Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Based on what people were saying to me at Glasgow there remains a serious lack of info. as to what the CS plans are for the National events for team & individual events.

We all have seen that CS has voted to 'ask' the SJC to run the Primary School Team events but we still do not see any CS event advertised - it remains solely an SJC event. What are the financial agreements - is CS making a contribution to the cost of the SJC event or is it receiving a share of the profits?

Will the trophy's be SJC, CS , SJC/CS or CS/SJC trophies?

Is the agreement for this year, or for longer? If a new team of CS directors is voted in are they committed to the arrangement or is it possible for other organisers to submit proposals for running the events?

As CS members we - myself, my sons and our team members, have a right of some explanation of our directors plans & actions. We assume after all that CS directors are acting in the interest of the CS membership.

Both Lynsey and myself have asked reasonable questions and have almost completely been ignored.

It seems fairly foolish to ask people to blindly 'pull together' etc etc when little or no effort has been made to communicate to the very organisers you are hoping to do the pulling.

Donald Wilson · Queen Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 143

Above the door of the Abbot's House, one of Dunfermline's main tourist attractions, the following lines are inscribed (and I hope Fifers will forgive any misspellings - I'm reproducing this from memory):

Sen vord is thrall and thocht is fre,
Keip veill thy tonge I coinsel the

(Since word is thrall [meaning "slave"] and thought is free,
Keep well thy tongue I counsel thee)

The lines were written by King James I about the year 1400, but I think the advice they contain is just as valid today. And in keeping with this royal advice, the directors of Chess Scotland are going to try to avoid getting involved in arguments and hypothetical discussions on the notice board.

That doesn't mean the directors won't answer questions that are put to them by email, by letter or in person - but it does mean that they won't respond to anyone who, like an Old Testament prophet, declaims his demands to the heavens.

So, if anybody has a question to ask of (say) Jacqui or Andy about (for example) Primary Team tournaments, all the enquirer has to do is send a simple email to the relevant director, and a reply will be forthcoming. As it happens, the answers to most of Mike Scott's questions will be contained in the minutes of last week's CS Management Board meeting. Publication of these minutes has, unfortunately, been delayed because both the minute-taker and the Executive Director were heavily involved in the Glasgow Congress at the weekend.

In a perfect world, every decision of a director or of the Management Board would be communicated at once to all the people who need to be aware of that decision - but imperfection is the reality of life in an organisation run by unpaid volunteers.

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

I can not argue with you on that Donald.

Let me be clear though that my main concern was with the lack of any official public information on what was being planned or scheduled; even a simple statement early on in the seson, indicating what the time table was for the decisions to be made would have been useful. The lack of such information leaves a vacuum that was being filled by rumour and speculation and that is never a good thing.

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Writing as the chair of SJC.

SJC have been asked by CS to run the only Primary team event for season 2008-09.
It took some time for SJC to discuss the offer from Chess Scotland.

SJC have decided to formally accept the offer from CS.
No fee will be paid to SJC for running a primary team tournament.
If the event makes a loss SJC will underwrite the whole of that loss which for the CS event in season 2007-08 was in the region of £200.
This is a one year agreement only. That is to say I personally consider it wrong to reach a decision which binds the CS directors elected at the 2009 agm whoever they might be.

After the 2009 final CS will take ownership again of a revised and expanded event. An event that should run at a profit in season 2009-10.

It is the SJC target to have a qualified arbiter present and in charge at all qualifying heats.

Phil Thomas
Chair of SJC