The President is missing!

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
andrew martin

The President is missing!

Post by andrew martin » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:52 pm

In view of recent developments, I call on the ECF president Gerry Walsh to make a public statement to reassure the membership that it is ' business as usual'. This statement should include some details of why the resignations took place and what is going to be done about it.

I realise Gerry might be abroad, but this need not stop him from doing what is absolutely necessary at this time.

Failure to make an immediate statement will only reinforce the impression that the ECF is currently rudderless.

Andrew

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Charles W. Wood
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Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire

Re: The President is missing!

Post by Charles W. Wood » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:12 pm

andrew martin wrote:In view of recent developments, I call on the ECF president Gerry Walsh to make a public statement to reassure the membership that it is ' business as usual'. This statement should include some details of why the resignations took place and what is going to be done about it.

I realise Gerry might be abroad, but this need not stop him from doing what is absolutely necessary at this time.

Failure to make an immediate statement will only reinforce the impression that the ECF is currently rudderless.

Andrew
Hi Andrew

I have to agree, a statement of the process moving forward is needed. It would help to steady my rather wobbly ship of the "Chess for Schools Project", but I do believe that Martin & Claire are professional and will not try and make the situation worse (I can not comment on Peter and Mike as I have no working relationship with them). I hope that this is just a storm in a tea cup, and we can work through it.

I must say though I was really looking forward to working with Martin Regan further, I feel it a shame that the way forward debate fell down. His thinking was very much like mine, but not exactly. I believe that reassurance on this front is also needed.

So what does happen next, it says everyone resigns as of the 31st May 2008. Do we have another election?
Charles W. Wood
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Mike Gunn
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Re: The President is missing!

Post by Mike Gunn » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:22 pm

As the ECF is a company limited by guarantee the existing board members can fill the vacancies until the next AGM. That is why they have asked for volunteers on the main page of the website.

By the way, Charles, I have just read the message where you explain what you have been up to so far on the Chess for Schools project and I would like to say well done and please don't resign!

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Charles W. Wood
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Re: The President is missing!

Post by Charles W. Wood » Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:18 pm

Mike Gunn wrote:As the ECF is a company limited by guarantee the existing board members can fill the vacancies until the next AGM. That is why they have asked for volunteers on the main page of the website.

By the way, Charles, I have just read the message where you explain what you have been up to so far on the Chess for Schools project and I would like to say well done and please don't resign!
Hi Mike

Thank you for the info and the compliment. I am however a bit confused about the next step, and hope there is a plan to fill these important jobs that have been done well over this past 17-18 months, if its to be done by the existing board that will leave them over stretch in my opinion but I could well be wrong there. Andrew has pointed out a lot of Junior jobs have fallen on his desk, I offer my help in the Junior Chess world where I understand it and time permitting. I hope this helps a little.

This offer is made in good faith and in no way meant to disrespect the Directors who have stepped down.

Andrew is right in the fact the next step does need to be spelled out in a clear and factual fashion. In my job within the ECF its like walking on egg shells as I have to stay neutral as possible and represent the ECF to our sponsors as an organised clear envisioned group. Tricky but possible for a good salesman, oh thats me! :D
Charles W. Wood
Captain of Legion

John Philpott

Re: The President is missing!

Post by John Philpott » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:03 pm

I cannot currently offer any insight beyond what appears in Martin's resignation statement as to why he and the others decided to resign. I can, however, offer some clarification in my capacity as Chairman of the Governance Committee as to the implications of the situation that we find ourselves in.

1. The Articles of Association require the ECF Board to comprise not less than five and not more than nine directors.

2. Article 57 allows the Board at any time to appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing Directors, provided that the maximum number of nine is not exceeded. Any Director so appointed holds office until the conclusion of the next AGM, and is then eligible to stand for re-election.

3. It is my understanding that whereas Martin Regan is resigning with effect from 31 May, Peter Sowray, Mike Truran and Claire Summerscale all resigned with effect from last Sunday but have offered their help if required until the end of May to ensure a smooth transition. If this understanding is correct, the Board is already reduced to six members, and would barring any other developments become the minimum five on 31 May. While it could still theoretically function the lack of, in particular, a Chief Executive means that action under Article 57 needs to be taken. If the Board ever fell below five members, the powers of the remaining Directors would be restricted making additional appointments to achieve the minimum number (after which normal business could be resumed) or calling a general meeting.

4. A notice asking anybody willing to serve as a Director until the AGM to contact the Office has appeared on the homepage of the ECF website, and I believe that a number of individuals have already expressed an interest in particular posts. I have recommended to the Board that a deadline should be specified for interested parties to put their names forward so that matters can proceed in an orderly fashion. There is an urgency about the situation, but no justification for over-hasty appointments.

5. The procedure to be followed once the candidates are known is very much up to the Board: it can interview candidates if it wishes, or choose to proceed on the basis of written applications and/or prior knowledge of the individuals concerned. It can make appointments to all of the posts or can leave any individual post vacant if there is no suitable candidate, although in the latter case alternative arrangements would clearly have to be made for the functions of that DIrectorate to be performed.

6. The Board can make the appointments by a vote at a formally convened and quorate meeting, or can take decisions by unanimous written resolution.

Robert Richmond
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Re: The President is missing!

Post by Robert Richmond » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:10 pm

Ernie concocts a rather fanciful conspiracy theory about the absence of the President from the Finance Council on April 26th. The truth is rather more humdrum. The usual date for the Finance Council is the 3rd Saturday in April, the 19th this year, and this may have been the suggested date on the agenda at AGM the previous October. I asked at the AGM for April 26th since I was running the Nottingham Congress on the 19th - A Finance Council without the Finance Director would not be too sensible. My recollection, though I'm not 100% sure, is that the President indicated he couldn't make the 26th to the meeting. His absence was certainly known months in advance of the agenda being set.

Robert Richmond, ECF Finance Director

andrew martin

Re: The President is missing!

Post by andrew martin » Thu May 01, 2008 7:53 am

Despite what everyone says, you cannot have a President who goes missing in a time of crisis. That's what he's there for!

Wherever he is,he should be contacted and requested to issue a statement by other members of the board.

Without a statement, the impression will be ( is?) of a person who puts his own activities before those of the greater good, which of course is paralell to the overall situation.

I've known Gerry for years and I like him,but this is far too serious be kept waiting.

The President is losing respect the longer this goes on.

Andrew