Poll : Change the Can. Junior Prize Plicy?

[Bob Armstrong]

I have proposed that the policy on the Canadian Junior Prize be changed.

The Current Policy: the winner gets to use the prize $$ for any other major international tournament of his/her choice, if not going to the World Junior.

My Proposed Policy:the prize has to be used to go to that year's World Junior. If the Champion is not going, then the prize defaults over to the second place finisher, etc.. If no one goes one year, the money does NOT go into CFC general revenue ! It is kept in the Canadian Junior account, and is added to the prize fund in the next year's Can. Junior.

Ratiionale for the Change: the current policy has lost the point of the Canadian Junior. It seems that the current policy appears favoured by participants, since it gives them surety that they can keep the prize if they win, and they don't have to commit to going to the World Junior to go into the Canadian Junior. So what has happened is that the Canadian Junior has just become a tournament like all other tournaments, where you can play for a significant prize, regardless of whether you have any interest at all in the World Junior. My concern is that yes, the Can. Junior will attract players, but more and more of them will be playing with no intention of going to the World Junior. For most of them, it will just be another strong tournament where they have a chance at a good prize. So less and less often will Canada have a participant in the World Junior! More and more of the winners will be of the type who are not going to go to the World Junior.

Request: Please vote in the poll, to give me an idea whether I should pursue getting a change in the policy.

Bob