The annual membership numbers at May 1 are now posted on the website.
Total at May 1, 2018 = 2,284
an increase of 7% over 2017.
Details can be found here,
http://chess.ca/membership-stats
CFC memberships surge again last month.
Total at June 1, 2018 = 2,339.
CFC memberships surge again in June.
Total at July 1, 2018 = 2,380.
That's a 4.2% increase in just the last 2 months.
But, maybe just a scramble leading up to the CYCC and Canadian Open?
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little dip over the summer as many clubs are closed for the season.
We'll see.
Have a nice summer all, and Happy Canada Day.
Any theories on why membership keeps rising these days?
Halldor used to tell me that what he was concerned with most was the relatively low portion of CFC members being adults. I assume that's because kids leave chess after some short years in many cases, and a single adult membership brings in more revenue for the CFC than a junior one.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio.
Since Bob G. hasn't been back on this Board for some time, I'll post some guesses of my own on why CFC membership levels are rising, and why they fell circa 2004-2007, in case anyone else wishes to opine too.
Regarding the latter, I think it was a combination of several bad things happening, perhaps especially competition with the internet servers, widely perceived CFC rating deflation at the time, and a net downturn of the number of organizers active across the country.
CFC membership levels have been creeping upward ever since those dark days. Why? My main guesses are that the CFC rating system nowadays has no widely perceived deflation (or inflation), the number of organizers active across the land may have risen (it seems so for Toronto alone, and Sask. now has an active Association again [affiliated with the CFC]), the CFC may have done relatively little to annoy current or potential members for years now, perhaps more and more parents are getting their kids into organized chess, young Norwegian world champ Magnus Carlsen is an inspiration, Canadian players are doing well on the world stage, and people are craving over-the-board games more than before these days.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio.
Membership update.
Members at August 1 = 2,374
Members at Sept 1 = 2,381
Memberships remained somewhat flat despite the disappointment of CYCC/Canadian Open where CFC memberships were not checked or collected. Had they been we would seen another jump in the numbers.
Well, I wasn’t going to mention that here, but let me add a little context so everyone can understand the problem better. As some of you know (and a surprise to others), we do not require memberships from juniors who play in junior only events. There are 2 exceptions, the CYCC and the Canadian Junior Championship. Membership is required to play in these two national championships.
It always comes as a surprise to some parents arriving at the CYCC that membership is required or that they aren’t already members. Since they have been playing in CFC events and nobody has asked them for membership dues, they have a CFC number and rating, so I must be a member, right? Well, the answer is sometimes No.
The CYCC organizers this year did advise players that membership was required and did encourage players to buy or renew their memberships with the CFC before arriving. However, there was no follow thru to ensure that memberships were current. Thus 86 CYCC players failed to buy or renew their CFC memberships. We are disappointed.
The CFC office will be following up with the 86 to buy or renew memberships ASAP. Some have already renewed, and some will renew naturally as they enter adult tournaments in the coming weeks. Their renewal period will be adjusted to include the CYCC2018. If you know someone in this circumstance, please encourage them to buy a membership ASAP and not wait for the CFC office to come a knocking.
How many played in the Canadian Open without a membership?
Christopher Mallon
FIDE Arbiter