The vision thing

[Gary Ruben]

Re: The vision thing

Could children enrolled French immersion enter? They would qualify as being fluent in French.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: The vision thing

"Sticking with the tried and true may help us sleep better
at night, but it stifles innovation and makes it hard to make the big
bets necessary to move the needle on the serious problems we face.
A fearless approach embraces new people and unlikely partnerships,
recognizing that innovation comes from new combinations."
http://befearless.casefoundation.org...principles.pdf

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: The vision thing

It looks like anyone could enter - as long as they communicated in French at the event. Looking at the crosstables, there appear to be lots of Anglo names - but not one of Chinese (or any Asian) origin - and few of non-French European origin.

(I remember a Montreal parent jokingly suggesting that a tournament be organized in which the kid's family name had to be longer than 4 letters - a more "politically correct" way of excluding (most) players of Chinese origin, since they were winning all the trophies).

[Gary Hua]

Re: The vision thing

You can't gain as many CFC members as possible if you don't reach more people who are potential members. Based on my experience emailing people for the membership drive my current feeling is that we have to do a better job of retaining members because once they leave they are harder to bring back as compared to the effort in obtaining a new member. This is somewhat contrary to what most of the marketing experts suggest when talking about the situation in most businesses.



The CFC can strive to convert some of them into CFC members. To do that you need to gain visibility with them. They have to know that you exist. Then you have to convince that joining the CFC and playing in OTB tournaments is a desirable option for them.



The CFC has managed only a few crumbs directed towards elite Canadian chess. This is understandable as you don't expect the starving to offer a banquet to anyone. We need to change the status quo. Ten thousand members with many of them being juniors would suggest an annual budget of about ten times what we enjoy now. At that point and at many points along the way we can start to do things to support our elite players (like paying for the Olympiad teams or lining up sponsors ahead of time so the players don't have to take out a mortgage on their house to pay for the out of pocket expenses of representing Canada).

Tennis Canada has a well developed program of community champions and resources for coaches to promote the game in local communities across the country. They give organizers a step by step approach for setting up youth training programs.

To build a tennis community you need some rather expensive facilities. To build a chess community you only need a room or a few rooms on a regular basis. They have a much more daunting task in front of them than we do when we wish to expand into an area that doesn't have much organized chess.

Hi Vlad,

As you are the President of CFC now, are we going in the right direction now with this vision thing ?

Gary

[Gary Hua]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

Goals for the here and now are not typically part of the strategic or long term plan until you set the long term targets. The here and now then becomes a way station on the path to that wonderful future. The here and now goals are usually part of the business plan for the year which is not really what we have been charged with though it seems to me that a few of the items in the long term plan that seemed pie in the sky are actually achievable in the short term based on what I have seen recently.

We are still at the throwing stuff against the wall phase and seeing what sticks. Your thoughts are welcome and helpful.



Perhaps something along the lines of the following?

What are the CFC’s primary/core accountabilities?

The CFC is the governing body for chess in Canada.

Governance of rules for national competitions (eligibility, formats, time controls, etc) and general rules of the game within Canada.

Affiliated with and the primary Canadian liason with the World Chess Federation (FIDE)

Maintenance of a national rating system

Publication of a website and member forums and provision of other member services such as the email newsletter which can be used to keep members informed of the happenings in Canadian chess

Outreach to enhance the popularity of the game in Canada. At the moment we are not doing this as an organization.

Sanctioning and coordination of activities with provincial and regional bodies.

KEY PRIORITIES DURING PLANNING PERIOD
1. Regain charitable status or some equivalent.
2. Secure corporate sponsorship
3. Adjust membership fees and options to optimal level so members/potential members see the value proposition.
4. Develop specific outreach programs to improve top of mind awareness rankings among the general population.
5. Support top players on world stage and ensure media coverage of chess events.
6. Focus on chess evangelism and education particularly in the key demographic of children.



Tennis Canada, Hockey Canada and even Golf Canada seem to disagree with you on that point for their sports and quite frankly they are doing a better job of promoting and getting sponsorship and infrastructure than we have been. If we keep doing the same things we are going to keep getting the same results that we have in the past. A couple of book titles come to mind: "Always Change A Losing Game." and "Do One Thing Different."



The first step in changing that is to acknowledge the truth of that fact and to take steps and find ways to tap into that very large market that we are currently ignoring.




You obviously haven't been reading Kevin Spraggett's blog. Lots of people and organizations are doing just that but they are not terribly effective at the moment. Being lazy and going ahead and let them do it is a scenario for more of the same pathetic results. The predictable end results of that strategy will be to ask the last person left standing to remember to turn out the lights on his way out the door.



I am talking about actions that increase the base. Norm tournaments are really only relevant to 0.2% of the current membership and would not be sustainable without building up the base to make us more attractive to sponsors.



To publicize key benefits of chess to a potential chessplayer, sponsor and the public at large is an appropriate goal for the CFC and one which most successful sport marketers manage to do for their own sports.

Hi Vlad,

Referring to the 6 key priorities, I really hope CFC is doing something about it. It will be fantastic if the 6 priorities are focus and act on. With this, I am sure, chess in Canada will definitely have a fight to be the top 10 countries in the world.

Gary

[Gary Hua]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

CFC Goals

To promote and showcase chess across Canada and to encourage the knowledge, study and play of chess at the recreational, amateur and elite levels for adults and children of all ages and genders

Encouraging lifetime participation in chess for everyone.

Raising visibility and top of mind awareness of chess in Canada and improving the image of chess in the media and among the general population.

Development, training and retention of young players of both genders as active members of the chess community

Promoting and publicizing the mental health and academic benefits of chess for its participants.

Development of volunteers, organizers, tournament directors and other partners and infrastructure which will allow players the opportunity to study, learn and play chess.

Emphasis on the long term and investment of program funds with full transparency of how funds are spent and assurance that members and participants receive value for money spent.

Focus on targeted fund-raising activities such as campaigns to raise the funds to send a men’s and women’s team to each Olympiad.

Awesome goals !!!

[Hans Jung]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

I dont know where I was when this thread was active, anyways I missed it. Thanks for bringing it up again and I note the large variety of respondents. In the six priorities listed above - not mentioned but I think the biggest priority is getting organizers on the same page. Yes I know Windsor has an excellent model but has anybody reached out to contact organizers in other communities - find out what they are doing - encouraging them at their level of organizing or lack of it. Making meetings happen and fun and interesting even if it is done over the internet - CONNECTING THE ORGANIZERS (not the big wheels who are already successful but the little budding ones who dont have big teams is a big priority - maybe problem solving so they can grow) What do you say Mr. President? I notice you started this thread before you became president. How are you doing with these resolutions? I think a BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD of ORGANIZERS ACROSS CANADA is the biggest priority.

[Gary Hua]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

Hi Vlad,

let's re-look at your vision before becoming the president of CFC last year ( refer above ). I was very encouraged by your vision and goals for chess in Canada at that time.....and I still hope that I may be wrong.

I am not sure if Sasha can achieve his plans which one of them is to increase the membership to 5000 in the short term and then to 10,000 in the longer period time frame. It's always easy to talk than implementation.

I really hope both of you will really do something great for chess in Canada and the ultimate aim will be to promote chess aggressively to the public especially the younger generations as I always believe that " CHESS is a WAY of LIFE " and there are way too many benefits in chess for chess not to be promote to the public and especially in school.

We should take the opportunity of parading our champions to the youngster for them to get interested in chess. I believe there are huge markets in Canada and it's just that many of them do not even know what is CFC or CMA.

Take for example, I recently got to know that there is a school where there are a hundred of kids playing chess in that school tournament ( ONE school alone ) but majority of them are not CFC members or even play in CMA tournaments. They don't know about CFC just because there are no information at all or publicity in any school for that matter.

So are we able to achieve the "awesome " goals set by Vlad in the coming future....

Let's see

Gary

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

Gary, I am the CFC president. I am not superman. I am not aware of every pool of chessplayers across Canada. If you are waiting for me to do something about the school with 100 kids playing chess well I am busy with similar situations in Windsor. We are reaching those pools of kids but even here we are only scratching the surface. As Halldor Palsson said in an earlier post we are only as strong as the volunteers that we have running and organizing tournaments and I would add teaching chess.

The CFC rises and falls with people like John Coleman, Zoltan Kiraly, Istvan Kiraly, Herb Alice, Alan Baljeu, Les Mohacsy, and myself in Windsor. The CFC has a discretionary budget of less than $10,000 after we pay for all of the expenses and this year much of it will be absorbed paying for the Olympiad team. Next year we will have much less because of the requirements of the NFP act and mandates from FIDE America.

Apparently Windsor is typical of the rest of Canada as far as adult chessplayers are concerned with a handful in a population of some 200,000 people. It would have been much worse a year or two ago but adults are getting excited about chess along with their children and with the kids that they are coaching. We have 27 kids going to CYCC from Windsor which is 9% of the total of 305 kids going from across Canada. If the rest of Canada sent kids to CYCC at the same rate as Windsor we would have 4800 players at CYCC. We are doing our part. Corinna Wan, Yura Ochkoos, Bob Gillanders, Hal Bond, Michael Egorov, Ted Winick and so many more are doing their part. Lets have more people match them for enthusiasm and organization. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.

Every CFC member, every parent of a CFC member has to be an evangelist for chess in Canada.

[Tom O'Donnell]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

The CYCC should have the best say 20 players in each age group as it is a national championship. Not simply every kid who knows how the castling rule works. I try to discourage all of my students who don't have a hope of winning the tournament from participating. There are far, far better tournaments for that sort of money.

Apparently Windsor is typical of the rest of Canada as far as adult chessplayers are concerned with a handful in a population of some 200,000 people. It would have been much worse a year or two ago but adults are getting excited about chess along with their children and with the kids that they are coaching. We have 27 kids going to CYCC from Windsor which is 9% of the total of 305 kids going from across Canada. If the rest of Canada sent kids to CYCC at the same rate as Windsor we would have 4800 players at CYCC.

[Michael Barron]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

Lets have more people match them for enthusiasm and organization. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.

Vlad, you're right when you say so!
Still, you're turning down volunteers who want to form CFC Youth Committee and help you develop junior chess in Canada... :(

As you know, your deeds speak louder than you words.
Or you say so only for the election campaign?

[Gary Hua]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

Gary, I am the CFC president. I am not superman. I am not aware of every pool of chessplayers across Canada. If you are waiting for me to do something about the school with 100 kids playing chess well I am busy with similar situations in Windsor. We are reaching those pools of kids but even here we are only scratching the surface. As Halldor Palsson said in an earlier post we are only as strong as the volunteers that we have running and organizing tournaments and I would add teaching chess.

The CFC rises and falls with people like John Coleman, Zoltan Kiraly, Istvan Kiraly, Herb Alice, Alan Baljeu, Les Mohacsy, and myself in Windsor. The CFC has a discretionary budget of less than $10,000 after we pay for all of the expenses and this year much of it will be absorbed paying for the Olympiad team. Next year we will have much less because of the requirements of the NFP act and mandates from FIDE America.

Apparently Windsor is typical of the rest of Canada as far as adult chessplayers are concerned with a handful in a population of some 200,000 people. It would have been much worse a year or two ago but adults are getting excited about chess along with their children and with the kids that they are coaching. We have 27 kids going to CYCC from Windsor which is 9% of the total of 305 kids going from across Canada. If the rest of Canada sent kids to CYCC at the same rate as Windsor we would have 4800 players at CYCC. We are doing our part. Corinna Wan, Yura Ochkoos, Bob Gillanders, Hal Bond, Michael Egorov, Ted Winick and so many more are doing their part. Lets have more people match them for enthusiasm and organization. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.

Every CFC member, every parent of a CFC member has to be an evangelist for chess in Canada.

Hi Vlad,

Thanks for your prompt reply. What I am doing is just re visiting your goals for CFC if and when you do become the CFC president. I am just hoping that CFC as the umbrella of the chess in Canada will do more especially for the kids in Canada. I know Windsor is doing a great job and the issue is how should you or CFC or what can be done to duplicate this phenomenon to other parts of Canada ?

We are of course happy what Windsor has achieved for the past few years and we yearn for what is happening in Windsor to happen in other parts of Canada. You kept mentioning how great Windsor is in producing players but we want you to be president for all of Canada not just for Windsor.

No disrespect to you but I as a chess parent and a chess enthusiast hope to see more growth in chess in Canada.

We should really have more publicity for our champions like Harmony, Nameer, Razvan Jason Cao and so many other excellent players so that the youngster can look up upon them.

You don't get a world champion in Canada for many sports and it is so exciting to see these young world champions.

I would actually hope to see you in an interview as president of CFC together with Harmony Zhu. That will have been a great publicity.

When I mentioned that there are schools who has so many youngster playing in a school tournament that means that there are such huge potential but because of lack of information, they don't go for it and they don't even know what CFC stands for. I spoke to these parents personally.

I am not against anyone but just hope that your vision and goals can be achieve in the near future. What do you say ?

I would love to work together with you in promoting chess in Canada anytime though I am a novice and just a small fry.

I hope you don't get me wrong

Gary

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

Vlad, you're right when you say so!
Still, you're turning down volunteers who want to form CFC Youth Committee and help you develop junior chess in Canada... :(

I am not turning away volunteers. I have accepted them or at least the ones who have emailed me. What I am not accepting is your attempt to bend the rules contrary to the law. The law really has changed. You need to adjust your approach.

As you know, your deeds speak louder than you words.
Or you say so only for the election campaign?

Is it your contention that you are above the law and can just ignore the rules? That is how it seems to me that you are thinking.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

Hi Vlad,

Thanks for your prompt reply. What I am doing is just re visiting your goals for CFC if and when you do become the CFC president. I am just hoping that CFC as the umbrella of the chess in Canada will do more especially for the kids in Canada. I know Windsor is doing a great job and the issue is how should you or CFC or what can be done to duplicate this phenomenon to other parts of Canada ?

People are doing it especially in BC, Kitchener/Guelph, Toronto area (I envy the ability to play 200 games in one year there because of all the different clubs).

We are of course happy what Windsor has achieved for the past few years and we yearn for what is happening in Windsor to happen in other parts of Canada. You kept mentioning how great Windsor is in producing players but we want you to be president for all of Canada not just for Windsor.

Producing players across Canada requires people on the ground in each community. You can't do it from the top down other than pointing out and sharing what works which I have done and am continuing to do. I talk to people who are doing the same things that we are doing on a regular basis.

No disrespect to you but I as a chess parent and a chess enthusiast hope to see more growth in chess in Canada.

I would like to see it also.

We should really have more publicity for our champions like Harmony, Nameer, Razvan Jason Cao and so many other excellent players so that the youngster can look up upon them.

I mentioned Harmony and Jason when I had television interviews but my hour long interview wound up as a few seconds of edited camera time and I don't blame them as my student Rohan stole the show and deservedly so.

You don't get a world champion in Canada for many sports and it is so exciting to see these young world champions.

It is and then the journalists want to talk about space aliens.

I would actually hope to see you in an interview as president of CFC together with Harmony Zhu. That will have been a great publicity.

That would be me trying to steal her limelight. She is more of a delight on camera than I am. I will mention her at every opportunity but the camera would rather let her be herself. Its much more interesting than a fat old man like myself. Though I must say that I have had more interviews on television, radio and print than any recent CFC president.

When I mentioned that there are schools who has so many youngster playing in a school tournament that means that there are such huge potential but because of lack of information, they don't go for it and they don't even know what CFC stands for. I spoke to these parents personally.

I am not against anyone but just hope that your vision and goals can be achieve in the near future. What do you say ?

I would love to work together with you in promoting chess in Canada anytime though I am a novice and just a small fry.

You are not a novice or small fry. You can do exactly what we are doing in Windsor and achieve the same results. We are not keeping any secrets. Its mostly finding adults of all levels of chess strength and knowledge that care about the kids and getting parents involved and building friendships and a social atmosphere. You can get involved in CFC governance or simply talk to your voting members with your concerns. We seem at the edge of a big breakthrough. Perhaps this year.

I hope you don't get me wrong

Gary

I don't get you wrong but I do need your help.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: CFC Goals Am I Missing Anything?

The CYCC should have the best say 20 players in each age group as it is a national championship. Not simply every kid who knows how the castling rule works. I try to discourage all of my students who don't have a hope of winning the tournament from participating. There are far, far better tournaments for that sort of money.

How do you decide who has a hope of winning?