change. Or will the wolves step in and trash the family silver.
I guess my concern here is about whether this continued break-up of British Chess into ever smaller fragments is just continuing the marginalisation of our UK chess, creating ever more layers of administration.
And who is actually likely to benefit from this process, given that many view the ECF as providing a grading service as the only really tangible benefit.
i.e., whose interests are we really serving by this...presumably three new bodies would need three sets of Officials, perhaps three head Offices, three sets of rules and procedures, three sets of Accounts, AGMs..and possibly three separate FIDE delegates etc.
Is this another can of worms....we`re diving into. Bear traps for the unwary?

[Roger de Coverly]

And who is actually likely to benefit from this process, given that many view the ECF as providing a grading service as the only really tangible benefit.

It's basically a tax avoidance measure as there are possible benefits on VAT, Inheritance tax, Gift Aid etc.

i.e., whose interests are we really serving by this...presumably three new bodies would need three sets of Officials, perhaps three head Offices, three sets of rules and procedures, three sets of Accounts, AGMs..and possibly three separate FIDE delegates etc.
Is this another can of worms....we`re diving into. Bear traps for the unwary?

You may know something not generally public as previous plans have spoken only of the exclusion of professional chess from the "charitable" ECF and thus two bodies not three. Other than what could be inferred from the questions in the "consultation", there has been no update since April as to the nature of the plans. The outline then was that everyone would be a member of two bodies regardless of what level of chess they played.

[David Pardoe]

So, its some peanuts for the `Plebs` perhaps, as they are consigned to obscurity...meanwhile others, with vested interests perhaps (even potential conflicts of interests some might wonder), position themselves in the wings to fry bigger fish?
Delegates should consider these and other matters carefully, I think.

[Jonathan Bryant]

A letter to CHESS from nearly forty years ago ...


"This is a serious letter on my part to enquire exactly who is The British Chess Federation and what is it exactly that they do for British chess generally.

My reason for asking both these questions is that as a mother of an up and coming junior ...

I was staggered to learn that the B.C.F. registration fee is only 50p. Is that really true? It hardly seems worth collecting in my opinion ...

However, I must not sound too carping. Chess has given Julian so much and I hope that he will be able to repay the game and its followers in the years to come. I just wish someone would wake the B.C.F up.

JOHANNA HODGSON"

[PeterFarr]

I was staggered to learn that the B.C.F. registration fee is only 50p. Is that really true? It hardly seems worth collecting in my opinion ...

50p in 1975 is roughly equivalent to £3.56 today. For heaven's sake nobody tell Roger.