Chess for Schools

[Neil Graham]

This thread is opened to continue the debate that has taken over the thread relating to the ECF CEO's resignation.

May I suggest that the protagonists discuss the above topic here??

[Ian Kingston]

This is in response to Charles Woods' answer to my question in the Resignation Rumours thread (http://forum.bcfservices.org.uk/viewtop ... 2389#p2389):

Good question, this is where the project becomes interesting, how do you coach hundreds of schools with a hand full of coaching staff. This will be covered at the next board meeting first then once approved it will be filtered through. Sorry to be running around the houses a little but the out going CEO bought up a lot of issues that need to be taken into consideration about the origanal plans.

We don't need specifics at this stage, just a general outline. Those on the ground will need time to plan and prepare. Even the simplest, sketchiest idea of what's expected will help. Without it, people will make other plans and simply won't be able to take on any additional tasks.

[andrew martin]

I'm sure there is a world record for the largest number of mis-spellings in a post; if so,it may well be getting close to being broken.

[Charles W. Wood]

This is in response to Charles Woods' answer to my question in the Resignation Rumours thread (http://forum.bcfservices.org.uk/viewtop ... 2389#p2389):

Good question, this is where the project becomes interesting, how do you coach hundreds of schools with a hand full of coaching staff. This will be covered at the next board meeting first then once approved it will be filtered through. Sorry to be running around the houses a little but the out going CEO bought up a lot of issues that need to be taken into consideration about the origanal plans.

We don't need specifics at this stage, just a general outline. Those on the ground will need time to plan and prepare. Even the simplest, sketchiest idea of what's expected will help. Without it, people will make other plans and simply won't be able to take on any additional tasks.

Hi Ian

An outline has been given in rough to every county in the ECF, that representative has been charged with organising things at that counties level. More will follow, I have an idea how things will work but my bosses have to clear it. Martin Regan once pointed out that I can not presume this project is mine, it is for the benefit of chess at every level. So as that procedure is made so you will see it on the web site and it will be posted to your counties rep.

I know how I'd like to do it, but thats not the best thing for the ECF. No one elected me. So the bosses get to say yes or no. All I can say at the moment is it will be a balanced workable structure that should need little (or as little as possible) support from each area. I.E.: It should be able to stand up on its own should a county decide not to take advantage of the Chess for Schools project.

[Charles W. Wood]

The Renaissance Academy is a company limited by guarentee ( A ltd company) Charles how many Directors do you have? You mentioned a board meeting so I was wondering how big the Company is.

Something I am curious about, and before anyone says I am anti junior I am absolutely not having run a junior chess club in my area.

In our area we have something called the Chess Links project run by an ex County Standard player. This project for local schools has been running for a number of years and seems to be well liked. No one knows where the funding comes from but that does not matter. The point I am making is that we have very few juniors, less than 5, playing in the CCA league and not all of these are part of the project. I know that many dozens of children are playing in the project but the local clubs are not reaping the benefit. Maybe thats the fault of our clubs because a number are not junior friendly(yet)

The most successful junior club in the CCA history was run for years by my friend now deceased who gave freely of his time and never had any money to do anything with the kids; the kids however learnt a lot and around 8 are now playing as adults in the local league. Dedication, time and a love for the game without any thoughts of reward are all that is needed.

I noticed that the Rennaissance Academy was set up on 18th February 2008 as a limited company.

Charles is there a good reason why what is apparently a Chess club for juniors needs to be a registered limited company? Just curious I expect theres a very good reason for it.


BTW Theres a school named on the ECF webb site so whats the problem in identifying others? Transparancy is the key to calming the nerves!

The Renaissance Academy has three directors. All hand picked for their areas of skill, four more will be added soon I hope. Fingers crossed.

As for the limited company question, the answer is simple and obvious. Funding.

[Charles W. Wood]

I'm sure there is a world record for the largest number of mis-spellings in a post; if so,it may well be getting close to being broken.

I'd win.

[Charles W. Wood]

Whatever your current level of Involvement in chess, being part of ‘Chess For Schools' will help you raise your game with less personal input. Remember all participating schools receive 10 free chess sets.

Charles the above is on the chess for schools webb site. Does any school get the 10 sets upon request even if they dont take part in the Chess for schools project? I have contacts in several local schools and it would be really helpfull to know if the offer of the 10 sets is unconditional.

Thanks.

Beig part of the "Chess for Schols" project is two fold. 1. requesting sets 2. agreeing to use them.

Thats it.

[Charles W. Wood]

The Renaissance Academy and Chess for Schools are two totally different projects.

The Renaissance Academy does work with local juniors and runs 6 events a year and owns 70 boards sets and clocks etc. Its aim is to bring chess to those who would never see chess. E.G.: Bradford City Centre Project's hostel for 16 to 25's is a place we have developed many new players.

Some of the pilts have been put through the Academy just to be able to offer advice.

Funding like Social Services, Yorkshire Forward, Bradford Trident etc, with the Renaissance Academy having Ltd at the end of its name enables us to ensure ring fenced monies are easy to show on tax balanced balance sheets and the best bit is we get all the help we need putting in place all the policies needed to be able to work with schools, all for free.

The Chess for Schools project is run by Holloid and the ECF. I'm just a manager.

[Ian Kingston]

An outline has been given in rough to every county in the ECF, that representative has been charged with organising things at that counties level. More will follow, I have an idea how things will work but my bosses have to clear it. Martin Regan once pointed out that I can not presume this project is mine, it is for the benefit of chess at every level. So as that procedure is made so you will see it on the web site and it will be posted to your counties rep.

Who is the Nottinghamshire representative? I keep my ear pretty close to the ground, but I haven't picked up that particular piece of information.

I understand what a complex project this is (or I think I do - it's probably even bigger than most of us imagine). The more you can tell the chess community, the easier it will be for us to help.

[Charles W. Wood]

The Renaissance Academy and Chess for Schools are two totally different projects.

The Renaissance Academy does work with local juniors and runs 6 events a year and owns 70 boards sets and clocks etc. Its aim is to bring chess to those who would never see chess. E.G.: Bradford City Centre Project's hostel for 16 to 25's is a place we have developed many new players.

Some of the pilts have been put through the Academy just to be able to offer advice.

Funding like Social Services, Yorkshire Forward, Bradford Trident etc, with the Renaissance Academy having Ltd at the end of its name enables us to ensure ring fenced monies are easy to show on tax balanced balance sheets and the best bit is we get all the help we need putting in place all the policies needed to be able to work with schools, all for free.

The Chess for Schools project is run by Holloid and the ECF. I'm just a manager.

Thank you Charles. Please answer the question I asked last time.

Also. Who is your boss - Holloid plastics. You must forgive me for seemingly being a little slow on the uptake its my age its dulled the senses. If you are the manager when were you appointed by the ECF? I am sure the info is available but its late and it would be good if you could help me out with this one.

If the ECF appointed you then they have been very negligent in not making sure you have the resources to help you progress at the pace you would like.

Its as I said, schools get the chess sets as long as they are going to be used. Any school that asks for the sets IS part of the project. Regardless. The project is a good will exercise.

My Boss is the Board of the ECF. Regardless of who they are. Don't worry about slow, its a good question. As for appointed, thats interesting, I suggested a set of simple but hard working plans and walked away on the 17th December as the Project Leader (you know that moment when you think to yourself, "Did I just Volunteer?". But for fact of title it was some point in March or Feb.

As for resourses, I've had to make them as I go along. Think Challenge Anika, then your on the right lines. Even that is now in the pipeline. The ECF have done nothing wrong as far as that point is concerned.

[Nigel Wright]

An outline has been given in rough to every county in the ECF, that representative has been charged with organising things at that counties level. More will follow, I have an idea how things will work but my bosses have to clear it. Martin Regan once pointed out that I can not presume this project is mine, it is for the benefit of chess at every level. So as that procedure is made so you will see it on the web site and it will be posted to your counties rep.

Who is the Nottinghamshire representative? I keep my ear pretty close to the ground, but I haven't picked up that particular piece of information.

I understand what a complex project this is (or I think I do - it's probably even bigger than most of us imagine). The more you can tell the chess community, the easier it will be for us to help.

Yeah, I don't know who the Notts rep is either OR the Derbyshire rep - it would be nice to know so that we can contact them and make a positive contribution to this project, other than sitting at home typing a few words onto a website.

[Matthew Turner]

Until now I have avoided posting any comments on this topic, mainly because I have found some of the comments personal attacks which are offensive, but I feel there is an underlying problem here which runs runs through the whole of British chess. The ECF is an amateur organisation, but professionals operate at it's perifery. Let me give you an example, the Junior Director is responsible for sending 48 people to Vietnam this year. One can complete are the risk assessments you like but this will still be a 'risky' endeavour (a player has died on an ECF trip before, albeit a long time ago). A professional would (in my opinion) be crazy to do the huge amount of unpaid work as the Junior Director when their whole career and livelihood was at risk if something went wrong.
The Chess for Schools project requires a huge amount of work and it is natural that whoever undertakes it would wish, and should, receive remuneration. However, given the ECF remains amateur the only way to receive this remuneration is in an 'underhand' way, marketting their own product alongside the free chess sets. In principle I don't have a problem with this, except the whole thing lacks transparency. I believe the ECF needs to pay whoever delivers the Chess for Schools project an appropriate fee (some people might do it it £20,000 - I wouldn't), they would then be able to supply the best possible coaching materials and coaching and not just 'theirs'. Unfortunately, going on past experience, I have little hope of this happening.

[Simon Spivack]

I'm sure there is a world record for the largest number of mis-spellings in a post; if so,it may well be getting close to being broken.

Perhaps, and I am almost too embarrassed to suggest as much, this is a North Country thing.

See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... assed.html

or equivalently: http://tinyurl.com/6ywpf9

There is no excuse for poor spelling on these forums; there are facilities available. Nor do I accept that poor vision is an excuse.

Some of the slovenly writing I have seen indicates that very little thought has been given to what has been written, which shows a lack of respect for others. Indeed there was one post in which I wasn't certain whether the noun intended was "fermentation" or "defamation", neither making much sense: for the writer had evidently never heard of the Wladyslaw Dehring case (mentioned in Robert Jay Lifton's book "The Nazi Doctors"), which showed it was possible to *technically* lose a case when the account was substantially correct; nor, possibly contemptuously, expected civil servants or lawyers to have taken account of Will Blake's "The truth that's told with ill intent beats all the lies you can invent".

If a prospective sponsor were to peruse these forums he might well be appalled.


Simon Spivack

[IM Jack Rudd]

I have deleted the old joke and the posts discussing it. Can we please not spam important topics with this sort of thing in future?