Home Office and Justice Chess Club AGM
28 April 2011
••Agenda
1. Minutes of 2010 AGM and EGM and matters arising
2. Secretary’s report
3. Match captains’ reports
4. Treasurer’s report
5. Report on Grand Prix
6. Report on Rapidplay Tournament
7. Report on Blitz Tournament
8. Civil Service League AGM
9. League entries for 2010/11
10. Election of Officers
11. Appointment of Auditor
12. Any other business
••Minutes
Present: Tony Ashby, Matthew Baker, Peter Biggs, Harry Carter, David Dunford, Keith Dunmore, Richard Fries, Paul Haughton, Duncan Lavin, Tim Pelling, James Toon.
Apologies: Chris Carew, Vincent Chinegwundoh, Oliver Dark, Michael Keane, Maria Sant.
1. Minutes of the last two meetings and matters arising
1.1 The minutes of the 2010 AGM and EGM were approved.
1.2 (2010 AGM Paragraph 10.2) Tony Ashby had not yet obtained the James Toon Trophy, for the winner of the club's annual blitz tournament, but would make it a priority on his return from the World Seniors Championship in Greece.
Action: Tony Ashby
1.3 (2010 EGM Paragraph 5.1) Richard Fries and Tim Pelling were going to meet shortly so that Richard could take possession of some of the books in the Eric Davies Library. Further transfers would take place in due course (James Toon and Michael Keane had also offered storage space).
2. Secretary’s report
2.1 James Toon reported on the past year's activities and offered a strategic view of how the club might develop over the next year. Themes included making the most of the new venue; bringing a chess presence to the local community in Pimlico; expanding the club's competitive activities; and reviewing the club's relationship with the Ministry of Justice Recreational Association (JURA).
2.2 Members commented on the traffic noise outside the venue. The meeting agreed to monitor how this affected matches over the course of next season.
2.3 The meeting approved the draft summer programme. It was suggested that one evening should be given to a Scheveningen Blitz match against GLCC (possibly the club night planned for 9 June). James Toon agreed to follow this up.
Action: James Toon
3. Match captains’ reports
3.1 James Toon and Peter Biggs reported on the performance of all teams. It had been a very successful season overall, particularly for the Civil Service League 1st team who had done the league and cup double for the second time.
4. Treasurer’s report
4.1 Richard Fries presented the draft and unaudited accounts for 2010/11. There was a surplus for the season of about £300, but this was a one-off and could not be a guide for next season as the club's circumstances had changed a great deal. The meeting accepted the accounts, subject to their being finalised and audited.
Action: Richard Fries
4.2 The meeting discussed the cost of the club website (£70 a year) and noted that this included comprehensive support and the facility to include other web objects such as a database if required. The meeting concluded that the cost of the website was reasonable.
4.3 Looking ahead, Richard Fries explained that under the provisions of the Charities Act 2006, chess clubs were now eligible for charitable status so that any donations (but not subscriptions) would attract tax relief at the basic rate of 20%. This suggested that contributions towards the cost of renting the new venue, which was likely to be around £2,000 a year, should take the form of donations rather than an increase in subscriptions. The Committee would need to meet before the start of next season to discuss how club members might best support the club financially through donations.
Action: James Toon to arrange a committee meeting
4.4 Richard Fries added that, in order to attain charitable status, the club would need to ensure that its constitution complied with certain conditions (this would not be difficult), and also that it operated an open membership policy. Restricting membership to current and former employees of the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice would not suffice as the club would be regarded as an employers' organisation. The club would need to try to attract members from outside.
4.5 In response, the meeting decided:
• to leave the subscription unchanged for 2011/12 (i.e. a main rate of £20 a year, together with some concessions);
• to change the name of the club to the Pimlico Chess Club; and
• to open the membership beyond the current departmental limits to enable any chessplayer to join the club.
5. Grand Prix report
5.1 This was a provisional report as the club still had one match outstanding and the results of individual players would determine the outcome of the Grand Prix. The meeting agreed to retain the £20 prize for the winner.
6. Club Championship
6.1 James Toon had won this event and was therefore the Club Champion for 2011. A few games remained outstanding and would be completed over the summer. The rapidplay format was generally popular, though a little fast for some competitors. The biggest problem had been finding dates to play the matches.
6.2 The meeting decided to keep this event in the club's calendar, possibly as a summer event in future with fewer rounds.
7. Blitz Championship
7.1 James Toon had won this event also. The event had not proved to be very popular, possibly owing to fixture congestion. However, there was still scope for occasional blitz events. For the annual blitz tournament, it might be better to return to the previous format of a single event held at the end of the season.
8. Civil Service League AGM
8.1 This would take place on Thursday 19 May. The meeting discussed a number of proposals from clubs and the Executive Committee.
8.2 GLCC / Revenue & Customs proposal: League Rule 12
Team nominations should not have to include a nomination for bottom board.
Support. By allowing a higher team to share a player with a lower team, this would make it easier for clubs to field full teams and avoid defaults.
8.3 GLCC proposal: League Rule 30
Clubs would be able to appeal against an adjudicator's decision that an adjudication claim was frivolous.
Abstain.
The meeting recognised the purpose of the proposal, but noted that it would rarely be needed.
8.4 GLCC proposal for the League to introduce a Minor League
A stand-alone division for teams of four players each graded 120 or lower.
Support. The venues would be more convenient than the London League Minor Division and the event would be much cheaper. It was hoped that this division could start next season.
8.5 HOJCC proposals: League Rules 23, 24, 26 and 34
• Amend the quickplay time control from 30 moves in 75 minutes then all remaining moves in 15 minutes, to all moves in 90 minutes.
• Finishing a game on the night to be the default option, with adjudication available if both players agree.
Support (as previously agreed).
8.6 Metropolitan Police proposal: League Rule 4
Restrict the voting entitlement to the clubs only (one vote per club), i.e. no Executive Committee member may vote.
Oppose. An electorate of only nine voters was too small. Also, while it was important to re-balance the voting strength of the clubs and the Executive Committee, removing all the EC votes would go too far.
8.7 Metropolitan Police proposal: League Rule 40
Reduce the requirement for rule changes from a two-thirds majority to a simple majority.
Oppose (on a vote: 4 in favour, 5 against). This would make it easier to change the rules. On the other hand, it would introduce the prospect of policy decisions on the same issue alternating from one year to the next
as voting positions changed. Also, it was not uncommon for constitutional provisions to require more than a simple majority for alteration.
8.8 Executive Committee proposal: League Rule 2
Reduce from three years to two years the waiting period before an external club member can play in the Civil Service League.
Support. This would only benefit GLCC at present, but should also benefit Home Office & Justice / Pimlico in future.
8.9 Executive Committee proposals: League Rules 3, 4 and 6
• Make it clear that all EC members were entitled to vote
• Remove the possibility of a second vote for five senior members of the EC
• Increase club voting representation from one member to three members
• Make the Web Manager a member of the EC.
Support. These proposals would retain the EC voting input, but only as a minority share within the overall voting entitlement.
8.10 Executive Committee proposal: League Rule 22
The team winning the toss should take White on the odd boards rather than have the flexibility of choosing colours.
Oppose. The club preferred to retain the element of flexibility.
8.11 Executive Committee proposals: League Rules 24 and 25
Retain adjudication as the default option. Amend the time control from 36 moves in 90 minutes then 6 moves every 15 minutes, to 42 moves in 90 minutes then 7 moves every 15 minutes.
Voting decision depends on outcome of club proposals for League Rules 23, 24, 26 and 34. If these are defeated: support EC proposals. If successful: oppose EC proposals.
8.12 Executive Committee proposals: Rules of Bonar Law Trophy and Post Annual Cup
Restructure these rules to make them clearer and remove drafting ambiguities.
Support.
8.13 Executive Committee proposal: Individual Tournaments Rule 7
Replace reference to "American" tournament with reference to "all-play-all" tournament.
Support.
8.14 Executive Committee proposal: Quickplay Finishes Rule 3
Bring into line with FIDE Laws of Chess rule allowing a player to reply to his opponent's move before recording it.
Support.
8.15 Executive Committee proposal: Team Blitz Grand Prix Rule 2
Remove the ban on a player representing more than one club in different rounds of this event.
Support. This would make it easier for some clubs to field a second team by incorporating individual players from other clubs.
8.16 Executive Committee proposal: Team Blitz Grand Prix Rule 3
Introduce an entry fee of £5 per team per event.
Support. The money would go towards buying more digital clocks and paying for the room hire for this event.
8.17 Executive Committee proposal: Team Blitz Grand Prix Rule 5
Entries less than 48 hours before the start of the event will not be accepted.
Support. Late entries place unreasonable demands on the organiser.
8.18 Executive Committee proposal: Rapidplay League
Introduce a Rapidplay League in the summer of 2012.
Support.
8.19 Team Blitz Grand Prix
To encourage participation from 2nd and 3rd teams, either (a) introduce a Minor Grand Prix for these teams, to run alongside the Major Grand Prix for 1st teams; or (b) return to the previous format of a single event for the Team Blitz.
Support option (b).
8.20 Civil Service Recreation Centre – James Toon said that the Civil Service Sports Council had decided, without consultation, to close down the Recreation Centre from the summer of 2011. This was very inconvenient for the Civil Service League, which currently staged all its events in the Recreation Centre. No new venue would be provided. So the League was forced to look for alternative venues for meetings and matches. This raised the question whether individual club members should resign their membership of the CSSC in protest. He noted that it was JURA policy to encourage Ministry of Justice clubs to take up CSSC membership.
9. League entries for 2011/12
9.1 The meeting decided to enter two teams in the Civil Service League, and one team in the London Commercial League, as before.
9.2 The meeting decided to withdraw from the London League Minor Division, and to enter a team in the Civil Service League Minor Division if this was established.
9.3 The meeting agreed to keep open the idea of the club entering a team in an external league or starting a new league.
10. Election of officers
10.1 The following were elected to serve as officers of the club until the next AGM:
| Chairman: | Tony Ashby |
| Vice-Chairman | Matthew Baker |
| Secretary: | James Toon |
| Treasurer: | Richard Fries |
| Webmaster: | James Toon |
| CSCL 1st team captain: | James Toon |
| CSCL 2nd team captain: | Peter Biggs |
| LCCL captain: | Peter Biggs |
| Committee members: | Harry Carter, Keith Dunmore |
11. Appointment of Auditor
11.1 David Dunford was appointed auditor.
12. Any other business
12.1 There was no other business.
Action: James Toon to arrange a date
The meeting finished at 8.32pm.