Bob Armstrong
01-25-2010, 12:33 AM
[ Part I ]
My " Report " on the OCA/Trillium Grant is below, and now filed with the OCA. It was not requested by the OCA, and was filed voluntarily by me. I received input from Michael von Keitz ( OCA Action Committee Member ); Egis Zeromskis ( OCA Action Committee Member ); Hal Bond ( former VP of OCA ); Kerry Liles ( former Secretary of OCA ); and Steve Douglas ( interested OCA Member ). I received some assistance from Chris Mallon, OCA President. The report was also sent for review to Eric Van Dusen ( OCA Action Committee Chair ). My thanks to all who helped.
The OCA/Trillium Grant 2005-7 – The Armstrong Report
( A Private Report From the Outside Looking In )
Revision # 3, January 23, 2010
Here is my " report " on the OCA Trillium Grant/Fiasco ( as an outsider looking on, and for what it is worth ):
1. The Grant Application:
Barry Thorvardson, as OCA President, conceived of the chess grant application to Trillium, prepared it and was successful in obtaining it in 2005. It was $ 120,000, a 2-year contract, and was limited to youth chess in the York Region. The official Trillium Foundation website describes the grant as:
"Ontario Chess Association Inc. $120,000 over two years to pilot an integrated chess program in York Region, which will provide children and youth with an alternative recreational experience and build their critical thinking and tactical skills."
OCA does not have a copy of the original grant contract with Trillium - BT says he handed over to OCA all his documentation, and OCA says it never received this document. OCA is not willing, now, to go to Trillium for a copy of the contract, because Trillium has made it clear they consider the grant issue closed. The OCA Executive during the term of the grant were:
2005-06
President - Barry Thorvardson
Vice President - Hal Bond
Treasurer - Jim Ferrier
Secretary - David Gordon
Youth - Patrick McDonald
2006-07
President - Barry Thorvardson
Vice President - Hal Bond
Treasurer - Jim Ferrier
Secretary - Bill Doubleday/Mark Dutton
Youth Coordinator - Patrick McDonald
2. The Initial Grant Implementation:
The implementation of the grant started out on a good footing. Two well-known organizers, IM Roman Pelts and Leslie Armstrong, were hired to do some initial leg-work. There was transparency by BT initially, and OCA executive and members knew what was going on. BT, OCA President, was the unpaid handler of the grant for the OCA for its implementation initially.
3. Subsequent Grant Implementation:
But then the initial contracts with Pelts and Armstrong were not renewed. Without notice to anyone, except the Treasurer, Jim Ferrier, who was the official second signer on the issued grant salary cheques, BT hired himself on a 2-year salary contract to implement the balance of the grant contract. BT did hold some youth events in York Region apparently, but it seems they were generally unsuccessful. BT apparently also advised that the implementation of the grant was more difficult than he expected because there was a real shortage of affordable space in York Region to hold youth events. At the Brampton May 2008 AGM, BT handed around for review a written report, and reported as to the grant:
“The York Region Trillium Project successfully completed last July and the area continues to have great school programs and even more chess camps scheduled for this summer.”
He also indicated that a project for a Toronto Chess Centre might form the basis of a subsequent application to Trillium. But no copy of the report was left with the Secretary for inclusion in the Minutes. As a result of the subsequent difficulties with Trillium, no subsequent application was submitted.
But, in general OCA opinion, after 2 years, there was apparently very little to show for the significant grant amount.
4. The Grant Problem:
When BT hired himself as the worker to complete the implementation of the grant, transparency disappeared. He told no one he had done this, except it seems, the Treasure, Jim Ferrier, who was the second signer of the salary cheques. The V-P, Hal Bond, and the rest of the executive, were unaware this had happened. And the rest of the executive, other than BT and Ferrier, did not learn of this until after the grant was concluded in July, 2007 – many question how this could have happened.
This action by BT showed very bad judgment on his part, perhaps bad intention, and should never have happened. This action by BT was in breach of the OCA By-law, according to the official OCA Action Committee Report, Sept. 7, 2009, and in breach of the Trillium Grant Contract, according to a report by Hal Bond, on a justification meeting he and BT had with 2 Trillium Grant administrators, when they had questions about the implementation of the grant, in 2008, some time after the grant had concluded.
The 2007-8 OCA Executive, in place when the grant ended, was:
2007-08
President - Barry Thorvardson
Vice President - Hal Bond
Treasurer - Alice Laimer
Communications Director - Mark Dutton
Youth Coordinator - Patrick MacDonald
When the OCA Executive found out what Barry had done, in August 2007, after all salary had been paid to BT, they asked for his resignation. BT refused, saying he had done nothing wrong. The Executive, at the initiative of Mark Dutton, OCA Communications Director/Secretary, then passed a motion of censure against Barry. Apparently the OCA Executive had no one willing or able to replace BT as President, if they impeached him. So the status quo uncomfortably remained, with BT continuing as President, and the Executive referred the matter to the next OCA AGM in May 2008 for further action.
5. Grant Documentation:
OCA has almost no information/documentation on what BT did as employee under the grant over 2-years. It appears there may have been an interim report or two, and maybe a final report, to Trillium by BT, but again there is dispute about whether or not these documents ever were given to OCA. If BT has copies of any such documents, he is now refusing to hand them over to OCA ( he seems, though, to be saying he no longer has any Trillium/OCA documentation ). Again, it appears Trillium might not even be willing to give copies of any such reports to OCA, since they want this whole grant situation to just go away and are treating the matter as closed. Certainly from outside observation by the OCA, they could find no significant benefit had been brought to York Region youth chess by the grant. Whether this is because BT did little/nothing to earn his salary over 2 years, or because he tried and was unsuccessful, is an open question.
[ Continued in post below - Part II ]
My " Report " on the OCA/Trillium Grant is below, and now filed with the OCA. It was not requested by the OCA, and was filed voluntarily by me. I received input from Michael von Keitz ( OCA Action Committee Member ); Egis Zeromskis ( OCA Action Committee Member ); Hal Bond ( former VP of OCA ); Kerry Liles ( former Secretary of OCA ); and Steve Douglas ( interested OCA Member ). I received some assistance from Chris Mallon, OCA President. The report was also sent for review to Eric Van Dusen ( OCA Action Committee Chair ). My thanks to all who helped.
The OCA/Trillium Grant 2005-7 – The Armstrong Report
( A Private Report From the Outside Looking In )
Revision # 3, January 23, 2010
Here is my " report " on the OCA Trillium Grant/Fiasco ( as an outsider looking on, and for what it is worth ):
1. The Grant Application:
Barry Thorvardson, as OCA President, conceived of the chess grant application to Trillium, prepared it and was successful in obtaining it in 2005. It was $ 120,000, a 2-year contract, and was limited to youth chess in the York Region. The official Trillium Foundation website describes the grant as:
"Ontario Chess Association Inc. $120,000 over two years to pilot an integrated chess program in York Region, which will provide children and youth with an alternative recreational experience and build their critical thinking and tactical skills."
OCA does not have a copy of the original grant contract with Trillium - BT says he handed over to OCA all his documentation, and OCA says it never received this document. OCA is not willing, now, to go to Trillium for a copy of the contract, because Trillium has made it clear they consider the grant issue closed. The OCA Executive during the term of the grant were:
2005-06
President - Barry Thorvardson
Vice President - Hal Bond
Treasurer - Jim Ferrier
Secretary - David Gordon
Youth - Patrick McDonald
2006-07
President - Barry Thorvardson
Vice President - Hal Bond
Treasurer - Jim Ferrier
Secretary - Bill Doubleday/Mark Dutton
Youth Coordinator - Patrick McDonald
2. The Initial Grant Implementation:
The implementation of the grant started out on a good footing. Two well-known organizers, IM Roman Pelts and Leslie Armstrong, were hired to do some initial leg-work. There was transparency by BT initially, and OCA executive and members knew what was going on. BT, OCA President, was the unpaid handler of the grant for the OCA for its implementation initially.
3. Subsequent Grant Implementation:
But then the initial contracts with Pelts and Armstrong were not renewed. Without notice to anyone, except the Treasurer, Jim Ferrier, who was the official second signer on the issued grant salary cheques, BT hired himself on a 2-year salary contract to implement the balance of the grant contract. BT did hold some youth events in York Region apparently, but it seems they were generally unsuccessful. BT apparently also advised that the implementation of the grant was more difficult than he expected because there was a real shortage of affordable space in York Region to hold youth events. At the Brampton May 2008 AGM, BT handed around for review a written report, and reported as to the grant:
“The York Region Trillium Project successfully completed last July and the area continues to have great school programs and even more chess camps scheduled for this summer.”
He also indicated that a project for a Toronto Chess Centre might form the basis of a subsequent application to Trillium. But no copy of the report was left with the Secretary for inclusion in the Minutes. As a result of the subsequent difficulties with Trillium, no subsequent application was submitted.
But, in general OCA opinion, after 2 years, there was apparently very little to show for the significant grant amount.
4. The Grant Problem:
When BT hired himself as the worker to complete the implementation of the grant, transparency disappeared. He told no one he had done this, except it seems, the Treasure, Jim Ferrier, who was the second signer of the salary cheques. The V-P, Hal Bond, and the rest of the executive, were unaware this had happened. And the rest of the executive, other than BT and Ferrier, did not learn of this until after the grant was concluded in July, 2007 – many question how this could have happened.
This action by BT showed very bad judgment on his part, perhaps bad intention, and should never have happened. This action by BT was in breach of the OCA By-law, according to the official OCA Action Committee Report, Sept. 7, 2009, and in breach of the Trillium Grant Contract, according to a report by Hal Bond, on a justification meeting he and BT had with 2 Trillium Grant administrators, when they had questions about the implementation of the grant, in 2008, some time after the grant had concluded.
The 2007-8 OCA Executive, in place when the grant ended, was:
2007-08
President - Barry Thorvardson
Vice President - Hal Bond
Treasurer - Alice Laimer
Communications Director - Mark Dutton
Youth Coordinator - Patrick MacDonald
When the OCA Executive found out what Barry had done, in August 2007, after all salary had been paid to BT, they asked for his resignation. BT refused, saying he had done nothing wrong. The Executive, at the initiative of Mark Dutton, OCA Communications Director/Secretary, then passed a motion of censure against Barry. Apparently the OCA Executive had no one willing or able to replace BT as President, if they impeached him. So the status quo uncomfortably remained, with BT continuing as President, and the Executive referred the matter to the next OCA AGM in May 2008 for further action.
5. Grant Documentation:
OCA has almost no information/documentation on what BT did as employee under the grant over 2-years. It appears there may have been an interim report or two, and maybe a final report, to Trillium by BT, but again there is dispute about whether or not these documents ever were given to OCA. If BT has copies of any such documents, he is now refusing to hand them over to OCA ( he seems, though, to be saying he no longer has any Trillium/OCA documentation ). Again, it appears Trillium might not even be willing to give copies of any such reports to OCA, since they want this whole grant situation to just go away and are treating the matter as closed. Certainly from outside observation by the OCA, they could find no significant benefit had been brought to York Region youth chess by the grant. Whether this is because BT did little/nothing to earn his salary over 2 years, or because he tried and was unsuccessful, is an open question.
[ Continued in post below - Part II ]