Just been reading this

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John Reyes
Posts: 674
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:51 pm
Location: Manchester

Just been reading this

Post by John Reyes » Thu Jul 04, 2019 7:21 pm

Just been looking at the NCCU minutes on their website and it was only published after the june meeting?
(they should do the ECF one and do a draft to look at)

http://www.nccu.org.uk/wp/wp-content/up ... 11218.docx

anyway it was a interested read as I have try to help the NCCU with the same ideas over 3 years ago, but i do hope that Tim Wall has a better job. 3 points that i noticed was this
Council members were asked their opinions about the
The ECF is proposing raising the Silver membership fee from £23.50 to £27.50.

The NCCU proposal was rejected. Not the Bill O’Rourke proposal. For Bronze and Silver memberships to be combined.

ECF CEO Mike Truran rejected the idea of combining Bronze and Silver, instead saying a better goal would be for all members to eventually pay the same membership fee.

Next year, the proposal is that the Silver membership rises to £30.
but this was in the june meeting that should have been told
See April Minutes
9. Merger of Bronze and Silver levels of membership. Proposal from the NCCU.
The NCCU presented a paper setting out in detail perceived advantages of merging the
Bronze and Silver levels of membership. Principal amongst these were simplification of the
membership scheme and the opening up of ECF graded congresses to all players without any
need to upgrade their level of membership or face a pay-to-play fee. At a rate of £20 for
adults the paper calculated that the proposal would be cost neutral to the ECF.
Motion: “That the Bronze and Silver levels of membership be merged to form a
standard membership.”
Also this question
The question arises: is there a place for the Unions in the ECF anymore? Bill O’Rourke asked members of the committee for their views on the ECF’s proposed membership fee increases. (AS a AGM, there should be answers)

Brian Bainbridge argued against the raises in the membership fees, saying that the most he would support would be raises in line with inflation.

He raised the complaint that the Grading Software that the ECF had purchased was not ‘fit for purpose.’

He noted that the increases in membership fees were being sought to pay for increased costs of the ECF Academy and the International teams
. (do you have any proof as it is also for things like the running of the office etc)

and on a final note this

Tim Wall said that the NCCU should do 3 things to make its voice heard within the ECF: 1. Urge member organisations within the NCCU area to use all of their votes in ECF Council meetings; 2. Ensure that as many leagues, congresses and junior events in the NCCU area as possible are graded, to give the Northern Counties more votes collectively at ECF Council; and 3. The NCCU should argue its case consistently in ECF Council meetings.

He said there should be a clear link between services to members and membership fees, whereas currently the only real service the majority of members receive is grading.

Bill O’Rourke asked that the NCCU propose that ECF Council meetings be rotated geographically in turn between each of the ECF’s Unions, and it was agreed unanimously that he would draft this proposal, which would be put at the ECF Finance Council in April.


1) i have tried and Bill handle his votes to someone else
2) I have never seen any discussion sent out in a Lancashire Meeting
3) No comment

Also the NCCU propose that it should be rotated is laughable as it work with Birmingham and London as the 2 points, as you won't see someone from Plymouth to travel to Newcastle for a meeting or the other way round??

just wonder what people think?
Any postings on here represent my personal views only and also Dyslexia as well

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Just been reading this

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:23 pm

John Reyes wrote:
Thu Jul 04, 2019 7:21 pm

just wonder what people think?
It's cloud cuckoo land to think there's any real link between membership costs and services, until such time, if ever, that the ECF can cover its base costs of the employed office and the professional representative teams from sponsorship income or Government grants. Arguably the BCF had both (and British Championship sponsorship as well) from the mid 1970s until the 1990s.

John Reyes
Posts: 674
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:51 pm
Location: Manchester

Re: Just been reading this

Post by John Reyes » Tue Jul 09, 2019 1:22 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:23 pm
John Reyes wrote:
Thu Jul 04, 2019 7:21 pm

just wonder what people think?
It's cloud cuckoo land to think there's any real link between membership costs and services, until such time, if ever, that the ECF can cover its base costs of the employed office and the professional representative teams from sponsorship income or Government grants. Arguably the BCF had both (and British Championship sponsorship as well) from the mid 1970s until the 1990s.
I understand what you are saying, but it was the people thinking that from the NCCU, as the Membership fees cover things like events and office stuff etc.
Any postings on here represent my personal views only and also Dyslexia as well