Chief Executives Report

[Adam Raoof]

I believe in doing things properly and indeed always strive to do so and to that end distance myself from what I perceive to be failings or shambolic organisation. You make the point that I did not volunteer, that is indeed true but as I said I dont get involved in things I think are badly put together.

Stockton-On-Tees is part of Cleveland Chess Association. Neither I as President or our Chairman were informed about this let alone asked to attend. I guess I must accept that my crtitical comments about the free sets programme would exclude me. Still it would have been nice to speak to the relevant schools to see if the CCA could help in any way. As a matter of interest; in those areas where sets have been delivered was the local chess association informed or asked to attend?

Now I am confused Ernie! Did you want to be asked? If you had been asked would you have refused to get involved?

Kirstie is the CfS Administrator, and is also involved in the marketing of CoM now that has launched.

[William Metcalfe]

This all seems very strange how can this project not use the local chess community.
I am NCCU rep for cleveland when we were distributing our free chess sets the first thing we did was ask and involve the local chess communities i think everybody involved in that project would comment on how smoothly everything went.
All the chess sets were delivered all the publicity was sorted out the union and counties were all on the same page and worked together.

[Adam Raoof]

BTW its interesting that the Stockton North MP Frank Cook is standing again at the general election no longer as a labour party candidate but as an independant. Read into that folks what you will.

Politicians, hey? Who would have thought it?

[Steve Henderson]

I believe in doing things properly and indeed always strive to do so and to that end distance myself from what I perceive to be failings or shambolic organisation. You make the point that I did not volunteer, that is indeed true but as I said I dont get involved in things I think are badly put together.

Stockton-On-Tees is part of Cleveland Chess Association. Neither I as President or our Chairman were informed about this let alone asked to attend. I guess I must accept that my crtitical comments about the free sets programme would exclude me. Still it would have been nice to speak to the relevant schools to see if the CCA could help in any way. As a matter of interest; in those areas where sets have been delivered was the local chess association informed or asked to attend?

Now I am confused Ernie! Did you want to be asked? If you had been asked would you have refused to get involved?

Kirstie is the CfS Administrator, and is also involved in the marketing of CoM now that has launched.

Going way back in time (many years ago when this cfs thing started) Gerry Walsh was asked if he would be the cfs co-ordinator for Cleveland Chess Association, he accepted. Remember he was on the ECF web site and in the press with Vera Baird delivering one of the 1st batches of chess sets produced by Holloid Plastics to St Peters School in the Cleveland area.

Ok, time has passed and GW is still the cfs man here in Cleveland (he has not informed the Association that he no longer wants anything to do with this position), so, I feel Cleveland Chess Association or GW should have been informed that these sets were going to be delivered. As far as I am aware neither party was informed, the 1st we hear of it was in the papers.

Don't get me wrong, it's great that sets have been delivered and I am very pleased; just feel that an email to let us know would have been nice.

Steve Henderson
CCA CEO, Chair, Secretary & webmaster (not in any particular order)

[Carl Hibbard]

With the CFS report still missing (leaving it rather late?) it now looks like the SCCU will not be supporting the project any longer, reported here:

http://www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/sccu.htm

[andrew martin]

I would like to know this: when was the last time Holloid actually made some new sets and in what quantities? I am really anxious that the ECF isn't led up the garden path even further on this one. I will reiterate that nobody would be happier then me to see the sets flowing off the production line and into the schools. Good for Holloid, good for the ECF, good for kids, good for chess.

What we absolutely don't need is further delays and smokescreens and a trickle of sets from time to time. This procedure over the last two years has driven everyone mad, including ECF Officials. Bad for everyone.

[Kirstie Lapworth]

Hi Carl,

The sets sent to Stockton had already been manufactured, packed and distribution organised before I had had any contact with Matthew Turner.

Holloid Plastics at the time had continuous production of chess pieces in place, allowing me to be able to look at scheduling more deliveries into different areas. Hense my conversations with Matthew Turner and other people.

Due to a vast upturn in customer orders at Holloid Plastics, production of chess pieces has had to take a break. Chris Majer is currently in discussions with HP and I am expecting to see a statement clarifying the current position of CFS shortly.

I hope this clarifies why the sets were sent to Stockton first.

Kirstie

[Carl Hibbard]

I hope this clarifies why the sets were sent to Stockton first.

Thanks Kirstie it does, nice to see some information on the project be it good or bad

[David Sedgwick]

Production of chess pieces [By Holloid Plastics] has had to take a break. Chris Majer is currently in discussions with HP and I am expecting to see a statement clarifying the current position of CFS shortly.

Presumably this statement will be the now traditional development on the day before the Council Meeting (ie Friday).

Kirstie, thank you very much for coming on here and explaining things. You're in no way to blame and it must be even more frustrating for you than for everyone else when the promised sets don't appear.

As Carl has reported upthread, the SCCU has taken the view that enough is enough.

[andrew martin]

If there was continuous production of sets then, how many sets currently lie in the Basingstoke warehouse waiting to be collected. ' Continuous production ' is not just one area is it ? Continuous production to me implies thousands of sets.

'Continuous production'

' Vast upturn'


With respect, this is just spin, isn't it?

[Adam Raoof]

I know that I have the benefit of hindsight in this matter, so I am trying to look at this situation from an objective point of view.

STRENGTHS
A large plastics company with a very good reputation and excellent PR is willing to manufacture chess sets, for free, and distribute them around England.

WEAKNESSES
Staff time devoted to the administration of the scheme
This distribution does not appear to cover Wales or Scotland.
The supply may be sporadic.
Volunteers required to pack boxes and store, distribute sets
More demand than supply, requiring selectivity

OPPORTUNITIES
Lots of kids are learning chess for the first time, and this (if carefully followed up) could have positive knock-on effects for junior events, chess coaching
The ECF obviously benefits from the publicity, involving local Associations, MPs, personalities
The CoM can be marketed to each school that receives sets as part of an attractive package
Volunteers become part of the team

THREATS
This is where I need help understanding the issues. I can see several;
The financial costs to the ECF
The potential embarrassment of not being able to deliver in such volume as was originally envisaged
Alienating our natural allies in the Counties by not involving them where we can in publicity and distribution

Is the situation so dire? The financial costs that have been incurred already - there is not much we can do about those. We can be a lot more prudent in future. I would not rush to judgment in this matter. With careful management this may still benefit the ECF and chess in general.

I am trying to see all aspects of this issue, and I am not making any conclusions.

[andrew martin]

A nice summary Adam. The problem is the goalposts keep changing and potential volunteers will be put off by the unreliability of some of the statements made. Wasnt there a promise to put thousands of chess sets into schools by July 2010? This has been removed from the ECF website. Nevertheless, was it not there?

By publishing such statements and then associating with them and the retraction, the reputation of the ECF is diminished. This has not happened only once. Look at the initial promises.

The positives are immense, yes BUT, the credibility of the ECF as a suitable governing body is worth infinitely more over time.

I just hope the current board make the right calls on this project. I have respect for their decisions.

In my view we have to walk away and I'm really sorry to say that.

[Carl Hibbard]

Wasn't there a promise to put thousands of chess sets into schools by July 2010? This has been removed from the ECF website. Nevertheless, was it not there?

It's still there on the Holloid site but I presume that is an oversight...

Most of the current spin has been redirected into calling it a 2009-2012 charity programme

[andrew martin]

OK, on the Holloid site it says they estimate 8000 schools will have received sets by July 2010

We'll be lucky if it is 800

[Adam Raoof]

Andrew - I see where you, and I suspect a lot of delegates to the council, are coming from. But to be precise, what does 'walk away' actually mean in practice?

If we ensure that we don't incur costs in the future on this project
If we resist the temptation to issue hyperbolic promises about delivery times and deadlines
If we deal tactfully and sensitively with our partners in Holloid over future plans

What's the potential threat to the ECF? As an institution I think we can survive this and move on. It may be that Council feels a certain level of anger towards the project, and this is understandable. It is for Council to take a view on a way to move forward. But we have delivered almost 5000 chess sets to schools. Isn't that great?