Sheffield & District Chess Association

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22/06/2022

S&DCA - Back on track ?? - AGM in September, Winter Season to Start at the Normal Time

 

Gen. Sec. Geoff Brown has sent out the following message:

 

Hi everyone

 

Now that we're nearing the end of the interim 'Summer' league fixtures, thoughts start to turn towards the restart of the main league season at the end of September.  There may well be disturbing news today about polio being found in the UK again, and 200,000 daily Covid cases for the first time, but life seems to be getting back to normal.  As things stand, there seems a good chance that we'll be able to get back on track for the start of the 2022/23 season.  That means that we're planning on having an Association AGM at the normal time in early September (probably sometime during the week starting Monday, 5th September) with a fixture meeting two weeks later.

 

So, clubs need to start thinking about what teams they're going to enter into the league.  I'll be sending out club information sheets at the start of August and we'll be expecting your team entries before the AGM.  It could be a bumper season as most clubs seem to have picked up new members since lockdown.

 

Being back on track means that any Rule change proposals for the AGM should be with me no later than 30th June and that date is just a week away.  Is anybody going to propose reducing the number of boards in the first division?  What about time increments?  Now's the time to get those motions in.

 

One other thing that needs to be addressed before the end of June is the question of ECF membership for those that have been playing in the interim Summer League.  Anybody playing more than three times in the league needs to have ECF membership at Bronze level or above, or else the Association will be fined by the ECF.  That fine will be passed on to the relevant clubs, so it could be worthwhile chasing your players now to avoid those fines.  I include the wording from a recent email from the ECF office about the issue.

 

"This is just a friendly reminder that ECF will be charging game fee (£18 adult, £6 junior) to leagues and clubs who send in non-members’ results for rating. We expect to be doing this in July for 2021/22 results.  However, if the player becomes a member by 30th June 2022 no game fee will be involved and the membership backdated to 1st September.  This gives you or the non-member player the chance to access the benefits of membership and to avoid game fee.

Full details and small print can be found in Sections 3 and 4 at https://www.englishchess.org.uk/pay-to-play-and-game-fee-new/.  Note that the ECF does not seek game fee for players having played three games or fewer.

If you want to check someone’s current membership this can be done via the Organisers’ Area – https://www.englishchess.org.uk/the-ecf-organisers-area/, and if the player wants to take out ECF membership online then see https://www.englishchess.org.uk/ecf-membership-rates-and-joining-details/. Note in particular that juniors can get their first year of ECF membership FREE.

Of course you can contact membership@englishchess.org.uk or ring 01424 775222 in office hours (0930-1630) with any membership queries.

Finally, we are sometimes asked to charge the individual player(s) direct.  That doesn’t work, I’m afraid; the league or club that sent in non-members’ results has the responsibility.

— Rob Willmoth, Director of Membership"

 

I have no intention of spending my own time going through the results to see which players fall into this category.  It's a job for yourselves as club secretaries or team captains.

 

One final thing: it is our intention to present the Association's trophies to the winners of the 2019/20 season at the AGM in September so I'm going to have to collect them in to get them engraved.  If you, or your club, are holding one of the trophies then can you contact me so I can make arrangement to collect it.

 

Best wishes to you all.  

 

Geoff Brown

General Secretary

Sheffield & District Chess Association