Chess Canada - What Happened?? We'll Never Know !

I, as an ordinary CFC member, contacted Governor Kerry Liles, partly involving questions Governor Ken Craft had raised as a Governor, and which had not been answered, concerning the termination of the Chess Canada print magazine.

Go to the bottom of the following list of e-mails, and read up to the August 8 e-mail from Kerry, and you will get a full record of his dialogue with President David Lavin on my 2 questions ( since David did not answer Kerry's question whether the e-mails could be published, I am assuming information is to be shared , unless declared otherwise ):

August 4, 2008

Bob, here is the dialogue I have had with David Lavin... I think we have reached the end of the dialogue.

He has had several opportunities to answer your questions and apparently has no better answer. Sorry.

Kerry


-----Original Message-----
From: David [mailto:davidfl321@yahoo.ca]
Sent: August 3, 2008 10:17 PM
To: kerryliles@rogers.com
Subject: Re: Information request for CFC Executive


I believe I answered your question to the best of my ability.




----- Original Message ----
From: Kerry Liles <kerryliles@rogers.com>
To: David <davidfl321@yahoo.ca>
Sent: Sunday, August 3, 2008 9:52:18 PM
Subject: RE: Information request for CFC Executive


David, I had sent an earlier reply indicating that I was looking for permission to pass on your comments to the member who asked the question. I have not received any reply. I would very much like a simple yes or no on that question.

Concerning the original question(s) from the member, it seems they are simple enough. Are the answers known? I think these are legitimate questions concerning a very important aspect of the operation of the CFC.

regards,

Kerry Liles
OCA Treasurer
CFC Governor

-----Original Message-----
From: David [mailto:davidfl321@yahoo.ca]
Sent: July 30, 2008 8:31 PM
To: kerryliles@rogers.com; Chess Federation of Canada
Cc: stijn@rogers.com; lcraver@chess.ca; cmallon@chess.ca; ellennadeau@yahoo.ca; Michael Barron; Hal Bond
Subject: Re: Information request for CFC Executive


Dear Kerry:

It must be incredibly frustrating for you to face disgruntled members who have legitimate questions, and to be able to offer them very few answers. Of course, you want to reassure them but for some time the Governor's questions and concerns have also gone unanswered. I have been away from chess for some time and as I try to uncover the mysteries of the CFC. I find that one question leads to two, which leads to four, which leads to an impenetrable morass of conflicting information, curious opinions, and well-intentioned mistakes.

The most valuable resource we can all offer to the CFC is our time and goodwill. I have limited time to devote to the CFC, and have decided that I will devote all of it to the future of the organization, rather than to unravelling the mysteries of past decisions. To that end, I can say that much has been accomplished since the AGM in Montreal. If I can ask you to be patient a litte longer, I should have the business plan for the Governor's to review prior to the end of the August.

Sincere best wishes,

David Lavin


----- Original Message ----
From: Kerry Liles <kerryliles@rogers.com>
To: Chess Federation of Canada <info@chess.ca>
Cc: davidfl321@yahoo.ca; stijn@rogers.com; lcraver@chess.ca; cmallon@chess.ca; ellennadeau@yahoo.ca; Michael Barron <barron045@yahoo.com>; Hal Bond <halbond@rogers.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:39:12 AM
Subject: Information request for CFC Executive


To the Executive of the CFC:

I have received an inquiry from a CFC member in Ontario. He has the following questions and has been stymied in getting any information in any public forum and would like a response from the CFC:


1. Who authorized the discontinuance of the Chess Canada magazine and when and why?



2. Has there been a formal notice to the other party to the magazine contract (Is that TKS, Robert Hamilton, or some other party?) cancelling the magazine contract?



I would appreciate a formal reply to these legitimate questions as soon as practical.

If I have inadvertently omitted any of the Executive from this email, please forward it to them on my behalf (and please let me know who I overlooked!).

regards,

Kerry Liles
CFC Governor (Ontario)
OCA Treasurer
( start reading e-mails up from here )

Having read the e-mail from President Lavin, I have to say I am not satisfied. My 2 questions very much concern issues of importance to the CFC membership, even if they refer to events past.

I take it from David's e-mail, that he started to investigate the answers to the questions, and his inquiry got bogged down ( it would seem to me that the answers should be easy to locate - the questions are simple ). So he decided that working on the future was more important than answering a CFC member's legitimate questions about past Executive ( ?? ) decisions that affected his membership.

I guess anything that happened in the past is now closed as far as any explanations are concerned !? Convenient - but not " communication ". It seems a new regime is now in place, with the new Executive. Not sure I like its initial response to members.

Does the answer seem legitimate to you??

Bob