Chief Executive 2021

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.

Chief Executive 2021

Mike Truran
51
62%
Malcolm Pein
25
30%
None of the above
6
7%
 
Total votes: 82

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John Upham
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by John Upham » Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:50 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:28 pm
I suspect "Don't care" would be a clear winner amongst the ECF membership, even if not on this forum.
Sadly you are probably 100% correct.

What would you say were the areas of ECF governance that the so-called grass roots membership do care about?

Perhaps the answer to the last question is nothing whatsoever?
Last edited by John Upham on Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Chris Goodall
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Chris Goodall » Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:04 pm

John Upham wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:50 pm
What would say were the areas of ECF governance that the so-called grass roots membership do care about?

Perhaps the answer to the last question is nothing whatsoever?
During the anti-Andrew Paulson coup I put that question to the attendees at a random club night. Nothing whatsoever was a common theme, along with "it's all just politics isn't it" and "what happened to the bloke who was kidnapped by aliens?"

But since Malcolm has famously cited the indifference of grass roots members as an excuse to keep spending their fees on limousines for male Olympians (and the odd cheese sandwich for the women), I don't think the ECF share your sadness at this state of affairs.
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:22 pm

Chris Goodall wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:04 pm
John Upham wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:50 pm
What would say were the areas of ECF governance that the so-called grass roots membership do care about?

Perhaps the answer to the last question is nothing whatsoever?
During the anti-Andrew Paulson coup I put that question to the attendees at a random club night. Nothing whatsoever was a common theme, along with "it's all just politics isn't it" and "what happened to the bloke who was kidnapped by aliens?"

But since Malcolm has famously cited the indifference of grass roots members as an excuse to keep spending their fees on limousines for male Olympians (and the odd cheese sandwich for the women), I don't think the ECF share your sadness at this state of affairs.
And who would that be?
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Roger de Coverly
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:09 pm

Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:22 pm
And who would that be?
Surely you know who that's a reference to? If you want a hint, he defeated both Karpov and Kasparov. Not at chess but at the game of FIDE elections.

ECF Directors mostly opposed his continued presidency although Malcom joined a defeated ticket put forward by one of his sidekicks as a replacement when American sanctions or whatever other reason finally forced him to stand down.

But if the intention is to spend the family silver perhaps we would rather see it spent on subsiding venues or enhancing prizes than potentially wasted on development officers.

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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by John Upham » Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:11 pm

Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:22 pm
And who would that be?
This gentleman:


img_1567_lv.jpg
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Nick Burrows
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Nick Burrows » Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:28 pm

Clearly he was a very busy man

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Fri Sep 10, 2021 6:08 pm

Ah yes, of course.

Thing is, there's so much else to "remember" him for.
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Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

Post by John Upham » Fri Sep 10, 2021 7:20 pm

and another of KI impersonating Genghis Khan on Tonto:



img_1579_crop.jpg
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov impersonating Gengis Khan
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Chris Goodall
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Chris Goodall » Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:19 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:09 pm
But if the intention is to spend the family silver perhaps we would rather see it spent on subsiding venues or enhancing prizes than potentially wasted on development officers.
I couldn't agree more. Let's interview the candidates for the development officer positions and ask them what they would spend £12,000 a year on. Our idea is to spend it on hiring development officers, but the reason we're hiring development officers is that we mortals are incapable of spending money as effectively as the development officer candidates are. It wouldn't make sense to hire a development officer who had no more insight than us into how to spend money, would it? Therefore, whatever the development officer candidates suggest we do with £12,000 a year, it would make more sense to do that, than to hire them as development officers.
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Hok Yin Stephen Chiu
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Hok Yin Stephen Chiu » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:27 pm

Chris Goodall wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:19 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:09 pm
But if the intention is to spend the family silver perhaps we would rather see it spent on subsiding venues or enhancing prizes than potentially wasted on development officers.
I couldn't agree more. Let's interview the candidates for the development officer positions and ask them what they would spend £12,000 a year on. Our idea is to spend it on hiring development officers, but the reason we're hiring development officers is that we mortals are incapable of spending money as effectively as the development officer candidates are. It wouldn't make sense to hire a development officer who had no more insight than us into how to spend money, would it? Therefore, whatever the development officer candidates suggest we do with £12,000 a year, it would make more sense to do that, than to hire them as development officers.
I made that argument at ECF Council once.. I pointed out the supporters of having-said-position were profoundly wrong, especially in the renumeration structure, where the Officer would get a bonus for every X new members.

The Officer would in effect take credit for the time, money, and effort of local leagues, clubs, and congresses, who do the lionshare of the work for grassroots chess.
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NickFaulks
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:52 pm

Hok Yin Stephen Chiu wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:27 pm
The Officer would in effect take credit for the time, money, and effort of local leagues, clubs, and congresses, who do the lionshare of the work for grassroots chess.
I thought you made a good point.
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John Swain
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by John Swain » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:49 pm

An important issue has been raised in this CEO election:
“… the future allocation of approximately £200,000 of investments, cash and other assets that remain in the BCF.”
(Malcolm Pein’s Election Address, not referenced in Mike Truran’s Election Address).

Some BCF funds have already been transferred to the Chess Trust, whose assets already stand at an impressive three-quarters of a million pounds. Much of this came from the Richard Haddrell bequest in 2016. For details of the most recent accounts of the Chess Trust, see:
https://www.chesstrust.org.uk/wp-conten ... .08.20.pdf

The proceeds (rather than the capital) are being used largely to help to develop the talents of England’s most promising juniors. Details of this “Accelerator Programme” may be found at:
https://www.chesstrust.org.uk/accelerator-programme/

Furthermore, as the Chess Trust states on its Home Page:
“As part of its long-term strategy the Trust is making a large investment in developing young players through its Accelerator Programme. Therefore, the Trust is currently not accepting further applications for support …”

Council members need to be aware, if they are not already familiar with this issue, that if they wish to use capital from investments to support grass-roots chess, including but not limited to juniors, transferring even more BCF resources into the hands of the already well-funded Chess Trust is not the way to go.

This is an issue for the ECF Council to (re)consider, rather than simply a difference between two potential CEOs, and I am therefore pleased to read in his Election Address that Malcolm Pein is "against these funds being moved anywhere other than the ECF and I have tabled a motion for Council to consider."

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Chris Goodall
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Chris Goodall » Wed Sep 15, 2021 10:35 pm

John Swain wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:49 pm
The proceeds (rather than the capital) are being used largely to help to develop the talents of England’s most promising juniors. Details of this “Accelerator Programme” may be found at:
https://www.chesstrust.org.uk/accelerator-programme/

Furthermore, as the Chess Trust states on its Home Page:
“As part of its long-term strategy the Trust is making a large investment in developing young players through its Accelerator Programme. Therefore, the Trust is currently not accepting further applications for support …”

Council members need to be aware, if they are not already familiar with this issue, that if they wish to use capital from investments to support grass-roots chess, including but not limited to juniors, transferring even more BCF resources into the hands of the already well-funded Chess Trust is not the way to go.

This is an issue for the ECF Council to (re)consider, rather than simply a difference between two potential CEOs, and I am therefore pleased to read in his Election Address that Malcolm Pein is "against these funds being moved anywhere other than the ECF and I have tabled a motion for Council to consider."
In other words, the Chess Trust is currently doing something very useful, by delivering part of the ECF Junior Director's pyramid system (see Alex H's election address) in such a way as to comply with the terms of the various bequests, which is not something the ECF have to worry about when spending money.

However, the amount it can spend on juniors is currently limited by the size of the fund. Whereas the factor limiting the amount that the ECF can spend on "grass-roots chess" is Malcolm's tendency to spend it all on elite chess instead, and if he wins the election, Development Officers.

I'm sorry but until Development Officers are taken off the table, I am for these funds being moved anywhere other than the ECF.
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by John Reyes » Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:12 pm

John Swain wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:49 pm
An important issue has been raised in this CEO election:
“… the future allocation of approximately £200,000 of investments, cash and other assets that remain in the BCF.”
(Malcolm Pein’s Election Address, not referenced in Mike Truran’s Election Address).

Some BCF funds have already been transferred to the Chess Trust, whose assets already stand at an impressive three-quarters of a million pounds. Much of this came from the Richard Haddrell bequest in 2016. For details of the most recent accounts of the Chess Trust, see:
https://www.chesstrust.org.uk/wp-conten ... .08.20.pdf

The proceeds (rather than the capital) are being used largely to help to develop the talents of England’s most promising juniors. Details of this “Accelerator Programme” may be found at:
https://www.chesstrust.org.uk/accelerator-programme/

Furthermore, as the Chess Trust states on its Home Page:
“As part of its long-term strategy the Trust is making a large investment in developing young players through its Accelerator Programme. Therefore, the Trust is currently not accepting further applications for support …”

Council members need to be aware, if they are not already familiar with this issue, that if they wish to use capital from investments to support grass-roots chess, including but not limited to juniors, transferring even more BCF resources into the hands of the already well-funded Chess Trust is not the way to go.

This is an issue for the ECF Council to (re)consider, rather than simply a difference between two potential CEOs, and I am therefore pleased to read in his Election Address that Malcolm Pein is "against these funds being moved anywhere other than the ECF and I have tabled a motion for Council to consider."
Can i asked what would happen to the Pif funds when it is spend if development officers was picked

Also can sponsorship fund it? Or will the members have to paid for it?

Angus might know
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Roger de Coverly
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Re: Chief Executive 2021

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:21 pm

John Reyes wrote:
Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:12 pm
Can i asked what would happen to the Pif funds when it is spend if development officers was picked
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