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Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
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---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!
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Fred is correct in his assessment that I am willing to participate positively in my role as Past President. I just need somebody else to sit in the big chair. :D
... It's interesting to note that Serge's platform is on the CFC Forum, and has not received any negative comments there. ...
Which doesn't necessarily mean support for Serge. With a few exceptions (e.g. you, Ken Craft, Bob G., etc.), a lot of governors seem to be wary of taking the plunge into the talk boards.
"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." - Aesop
"Only the dead have seen the end of war." - Plato
"If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." - Thomas De Quincey
It is discouraging indeed to see that the actual membership number declined,
Do you have names who did not renew their membership? Have they been contacted?
2010 - 975 (regular)
2011 - 956
Total - -19
However, there were gains in Life (+4), Family (+21), and Honorary (+1).
I still do not completely understand Junior and Participating Junior switch. (I think Participating Junior have both adult and juniors tournament fees)
Do you have numbers for collected adult single tournaments fees.
Which doesn't necessarily mean support for Serge. With a few exceptions (e.g. you, Ken Craft, Bob G., etc.), a lot of governors seem to be wary of taking the plunge into the talk boards.
With good reason. Most of the people who I talk to seem to think that the negative energy makes it not worth getting involved in. They have their opinions but they don't want to have to suffer the consequences of those opinions which is fine. It is probably a wise choice built around the observation that when you argue with a fool, there are two fools arguing.
Quite perturbing. As a member of the CFC, I feel as though my voice needs to be heard. And yet... it is not. :-/
This is the way the system works:
At the BCCF Annual Meeting between rounds of the Keres, the BC Governors to the CFC were elected. Maybe you even sacrificed a meal, attended, and voted for a Governor. You can approach any of those Governors and express your preference for CFC Presidential voting. It is true that the Governor is not bound by your advice. Once you've elected him (or her), she is a free agent, not beholden to anybody. But, personally, using my years as a CFC Governor as a guide, I'd have to say that a governor who was approached by a member with a cogent argument to vote for a particular candidate would be so shocked (by this level of interest) that she will probably vote for that candidate. The well-organized minority, the squeaky wheel... Thus multiplying your influence, your voice, by 50.
At the BCCF Annual Meeting between rounds of the Keres, the BC Governors to the CFC were elected. Maybe you even sacrificed a meal, attended, and voted for a Governor.....
Your experience probably tells you if Lucas was there or not. (no). We did make quorum this time though without having to press gang people like last year. Although "election" of governors is a strong word considering the exercise mostly consists of twisting people's arms to stand.
Do you have names who did not renew their membership? Have they been contacted?
2010 - 975 (regular)
2011 - 956
Total - -19
However, there were gains in Life (+4), Family (+21), and Honorary (+1).
I still do not completely understand Junior and Participating Junior switch. (I think Participating Junior have both adult and juniors tournament fees)
Do you have numbers for collected adult single tournaments fees.
Well, you do realize there would be more than 19 adult members who did not renew. Some of the 956 adult members may have been juniors last year, or adults renewing after an absence of several years, or someone new just taking up chess for the first time. Renewable notices are sent out monthly for those member due for renewal.
I am very interested in the stats surrounding our membership retention rates, why do members renew or don't renew. This is a big project to undertake, and there is always something more urgent to attend to. Nevertheless, if someone is willing to assist with this project, send me an email. :D
In terms of per capita equality you should probably make adjustments for:
a) the FQE. Assuming you were working on Canada's total pop, this adjusts the number to something like 6000.
b) juniors. I don't know what the uscf policy on this is but if their junior tournaments typically require membership versus the cfc policy of not requiring membership, this would account for much of the rest of the discrepancy.
Canada's official population is about 11% of that of the U.S. so lets call it 6,600 CFC members with the FQE adjustment and 8,800 without. My impression of the U.S. is that the greater numbers are largely a phenomenon of more adults playing most likely because there are many more opportunities to play. There is some dropoff of the kids but many of them seem to return after they do their non-chess thing for a while.
I am very interested in the stats surrounding our membership retention rates, why do members renew or don't renew. This is a big project to undertake, and there is always something more urgent to attend to. Nevertheless, if someone is willing to assist with this project, send me an email. :D
As a Governor I once made up a questionnaire for ex-members that the old CFC office in Ottawa sent out, but, alas, the then ED never found the time to share the results with any of the governors, including myself, afaik.
Bob, if you can find a way to ensure that such work won't go to waste again, I can (at the least) help you formulate such a questionnaire, if it's feasible, useful and would help, in your opinion.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
Quite perturbing. As a member of the CFC, I feel as though my voice needs to be heard. And yet... it is not. :-/
Lucas - don't be fooled by all the negative rhetoric on chesstalk. The executive and governors welcome input from members. If you plan to play in the Canadian Open next month, that would be a perfect opportunity for you to attend our annual general meeting (AGM). It is open to members to attend. You are most welcome. If you can't attend, take Jonathan's advice, and speak with one of your 5 BC governors.
As a Governor I once made up a questionnaire for ex-members that the old CFC office in Ottawa sent out, but, alas, the then ED never found the time to share the results with any of the governors, including myself, afaik.
Bob, if you can find a way to ensure that such work won't go to waste again, I can (at the least) help you formulate such a questionnaire, if it's feasible, useful and would help, in your opinion.
Thanks Kevin. Let's put this project on our agenda to start in August. :)
Lucas - don't be fooled by all the negative rhetoric on chesstalk. The executive and governors welcome input from members. If you plan to play in the Canadian Open next month, that would be a perfect opportunity for you to attend our annual general meeting (AGM). It is open to members to attend. You are most welcome. If you can't attend, take Jonathan's advice, and speak with one of your 5 BC governors.
You want to retain members? I highly recommend doing what the USCF does with its rating page. They have a norm system for players. You achieve I think 5 norms and you earn the class title. It gives people something to shoot for. I have a bunch of US students whom I teach online. Some of them are adults. Pretty much every one of them - including the adults - are psyched to make norms and get the class titles.
"Tom is a well known racist, and like most of them he won't admit it, possibly even to himself." - Ed Seedhouse, October 4, 2020.
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