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Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
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---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!
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I think there's a way to set it so that you get an email alert to new private messages.
Which makes the point moot since it was the email address that David wanted in the first place (!). In your scenario the PM system is still beholden to email, or requires that somebody actually log-in to even see that he has one.
Kerry: As long as you don't close the browser window (at least with IE), it keeps track of which stuff you've read even within the threads. In fact I've noticed that when you go from "guest" mode to "logged-in" mode it suddenly doesn't remember what you've read (different flavour of Oreos). I generally keep my browser open ALL the time because you never know when there's going to be an earth-shattering post on Chesstalk.
Steve
P.S. Kerry, do you happen to have a copy of the long-awaited K.S. report about Canadian chess?
When I say sugarcoating, I mean minimizing how much work it takes to do this as an organizer, and understanding that to raise $1000 in sponsorship/donations means you'll have to have 5-10 companies involved, and you will have to contact 50.
If you show the task at hand in that light you are pretty certain to scare everybody off from starting anything. If you tell a kid and his parents that to become a master they will need to spend 15000$ in private tuition and another 10000$ in tournament expenses over the next 5 years, you are pretty sure to scare them away. In real life you take one lesson at a time and one tournament at a time, and you don't worry too much about the next step until it appears on the horizon. Who knows for sure, it might take only half the time and expenses.
Why worry about the 50 companies that you may have to approach, when there is a fair chance that you might be successful with the very first one (especially if you do it right) ? Anything is much easier when you tackle it step by step. In this case, the first step, for beginners like Chris and Hal especially, would be to type "find sponsor" in their search engine. All the information is there. Afterwards all that is left is to put it into practice. :) [/QUOTE]
"Larry Bevand: What do you consider the mandate of the CFC in the next decade?
Sid Belzberg: The most important mandate of the CFC is to raise the profile of Canadian Chess and find more corporate and advertising sponsorship as a result. Their mandate should definitely go beyond only managing the status quo, such as the continuity of ratings, national tournaments and their publication.
Our belief is that the structure of the CFC should change so that decisions can be made faster and acted upon sooner. For example, 65 governors should probably be reduced to a single board of directors with perhaps seven or eight members elected by the members. A CEO with a strong mandate to make decisions accountable to this board of directors representing the CFC membership, very much like the corporate structure of a public company, in our estimation would be far more effective than the existing structure."
It certainly seems that advice "fell on deaf ears".
To get back to the original topic, I intend to make a donation in addition to my share of the Victoria Chess Club contribution already sent in.
This is because I care about our Olympiad team and I admire the dedication of those willing to play for Canada, even at their own expense.
It is shameful for those who claim to care about chess to offer nothing but cynicism towards the fund raising effort.
It renews my faith in human nature to see the governors of the CFC and trustees of the foundation donate their own money to send a team rather than spend the CFC's money.
Possibly a new motto:
The governors and trustees give. The CFC and Foundation invest.
"Larry Bevand: What do you consider the mandate of the CFC in the next decade?
Sid Belzberg: The most important mandate of the CFC is to raise the profile of Canadian Chess and find more corporate and advertising sponsorship as a result. Their mandate should definitely go beyond only managing the status quo, such as the continuity of ratings, national tournaments and their publication.
Our belief is that the structure of the CFC should change so that decisions can be made faster and acted upon sooner. For example, 65 governors should probably be reduced to a single board of directors with perhaps seven or eight members elected by the members. A CEO with a strong mandate to make decisions accountable to this board of directors representing the CFC membership, very much like the corporate structure of a public company, in our estimation would be far more effective than the existing structure."
The email address that Hal gives in his announcement of the Guelph Spring Pro-Am is halbond@sympatico.ca
The private message function of this board has two drawbacks. One is that it doesn't "alert" you in a noticeable way when you have a private message. The second is that you have to be logged in to see that you have one. I don't ususually log in unless I'm posting something. It's easy to go weeks without knowing about a private message.
Steve
If you don't login, won't it fail to keep track of "new" posts? That is the main reason I *do* login... or at least that is supposedly the main reason I have been logging in.
I haven't verified that behaviour lately, but I am sure that when I visit Chesstalk from my netbook computer (which I don't have set to "remember me") I seem to get quite a mixed bag of bolded threads because I am just a random visitor at that point...
If he's really spearheading the effort, he should make his email address more publicly known (I don't see it in any of the threads here).
Hi David:
The email address that Hal gives in his announcement of the Guelph Spring Pro-Am is halbond@sympatico.ca
The private message function of this board has two drawbacks. One is that it doesn't "alert" you in a noticeable way when you have a private message. The second is that you have to be logged in to see that you have one. I don't ususually log in unless I'm posting something. It's easy to go weeks without knowing about a private message.
If he's really spearheading the effort, he should make his email address more publicly known (I don't see it in any of the threads here).
No argument from me about that. As you mention in another thread, there are issues with the CFC website - there have been for years. It wouldn't take all that much time to tidy it up and, more importantly, to keep it a lot more current at all times!
Of course, the counter-argument to that is: why fool with it when they are looking at proposals to create a brand new, all spiffy, content-management system driven website?! A poor argument to be sure, but as usual, if there is any reason not to do something (real or imagined) it likely will not happen.
I don't think I have ever overly sugarcoated anything, but when you believe that you have a good product or a good service to sell, or a good cause to promote, you are legitimately entitled to "sugarcoat" it, that is to present it in the best light possible.
When I say sugarcoating, I mean minimizing how much work it takes to do this as an organizer, and understanding that to raise $1000 in sponsorship/donations means you'll have to have 5-10 companies involved, and you will have to contact 50.
For those amounts, which are often small change for even small or medium size businesses (or for many individuals) do sponsors get "huge value" for their money ? Maybe not huge value, but I would say something between fair and very good. You get what you pay for and sponsors understand that. But very often, sponsors (at large) will support chess just for the sake of it without making detailed assessments of what they get in return.
I am as amazed that I am coming to your point of view that I think you are coming to mine :)
After lots of hard digging we have finally found the chess fan in you. Bravo!Which now leads back to the CFC and its shortcomings.
From a personal level, I certainly am and always have been a chess fan, and I think my posts have always expressed that there are certainly plenty of shortcomings within the CFC. The lack of ability to donate online is just shocking - I mean, how long could it possibly take to set up a paypal account for the CFC? 5 minutes?
If you mean you used the Private Message function of this message board, I would not be surprised if it went not noticed. I am sure I have received PMs that were not accompanied by any sort of pop-up notification or the like (perhaps that would be a function of my browser settings to kill pop-up windows?).
Anyway, I would suggest email as a better means of communication, but as always, YMMV.
If he's really spearheading the effort, he should make his email address more publicly known (I don't see it in any of the threads here).
Finally, to your last questions, in fact I am willing to approach the company I work for about sponsorship of the national team. However, I PM'd Hal Bond on May 9th, 2010 with a few questions to clarify some issues, and received no response of any sort.
...snipped more stuff
If you mean you used the Private Message function of this message board, I would not be surprised if it went not noticed. I am sure I have received PMs that were not accompanied by any sort of pop-up notification or the like (perhaps that would be a function of my browser settings to kill pop-up windows?).
Anyway, I would suggest email as a better means of communication, but as always, YMMV.
Note also, that until yesterday, there was a spate of SPAM messages being delivered by the PM function on this board - that might have contributed to the chance all PMs would be ignored. I believe Chris thinks he has eliminated the loophole/configuration option that permitted PM spam... [edited: the antispam measures I was thinking of were instituted on the *other* board - the CFC forum - where Chris is also the admin... sorry. Perhaps he made a similar "fix" here - I don't know.]
Last edited by Kerry Liles; Thursday, 13th May, 2010, 04:11 PM.
Ah, but actually, the label you give them *does* matter. It shapes how you should approach it, and how you should approach the sponsors, and how you should treat them after you obtain them. It also shapes what you can reasonably expect organizers and sponsorship hunters to obtain.
That I like. You have moved away from the "sponsor-pain in the ass" approach to the techniques of approaching them. Big move. In that context granted, labels matter.
Can sponsors be found? Of course they can. But neither you or anyone else should sugarcoat it and say "hey companies get huge value out of being associated with Canadian chess, you must not be working very hard if you aren't getting them to sign up." Motions like the one the CFC is currently considering make light of the realities of trying to find this kind of sponsorship.
Great. Sponsors can be found. This is positive. I don't think I have ever overly sugarcoated anything, but when you believe that you have a good product or a good service to sell, or a good cause to promote, you are legitimately entitled to "sugarcoat" it, that is to present it in the best light possible. There is nothing wrong with it. If you approach people by starting with the self-defeating: "I know, chess in not very popular in Canada but..." you don't stand a chance. Not only that, chess IS popular in Canada, that is, compared too many other sponsored activities. It is all subjective. One is allowed to use subjective assessments to his advantage.
Another point here that is often overlooked by chess organizers scared by the word "sponsorship" is that in chess we are not looking for the same kind and size of sponsorship that professionnal sports like golf or tennis are getting. We are looking for small amounts from a few hundred dollars to maybe a few tens of thousands dollars for big events. For example, 200$ can make a big difference for a local weekender event by allowing the organizer to give everyone free drinks and snacks during the whole event. This may be enough to make the event shine above the average tournament and make it memorable for everyone. Which the next year leads to a greater turn out.
For those amounts, which are often small change for even small or medium size businesses (or for many individuals) do sponsors get "huge value" for their money ? Maybe not huge value, but I would say something between fair and very good. You get what you pay for and sponsors understand that. But very often, sponsors (at large) will support chess just for the sake of it without making detailed assessments of what they get in return.
Finally, to your last questions, in fact I am willing to approach the company I work for about sponsorship of the national team. However, I PM'd Hal Bond on May 9th, 2010 with a few questions to clarify some issues, and received no response of any sort. Heck, I am probably even willing to make a donation myself - however, when I go to the CFC website, and click on "Donate now!" it does not take me to any way to donate. In this spot I agree with you - while I don't think its necessarily fair to expect organizers to go out and cold approach potential sponsors, it's certainly pretty silly to make it so difficult to donate.
After lots of hard digging we have finally found the chess fan in you. Bravo!Which now leads back to the CFC and its shortcomings. On that it is hard to disagree. The guy you mention will certainly eventually give you an answer now that he is, using his own word "spearheading" the fund raising campaign. Isn't that amusing ? Good luck!
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