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Updated 26.8.05
BCF NEWS
BCF MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING
25th June 2005
The Management Board met on Saturday 25th June in Derby with CEO Roy Heppinstall in the Chair. Fourteen attended. As usual, this report is confined to those matters of interest to grass roots chess players and is not a complete record of the meeting.
(1) Company Limited by Guarantee and Change of Name. There was a huge amount of detailed documentation to be prepared in connection with these changes, but it was hoped that these would be completed in time for the conversion to be finalised at the October meeting of Council. It was agreed that all Officials and Managers of the English Chess Federation must be Direct Members of the Federation. It was also agreed that all such Officials and Managers should have one year contracts with sufficient detail to enable dismissal if required. The position of secretary for the new Company would be advertised in due course. In view of these changes the next edition of the yearbook would be published in January 2006.
(2) NCCU Membership Scheme. There had been some delay in finalising the Memorandum of Agreement with the NCCU to enable implementation of the Scheme, and a number of decisions were taken which it was hoped would enable progress to be made.
(3) Junior Activities. Some unfortunate clashes of dates had occurred and it was agreed that all relevant Directors should consult regularly to avoid such problems.
     It was agreed to form a separate “ECF Youth Trust” prior to conversion in October and that this could be launched in conjunction with an appeal for Junior Funding.
(4) General Funding. It was agreed that £3000 from the Legacies Fund would be made available to the 2005-06 Hastings Congress. Other requests for funding were either declined or deferred pending receipt of further information.
(5) Role of Match Captains. The FIDE Rules on this were noted, but it was agreed that a realistic approach had to be adopted and the matter was referred to the Arbiters Association for further consideration.
(6) Awards. The following awards were agreed: President’s Award for Services to Chess: Paul Bielby, Robert Jones and John Robinson. Club of the Year: no nomination. Website of the Year: The 4NCL website at www.4ncl.co.uk Magazine of the Year: Northumberland Chess Association Bulletin (Ed John Wheeler). (7) Appointment of Arbiter. Roger Edwards (North Staffordshire DCA) was appointed as a Senior Arbiter.
David Smith 25.8.05

SOME PERSONAL COMMENTS
by your Webmaster. Partly about the above, and partly the below.
(1) Northern Membership Scheme. When I voted for this at the April meeting I was under the impression I was voting for a scheme which had been pretty well worked out (and I liked what I'd heard). Apparently it was more fluid than I thought. I am disappointed that two months later things were still not finalised. My understanding two more months later, but perhaps I'm out of date, is that they aren't even now. I'm worried.
(2). There was going to be a (2), and possibly a (3), but I've censored them. Life's too short, and the BCF / ECF has bigger things on its plate. But the BCF's draft minutes of the April meeting appeared on the BCF site three days ago, and you will not find them in total agreement with my own account.
rjh 26.8.05

BCF COUNCIL MEETING
23rd April 2005
Council met, with a crowded agenda and an early 12.30 start, at Sheffield. About 35 attended. We stopped counting the apologies half way though the reading-out, but it was many dozens including one who was there. Council was spared the reading-out of proxies.
     In more or less chronological order:
(1) Enfranchisement of events paying insufficient Game Fee to qualify automatically. This seems to occasion debate these days, and occasioned more than usual this time. About seven such events were present by proxy. The answer was no, on quite a close vote.
(2) Two random Matters Arising.
     (a) BCF Office is staying put, despite fears that it might have to move. Charges are a lot higher under the re-negotiated lease.
     (b) Marketing Director. We now have one. He is Roy Lawrence of Sutton Coldfield, and his details are on the BCF website. There had been four serious candidates for the job.
(3) Money. Not that some of the later items weren't about money. The Director reported a much more successful year than last, with a projected surplus of £20,000. This was due largely to substantial sponsorship for the Olympiad, plus the traditional surplus on the British. Reserves now stand at £67,000 (last year £30,000) after a further £14,000 from the Banwell estate.
     Similar results are not expected next year. Sponsorship for the English team in the European Championships is not yet secured, and there are fears that the Isle of Man may be a less popular venue for the British than previous ones. This will be its first excursion from the mainland. The Director proposed a break-even budget, which was later approved when Council had decided other relevant items (see below) like the 2005-6 Game Fee. Three things were discussed. Well, more than three, but only three that actually changed anything.
     Insurance. This does not really affect the budget, but that's where it came up and it's important. You will know that the BCF has ceased to operate the insurance scheme whereby member organisations could obtain cover at favourable rates. The £1000 BCF income this brought in annually, in the form of commissions, is no longer legally allowed in any way the BCF can manage. It had been written out of the budget. However it appears that it would be possible to continue the scheme provided the BCF charged no commission. Someone proposed that it be done, and Council voted heavily in favour. The impact on Office time, or expenses, was not known.
     BCF Schools Championship. Again, no overall impact on the budget. But the Conductor of the BCF Schools (all right then, your Webmaster) expressed disappointment that Junior Game Fee, introduced last year specifically to replace the competition's vanished sponsorship, had now been diverted to other Junior activities. He doubted if he could achieve his required break even without making unacceptable compromises. He made no proposal, but people started making proposals for him and the upshot, after several votes and we omit much detail, was that the Junior Director was instructed by a large majority to find up to £2000 as required, from elsewhere in his budget, to fund the BCF Schools. £2000 is what Council allocated last year.
     BCF Grand Prix. No impact. But the Director proposed that the MB undertake a review of the Grand Prix with a view to ending it at the British Championships 2006 unless a new sponsor was found. Council deleted the bit about ending it, but the possibility remains open. It is a distinction without a difference.
(4) Northern Membership Scheme. We won't elaborate, because we've covered it already. The Scheme was adopted nem con, with Management Board (and SCCU) support. It is far less risky than other Membership schemes proposed earlier. A Northern league requiring 100% Membership would pay no Game Fee but would be treated - see (6) below - as though it had paid Game Fee in the usual way.
(5) Direct Membership and fees. No changes in fees were proposed. It was agreed, on MB proposals, that:
     (a) Concessionary categories of Membership should be abolished. Amendments were proposed and rejected. The feeling was that there were too many categories for an efficient Membership system.
     (b) ChessMoves. The printed version would cease to be available to Standard and Junior Members from 1st September 2005.
     (c) Game Fee Discount. Standard and Junior Members would be eligible for Game Fee discount (on congresses offering it) from 1st June 2005.
     (d) Grading List Price Discount. This is abolished, for all categories of Direct Member, with effect from the 2005 List.
     (e )Membership would be required, from 1st September 2005, for all Directors, members of Selection Committees, and players representing England in international events.
     (a) and (b) do not apply to existing Memberships until renewal. This was not stated for (d).
(6) Minimum Fee for Member organisations. It was agreed that there should be a minimum Membership fee of £50, applying to all organisations and conferring one vote in Council. Of course nearly everyone pays a lot more already, in the form of Game Fee, and frequently enough to get more than one vote. The change will mostly affect "Other Organisations", but also a handful of Leagues and Counties and maybe some Congresses.
     Other Organisations? It's their official name and not a very good one. They are people like the Arbiters Association and the British Chess Problem Society and EPSCA, and everyone calls them Non-Territorial Affiliates or NTAs. Currently, the NTAs pay a bewildering variety of fees ranging from £0 to £80 and get a vote regardless. Counties also get a vote regardless, but Leagues and Congresses don't. They get one when their Game Fee payment reaches the level of 200 Standard halfgames (so, in 2004-5, £86). The new scheme seems fairer somehow.
     The Minimum Fee is to be reviewed annually in April along with Game Fee and Direct Membership Fees.
(7) Game Fee 2005-6. The MB recommended 44p. This was the figure agreed last year, though it was later reduced to 43p after an unexpected hitch with grades on the website (so a bonus in sales). The bonus isn't happening this year.
     It was a card vote, and you could vote for any figure you liked. The outcome:

100p
50p
44p
43p

6
1
150
9

42p
40p
36p
30p

1
13
5
1

Work that one out. They could have done it on a show of hands. Rapidplay and Junior are at half rate as before, club internal at one-third, combinations are multiplied, and fractions are not rounded. Note 18.5.05. We've just heard from someone who couldn't work it out. No, the answer is not the mean, it's the median. 44p.
     So that was Finance out of the way, and still not very much after half past four.
(8) Change of Name. Finally the BCF has decided to become the ECF. (How many years has that taken?) The change takes effect at the October Council meeting. The old BCF will remain in existence though inactive, partly so no one else can use its name and pass themselves off as us, and partly to avoid any difficulty with legacies.
(9) Company Limited by Guarantee. It went through. If you've seen the papers, all the bits in bold type went through. If you haven't, the only one we're going to bother you with is the one that limits the size of the Board to nine Directors (President and CEO included). No one else. No reps. With a Board of more than nine, the ECF would have no chance of ever achieving charitable status. Some of the current Directors - or their successors - will have to lose that title and their places on the Board. Some may welcome the chance to just get on with the job instead of talking about it.
     There is tidying up of papers to do, to take account of Council's decisions on Saturday, but that was always going to be the case. The papers are in two parts: a "Constitutional" part which by Company Law can only be amended by 75% of votes cast; and a "Bye Law" (= Appendix) part which can be changed by simple majority. The intention is to present the final version to Council in October for ratification, after which everything takes effect immediately. We think. Directors (?and others) remain financially liable in person for things the BCF does, or did, while still operating. No one will be liable (beyond £1) for things the ECF does after October. We're perfectly sure that's an oversimplification.
(10) An Honour. Roy Woodcock, President of the MCCU, was elected an Honorary Life Vice-President of the Federation. His services to chess have been many.
(11) Manchester Chess Federation. The MB proposed various formal changes reflecting the (not very recent) amalgamation of the Manchester & District CA and the Greater Manchester CCA under the new name aforesaid. Regrettably this item could not be taken, because someone objected very strongly for reasons this Website has not understood. It needs to be sorted before October, because it belongs in the CLG papers.
     It was half past six, and this ended the meeting. You will have guessed that Council had voted for the 30-minute extension.
(12) Other items not taken. Mercifully, only two. (a) Approval of the Business Plan, which could have been slotted into a five-second gap anywhere if someone had thought of it; and (b) an MB proposal that Constituent-Unit reps at Council meetings be limited to one each. Currently it's SCCU 4; MCCU, NCCU, WECU, London CL 2; EACU, Manchester 1. It's of small consequence, because it would not have changed the number of votes they got. Maybe it should have.

This was not, to be honest, the best Council meeting we've been at. Nor the worst, but far too much time was wasted on needless observations and no-hope amendments. It was certainly a full agenda, but it should have been got through even without an extension. This is your Webmaster's opinion. He is conscious that he himself occasioned delay, rightly or wrongly, in the early part of the meeting.
rjh 25.4.05

BCF MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING
19th March 2005
The Management Board met on Saturday 19th March in Birmingham with CEO Roy Heppinstall in the Chair. The meeting commenced with a minute’s silence in memory of Ian Cowen who had made an enormous contribution to Junior Chess over many years. Fifteen attended and as usual this report concentrates on matters of interest to grassroots players, and is in no way a complete record of the meeting.
(1) Northern Membership Scheme (see SCCU meeting 11.3.05). The Board agreed by a substantial majority to support the proposed scheme and to recommend its adoption at the April Council meeting; start date of the trial would be 1st June, with the first year running for fifteen months until 31st August 2006. Cost £10pa (£5 for Juniors). Contrary to previous plans that “all” a Member's games would be graded, “all” now actually means all games from affiliated clubs and leagues and all registered congresses. There will be no submission of individual results from players. The NCCU agreed that they would make efforts to bring all their graders up to date so that data would be submitted to the BCF in the approved format. The board recognised that there is an element of risk in this trial scheme and received an assurance from the NCCU that if required there would be modifications to the scheme to guarantee at least a break-even position in year two. And in any case the whole scheme is subject to review in one year’s time. Whilst not mandatory (the SCCU’s preference) this will be the case in at least two Northern Counties.
(2) Budget. The BCF seems to be in a happier position this year with a forecast surplus in excess of £20K, due in the main to a profitable Congress and to success in obtaining sponsorship for the Olympiad Team last year. Game Fee would be recommended at the 44p level agreed last year prior to its reduction to 43p due to difficulties in placing the Grading List on the Website.
(3) Change of Name. The Board agreed to recommend to Council that the name of the organisation be changed to “English Chess Federation”, although the “BCF” will be retained to deal more easily with legacies. At the same time Council will be asked to approve the proposed change to a Company Limited by Guarantee. Every effort has been made to replicate the structure of the BCF in the new organisation.
(4) Grading List. Important changes in the way the Grading list is published were agreed. As from this year the Grading List will be placed on the BCF Website in July, but there will be no printed list available in early August as previously; instead publication of the printed version will be deferred until September, in time for the start of the new season, and will incorporate corrections to the list made since July. There will also be periodic updates to the Website list throughout the year. The minimum number of games played needed for inclusion on the list is reduced from ten to nine. The Director will take steps to enforce the requirement that all English players with a FIDE rating are members of the Federation, a move that I thought had already been implemented some time ago.
David Smith (SCCU Representative)
21st March 2005

BCF MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING
29th January 2005 in London
The Management Board met on Saturday 29th January in London with CEO Roy Heppinstall in the Chair. Only 11 attended, although a number of those present came armed with proxies from the absentees. As usual this report is a selection of the items of interest to grassroots players, and is in no way a complete account of the meeting.
(1) British Championships in Isle of Man. Concern continues to be voiced re the expense of travel etc. and participants would be advised to book through nominated travel agents who could put together packages combining accommodation and travel at discounted rates.
(2) British Isles Internet Schools Championship. This is a new event, which the BCF agreed to support subject to no liability attaching to the Federation. [rjh: see footnote]
(3) Individual Knockout Championship. Another new event, for which entry forms are coming out. This is organised initially by Home Director Cyril Johnson, though a Controller is sought.
(4) BCF Child Protection Policy has been agreed, although there will be no Child Protection Officer and all enquiries are to be addressed to the President or CEO. CRB Clearance is now in place for BCF Members with an administrative charge of £25. It was agreed that requests for clearance from other bodies would only be accepted if they had an acceptable Child Protection Policy.
(5) Change of name and Conversion. The ballot conducted by the BCF had resulted in majority support for “English Chess Federation”, although a significant minority preferred the status quo. Any such change however would only go ahead in conjunction with the conversion of the Federation to a Company Limited by Guarantee and it appeared that there were difficulties in replicating the current structure in the new organisation. Reluctantly it was agreed to postpone the scheduled EGM in the hope of finalising proposals in time for the April Council.
(6) Finances and Membership. Finances generally for this year are in line with Budget, with possibly some windfalls on top to help matters. It is recognised that there is no possibility of any large increase in Game Fee next year, but it is envisaged that the 1p deducted when the Grading List did not go on the Website could be restored when it does. This would make GF 44p.
     Much time was consumed discussing various ways of increasing income (and reducing expenditure) by revising the classes and benefits of membership. Detailed proposals will go to the April Council.
(7) Appointments. The opportunity was taken to interview Roy Lawrence of Sutton Coldfield for the vacant position of Marketing Director, and Mr Lawrence was subsequently appointed. Sue Hale was appointed as the Direct Members Delegate for Families.
(8) BCF Affiliations. Affiliations were approved for the Guildford Junior, Pinner, and Staunton Memorial Congresses; also for Bucks Youth CA [rjh: nothing new there, then], Leeds League and London University League.
David Smith (SCCU Representative)
28th February 2005
rjh Note to item 2 (3.3.05): This is run by ChessBase: see http://www.chessbase.com, only I don't think the reference is there yet. Online registration possible from May 2005; competition to begin in October and finish in June 2006.

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE: MEETING CANCELLED
3.2.05
Council agreed in October, on the Management Board's proposal, to go ahead with an Extraordinary Council Meeting "not later than the end of February" with a view to finalising details of a change to CLG status. See Report 23.10.04 below, item 3. The meeting was subsequently arranged for 26th February in Birmingham. However it is today announced that it will not take place.
     Council made it clear in October that the Federation's existing structure and membership rights were to be preserved, as far as possible, in the proposed new setup. Apparently this has proved much more difficult than anticipated, and "unforeseen circumstances" have not helped. (We believe these include ill health and the unavailability of hoped-for collaborators.) In consequence detailed proposals cannot be prepared in time for a February meeting. The MB expects to be able to proceed at the April Finance meeting (23.4.05 in NCCU), possibly with an early start.

BCF MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING
27th November 2004 in Birmingham
Your Webmaster was stand-in SCCU rep because David Smith was unavailable.
     Only eleven attended, or ten in quorum terms because of the non-voter, and it got even tighter when someone left early. The quorum is eight. But we quorately made it to 6.30 and end of business. It was a messy meeting, getting often bogged down in points of detail. Main items, with most of the detail left out: -
(1) Chess as a Sport. Recent Parliamentary contacts have not been encouraging, but we'll keep plugging away. There are moves to set up a Parliamentary Action Group.
(2) BCF Office may have to move. The lease expires at the end of May and the rent is set to go up rather a lot.
(3) Direct Membership is now to be a requirement for (a) BCF accredited coaches; (b) players representing England in international events; (c) members of BCF selection committees; and (d) BCF Arbiters. This cannot apply to existing Senior Arbiters because they have been appointed for life, but future ones will not be.
     It had already been decided that BCF Directors should be Members, though no implementation date has been set.
(4) Affiliation Fees for Counties and Other Organisations. "Other Organisations" are member bodies which ordinarily do not submit games for grading, so pay no Game Fee. Their membership fees, set presumably by Council at different times, vary bewilderingly. Two pay £75, two pay £0, and there are four other rates in between. It was agreed to propose to Council that fees be standardised as equal to the minimum Game Fee payable by a League or Congress to get a vote in Council. So, currently, 200 x 43p = £86. If they did happen to submit grading, anything they paid in Game Fee would count towards the £86.
     The situation is also rather strange with Counties. Some do not (directly) organise any competitions, so pay no Game Fee. Of these, some pay a small affiliation fee, others not. It was agreed to standardise again, with the same minimum payment as for Other Organisations.
     Note 7.12.04: It wasn't said at the meeting, and your Webmaster didn't know, but it transpires there is also an intention to propose that the 200 x GF formula be changed to (something more like) 120 x GF. So the voting threshold, and Other-Organisation fee, would be £50-ish at current rates.
(5) Direct Membership again. It was felt that there were too many concessionary categories, and agreed (as a Council proposal) that "basic" Membership ought to carry no benefits. At least, not that cost any money. Existing Members would, of course, feel no change until renewal date.
     Moving in the other direction... it is proposed that any event, or section of an event, requiring 100% Membership should be exempt from Game Fee. Any sort of Membership, and yes, Leagues included. Some people up north, who are already thinking along these lines, would be invited to trial it in 2005-6.
(6) British Championship Qualifying Places. Each Union is to get one extra qualifying place for the 2005 Championship.
(7) Committees. The members of various Committees were appointed, but you don't want lists of names.
     Well, we said that, and next day got an indignant phone call from someone who did. So here goes. International Selection Committee: deferred till next meeting. Current members are Rupert Jones ex officio plus Michael Adams, Ray Edwards, Harriet Hunt, Matthew Sadler. Junior Selection Committee: deferred. Currently Alan Ruffle ex officio plus Phil Adams, Ian Cowen, Mike Haslinger, Chris Ward, and a BWCA representative. Senior Selection Committee: "as last year if available". Currently Rupert Jones ex officio plus David Anderton, Ray Edwards, John Littlewood, Stuart Reuben. Disability Committee: Gerry Walsh, Cyril Johnson, Bill Armstrong (Braille CA), and a representative of the English Deaf CA. Personnel Committee as last year: Robert Richmond, David Smith, Claire Summerscale. Awards Committee as last year: John Dunleavy, Stan Goodall, Gerry Walsh, John Wickham. Governance Committee as last year: John Dunleavy, John Paines, John Philpott. Company Committee (looking after CLG business) confirmed as David Anderton, John Dunleavy, Roy Heppinstall, Chris Majer, John Paines, John Philpott, Richard Quin, Robert Richmond, Gerry Walsh.
(8) New Affiliation. The MB approved the affiliation of the Kent Junior CA.
(9) Dates of future meetings. Management Board 29 January (London), 19 March (Birmingham), 25 June (place not fixed), 17 September (Birmingham). Extraordinary Council meeting 26 February (Birmingham). Ordinary Council meetings 23 April (in NCCU), 22 October (London).
rjh 29.11.04, amended 7.12.04

BCF COUNCIL MEETING
23rd October 2004 in Birmingham
     (previewed 1st October below) has actually happened now. Approximately 35 attended. Roy Heppinstall was in the Chair, in the President's absence at the FIDE Congress. It was an orderly and pretty uneventful meeting, unless strange things happened in the reading-out of proxies and appointment of tellers (your Webmaster was 15 minutes late). Even the minutes, which he didn't miss, went unchallenged.
(1) Some Matters Arising, briefly.
(a) Grading List on Website. The Director confirmed that it was all systems go for the 2005 List, given that organisers are now warning players and informing them they can opt out of publication on the site. The 2004 List will not appear on the site.
(b) Venues for Meetings. The Management Board had not yet addressed Council's April preference (see item 4 in the April report below) for central venues. Some regretted this.
(c) Counties Championships: Rule 16 (April item 11). The Chief Arbiter's approval had not been forthcoming.
(2) Directors' Reports, briefly again. A few things arose which are worth noting.
(a) Home Director. The Oxon delegate, or at any rate an Oxon person, queried the fact that the Chiltern League does not provide qualifiers for the BCF Stage of the Counties Championship. It was explained that the system is Union-based. The Chiltern Counties, which apart from Hampshire are historically members of the SCCU, broke away in the lower divisions a long time ago in order to run more locally based leagues. They have, of course, continued to play in the SCCU Open division until very recently. It was pointed out that the SCCU invited them, not more than two or three years ago, to come back into the fold in the lower divisions, still on their preferred regional basis, and any extra qualifying places this generated would automatically be offered to Chiltern teams. The SCCU received no reply to its invitation.
     We're not sure we understood the next bit, but we think the Director suggested that the Chiltern people could propose at the April Council meeting that they acquire qualifying places in their own right.
(b) Coaching Director: CRB Checks. The BCF is now an umbrella body for CRB checks. We understand the CRB make a charge of £33 per check (but nil if the subject will operate purely as an amateur). Presumably the BCF passes the charge on to the body requesting the check. The Management Board had apparently decided not to make any further, administrative, charge. But this may have been due to a misunderstanding, because the Coaching Director has found administration costly in both time and money. Council backed his suggested charge of £15 - £20.
(c) Grading: International Rating Officer. The Grading Director announced that he had appointed Howard Grist to this position. Howard had been doing the job on an acting basis for the last few weeks.
(3) Company Limited by Guarantee. For a general idea of what this is about, see (2) in the 1st-October preview below. An hour and ten minutes was devoted to it. One or two delegates related personal experience of financial loss as officers of unincorporated associations, so clearly the problem is real if you doubted it. We can confirm, because it was stated at the meeting, that a candidate for office at this meeting had withdrawn because of it. Moreover, existing Directors are known to have concerns. Insurance was mentioned, but apparently there are some things (such as libel) which are almost impossible to insure against.
     In discussion, the word "democracy" came up rather a lot. People were concerned that Council would lose its sovereign powers. We had always supposed that the intention was to re-write the Constitution in such a way as to preserve the existing structures of membership and decision-making, with Council remaining the sovereign body and voting in the same way as now. Others were less sure. The BCF's resident expert confirmed that our impression was right, though the drafting would not be easy. Council safeguarded itself by writing this principle explicitly into the MB's proposal, and the proposal thus amended was carried 66 - 5 on an organisation vote. It was, of course, only a decision in principle. Nothing is done, and Council is still able to reject whatever the MB comes up with in February.
     Naturally it was not quite as simple as we've made it sound. A good few people, including the Chairman of the Constitution Committee, felt that the proposal was precipitate. In fact the MB has been talking about this for well over a year, but there was feeling that things were now being telescoped rather a lot. Amendments were proposed changing the ECM from "not later than end Feb" to later dates, one of them a year off. They failed. The Chairman of the Constitution Committee felt unable to involve himself in the rapid re-drafting that would be necessary, and announced (as he had suggested he might, some weeks beforehand) that he would have to stand down. Which he did, in the
(4) Elections. No surprises in the uncontested elections. In the contested one, for Junior Director, the three candidates spoke briefly and answered questions. Alan Ruffle was elected with a healthy majority. The new Chairman of the Constitution Committee is John Dunleavy of the WECU, and the old one will continue to serve on its back benches.
(5) Meetings 2005. There was modest pressure (see 1(b) above) for "Birmingham every time". What was actually agreed was: ECM in Birmingham, perhaps on the last non-4NCL weekend of February. Finance meeting in NCCU (by 10 votes to Birmingham's 8 and EACU's 4). Annual meeting in SCCU (by 17 votes to Birmingham's 5 and EACU's 1).
(6) BCF's Name. This item was duly postponed to the February ECM and will be taken along with the CLG business. But some work had been done on trade marks. The marks BCF and ECF have been registered in the Federation's name. Thus "English Chess Federation" would be viable in the sense that we could prevent the English Conkers Federation from using our initials as a trade mark. It was noted that the NCCU has formally expresed a preference for the name English Chess Federation.
     Domain names for websites are another matter. We believe someone has already bagged names like ecf.org.
(7) Council Papers Electronically? A bit of a byway. It was a formal proposal on the Agenda, but probably no one expected it to be passed and it wasn't even put. The Strategic Planning Director had proposed that in future, Strategic Planning papers should go on the website for download rather than being circulated by post (but they would still be available by post on request). When asked why just Strategic Planning, he said because it was his proposal and he was the Strategic Planning Director. People said "democracy" again, and Council didn't want to know.
     Webmaster's remark. This proposal wasn't silly, and I'd vote for it if you said ALL the papers. The BCF Office sends out about 250 copies of everything. I don't know how much 60 or 70 sheets of A4, mostly double-sided, costs them in paper and printing and postage. Not to say time. But the average attendance at meetings is less than 50 and I'd love to know what happens to the other 200-plus copies.
(8) Chess for All. The Home Director proposed that the BCF set up an organisation with that name, to provide for the needs of disabled people not already provided for by the Braille and Deaf Chess Associations. He said the costs would be borne by the Home budget, and Council did not demur.

A proposal at 5.30 to extend the meeting beyond the regular 6 pm was defeated, and business was in fact concluded (without rush) at 5.58 and a half. The Chairman received a round of applause.
rjh 24.10.04

GAME FEE UPDATE
A brief update to "BCF Game Fee is wrong" (see further down). On 5th October the BCF website announced that Club Internal Game Fee is 14p.

BCF MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING
Saturday 19th September 2004 in Birmingham
Seventeen attended including myself, although not everyone was present for the whole meeting; a round of the 4NCL was taking place elsewhere in the West Midlands which seemed to divert the attention of some of the assembled company. The meeting was ably chaired by CEO (and SCCU President) Roy Heppinstall who kept things moving along at a good pace, despite a long and complex agenda. This is a summary of items discussed and decisions made which I feel will be of interest to the “grass-roots” player, and is in no way a complete record of the meeting.
(1) International Rating Officer. There is a vacancy for this post, and an advert would be placed on the BCF Website and in ChessMoves.
(2) BCF Membership. Agreement was reached that it would be desirable if all BCF Directors, Coaches and Arbiters, together with members of committees elected by Council, were required to be members of the BCF. This may be put to Council at some point. It could not however be extended to other categories such as non-elected Board members (e.g. Union Reps) and other Officers, particularly as it was felt that such a ruling might deter new and younger people from offering their services.
(3) BCF Directorships. Three of the current Directors are not standing for re-election. Candidates have come forward for Junior Director and Director of Congress Chess but, as yet, there is no nomination for the post of Marketing Director, which carries with it important responsibilities for improving the image of chess and obtaining vital sponsorship.
(4) BCF Status. The Board also took a decision to recommend to the October Council that the BCF change from a Federation to a Company Limited by Guarantee, this giving vital safeguards as to the liability of all Directors in the event of financial difficulties. It is also hoped that this will be accompanied by an eventual change of name to reflect the predominantly “English” nature of our current operations.
     [rjh: we expand on this in the next item down.]
(5) CRB. It was confirmed that the BCF is now registered with the Criminal Records Bureau as an “umbrella” organisation to obtain clearance for those working with children or vulnerable adults. It was agreed that this service would only be available to BCF members. A BCF Child Protection Policy is now almost in place and expected shortly.
(6) BCF Accounts to 30th April 2004 show a total deficit in excess of £10K. This is mainly due to the doubling up effect of bringing Home Chess items to the end of July 2004 into these accounts, rather than being carried forward as was previously the case.
(7) Awards and Affiliations. Cyril Johnson was appointed as a BCF Arbiter, and BCF Affiliations were granted to the London Junior Chess Congress, the Bucks Youth Chess Association, the Cambridge Rapidplay and the South Norwood Rapidplay. Club of the Year Award was shared between Alwoodley (Leeds) and Norwich Juniors.
David Smith (SCCU Representative)
3rd October 2004

BCF COUNCIL MEETING
23rd October 2004 in Birmingham
     Our papers arrived this morning 1st October. The usual hefty read, which we are not half way through, but here's a couple of noteworthy items.
(1) Elections. Three Directors are standing down. Congress Chess: the Management Board propose David Welch (the BCF Chief Arbiter) to take over from Neil Graham. Marketing: there is currently no candidate. Junior Director: the post vacated by Peter Turner has attracted no less than three candidates: Pauline Foster (of Surrey); Scott Kenyon (of the Richmond Junior club); and Alan Ruffle (of Derbyshire). We did hear there might have been a fourth candidate if the BCF had been a
(2) Company Limited by Guarantee. An Agenda item proposes that steps be taken to become one. The BCF has been concerned about this for a while now. So what's it about? Readers cannot be more ignorant than your Webmaster was, but the supporting papers give a lot of information. The essential point is that as things stand, if the BCF were to go bankrupt each of its Directors would be personally liable without limit for any debt outstanding. Or maybe it's each member of the Management Board, and we're not sure it doesn't go further.
     The trouble is, the BCF is not a person. It cannot be sued. Its officers are and can. As a company limited by guarantee, the BCF would be legally a person. Sue it for all it's got, but there's little point in seeking more. Its officers (or members, or affiliates - we're vague) would still have personal liability, but only up to a limit chosen by the company and set out in its rules. We understand that this limit can be, and often is, £1.  No, each.
     In fact a company limited by guarantee can't have affiliates who aren't persons. Your average League or Congress or County is no more a person than the BCF is now. But it can nominate a real live actual person to affiliate and act on its behalf, at a risk to himself (if any?) of £1. There may be other constitutional issues slightly trickier than this. But nothing very daunting, we don't think, and apparently the process of becoming a CLG is painless and reasonably quick. And, as far as we know, doesn't cost anything to speak of.
     If Council agrees, the intention is an Extraordinary Council Meeting not later than the end of February 2005 to approve the details. After which, presumably, it goes ahead.
(3) BCF's Change of Name. All right, we said a couple. There is also a proposal for an ECM, likewise by the end of February, to finalise this. But if Council says yes to the CLG it will be invited to skip this item, no doubt with a view to doing both jobs in one go.

Afterthought. Not an election, and it doesn't come into the Council meeting, but the BCF is in need of an International Ratings Officer. An advertisement should appear on the BCF site shortly. If interested, contact the BCF Office office@bcf.org.uk.

BCF GAME FEE IS WRONG!
rjh 23.9.04
Your Webmaster is in dispute with the BCF Finance Director about the level of Game Fee 2004-5. Club Internal Game Fee, anyway.
     You will be aware of the decisions of the April 2004 Council meeting, reported under Item 8 two meetings down. Game Fee was 44p, with Rapid and Club Internal set at one-half and one-third of the full rate (but rounded to the nearest whole number of pence).
     You will also be aware that the June meeting of the Management Board (see Surprise below) reduced Game Fee to 43p. Rapid and Club Internal, by Council decision, were defined functions of this and would need recalculating. We are in no doubt that the Management Board accepted this. A conversation we had with the BCF President three hours later made it very clear. We spoke of the fact that halves now came into the calculations as they had not before. (He said the MB had decided to round them up.)
     So the concessionary rates got recalculated. Naturally. If you did your sums, the only one that changed was Club Internal which now rounded to 14p instead of 15p. Or so we thought, and said. But on 1st September, after a nine-week silence, the BCF website announced Club Internal Game Fee as 15p. We assumed BCF had overlooked the change, and queried it. The Finance Director's answer, just received, is:
     "Club game fee is 15p - it was not amended by June MB."
We've got news for you, Robert. Club Internal Game Fee is 14p.