SCCU ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Saturday 23rd June 2007 (start 2.30 pm) at the Exmouth Arms, 1 Starcross St, London NW1
was quorate. 13 attended. Before proceedings began, the meeting stood in silence in memory of Fred Manning. (1) President's Report. Roy Heppinstall said that after five years in office he thought it was time for him to stand down. He thanked those whose support had been invaluable in his recent period of ill health, and he received a round of applause for his period of service. Readers will be aware that he has also served with distinction at ECF level.
Roy mentioned a topic which had never been far from the surface this year: the CCF issue, which is reported in our coverage of the March meeting below. It seemed no nearer to resolution. The topic was raised more for information than anything else, though limited discussion took place. Proposals, in the absence of notice, were not invited or made. (2) County Match Controller's Report. David Smith was not present but had circulated a written report of the past season. The new thing was, Kent and Herts had both expressed an interest in joining the U175. This would make 6 teams if both did, so single-round, and that is thought to be what both teams want. It was suggested they should perhaps talk to each other, because an entry from only one of them would mean double round if someone insisted, and there was a feeling someone might.
The Oxon rep said his County might at some time come into the U100. The question of central (?= London) venues came into it. (3) Junior Director's Report. Neill Cooper outlined a successful season, marred only by the fact that the U14/90 Finals were tomorrow. With hindsight we can say the Final went Sussex 9 15 Surrey
It was noted that some Junior Trophies had strayed. They had apparently been taken for engraving a few years ago and not seen since. (4) Bulletin Editor's report. You can guess what the Bulletin Editor said. He has produced a December issue, and he promised another to round off the season. This must be round about due. (5) Accounts 2006-7. Richard Quin's Accounts, not yet "audited", showed a surplus of £100 or near enough. We now had reserves of just over £3000, which was the target Richard set when he took over as Treasurer. He observed that we were dependent on Patrons and donations, but proposed no change in fees for 2007-8. This was agreed. The Executive Committee was charged with approving the Accounts when "audited".
The question of CLG status came up again. Richard said the initial cost, if we did everything ourselves, would be no more than £25. (6) Presentation of Trophies. You know who won the Trophies. But they were all there, and for once were all collected. (7) Elections and Appointment. The President and Treasurer stood down, and were succeeded respectively by Tim Thurstan and Rod Langham. No other changes, and What's New is up to date. (8) SCCU Rules. The Executive Committee proposed amendments to the General and County Match Rules. They went through pretty much as drafted. The amendments were largely tidying up, but included extensive changes to the team eligibility rules. It is now possible for the Executive to reject a team entry, or an NCM's definition of eligibility.
We have not yet updated the Rules on the site. Sorry. We'll let you know when we have. (9) NCM Reps. This election is the prerogative of NCMs. Three nominations had been received and were automatically accepted. The Reps are in What's New. (10) Sale of Equipment. You will be aware that the Union had invited sealed bids for the purchase of its sets, boards and clocks. No one had responded, perhaps because the reserve price was too high. The Executive will think further.
The AGM concluded at 5.48 pm and was followed very quickly by an
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AGMs always are. These days they are also preceded by one, but we have spared you the preparatory meeting. Even the postparatory one only does routine things. (1) BCF Representative RJ Haddrell (2) ECF Representatives T Thurstan, RJ Haddrell, Rod Langham, D Smih (3) London CA Representative M Gunn (4) Rules & Appeals Sub-Committee (subject to its members' acceptance) T Thurstan, M Gunn, RJ Haddrell, JT Melsom, JA Philpott (5) Future meetings. Autumn Executive Friday 12th October 2007 (provisionally then, but it is now firm); Spring Executive Friday 7th March 2008; AGM Saturday 21st June 2008
SCCU OPEN FIXTURES 2007-8
28.5.07
but amended 9.7.07 to reflect the late entry of Middx
David Smith davidandjanesmith@ntlworld.com, County Match Controller,
writes:
Here are the fixtures for the SCCU Open fixtures for 2007-8. Please note that although the entries are the same, the weekends are different, mainly because of changes in the 4NCL schedule which I have, as usual, avoided along with the Metropolitan Congress (6th October), Herts Congress (1st December) and Hastings (5th January).
In any case these fixtures are provisional and can be changed by agreement between the Counties concerned. But please do let both myself and the Webmaster know if any fixtures are re-arranged.
Fixtures:
Oct 13
Nov 3
Dec 8
Jan 26
Feb 23
SyK SxH EM
KSx ESy MH
SxE HK SyM
EH SySx MK
HSy KE SxM
If there are any queries please let me know asap. Best wishes to all for an enjoyable season.
SCCU TREASURER SOUGHT
You will be aware that Richard Quin, now resident in Dorset for a year and more, is not especially disposed to continue as SCCU Treasurer after this year's AGM in June. The Union urgently seeks applications for the post. For details, see Treasurer's job description. If interested, please contact the President or Secretary or the outgoing Treasurer.
SCCU SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
Friday 9th March 2007 at the Exmouth Arms, 1 Starcross St, London NW1
was called in order to ratify the decisions of the inquorate AGM (four reports down) and luckily, unlike the previous rescue attempt, was not itself inquorate. Ten, which is just the quorum, attended and the decisions were ratified.
It was also, reasonably, agreed that in the SCCU Rules the terms "British Chess Federation" and "BCF" should, wherever appropriate, be replaced by "English Chess Federation" and "ECF".
Nothing else was on the agenda. Those present, minus the 1 non-Executive attender, made a comfortable quorum for the
SCCU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
which followed. Or didn't, exactly, though it was scheduled to. For quorum reasons the evening was more of a sandwich, with the General meeting in the middle. Main Executive items: (1) Money. The Treasurer reported a satisfactory position. With just short of £3000 in the bank he thought our reserves had reached an acceptable level. Far from increasing the fees, he expected to propose discounts next year for anyone who paid promptly. (A discount exists now, but only for Non-County Members.) (2) Grading. It was noted that halfyear Rapidplay grades had been introduced, and that the ECF Board would propose, at the April Council meeting, that it be extended to Standardplay. The Grading Secretary had expressed no objection to this. But some thought it would cause problems in County leagues even if they tried to ignore it, and at least one had reservations about congresses. It was agreed nem con, and with only two abstentions, that the SCCU would oppose the introduction of halfyear Standard grades. (3) Juniors. It's a couple of years since we made a nomination for a BCET (British Chess Educational Trust) Award. The Counties just never seem to put any schools forward. There would still be time this year, but only just. Each Union is more or less guaranteed one Award, if it makes a nomination.
They do things differently elsewhere. In the NCCU we believe the Counties take it in turns to nominate, so everyone knows whose turn it is. (But we did hear they got behind, not so long ago, and claimed about five years' worth of backdated awards all at once.) (4) SCCU Equipment. Two different organisations had expressed an interest in buying our equipment. Were we interested? Yes, the Treasurer thought, and the Executive thought, and a third prospective purchaser emerged at the meeting.
The equipment is kept at Coulsdon, along with the CCF's, and we never use it. There is still 36 of everything, as far as anyone knew, plus the odd extra board. It is far from new. No one knew what it was worth, but it is costing us about £30 in insurance every year. We would invite offers, perhaps with an arrangement that the equipment should be available for SCCU use if its new owners were not using it. (5) British Championship Qualifying places 2008 and SCCU Individual Championship 2007-8. Seven congresses had applied. The Executive awarded the Union's four BCQ places to Hertfordshire, Ilford, Southend and Surrey, and the SCCU Championship to Ilford. (6) Coulsdon CF. We've not mentioned this before. But, at the start of the season, there were objections to CCF's choice of the U14/90 team names CCF Kent and CCF Surrey. There were related complaints that CCF was distributing literature which suggested it represented (various) Counties, and running a website whose name suggested strongly that CCF was responsible for all junior chess in one County. It was said that some junior CCF players had been under the impression they were playing for a County.
The question of the team names was put to a panel of senior SCCU people, who concluded that "CCF Kent" and "CCF Surrey" were acceptable names because not misleading. But they felt that CCF ought to review its literature to ensure it would not mislead, and to amend its website (which they found particularly misleading).
This was months ago. It came up again because Surrey felt CCF had still not meaningfully attended to the panel's recommendations. Surrey now put it to the Executive. The Executive endorsed the panel's conclusions, agreed that misleading website material remained, and urged CCF to attend to it.
This account is rather potted. (7) SCCU General Rules. Surrey felt that the NCM rules on eligibility were too inflexible. It should be possible for any NCM, not just the most long-standing ones, to redefine its eligibility criteria year by year and competition by competition. Equally it should be possible for the Executive to reject the criteria. Or to reject an entry, whether from an NCM or a County. The Executive agreed, and asked the Rules & Appeals Sub-Committee to draft it with a view to AGM proposals.
While it is about it, the Sub-Committee will do a general review of the Rules. It is to make a preliminary draft available to Council members. (8) CLG Status. This came up again, and the Executive felt we should do something about it. The President will make some approaches. Surrey are expecting to achieve CLG status shortly. (9) Middx Centenary. 2007 is Middx's Centenary year. They plan, among other things no doubt, a match Middx v Young England (date to be announced). Financial support from ECF is expected, and donations are invited from elsewhere.
These meetings went on till close to 10 o'clock.
rjh 10.3.07
SCCU SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
22.9.06
was called in order to ratify the decisions of the inquorate AGM (two reports down). It was inquorate. Fortunately those present were sufficient for the
SCCU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
Friday 22nd September 2006 at the Golden Lion, 2 Britannia St, London WC1
which was scheduled to follow immediately. Nine attended. (1) So what to do about it? We had to ratify the AGM decisions somehow. In the end it was decided to try again, with a brief SGM immediately before the Executive meeting 9th March 2007, and if that fails heaven help us. (2) Quorum for General Meetings. There was, oddly enough, some feeling that we ought to reduce the quorum from ten to eight. It was noted that the five County reps present could all have brought a friend, since Counties are entitled to two reps at General Meetings. Not that it's obvious they could have been expected to, for this particular meeting with an expected duration of 30 minutes or so. It seems likely to come up at the 2007 AGM if not before.
Apart from that: (3) Accounts 2005-6. It was noted that the Accounts, which the Irregular meeting adopted subject to independent review, have now been reviewed and passed muster. All that remains is to ratify the adoption. (4) U180 & U135 Jamborees 2005-6. There had been some suggestion of re-staging these in September after the abortive attempt in April. Nothing had come of it. The 2006-7 Jamborees are already arranged, provisionally at least, for 1st April 2007. (5) ECF AGM 21.10.06. The Executive discussed various things.
(a) Elections for Office. Unusually there are several contested elections, and the Executive decided who we'd support. No, we won't say just now.
(b) Game Fee: discounts for prompt payment. There is, as we've said (see ECF page 19.9.06 for some detail) a proposal that Game Fee be treated in the same way as Regional Membership fees. The proposal is made jointly by SCCU, WECU and the London League. The Executive decided to support it.
(c) County Finals: central venue. Essex and Kent propose a rule change to the effect that the Home Director be required to use "one or more" venues, rather than being restricted to one as at present. We shall support this.
Executive meetings are getting longer again. This one nearly made 9.30 pm. We've got a long way to go to equal the good old days.
rjh 27.9.06