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Today, April 10, Governor Patrick McDonald filed 2 motions for governor reduction, on behalf of the CFC Constitutional Coalition ( about 40 CFC members ) :
To: Lyle Craver, CFC Secretary
From: Governor Patrick McDonald (and Governor Paul Leblanc)
Re: 2 motions on Governor Reduction
Hi Lyle:
Attached please find 2 motions + commentaries on Governor Reduction:
Motion # 1: – reducing provincial representation governors;
Motion # 2: – reducing past president governors (including Life Governors).
(please re-number them to fit in the format required for motions to be considered)
I am filing these motions on behalf of a CFC members group called the CFC Constitutional Coalition (numbering about 40 members).
I note that under Bylaw # 3, section 3, these two motions are considered “constitutional” amendments. I would request therefore that they proceed in the GL’s in the normal way, but when they are to come to a vote, they be referred to the upcoming July CFC AGM in Edmonton (since it is easier to get constitutional amendments passed in an AGM).
If there are any questions, or if I have to do anything further, please let me know.
Thank You,
Patrick McDonald IA
Youth Coordinator - Ontario Chess Association
patrick@psmcd.net
Here is the first full motion/commentary ( the Motion # 2 will be in the thread below ):
2 Motions to the CFC Governors on CFC Governor Reduction
( Submitted by the movers/seconders to the CFC Executive/Governors on behalf of the CFC Constitutional Coalition, a grassroots’ group of almost 40 CFC members/former members, commentary prepared by Bob Armstrong, Coalition Coordinator, CFC Life Member; Coalition members/supporters of these motions are named below ):
Motion # 1: Moved: Governor Patrick McDonald; Seconded: Governor Paul Leblanc
Numbers of Governors for Each Province: this subsection of section 1 of By-law # 2, shall be amended by deleting in both places the word “ fifty “ and substituting for it the words “ one hundred “.
Commentary:
The current subsection of section 1 of By-law # 2 dealing with “ Numbers of Governors for Each Province “ is: .
Provincial/Territorial Governors: BY-LAW NUMBER TWO OF THE CHESS FEDERATION OF CANADA
1. ASSEMBLY OF GOVERNORS….NUMBERS OF GOVERNORS FOR EACH PROVINCE
Each provincial association shall be entitled to elect or appoint a number of Governors as follows:
For the first fifty or part thereof of ordinary per capita fee payments, and number of life memberships combined, one Governor shall be allotted and for each subsequent fifty or part thereof one additional governor shall be allotted.
By this motion, the number of Provincial/Territorial Governors shall roughly be reduced by 50%. This would mean that the number of governors for a province/territory will be one for every 100 members ( or part thereof ), instead of 50 members. We set out below a rough estimate of what that would mean, based on the number of 2008-9 Governors:
Provincial/Territorial Governors:
...........Current.......................Proposed
A - B.C. - 5..............................3
B - Alta. - 5..............................3
C - Sask. - 1..............................1
D - Man. - 2..............................1
E - Ont. - 17..............................9
F - Que. - 2..............................1
G - N.B. - 2...............................1
H - P.E.I. -1...............................1
I - N.S. - 2................................1
J - Nfld. & Lab. – 1.......................1
K - no reps from ( 3 vacancies )...same
the 3 territories
Total -38 ( and three vacancies )...22 ( and three vacancies )
Our first concern is “ administrative “. There are 61 governors for about 1400 adult members. This works out to about a governor for every 23 adult members. Where do you get these kinds of representation figures in real life organizations?? This is bureaucratic overkill. And it makes decision-making difficult when there are so many voters to communicate with and get to vote. Getting quorums becomes a problem with such a large body of deciders. It makes constitutional amendments outside of the AGM almost impossible. Today’s business models tend to be lean and mean – smaller groups that can make decisions quickly – our system is cumbersome to say the least. Surely the system needs at least to be somewhat leaner.
Reducing provincial governor representation by half would greatly assist decision-making by the CFC. A smaller decision-making body in this aspect would help streamline the organization and make decision-making much more effective.
Our second concern is “ qualitative “ - that over the years, we have seen exceptionally low participation by governors in voting, and in participating in CFC affairs in various ways. For example, CFC motion 2009-06, voted on by e-mail in December 2008, had only 15 governors voting out of a total of 61 – this is an abysmal participation rate of 25% ! Motions 2009 -5, 7, and 8 did a bit better, with an average of 28 governors voting, but even then we are still at a less than 50% participation rate ( only 46 % ). We feel that this impairs the effectiveness of the organization, and demoralizes those who do participate.
One of the problems is that the provincial associations have trouble recruiting sufficient good candidates for the high number of current governor positions. Simply put, there are not enough good people to go around. Consequently, in an attempt to fill the seats, the provinces drag members in who have little commitment to working for the organization, though they may agree to have their names put forward, to be cooperative. But they have no intention of participating. If the number of positions was reduced by 50%, the provinces would have a chance of filling the lower number of places with good candidates.
Our governor structure has great merit – it is democratic and representative. But decision-making needs to be streamlined.
Motion # 2 is in the reply post below.
Bob
To: Lyle Craver, CFC Secretary
From: Governor Patrick McDonald (and Governor Paul Leblanc)
Re: 2 motions on Governor Reduction
Hi Lyle:
Attached please find 2 motions + commentaries on Governor Reduction:
Motion # 1: – reducing provincial representation governors;
Motion # 2: – reducing past president governors (including Life Governors).
(please re-number them to fit in the format required for motions to be considered)
I am filing these motions on behalf of a CFC members group called the CFC Constitutional Coalition (numbering about 40 members).
I note that under Bylaw # 3, section 3, these two motions are considered “constitutional” amendments. I would request therefore that they proceed in the GL’s in the normal way, but when they are to come to a vote, they be referred to the upcoming July CFC AGM in Edmonton (since it is easier to get constitutional amendments passed in an AGM).
If there are any questions, or if I have to do anything further, please let me know.
Thank You,
Patrick McDonald IA
Youth Coordinator - Ontario Chess Association
patrick@psmcd.net
Here is the first full motion/commentary ( the Motion # 2 will be in the thread below ):
2 Motions to the CFC Governors on CFC Governor Reduction
( Submitted by the movers/seconders to the CFC Executive/Governors on behalf of the CFC Constitutional Coalition, a grassroots’ group of almost 40 CFC members/former members, commentary prepared by Bob Armstrong, Coalition Coordinator, CFC Life Member; Coalition members/supporters of these motions are named below ):
Motion # 1: Moved: Governor Patrick McDonald; Seconded: Governor Paul Leblanc
Numbers of Governors for Each Province: this subsection of section 1 of By-law # 2, shall be amended by deleting in both places the word “ fifty “ and substituting for it the words “ one hundred “.
Commentary:
The current subsection of section 1 of By-law # 2 dealing with “ Numbers of Governors for Each Province “ is: .
Provincial/Territorial Governors: BY-LAW NUMBER TWO OF THE CHESS FEDERATION OF CANADA
1. ASSEMBLY OF GOVERNORS….NUMBERS OF GOVERNORS FOR EACH PROVINCE
Each provincial association shall be entitled to elect or appoint a number of Governors as follows:
For the first fifty or part thereof of ordinary per capita fee payments, and number of life memberships combined, one Governor shall be allotted and for each subsequent fifty or part thereof one additional governor shall be allotted.
By this motion, the number of Provincial/Territorial Governors shall roughly be reduced by 50%. This would mean that the number of governors for a province/territory will be one for every 100 members ( or part thereof ), instead of 50 members. We set out below a rough estimate of what that would mean, based on the number of 2008-9 Governors:
Provincial/Territorial Governors:
...........Current.......................Proposed
A - B.C. - 5..............................3
B - Alta. - 5..............................3
C - Sask. - 1..............................1
D - Man. - 2..............................1
E - Ont. - 17..............................9
F - Que. - 2..............................1
G - N.B. - 2...............................1
H - P.E.I. -1...............................1
I - N.S. - 2................................1
J - Nfld. & Lab. – 1.......................1
K - no reps from ( 3 vacancies )...same
the 3 territories
Total -38 ( and three vacancies )...22 ( and three vacancies )
Our first concern is “ administrative “. There are 61 governors for about 1400 adult members. This works out to about a governor for every 23 adult members. Where do you get these kinds of representation figures in real life organizations?? This is bureaucratic overkill. And it makes decision-making difficult when there are so many voters to communicate with and get to vote. Getting quorums becomes a problem with such a large body of deciders. It makes constitutional amendments outside of the AGM almost impossible. Today’s business models tend to be lean and mean – smaller groups that can make decisions quickly – our system is cumbersome to say the least. Surely the system needs at least to be somewhat leaner.
Reducing provincial governor representation by half would greatly assist decision-making by the CFC. A smaller decision-making body in this aspect would help streamline the organization and make decision-making much more effective.
Our second concern is “ qualitative “ - that over the years, we have seen exceptionally low participation by governors in voting, and in participating in CFC affairs in various ways. For example, CFC motion 2009-06, voted on by e-mail in December 2008, had only 15 governors voting out of a total of 61 – this is an abysmal participation rate of 25% ! Motions 2009 -5, 7, and 8 did a bit better, with an average of 28 governors voting, but even then we are still at a less than 50% participation rate ( only 46 % ). We feel that this impairs the effectiveness of the organization, and demoralizes those who do participate.
One of the problems is that the provincial associations have trouble recruiting sufficient good candidates for the high number of current governor positions. Simply put, there are not enough good people to go around. Consequently, in an attempt to fill the seats, the provinces drag members in who have little commitment to working for the organization, though they may agree to have their names put forward, to be cooperative. But they have no intention of participating. If the number of positions was reduced by 50%, the provinces would have a chance of filling the lower number of places with good candidates.
Our governor structure has great merit – it is democratic and representative. But decision-making needs to be streamlined.
Motion # 2 is in the reply post below.
Bob
:D
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