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Below is a short list of ideas which are arguably cheap to implement for organizers at all levels of organized chess in Canada, bearing in mind that money is tight (unless the Chess Foundation were to be raided, in the case of the CFC - a possibility most people seem to be against). These ideas might improve Canadian chess ever so slightly, IF at least some of them were extensively put into effect. The 'IF' is the most important part, since the following ideas are hardly new:
1) Proactively advertise at low rates where possible (ideally for free);
2) Provide a list of chess teachers prominently on chess websites;
3) Organize team leagues/championships/internet matches;
4) Provide newsletters or event reports (including for team chess), distributed by email, on websites, or possibly handed out at events or clubs.
Let's take these ideas and discuss them as they may be applied to the various levels of organized chess. For the sake of example, let's take the four levels familiar to me in my case. There is my club, the RACC in Ottawa. It has a website, and requires CFC membership to play in its mostly rated events. There is my regional league, the Eastern Ontario Chess Association. It has a website, and is affiliated under my provincial chess association, the Ontario Chess Association, which also has a website (being upgraded and thus under repair at the moment). It in turn is of course affiliated to the Chess Federation of Canada, with its website, and email newsletter, which is not so cheap to produce, but cheaper than the old print magazine.
1) In the case of the RACC club, cheap proactive advertising (e.g. not just hoping passively that people will visit a website) that is not being pursued at the moment afaik includes the use of free advertising on my local community cable channel (my old club in Brampton, years ago at least, used to use such advertising, which pulled in 1 or 2 new members a year on average - in a smaller city than Ottawa). On the other hand, newspaper advertising can be expensive, and even relatively cheaper classified ads are quite possibly less effective than free community channel advertising. A pleasing thought is advertising on Ottawa city buses (inside, or on the outside), but its price ($13 a day I last read, presumably per bus) and the low chance of real success probably makes it a fantasy. Posting chess club advertising in public buildings such as libraries when permitted can be a form of free advertising, but probably it's less effective than free community channel advertising.
The Eastern Ontario Chess Association (EOCA) could proactively advertise it's chess tournaments, if not itself. By proactively, I mean not just on chess websites, or by emailing CFC members who have played in previous EOCA events. For example, the free advertising provided by Ottawa's local TV community channel might be used, if it isn't already. The purpose of proactive advertising for the EOCA would be to get more new players (and new CFC members) for its events, instead of relying quite as heavily on existing CFC members to participate. Most EOCA events are held in Ottawa at the moment, namely at the RACC on weekends, as part of the EOCA tournament Grand Prix schedule of events.
The Ontario Chess Association (OCA) and CFC could, similar to the EOCA, proactively advertise their events as much as is feasible. Sadly, after shedding $100+K not so long ago in a short number of years, the CFC now is not in a position to even dream of doing what I proposed long ago, namely have a ten city newspaper full page ad blitz, with a budget of $1000 per city, proactively advertising local chess club addresses and Canadian chess websites, in the interest of a membership drive (coordinated with simultaneous nationwide simultaneous exhibitions, ideally);
2) Providing a prominent list of chess teachers on Canadian chess sites at all levels, particularly at club level, should be a no-brainer. The CMA website provides a link for its own teachers, although they're not for adult students (except perhaps in the case of private lessons?). The RACC club, for example, might benefit in terms of more new members in the long run if it puts a list of local chess teachers on its website. Local chess teachers could be passively (on the website) or proactively asked to provide their contact details. After taking chess lessons for as long as they like, people may be more likely to want to join or re-join a relatively expensive club to [re-]join such as the RACC. I used to think joining a casual club somewhere in Ottawa, (if any would exist) might serve as a gateway for newbies to graduate to a serious club like the RACC, but a casual club might be low key in any mention of the RACC, if only in order to keep their own members.
The EOCA could have a similar interest in listing chess teachers in the EOCA region on its website, particularly since much EOCA activity occurs just in Ottawa. The OCA and CFC would have less of a priority listing chess teachers, perhaps, since for one thing they provide links to regional or provincial leagues/associations' websites;
3) More team leagues/championships/internet matches can only brighten the Canadian chess scene. The RACC is currently examining the idea of team events, after many years without such in Ottawa. The RACC Constitution in fact makes clear that the RACC takes it upon itself to foster chess in the nation's capital, co-operating with other clubs if possible. The EOCA would have a similar interest in seeing team matches, in Ottawa or in the EOCA region as a whole (there used to be some between Ottawa and Kingston decades ago, I believe). The OCA did at one time or another at least have the occasional Ontario team championship. At the national level there are currently stirrings of interest in team chess, particularly by internet;
4) Providing newsletters or event reports (including for team chess), distributed by email, on websites, or possibly handed out at events, is something that can be done cheaply at the local club level, or for local team leagues for that matter. I used to produce a very short newsletter for my old Brampton club, and one for my old team league, back in the 1980s. The club newsletter had current club tournament standings, a game and a quiz, with answers provided in the following week's newsletter. The team league newsletter was monthly, and it had team standings and a game or two. A newsletter, even if just handouts of annotated games, can't help but brighten things up for a club or a team league, and possibly be used as an attraction to pull in new players, but of course the trick is to find a reliable volunteer (as I was) or someone who does it cheaply.
The RACC, EOCA and OCA as mentioned do have websites, and naturally these could be used to post games, if not newsletters/reports, if only there is the interest to do so. The CFC of course already has a newsletter par excellence, albeit not cheaply.
1) Proactively advertise at low rates where possible (ideally for free);
2) Provide a list of chess teachers prominently on chess websites;
3) Organize team leagues/championships/internet matches;
4) Provide newsletters or event reports (including for team chess), distributed by email, on websites, or possibly handed out at events or clubs.
Let's take these ideas and discuss them as they may be applied to the various levels of organized chess. For the sake of example, let's take the four levels familiar to me in my case. There is my club, the RACC in Ottawa. It has a website, and requires CFC membership to play in its mostly rated events. There is my regional league, the Eastern Ontario Chess Association. It has a website, and is affiliated under my provincial chess association, the Ontario Chess Association, which also has a website (being upgraded and thus under repair at the moment). It in turn is of course affiliated to the Chess Federation of Canada, with its website, and email newsletter, which is not so cheap to produce, but cheaper than the old print magazine.
1) In the case of the RACC club, cheap proactive advertising (e.g. not just hoping passively that people will visit a website) that is not being pursued at the moment afaik includes the use of free advertising on my local community cable channel (my old club in Brampton, years ago at least, used to use such advertising, which pulled in 1 or 2 new members a year on average - in a smaller city than Ottawa). On the other hand, newspaper advertising can be expensive, and even relatively cheaper classified ads are quite possibly less effective than free community channel advertising. A pleasing thought is advertising on Ottawa city buses (inside, or on the outside), but its price ($13 a day I last read, presumably per bus) and the low chance of real success probably makes it a fantasy. Posting chess club advertising in public buildings such as libraries when permitted can be a form of free advertising, but probably it's less effective than free community channel advertising.
The Eastern Ontario Chess Association (EOCA) could proactively advertise it's chess tournaments, if not itself. By proactively, I mean not just on chess websites, or by emailing CFC members who have played in previous EOCA events. For example, the free advertising provided by Ottawa's local TV community channel might be used, if it isn't already. The purpose of proactive advertising for the EOCA would be to get more new players (and new CFC members) for its events, instead of relying quite as heavily on existing CFC members to participate. Most EOCA events are held in Ottawa at the moment, namely at the RACC on weekends, as part of the EOCA tournament Grand Prix schedule of events.
The Ontario Chess Association (OCA) and CFC could, similar to the EOCA, proactively advertise their events as much as is feasible. Sadly, after shedding $100+K not so long ago in a short number of years, the CFC now is not in a position to even dream of doing what I proposed long ago, namely have a ten city newspaper full page ad blitz, with a budget of $1000 per city, proactively advertising local chess club addresses and Canadian chess websites, in the interest of a membership drive (coordinated with simultaneous nationwide simultaneous exhibitions, ideally);
2) Providing a prominent list of chess teachers on Canadian chess sites at all levels, particularly at club level, should be a no-brainer. The CMA website provides a link for its own teachers, although they're not for adult students (except perhaps in the case of private lessons?). The RACC club, for example, might benefit in terms of more new members in the long run if it puts a list of local chess teachers on its website. Local chess teachers could be passively (on the website) or proactively asked to provide their contact details. After taking chess lessons for as long as they like, people may be more likely to want to join or re-join a relatively expensive club to [re-]join such as the RACC. I used to think joining a casual club somewhere in Ottawa, (if any would exist) might serve as a gateway for newbies to graduate to a serious club like the RACC, but a casual club might be low key in any mention of the RACC, if only in order to keep their own members.
The EOCA could have a similar interest in listing chess teachers in the EOCA region on its website, particularly since much EOCA activity occurs just in Ottawa. The OCA and CFC would have less of a priority listing chess teachers, perhaps, since for one thing they provide links to regional or provincial leagues/associations' websites;
3) More team leagues/championships/internet matches can only brighten the Canadian chess scene. The RACC is currently examining the idea of team events, after many years without such in Ottawa. The RACC Constitution in fact makes clear that the RACC takes it upon itself to foster chess in the nation's capital, co-operating with other clubs if possible. The EOCA would have a similar interest in seeing team matches, in Ottawa or in the EOCA region as a whole (there used to be some between Ottawa and Kingston decades ago, I believe). The OCA did at one time or another at least have the occasional Ontario team championship. At the national level there are currently stirrings of interest in team chess, particularly by internet;
4) Providing newsletters or event reports (including for team chess), distributed by email, on websites, or possibly handed out at events, is something that can be done cheaply at the local club level, or for local team leagues for that matter. I used to produce a very short newsletter for my old Brampton club, and one for my old team league, back in the 1980s. The club newsletter had current club tournament standings, a game and a quiz, with answers provided in the following week's newsletter. The team league newsletter was monthly, and it had team standings and a game or two. A newsletter, even if just handouts of annotated games, can't help but brighten things up for a club or a team league, and possibly be used as an attraction to pull in new players, but of course the trick is to find a reliable volunteer (as I was) or someone who does it cheaply.
The RACC, EOCA and OCA as mentioned do have websites, and naturally these could be used to post games, if not newsletters/reports, if only there is the interest to do so. The CFC of course already has a newsletter par excellence, albeit not cheaply.
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