In search of a President

[John Philpott]

Greg Breed wrote

Who in the league carries the vote? The Chairman? The Controller or the Committee?

The vote is carried by whoever the League decides to appoint as its representative ECF member. The process for doing this will vary from League to League: in some cases this may be a post elected at the League AGM, in others it may be an appointment by the Committee.

[Marcus Misson]

*The writer is in fact disenfranchised from voting, along with virtually all other ECF members

Indeed. Lots of support for CJ, Nigel and Adam from this Forum will not get them elected. They (or at least someone) will need to persuade the electorate to vote for them.

Never been clear to me who/what actually has all the votes so can someone clarify?

How many votes do members of this forum have a say over can we have a rough estimate on that one as well please?

The delegate from Cambridgeshire is intending to cast his (one)vote for CJ, GM Short, and Adam (unless he recieves clear direction from his electorate otherwise. Not very likely.)

[Adam Raoof]

Thanks Marcus! I have three votes myself (based on game fee from Golders Green) and I shall be passing my proxies to Mike Gunn from Surrey. If there is anyone who would like to vote in the forthcoming elections and can't attend I would recommend doing the same. I am also sure that there are a number of congresses who pay game fee but who don't realise that they also have a right to vote and have slipped off the voting register. If that's the case I suggest ringing the ECF Office to check your status!

[William Metcalfe]

John Turnock has consulted all the NCCU reps as to how to cast his/our votes.
As clevelands NCCU rep i have consulted the executive and as many cleveland members as possable to find there views on the contested posts.At least democracy is alive and kicking in cleveland and the NCCU something that never happened in the days that mr Gerard Walsh ran cleveland chess

[Laurie Roberts]

Carl Hibbard wrote

Never been clear to me who/what actually has all the votes so can someone clarify?

I personally exercise 3(3) votes by virtue of being an elected Officer (Chairman of the Governance Committee) and being the representative member of the Friends of Chess (classified as an other organisation) and Insurance Chess Club (classified as a League).

The disposition of voting power on the day is influenced by proxies. At last October's meeting I believe that the individual exercising the greatest voting power was John Turnock, who held a large number of proxies from organisations in the NCCU.

Under the circumstances, I suspect that there are more posts than willing volunteers so having someone in multiple roles is inevitable. Those volunteers who do so much should of course be thanked for doing so. But what happens when the organisations one represents have different views? Can you split your vote?

In John's case, it is conceivable that his chess club have a vote and say they want candidate X to be FIDE delegate; the Friends of Chess might say likewise; but as a member of the governance committee and on a personal basis, John may want candidate Y. So can you cast 2 votes for one candidate and one for another? has this ever been done?

[Chris Fewtrell]

Middlesex vote in favour of items which benefit the Middlesex clubs; also for items which benefit the SCCU where there is no conflict with the former

Chris

[Paul Buswell]

OK, here's my example; and fwiw some of my preferences run counter to what appears to be the consensus here:

As a Standard Member of ECF I have e-mailed the Standard Members' Reps to urge them how to vote. No response yet.

As an individual member of Kent County I have done the same for the County rep, who commented:
"I sought guidance at the KCCA AGM, and was instructed to vote as I thought best. I shall do so. But thank you for your remarks. They are among the few KCCA views I have heard."

I can't actually remember if I renewed my membership of the Sussex Chess Association but that body is moribund and I don't know who the ECF rep might be.

The Mid-Sussex League membership is based on clubs so I have no locus standi there and my club committee has declined to express a view. The League Secretary has indicated that they will consider matters in the light of clubs' input.

My club is an ECF Corporate Vice-President but for the aforesaid reason we will not be lobbying the Vice-Presidents' rep.

PB

[Carl Hibbard]

As an individual member of Kent County I have done the same for the County rep, who commented:

"I sought guidance at the KCCA AGM, and was instructed to vote as I thought best. I shall do so. But thank you for your remarks. They are among the few KCCA views I have heard."

That's nice then isn't it...

[Alex Holowczak]

If Mr. A. Player comes along and organises a new Congress, which is Game Fee registered, does this entitle him to a vote worth one in the ECF elections automatically, or are there other hurdles to jump through?

[Sean Hewitt]

If Mr. A. Player comes along and organises a new Congress, which is Game Fee registered, does this entitle him to a vote worth one in the ECF elections automatically, or are there other hurdles to jump through?

Essentially that's correct although he would need for his congress to apply for membership of the ECF - and the game fee payment needs to exceed the minimum amount of £52. I think

[David Sedgwick]

Under the circumstances, I suspect that there are more posts than willing volunteers so having someone in multiple roles is inevitable. Those volunteers who do so much should of course be thanked for doing so. But what happens when the organisations one represents have different views? Can you split your vote?

In John's case, it is conceivable that his chess club have a vote and say they want candidate X to be FIDE delegate; the Friends of Chess might say likewise; but as a member of the governance committee and on a personal basis, John may want candidate Y. So can you cast 2 votes for one candidate and one for another?

It's no problem at all where you hold a number of votes for different organisations; indeed it's something I've done frequently. You simply inform the tellers how you wish to cast each of your votes, or when there's a secret ballot you complete your voting cards in different ways.

At the April 2009 Council Meeting I held the votes, either as Representative Member or proxy, for five organisations. I cast four of them in support of the SCCU motion about the grading limits for the Counties Championships and I abstained with the fifth vote. That was the vote of the Chess Endgame Study Circle, in respect of which I have a standing instruction to abstain in respect of matters which only involve playing issues.

I can't recall whether an organisation which has more than one vote can split them in different ways.

John Turnock has consulted all the NCCU reps as to how to cast his/our votes.

SCCU President Mike Gunn consulted the SCCU Executive Committee as to whether or not we should nominate any or all of CJ de Mooi, Adam Raoof and Chris Majer; the consensus was to make all three nominations.

The Executive Committee will be meeting on 2nd October to decide (or confirm) how we shall be voting in the elections and also how we shall be voting on a number of other important matters on the ECF Council Agenda.