Grassroots' Campaign - Motion Replacing Tournament Playing Fee

[Bob Armstrong]

The Grassroots' Campaign, a CFC members/governors group of about 15 members, intends to file the following motion in September with the CFC Secretary, to go into GL # 2:

Motion on CFC Fees

- submitted on behalf of the Grassroots’ Campaign, a group of about 15 CFC members and former members ( named in the notes below ); filed by the mover, Governor Bob Armstrong, and the seconder, Governor Gary Gladstone; “ commentary “ by Bob Armstrong, Grassroots’ Campaign Coordinator, CFC Life Member & CFC Governor .


Motion : Moved: Bob Armstrong; Seconded: Gary Gladstone

First-Time CFC Member Introductory Discount –

Section 375 ( Tournament Playing Fee ) of Section 3 ( Motions Applicable to No Other Section ) of the CFC Handbook is deleted. Substituted for it is:

“ 375. An annual membership discount of 40% will be given for first time CFC members ( CFC will publish a rounded off figure for the convenience of organizers ). “


Commentary:

The current CFC Handbook section 375 states that there is a tournament playing fee ( TPF ) ( adult - $20; Junior -$ 10 ), that can be used in registering for CFC-rated tournaments, as an alternative to membership.
We propose to eliminate this alternative to membership, and substitute for it a first-time CFC member discount, that will both encourage new players to enter tournaments, and at the same time, make them CFC members.

Chess players must support their national organization by membership and annual membership fee, if they want it to exist. CFC must have sustainable revenue. There is no reason for two classes of players, each paying different amounts to support the CFC ( annual member pays $ 36; tournament fee player pays: adult - $ 20; junior - $ 10 ). When tournament memberships were introduced, they were meant as a one-time only thing to encourage first timers to play tournament chess – they were not meant to become a continuous use alternative to membership. It is sometimes now being used by players twice per year, instead of taking out a membership – an adult can play twice and pay $ 40 TPF, whereas the membership in Ontario would be $ 43. But from another point of view, one could say our discount approach is better financially for the TPF player than the current TPF:

1. For the TPF player who plays only 1 tournament per year: An adult now pays $ 20. Under our proposal, it is true he has to pay a bit more – approx. $ 26. But with our method, he becomes a member – he will get the Chess Canada Electronic Newsletter ! And he gets the right to play in an “ unlimited “ number of tournaments at no extra cost. In the second year, however, he will have to become a full member ( $ 43 ).
2. For the TRF player who plays 2 tournaments per year: he pays $ 40. Under our proposal, he will pay just $ 26, and get the right to play in “ unlimited “ number of tournaments. In the second year, however, he will have to become a full member ( Ont. - $ 43 ).

The figures set out below ( modified ) are from the 1st half 2008-9 financial statements in the 2008/9 GL 3:

Analysis of Membership fees

1st half 2009 Year 2008

Annual membership fees collected $ 21,060 $ 44,942
Tournament Playing ( = " tournament membership " ) fees collected $ 1,320 $ 2,987
TOTAL $ 22.380 $ 47,929

It shows that in 2007-8, the tournament memberships formed 6.2% of the total collected. In the 1st half 2008-9, they formed 5.9% of the total. Since then the TPF has been doubled. But the issue remains virtually the same. These figures show that the elimination of tournament memberships affects a very small portion of CFC's income. Some organizers have argued that over 2/3 of TPF players will quit tournament chess forever if we substitute our first-time discount for the TPF. We do not believe this. However, we do not want to lose the tournament membership players. This is the reason for the discount. But there is an issue of fairness between TPF players and annual membership players. All play in the tournament, and all should equally support the national organization. This is why the Grassroots' Campaign is supporting a substitution for the tournament playing fee.

The above numbers show that the chess world will not cave in if tournament membership fees are eliminated. It will be too bad to lose any players, but the financial effect on the CFC will be minimal. And in future, all will be members of the CFC!

Organizers have advised that the full annual CFC membership is a hindrance to getting first time tournament players to sign up for tournaments ( this will be especially so when tournament memberships have been eliminated ); so the 40% reduction for first-time CFC’ers attempts to ameliorate this difficulty. Even with the discount, the CFC will be collecting more than it did on tournament membership. Also, this replaces the tournament membership, which originally when introduced was meant to be a one-time only option.

Community input has asked for numbers of special case exemptions/partial exemptions for annual memberships ( e.g. Quebec ). This motion makes clear that tournament memberships must go, but this issue can be fine-tuned at the time of implementation if special cases re annual memberships seem warranted, in addition to the first-time discount..

Notes :

1. a motion, brought by Governors Barry Thorvardson and Gary Gladstone, was passed by the Governors as a straw vote at the Incoming Governors’ AGM in July, 2008, eliminating the tournament membership.

2. a motion, brought by Governors Barry Thorvardson and Gary Gladstone, was passed by the Governors as a straw vote at the Incoming Governors’ AGM in July, 2008, that a discount such as we are proposing, be instituted.

3. Past CFC President David Lavin stated:
a) in 2008/9 GL # 2: “ On September 15th I forward a copy of the my Business Plan to all the Governor's and started a number of threads on the CFC's [ Governors' ] Discussion Board. I included a page of questions and observations which I considered to be somewhat controversial. I also included hard numbers related to rating fees and membership fees, including projections based on different fees, and a recommendation to eliminate junior, family, and tournament memberships."
b) in 2008/9 GL # 4: “There has also been a lot of debate on the Discussion Boards about the Tournament memberships. Personally, I'd be happy to eliminate them altogether but I doubt that motion would pass. “

4. CFC Secretary Lyle Craver stated in the same GL: " Certainly I am of the opinion that “tournament memberships” have devastated the CFC as rather than bringing in new people in droves, regular members have chosen this option and have chosen to play in fewer but larger events. This at least has been the experience in Vancouver – Governors will have to decide whether it matches their experience in their areas. "

4. Governor Ken Craft stated after the Governors doubled the TPF in March, 2009: “ My preference would have been to abolish the T option. It has been abused in recent years and moved a far distance from its original marketing purpose.
You either belong to the national sporting federation or you don't. “

. 5. The members of the Grassroots’ Campaign are:

List of Grassroots’ Campaign Endorsers ( as of August 26, 2009 )

Bob Armstrong – CFC & OCA Life Member; former chess club executive; CFC Governor
Rick Garel – CFC member/chess club executive
Caesar Posylek – CFC Governor/ chess club executive
Jerry Kitich – CFC member/former chess club executive
Ken Kurkowski – CFC member
Frank Dixon – former CFC Governor/ tournament director/tournament organizer/ former
chess club executive.
Vlad Dobrich – tournament director/ tournament organizer/ chess club executive/ former
CFC member
Doug Gillis – CFC Member
Jim Roe – CFC Member
Dinesh Dattani – CFC Member
Pino Verde – CFC Member
Hans Jung - CFC and OCA life member, former CFC governor, former CFC executive,
former editor Chess Canada, chess club executive, chess coordinator City of
Kitchener, tournament director, tournament organizer, chess promoter.
Patrick Doucette - CFC Life Member
Michael von Keitz – CFC member; OCA Vice-President, CFC Governor; U of Guelph CC President

Revision # 3 – August 26, 2009

The Grassroots' Campaign would be pleased to receive any comments/input from governors/ordinary members before they file their motion. Thanks.

Bob Armstrong, Grassroots' Campaign Coordinator

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

"All play in the tournament, and all should equally support the national organization."

I would agree with this statement, if the tournament is organized by the national organization. Otherwise the national organization should support the chess development through tournaments for the sake of its objective:
"To promote and encourage generally in Canada, the knowledge, study and playing of the game of chess, and to this end, and without restricting the generality of the foregoing."

Thus I prefer to delete from the Handbook 732 too. ("732. Membership. All players in a rated event must be CFC members for the inclusive dates of play....")

[Bob Armstrong]

Today the Grassroots' Campaign filed with the CFC Secretary their Motion on replacing the Tournament Playing Fee ( " Tournament Membership " ) with a First-time CFC'er Introductory Membership Discount ( of 40% ), set out in the original post of this thread. It will now be published in GL # 2.

Thanks to everyone who gave us public input before we filed it. It seemed that our motion has general acceptance. Now all we have to do is get it passed by the Governors.

Bob