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
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