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Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
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I used to do more, but I have got jaded as the years go by; Windsor chess desperately needs new blood. Or maybe I need Geritol.
These days, I list upcoming Windsor events, and also selected junior events in Michigan and southern Ontario. I put in brief reports on events that Windsor juniors have played in, usually the parents give me a report, but occasionally I look up crosstables. I update the local ratings page on the rare occasion any Windsorite plays CFC chess.
Alan, I thought I made it clear that I was presenting a CFC Vision as proposed by current CCN Editor, Edward Porper.
However, one point that should be made is that the CFC Governors did have a discussion about a Canadian Chess League. Both Brian Profit and Edward Porper had detailed proposals they presented to the Board.
While Edward and Brian were left to try and work something out that could combine the best of both ideas, we have to realize that Rome wasn't made in a day and this will eventually come to fruition in some format.
I'm a life member. As far as I can see, I cost the CFC nothing, except the miniscule amount needed to keep my name on the list of life members. Am I missing something?
That's a reasonable question.
The way I understand it the life membership money goes to the chess foundation. They invest that money and the proceeds they receive goes to the CFC. That's as far as I know. I had this discussion with a CFC president back in the early 70's.
If you bought your life membership when you were under 31 and paid the current price of around $720.00 it seems like a lot. Around 20 years fees and you win if you live longer. The major point is under the setup, if interest rates or the rate of return the foundation can receive is between 6 and 8 percent the CFC gets between $45. and $55. per year. Not bad. However, the returns these days are more like 1 to 2 percent, if they can get that without going to risky investments. So they get around $8. to $15. on that money.
For life memberships bought between the ages of 41 - 50 it's $540. and a return to the CFC of around $6. to $10. Less on life memberships in the higher age categories.
The amount to run an organization is pretty constant and rises with inflation. They either have to cut services or sign up more members to cover their costs. Those who come next have to pay the price. It's not your problem. You've already paid. (I understand you do a lot of work for chess and what I'm writing isn't personal stuff.)
If you look at the membership stats you'll see almost 25% of the total membership last posted were life and honorary members for the last posted year. Is such a model sustainable?
It depends.
I read that a membership-span of an ordinary member is three years. It would be interesting to know how many years life-members are active by playing.
Roger Patterson, would it be possible to retrieve from the database?
It depends.
I read that a membership-span of an ordinary member is three years. It would be interesting to know how many years life-members are active by playing.
Roger Patterson, would it be possible to retrieve from the database?
Certainly some information along those lines could be retrieved. What the database stores is current membership status but not when the life membership was bought (and a fairly big percentage of life memberships were not bought but bestowed by virtue of being an IM or GM.)
So, an activity report for life members could be generated but would not indicate how many years of activity since the life membership was bought. I'll work something out but offhand, some previous work indicated that roughly 90% of life members are inactive (or even dead).
Certainly some information along those lines could be retrieved. What the database stores is current membership status but not when the life membership was bought (and a fairly big percentage of life memberships were not bought but bestowed by virtue of being an IM or GM.)
So, an activity report for life members could be generated but would not indicate how many years of activity since the life membership was bought. I'll work something out but offhand, some previous work indicated that roughly 90% of life members are inactive (or even dead).
Roger, since he's replying to what I wrote, what possible difference can the length of time a person was active make? Possibly they wanted the members discount for supplies from the CFC. Possibly they were under the illusion the printed magazine would be forever.
I've had a CCCA life membership for the last 30 or more years. For close to 10 of those years I didn't play but I got the magazine and kept track. I would have renewed my membership yearly.
What's happening here is he can't attack the math so he's trying to get you to produce a set of stats and then he'll see if he can use them to make an argument.
Roger, since he's replying to what I wrote, what possible difference can the length of time a person was active make? Possibly they wanted the members discount for supplies from the CFC. Possibly they were under the illusion the printed magazine would be forever.
I've had a CCCA life membership for the last 30 or more years. For close to 10 of those years I didn't play but I got the magazine and kept track. I would have renewed my membership yearly.
What's happening here is he can't attack the math so he's trying to get you to produce a set of stats and then he'll see if he can use them to make an argument.
It's a pretty simple argument Gary: If a person buys a life membership for a big amount of money but only winds up playing for a small number of years (and if he had not bought a life membership, would have quit buying annual memberships), it's a win for the CFC.
To tell you the truth Fred, I had been responding to your polls but one this thread started and I read Porper's comments presented as a "serious" goal, I just gave up. The discussion is so far away from any reasonable analysis we might as well be in different galaxies. I mean really, a primary goal of the magazine, consuming close to 100% of the CFC discretionary spending is to promote a professional league? A goal that is not being sought by the CFC and has never been discussed by the governors? I can't believe you take it seriously.
My two cents:
- The CFC does not need a magazine that provides instructional material. There are any number of sites, books, videos, et al. that provide instructional material. No value added.
- The CFC does not need a magazine that reports on international news.
- It is not a goal of the CFC magazine to provide income for players writing articles.
- Talk of increasing the magazine budget, as done here, is not in the realm of reality.
- Rather than relying on polls etc., the CFC as an organization needs to decide what it is trying to accomplish with a magazine and then do it. Right now, there is no mission statement for the magazine - and I completely discount Porper's statment as being fanciful and not congruent with the resources and mission of the CFC. Right now, we have a magazine, well, because we have a magazine, not because of any underlying goal . Any such goal must be grounded in reality and not some fanciful meandering as in the starting posts of this thread. And of course, it may well be, (and my personal opinion) that a magazine is not requried at all.
In addition, the discussion should be framed not as in what the magazine could be but it terms of what we give up in having the magazine - money for the Canadian Closed, Olympiad team, or other programs.
What Roger said. (I agree)
A lot of the content is superfluous and/or not 'Canadian'.
Has the cost per member of the magazine been disclosed ?
If interested people look at the Foundation's annual reports on the CFC website, they will see that the Foundation earns about 4% annually on the assets. The correct term for the earnings is "income", not "interest" because the earnings comprise both interest and dividends.
There have also been some capital gains that have kept us ahead of inflation.
We only enrol 4 or 5 new life members every year and those members' contributions produce an infinite stream of income. I am not sure what motivates individuals to purchase life memberships but I like to think that part of the reason is a desire to make a lasting contribution to chess in Canada
It's a pretty simple argument Gary: If a person buys a life membership for a big amount of money but only winds up playing for a small number of years (and if he had not bought a life membership, would have quit buying annual memberships), it's a win for the CFC.
If that's the definition of a win and you're right about around 90 per cent being inactive the organization has won the lottery. I never looked at it that way.
If that's the definition of a win and you're right about around 90 per cent being inactive the organization has won the lottery. I never looked at it that way.
Be more optimistic. You can not loose much in the bank, it is not the CFC :D
As for an activity argument - it was flowing in the air for a long time though without much evidences.
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