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Minutes for the YCA Executive Meeting
(16.2.18)
Present:
Jim Burnett (President), Jon Griffith (Deputy President), Noel Stewart (Secretary),
Stephen Burton (Treasurer), Andrew Zigmond (Competitions Controller), and
[non voting], Steve Mann (ECF Delegate)
Item
1. Decision to re-imburse expenses concerning Yorkshire Junior League.
Expenses up to a maximum of £200 incurred by Andrew Zigmond, organiser of
the Yorkshire Junior League, to be re-imbursed pending Andrew’s submission
of an invoice for the total amount.
Item
2. YCA profile at the British Championship Tournament 2018 (proposals for
involvement).
It was decided that up to £100 could be used to purchase one or more
trophies for the best performance by a junior or juniors at the British
Championship. It was also agreed that the YCA Secretary should pursue links
with Stephen Greep, the Hull Secretary and liaison contact with the ECF
organiser for the British, to see what can be done. A final decision on
YCA’s specific involvement will be made at the YCA AGM.
Item
3. Relationship of YCA to White Rose Junior Chess Academy (WRJCA),
including discussion of organisational framework for the future of Junior
Chess in Yorkshire.
Andrew Zigmond led the discussion on this topic. Given the relative
complexity of this area, what with independent yet YCA-related junior
organisations such as The Junior Grand Prix events run by John Hipshon, and
the WRJCA running junior tournament-cum-training events, besides which are
the directly funded activities such as county junior teams, and the
Yorkshire Junior League, the discussion was rather wide-ranging, but no
decision could be made concerning a possible future structure for junior
chess.
However, it was felt that while good things are being done by these junior
chess initiatives, the relatively bitty nature of junior chess should be addressed
in some way with a view to a more co-ordinated approach to the development
of junior players. More thought is needed on this, and so the Secretary for
Junior Chess will liaise with the Yorkshire Junior League organiser, and
the WRJCA with regard to the setting up of a more integrated structure.
Item
4. Future of YCA grading (Chessnuts) and the related matter of YCA’s
relationship with the ECF.
YCA’s honorary grader, Jon Griffith, confirmed his decision to step down
from his position as grader with effect from 30.6.18, ie. end of season.
This will not mean the end of Chessnuts, in that existing users will
still be able to post fixtures and results of local leagues there, and
those match results and league tables will continue to be shown as before.
ECF grading data files will still be created by Jon for ECF-graded leagues.
However, it will mean the end of YCA grading of those
results, and the end also of “live grades”.
YCA grades as at 30.6.18 will be published and used for the Yorkshire
league during next season (2018-2019), but that will be the last such list,
and after that only ECF grades will apply.
Evening leagues will be able to use the published YCA 30.6.18 grading list
for 2018-2019, but not “live grades”.
It was agreed the YCA Secretary would inform all YCA Association/League
secretaries ASAP so that they and their clubs have time to make appropriate
arrangements regarding any future grading of their competitions.
Finally, results of congresses and internal club events will no longer be
graded by Jon, so organisers of ECF-graded congresses or club events will
have to make other arrangements, though Jon can still give advice on how to
do this.
Item
5. The possible inclusion of the following two items on YCA’s AGM agenda
for June 2018.
i)
Increase
of annual Club fees
ii)
Revision
of Rule A5 of YCA Competition Rules with reference to postponements due to
bad weather.
Regarding i) Decision made to include an item on the YCA AGM agenda,
proposing that the affiliation fees for YCA constituent members be
increased by 50% from £10 per year to £15. And that League Entry fees per
team should also be increased by 50% from £10 per year to £15.
Regarding ii) After some discussion, it was agreed that the rarity of
postponements due to bad weather, and the even greater paucity of disputes
and appeals in this regard, (1 or 2 in 5 years), meant it wasn’t worth
adjusting rule A5. Things will stay as they are, relying as we do, on the
judgment of the Competitions Controller, and the good will and common sense
of team captains to interpret A5 appropriately.
Item
6. Decision to have Hull as venue for next YCA AGM.
The decision to have our next AGM in Hull was confirmed. YCA Secretary to
contact Stephen Greep, (Hull Secretary) with a view to arranging a venue,
etc. The next AGM will either be on 16th or 23rd June
2018.
Item
7. Issues concerning NCCU matches with Lancashire.
Regarding this issue, it was agreed that the YCA Secretary would ask the
YCA party involved in this dispute, (David Mills), if he wishes the YCA
delegates to NCCU to make a concrete proposal at the next NCCU AGM to
resolve the disagreement concerning the venue for the Lancs v Yorks U140
matches.
Item
8. Any Other Business
There was no other business.
Noel Stewart (Secretary YCA)
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