6. Reports (L. Long-Term Planning Committee)

[Kevin Pacey]

Vlad, I've given your committee's current strategic plan a quick read tonight, and my impression is that overall it is very good. It makes me glad that I lobbied for the idea of a long-term planning committee.

I do have a concern that some of the strategies or observations put forward in the report are, to the best of my knowledge, about matters that have been, up until now at least, outside of the CFC's control, based on the Handbook anyway. For example, the social (or perhaps at times not so social) behavior of players/clubs, which may or may not be within the scope of organizers, tournament directors, clubs or chess message board moderators to control.

At any rate, I think I can see quite a number of practical solutions to the CFC's problems being offered in your report.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

Vlad, I've given your committee's current strategic plan a quick read tonight, and my impression is that overall it is very good. It makes me glad that I lobbied for the idea of a long-term planning committee.

I do have a concern that some of the strategies or observations put forward in the report are, to the best of my knowledge, about matters that have been, up until now at least, outside of the CFC's control, based on the Handbook anyway.

Sometimes influence is more important than control. We have little control over the things that are going on in Windsor but at the same time we have a lot of influence.

For example, the social (or perhaps at times not so social) behavior of players/clubs, which may or may not be within the scope of organizers, tournament directors, clubs or chess message board moderators to control.

The key thing is to work on the culture and influence people to engage in friendlier behaviour. If you explain the reasons and the necessity then many people will go along with the program.

At any rate, I think I can see quite a number of practical solutions to the CFC's problems being offered in your report.

Then it began to dawn on us: There was no miracle moment. Although it may have looked like a single-stroke breakthrough to those peering in from the outside, it was anything but that to people experiencing the transformation from within. Rather, it was a quiet, deliberate process of figuring out what needed to be done to create the best future results and then simply taking those steps, one after the other, turn by turn of the flywheel. After pushing on that flywheel in a consistent direction over an extended period of time, they'd inevitably hit a point of breakthrough. - Jim Collins, "Good to Great".

[Gordon Ritchie]

This is a very helpful report from Vlad. Now the question is: what specific recommendations is the Committee making for implementation by the CFC?

[Vladimir Drkulec]

This is a very helpful report from Vlad. Now the question is: what specific recommendations is the Committee making for implementation by the CFC?

Oops. In the course of cutting and pasting I left out some key portions of the document.


VISION

10,000 tournament playing members in ten years. In order to accomplish this we must include more female members (closing the gender gap) and retain children who become members through adulthood and into their senior years and improve outreach to find new members.

A closer relationship with the FQE which is the Quebec federation d’echecs currently not affiliated with the CFC. We could not hope to move forward as a chess nation with 25% of Canada’s population and one third of Canada’s tournament chess players on the sidelines. The current proposed operating agreement between the CFC and FQE will take care of this issue for the time being (if ratified by the CFC governors).

Obtain sponsorships both corporate and government.

Cooperation with Chess and Math Association (CMA) in junior chess. The CMA is uniquely positioned to support the CFC in that they already have an infrastructure of programs of chess instruction and chess instructors in some key Canadian markets which is a requirement if we hope to increase the popularity of chess. They may be viewed as competitors in some CFC circles but in fact they share the same goal of popularizing chess and anyone who is not against our goals is to be encouraged.

Identify and help expand the number of local champions (organizers) to step forward for the game in all major population centers to run tournaments, found chess clubs (especially junior chess clubs) and chess teaching programs to help increase the popularity of chess.

Providing outstanding member service and improve communications with our members.

Increase visibility and enhance the image of chess and chess players.



KEY PRIORITIES DURING PLANNING PERIOD
1. Growth in numbers of tournament chessplayers and also to find ways to capture the interest of other interested groups (recreational and online players) and also stakeholders such as chess parents.
2. Development of a chess marketing mindset and developing an intentional focus on chess evangelism and education particularly in but not limited to the key demographic of children.
3. Secure corporate/government sponsorship
4. Adjust membership fees and options to optimal level so members/potential members see the value proposition.
5. Develop specific outreach programs to improve top of mind awareness rankings among the general population.
6. Support top players on world stage and ensure media coverage of chess events.
7. Regain charitable status or some equivalent.

TRACKING PROGRESS
In order to evaluate how well the CFC is achieving its goals we need to develop measures and metrics which allow us to track progress. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Items that should be measured and tracked include:
• Quantity of junior and adult players, tracked by age group and city/region. This requires the CFC to have accurate date-of-birth data and address information. They don't, right now.
• Demographics of players. This will be a requirement for many corporate sponsors.
• Chess programs in schools and clubs and number of participants.
• Opportunities for juniors and elite players to participate and compete nationally and internationally.
• Quality of junior players by rating, FIDE title and performance in national and international competition.
• Member satisfaction surveys.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

This is a very helpful report from Vlad. Now the question is: what specific recommendations is the Committee making for implementation by the CFC?

Acceptance by the governors of the CFC-FQE agreement would be a good first step.

Scrap or fix the YCC system. I am leaning toward scrapping it. The CYCC and tournaments like the OYCC are crown jewels as far as getting juniors interested in CFC sponsored chess. The YCC system which had many vehement defenders at one time seems to have fallen flat on its face and can only be described as a dismal and epic failure in its present form.

Accept the goal of 10,000 tournament playing members in ten years or change it to some more easily attainable number such as 5,000 tournament playing members in five years. Windsor's share of the larger number would be less than one hundred members based on its share of the Canadian population. I am fairly confident that we can aim for two hundred Windsor area CFC members based only on the children playing chess at present. This is based on the continued efforts of seven or eight individuals and the CFC refraining from mortally offending any of the key organizers that are left.

Shift our focus to become a more proactive force for chess education most likely with the help of partners like the CMA and local volunteers across the country.

Create a free non-playing membership class for parents of CFC members and allow them to make recommendations to the board of governors .

Create a recreational membership class (we can call it something else) for non-tournament players which costs on the order of five or at the very most ten dollars per year. They would have access to the email newsletter and possibly access to a discounted tournament membership and the opportunity to play in sections of tournaments which offered regular CFC memberships as prizes. This would be a vehicle to recruit new tournament class members and at least partially hang on to and reintegrate people who have slipped out of the chess habit.

Investigate the seemingly too good to be true chess server idea and company suggested by FIDE.

At this point in time we need to agree on the direction that we want to take this CFC bus. Once we agree to the direction we need to get the right people on the bus and head in the direction that we have decided to go. I stole the bus metaphor from Jim Collins but it seems appropriate since we need at least a bus to carry all the governors along.

[Valer Eugen Demian]

All these ideas and plans are very nice on paper/ electronic board. How exactly is CFC planning to help members like me promote chess at the grassroots? So far I have received so little help all these years, the day when things will improve even by one REAL action I will consider it "Chess National Day"...

[Vladimir Drkulec]

All these ideas and plans are very nice on paper/ electronic board. How exactly is CFC planning to help members like me promote chess at the grassroots? So far I have received so little help all these years, the day when things will improve even by one REAL action I will consider it "Chess National Day"...

How are you promoting chess at the grassroots? What do you think the CFC should be doing to help you?

From my own point of view I am not sure that I need any help from the CFC other than having the CFC refrain from doing things that undermine local efforts which I can say it hasn't done recently.

[Pierre Dénommée]

We must begin work on a new CFC Constitution that complies with the new Corporation Act. Failure to do so will result in the dissolution of the CFC.

You do not need to be an Attorney to write the Article of Incorporation of a non-profit. The first step is to determine what we want in the Constitution.

[Christopher Mallon]

Pierre that seems to be more of a short-term thing and hardly needs to be visionary.

Perhaps we can have a discussion thread set up for this under new business at the incoming meeting?

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Investigate the seemingly too good to be true chess server idea and company suggested by FIDE.

At this point in time we need to agree on the direction that we want to take this CFC bus. Once we agree to the direction we need to get the right people on the bus and head in the direction that we have decided to go. I stole the bus metaphor from Jim Collins but it seems appropriate since we need at least a bus to carry all the governors along.[/QUOTE]

Chess server - while I am skeptical about own server though it would be good things to collaborate with established ones without giving priority to any of them like ICC, Playchess, FICS, chess.com etc

At this point in time we need to agree on the direction that we want to take this CFC bus. Once we agree to the direction we need to get the right people on the bus and head in the direction that we have decided to go.

As Canadians we must use CANOE It is not only a joy to paddle but you need to carry from time to time