New South Wales
Chess Association Inc.
Minutes of the
Annual General Meeting 26 November 2006
Meeting: The Meeting was held at the Ryde-Eastwood
Leagues Club,
Present
Council Members: Bill Gletsos, Norman Greenwood, Peter Cassettari, Rick Keuning, Keith Farrell, Tom Accola and Gareth Charles..
Other Members: Brian Jones, Shane Burgess, David Evans, Alfred Flatow, Jason Hu, Les Porter, Lachlan Benson, Johnny Bolens, Joshua Christensen, Sami Ullah, Vilko Salecich, Thomas Hartmann, Jason Chan, Dragan Djukovic, Stevan Jovanovic and Vladimir Smirnov.
1. Welcome and Apologies
Bill Gletsos as President and Chairman declared the Meeting open at 2.35pm and welcomed Members to the Meeting.
Apologies for
non-attendance were received from Richard Gastineau-Hills, Steve Carratt, Brett
Tindall, Andrew Bird and Laura Moylan.
2. Confirmation of the
Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
The Minutes of the 2005 Annual General Meeting were available at the Meeting and had been on the NSWCA website for almost twelve months.
Motion: That the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 27 November 2005 be accepted and signed as a correct and true record (Moved Lachlan Benson, seconded Shane Burgess) Carried.
3. President’s Report
Bill Gletsos gave a verbal Presidential Report. He highlighted the following matters.
a)
Finances
The NSWCA had incurred a substantial loss, mainly from tournaments.
The Treasurer will be tabling the Accounts and reporting more fully. The 2005
State Championship, Ryde-Eastwood Open and Ralph Seberry Memorial incurred
losses totaling around $3,000. Major losses in 2006 were incurred on the City
of
b)
Membership
Membership numbers had decreased this year by 10 to 15 Members.
c)
Tournaments
There may have been too many tournaments in June/July 2006. The C J S Purdy Centenary will not be repeated for 2007. There will have to be an improvement in advertising and promoting tournaments.
City of
NSW Championship – The State Championship is still planned as a nine rounds tournament. It was considered that there should be at least one slow play tournament on the Calendar.
Grade Matches – The numbers were down for 2006. The previous year was the highest
for a number of years. Some Clubs reduced their number of teams and there were
Clubs such as
d)
Newsletter
Trent Parker had commenced producing the Newsletter and after his resignation from Council, the production was taken over by Gareth Charles and Laura Moylan
e)
Membership Cards
Membership Cards were introduced during the year. Thanks to Laura Moylan and Rick Keuning for producing them.
f)
Appreciation and Thanks
Bill Gletsos thanked all Council Members for their work and effort during the year.
4. Treasurer’s Report
The Financial Report comprising the Statement of Financial Position at 31 July 2006 (Balance Sheet) and Statement of Financial Performance for the year ended 31 July 2006 (Statement of Income & Expenditure) and the Report by the independent Auditor thereon had been circulated to Members present. The Report showed that the Association had incurred a loss for the year of $11,248 as compared to earning a profit of $4,057 for the previous year. The loss from tournaments was about $11,000.
Bill Gletsos commented that tournaments are more successful out in the West and the numbers were worst when events were moved to the City and the East.
Motion: That the
Treasurer’s Report be accepted (Moved David Evans, seconded Rick Keuning) Carried.
5. Other Office Bearers’
Reports
Registrar’s Report
The Registrar reported that the Membership for last year was 385, being 12 less than the previous year.
In the Grade Match competition, the teams entered were eleven down from the previous year. The reason that Rooty Hill Club entered a lower number of teams was travel.
Webmaster’s Report
Keith Farrell reported that the change in Webmaster mid-year went smoothly.
6. Determination of Annual
Membership and Club Affiliation Fees for 2007
The President reported that the Council had recommended that the fees remain the same as the previous year.
Motion: That the Membership Fees and Affiliation Fees remain the same as the previous year (Moved Shane Burgess, seconded Les Porter) Carried.
7. Election of Office
Bearers for 2007
It was agreed that Bill Gletsos remain in the Chair.
President – Bill Gletsos (Proposed Shane Burgess, seconded David Evans) Carried.
Vice-President – Jason Hu
(Proposed Shane Burgess, seconded Joshua Christensen) Carried.
Treasurer – Norman
Greenwood (Proposed Rick Keuning, seconded Keith Farrell) Carried.
Secretary- Tom Accola
(Proposed Norman Greenwood, seconded Shane Burgess) Carried.
Registrar – Peter Cassettari (Proposed Keith Farrell, seconded Shane Burgess) Carried.
Ratings Officer – Steve Carratt (Proposed Shane Burgess, seconded Jason Hu) Carried.
Webmaster – Rick Keuning (Proposed Keith Farrell, seconded Les Porter) Carried.
Tournaments Officer – Brett
Tindall (Proposed Rick Keuning, seconded Norman Greenwood) Carried.
Communications Officer – Laura
Moylan (Proposed Shane Burgess, seconded Rick Keuning) Carried.
Publicity Officer – Gareth
Charles (Proposed Keith Farrell, seconded Shane Burgess) Carried.
Club Liaison Officer – Shane
Burgess (Proposed Rick Keuning, seconded Peter Casettari) Carried.
Country Representative – Keith
Farrell (Proposed Rick Keuning, seconded Les Porter) Carried.
Member Without Portfolio – No nomination – declared vacant.
8. Appointment of Auditor
Motion: That Ross A
Hamilton, Chartered Accountant be appointed Auditor for the ensuing year
(Proposed Fred Flatow, seconded Jason Hu) Carried.
9. Appointment of Appeals
Committee
The following nominations for the Appeals Committee were made.
Richard
Gastineau-Hills (Proposed Peter Cassettari, seconded
Bill Gletsos
(Proposed Shane Burgess, seconded Jason Hu) Carried.
Jason Hu
(Proposed Rick Keuning, seconded Shane Burgess) Carried.
Alternates -
Shane Burgess (Proposed Rick Keuning, seconded Norman Greenwood) Carried.
Rick Keuning (proposed Keith Farrell, seconded Brian Jones) Carried.
Bill Gletsos advised that there had been one appeal during the year and it had been dismissed.
The matter of mobile telephones ringing at tournaments was raised. Bill Gletsos advised that the FIDE Laws stated that a player lost the game if the mobile phone rang and there had been local debate whether the inbuilt alarm in a phone going off constituted a ring. However the Chairman of the FIDE Rules Commission who was also the Chief Arbiter at the recent Turin Olympiad had informed players that they should switch off their mobile phones and inbuilt alarms. In line with this the NSWCA Council will be informing its arbiters to make similar announcements at the start of the round that players switch off their mobiles, including the inbuilt alarm. Brian Jones queried the situation with regards other electronic devices. Bill Gletsos responded that FIDE only stipulated an explicit penalty in the rules with regards a ringing mobile phone and that penalties for using other electronic devices was at the discretion of the arbiter, including players caught cheating.
Brian Jones suggested that a notice should be displayed at tournaments stating items not allowed to be brought into the playing area.
10. Other Business
a) 2007 NSW Open
David Evans raised the matter of the proposed venue for the 2007 NSW Open.
The President
responded that the Council is considering holding the event in a hotel at
b) State Championship
Brian Jones pointed out that 19 of the top rated players in NSW did not play in the State Championship and the suggested that the Council should do something about it as with 19 of the top players not playing, the event is losing its impetus.
The President responded that the State Championship has not worked properly for the last two years and this year the tournament had to be run as a 10 player round robin event.
Fred Flatow
commented that he plays at Club level only. V Smirnov, winner of the recent
Ford competition at
It was agreed that Brett Tindall should talk to the top players for their views and the matter be followed up. Brian Jones advised that he may be able to find a sponsor if the tournament is changed.
c) Aged Pensioners
Discount for Entry to Tournaments
Shane Burgess supported by David Evans proposed that retired pensioners be allowed to participate in tournaments at the same rate as Juniors.
Peter Cassettari spoke against the idea as the reduced rate could affect the prize fund and his past experience was that reduced rates are not successful in increasing number of entries. Shane Burgess commented that he meant it to apply to aged pensioners only and not to unemployed or disability pensioners.
The President suggested that the matter could be introduced on a trial basis for the January 2007 Weekender and proposed that Aged Pensioners be allowed a discounted rate but not 20% as is the current discount for Juniors. He suggested that the discount for Juniors and Aged Pensioners be fixed at 15% rounded. e.g. an adult entry fee of $55 would be reduced by 15%, i.e. $8.25 and it be rounded to $8 making the entry fee $47 instead of $55 for Aged Pensioners and $47 for Juniors instead of $44. Shane Burgess suggested $50 for Juniors and $45 for Aged Pensioners.
Motion: That Council look
to implementing an Aged Pensioner discount and to review the Junior Rate (Moved
Shane Burgess, seconded David Evans) Carried.
d) ACF Delegate for NSWCA
Brian Jones raised the matter that the NSWCA Delegate to the ACF should be a person elected to the NSWCA by NSWCA Members. He advised that he is not happy that Richard Gastineau-Hills, who is appointed to the NSWCA Council by the NSW Junior Chess League, is the NSWCA Delegate to the ACF, in that he is a person not elected to the NSWCA Council by NSWCA Members.
Motion: That the ACF
Delegate must be an elected Office-bearer or Member of NSWCA (Moved Brian
Jones, seconded Shane Burgess) Motion
lost 5 in favour, 9 against.
e) Discounted Tournament
Entry Fees
Johnny Bolens proposed the idea that players have a discussion with the DOP prior to the commencement of a tournament as to how much to pay for the entry fee and gave the example that an adult entry fee of $60 could be discounted to $25/35 on the understanding that upon winning the tournament, the full fee will be payable. The President commented that DOPs have no discretion in regard to entry fees and have no influence in running the finances of a tournament.
Johnny Bolens proposed his idea as a motion, but there was no seconder and his proposed motion lapsed.
f) Rent Free Premises
Fred Flatow suggested that NSWCA may be able to save on rental expenses by using Clubs with a chess Club for tournaments. The President responded that this was done at St George Leagues Club for the May Weekender and at Parramatta RSL Club with the July Weekender, both tournaments being successful in numbers and financially.
Johnny Bolens suggested that the NSWCA should put out tenders in the newspapers for rental of tournament premises. The President commented that the NSWCA may be successful in finding rent free venues for the majority of tournaments.
g) Early Tournament
Entries
Jason Chan suggested that early entries should be posted on the NSWCA website, which would be in addition to bulletin boards. The President advised that Council would look to posting early entries on the website.
Jason raised the matter of divisional prizes for the NSW Open and suggested they be reviewed so as to be beneficial to all players. He suggested there be greater flexibility in the rating prizes. The President advised that the 2007 tournament will probably be a Class 4 event rather than a Class 5 Tournament.
h) Interstate Players
Jason Hu raised
the matter of interstate players participating in NSWCA events. The President
advised that there had been a slight reduction in ACT players, but there were
more players from
i) Teams Challenges 1
& 2
Bill Gletsos advised that the first event was very successful. The second tournament had lower entries than the first. Medals were given to all Team Members as prizes rather than trophies to Teams. In 2007 a tie break system will be introduced.
Closure of Meeting
There being no further business, the Meeting was closed at 4.35pm.
Confirmed as a correct record.
………………………………….. Dated……………………………….
Chairman
Note: These Minutes will be required to be approved by the Members attending the Annual General meeting to be held in 2007.