SCCU COUNTY MATCHES 2005-6: ENTRIES
David Smith, County Match Controller, has just sent an entry form to all County Secretaries. Closing date 15th August. Anyone in doubt about players' new grades, and hence eligibility, should look at today's notes in the Grading page.
Entries for the Open are already in, and the Open fixture list is further down this page.
SCCU ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Saturday 18th June 2005 at The Place, Dukes Rd, London WC1
rjh 26.6.05
Actually there was a preparatory EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
which 7 attended. A couple of points from this: (1) Minor Counties nominations & Chiltern people. There had been inconclusive contact with the Chilterns, but there does not seem to be any immediate prospect of an arrangement. Effectively we've only got one Minor County next year, and if they go and qualify for the Open there will be no one to nominate.
In passing it was decided that the SCCU would cease to collect Game Fee on the Chiltern League's behalf. You probably never knew it was doing so. It seems to have been a sort of legacy from the days before the Chiltern League existed as an independent entity, when its competitions formed part of the SCCU leagues. This change in policy was reported at the ensuing AGM. (2) Companies Limited by Guarantee. No real progress yet, but the Executive will look seriously at the possibility of becoming a CLG. This could be on the agenda for next year's AGM. As for this year's: -
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
12 attended. (1) Money. It was reported that the 2003-4 Accounts had been duly audited and approved by the Executive as requested by Council. The (unaudited) 2004-5 Accounts showed a surplus of just over £300, about £430 better than budget. We are worth about £2700, Trophies excluded. However last year's £150 provision for Trophy valuation had not been spent. That would be for this year instead. (Valuation is already in progress.) The Accounts were adopted subject to audit.
The Treasurer proposed no changes in fees. His budget for 2005-6 was for a deficit of £150, and Council agreed it. (2) Elections. No change. Everyone's still in Who's Who?. However there is currently only one NCM rep: Graham Snow. There were no other nominations either at or before the meeting. (3) Juniors.
(a) SCCU Junior Individual Titles. Every year, the Union decides who is to host these competitions. Every year, no one thinks of it until about September. Every year, the answer is "LJCC" (entry forms probably already printed). This year, someone thought of it in June. Answer: "LJCC, and this is to be the rule until the Union decides otherwise".
(b) U14/U90 Championship. The Zonal Stage, as you know (if you didn't, it's in the U14/90 page) was completed more than two months ago. But the Finals are not played, and there have been continuing difficulties arranging a date. At the meeting, a weekend in July was mentioned. Your Webmaster has a feeling that might not be popular, and it's always possible it could get played in September instead. Using 2004-5 grades and ages, of course.
It emerged that only (we think) three of the entrants had paid their entry fees. This would need to be tightened up next year. The feeling, perhaps not surprisingly, was that entry fees should be payable on entry as in other SCCU events.
There was an oddity. Council amended the U14/90 Rules. Until now, the rule for the Final has been that teams shall share the title if they are still equal after all tie-breaks have been exhausted. In future this will only apply if they are equal in first place.
(c) BCET Awards. The Union has not made a British Chess Educational Trust nomination for two or three years now, and we are pleased to say it has stopped the rot. We will not name the school until awards are officially announced, no doubt in October. (4). We can't find a (4). This was perhaps the shortest AGM in recorded history, running from 2.30 to 3.35 pm. This was not, of course, the end of it, because there was now another
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
with much the same attendance as the first one. It did routine things as always. (1) Elections
(a) BCF Management Board Representative David Smith. Until October, at any rate. After that, there won't be any Union reps. See BCF page.
(b) BCF Council Representatives. Richard Haddrell, Roy Heppinstall, Zoe Ryle, David Smith
(c) Rules & Appeals Sub-Committee Mike Gunn, Richard Haddrell, Roy Heppinstall, Jonathan Melsom, John Philpott
(d) London Chess Association Representative Mike Gunn. The LCA is not thought to have had any meetings in the last couple of years. (2) Future meetings. Executive Committee Fridays 23 September, 10 March. AGM Saturday 17 June. This is not quite routine. The Executive Committee has generally met three times a year between AGMs, in September, March and May. You may have noticed that it cancelled the September and May meetings in 2004-5 and still got by. This was possibly taking things too far, but this year it was agreed not to schedule a May meeting. We could always arrange arrange one later if there proved to be something to talk about.
It was now 4.05 pm. Those lucky enough to be present throughout had had the rare treat of three meetings in two and a half hours.
SCCU OPEN FIXTURES 2005-6
20.5.05
David Smith davidandjanesmith@boltblue.com, County Match Controller,
writes:
Here are the fixtures for next season's Open Division of the SCCU Counties Championship. Please note that as usual
the fixtures are provisional and can be changed by mutual consent. Do please let both myself and the Bulletin Editor/Webmaster know if you do re-arrange any fixtures.
Again this season, only five entries, same as last season, playing just a single round. You will note the imbalance of homes and aways due to Surrey's default last season against Kent which means they have to travel there (again) this season giving them three away matches to one home, whereas Kent have three home to one away. Not that they need it!
Best Wishes to all for an enjoyable and successful season. Fixtures:
Oct 1
Oct 29
Nov 26
Jan 28
Feb 25
KSx ESy
SxE HK
EH SySx
HSy KE
KSy SxH
I have not detailed the Match Captains. Please contact this year's Captains for the time being. Two Captains are not yet
confirmed, but the Essex, Herts and Kent masochists are understood to be continuing in office.
Your Webmaster wishes to say that the Controller's choice of vocabulary is the Controller's.
SCCU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Friday 11th March 2005 at RADA, Gower St, London WC1
rjh 14.3.05, amended 19.3.05
12 attended and no one was histrionic. Main points: (1) Money. The Treasurer said the 2003-4 Accounts were still not audited, for various reasons including ill health. It was too early to predict the 2004-5 outcome, but he had a feeling we would break even. Insurance premiums would no doubt go up now the BCF scheme was unavailable, but it would not affect our current financial year. It was agreed to get the Trophies valued when they came in from the holders; it has not been done since the early nineties.
All affiliated Counties were paid up (but Berks and Cambs have not affiliated this year). One or two of the NCMs had not yet renewed. (2) Counties Championship nominations. With only five teams in the Open division, and results falling out the way they had, it was impossible for us to make a second Minor nomination in the usual way. (For the tale of woe see the League Tables page.) It was agreed, for this year only, to offer the second place to the best-performing SCCU affiliate in the Chiltern U180 competition. Or "better", because they are two. The Chiltern League does not finish till late April, but the two have already played both their matches against each other, and Oxfordshire came out on top. We would offer the nomination to Oxfordshire. [For the outcome, see the Note at the end of this report.]
It was agreed to consider making some such arrangement permanent. The situation will not get better until more teams play at Open level. It gets worse next year, because Herts have stopped being a Minor County. (3) SCCU U18 Jamborees. A date had been tentatively arranged for Sunday 8th May, in Kent. Only three teams had expressed firm interest, but a number had yet to reply. It was decided to go ahead, even with three teams. The date is firm and the venue should be announced shortly. Note 18.3.05 It's Tunbridge Wells.
There did not seem to be sufficient interest in a Girls Jamboree. (4) SCCU U14/90. One of the four two-team Zones was completed (winner Surrey), and another was half completed. A third was known to have a complete one-day double-match fixture list arranged for the near future. Of the fourth, nothing known. The Final will be arranged when the situation is clearer. All known results are in the U14/90 page. (5) SCCU Individual Championship 2005-6 and British Championship Qualifying places 2006. The Union has four BCQ places in its gift, of which one must go to the SCCU Champion. It was agreed to award the SCCU Championship to the Coulsdon Christmas Congress, and BCQ places to Hitchin, Ilford and Southend. (6) Company Limited by Guarantee. You are aware, if not lately returned from Tibet, that the BCF is considering the possibility of CLG status. If lately returned from Tibet, see BCF page passim since October. The Executive is asking the same questions about the SCCU's status, and is to consider further. (7) "Northern Counties Membership" scheme. The Executive considered an NCCU proposal which is to come up at BCF level, perhaps at the April Council meeting. The NCCU, having last year failed in Extraordinary meeting to get Game Fee replaced by a BCF Membership scheme, now has other proposals. These started life some months ago as a trial scheme in which northern leagues would require 100% BCF membership and in return pay no Game Fee. The BCF Management Board thought this worth support (see BCF page 27.11.04, item 5). The proposals have somehow mutated, in their current written form, to a scheme in which "Northern Members" would also have the right to submit their games for grading from non-GF Rapidplays held in Penzance. No one gets that, not even BCF Full Members, and it would be (in your Webmaster's opinion, which he did not hesitate to express) virtually unworkable and technically wrong anyway. Your Webmaster has some knowledge of the BCF grading process. The Executive also had doubts about the financial viability of the scheme, especially its proposal to freeze the membership fee (suggested £10 per annum) for the first three years. It might have supported the original proposals, if carefully costed. But the SCCU will not support the proposals as they stand.
The meeting, having started at 7 pm, finished at 9.54. We continue to be short-changed at SCCU meetings. Time was, we could expect 10.30 at least. Note 12.4.05. Oxon declined the nomination (see item 2). It was then offered to Bucks, who also declined.
SCCU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING September 2004
was not held. There was nothing to talk about.