BCF Council Meeting St. George's Day 2005

This was an important meeting which radically changed the nature of the BCF.

1. The British Chess Federation will be the English Chess Federation from 22 /10/ 05.
2. From the 22nd October the ECF will be a company limited by guarantee. This means the ECF is a legal entity and can own property, borrow money and its directors and members have their liability limited to £1 in the event of the liquidisation of the company.
3. The Management Board will be replaced by a smaller Board of Directors. The maximum number of directors is 9 including the President, Chief Executive, Director of Finance and 2 non-executive directors elected by the annual meeting. The BCF has 9 non-executive members of the management board appointed by the Unions and largest leagues, so this is a major change. Currently there are 7 directors of activities + a vacancy (Director of Marketing), to be replaced by 4 Directors of the Company, so 3 or 4 will be managers without a seat on the Board.
4. Voting rights at General Meetings (formerly Council meetings) go to member organisations who have paid the affiliation fee set at £50 pa. Game fee payments or credits count towards the £50. This will cost Staffordshire an extra £15 a year. Voting at General Meetings will be a) 1 person 1 vote, b) votes depending on game fee as at present. Note: an organisational vote is no longer possible (1 vote for each organisation represented).
5. Game fee was set at 44p from 1/9/05. Currently it is 43p (set at 44p but reduced by 1p because the grading list was not put on line.) So standard play grading results 44p, Rapidplay 22p, Club games 14.67p, Junior 22p standard play 11p rapidplay.
6. Direct members changes:
   Concessionary Full Membership (£26) (veteran, student, special, disabled) is abolished
   standard membership is cheaper (£16).
   Members no longer get a discount on the national grading list.
   Standard & Junior members will get the direct member discount at congresses, but will no longer receive a printed copy of ChessMoves.
   Fees are unchanged, but there is now a 3 year Standard Membership fee of £40. If you enter 7 standard play congresses a year you should save money (or 3 in the NCCU - see next item) .
7. Northern Membership Scheme (NMS).
   A pilot sheme was introduced for one year in the first instance. Players in the NCCU area clubs (includes Cheshire) can join the NMS by paying £10 a year (£5 for under 18s) this means they do not pay game fee for league or congress games. Leagues should collect game fee from Northern clubs - the ECF will give the club a discount. Congresses giving a discount for BCF direct members should include NMS members. Note: Most congresses in the NCCU will give a £6 (£3 for rapidplay) discount for NMS and BCF Direct members. The annual fee of £10 is pegged till 2008. The NCCU hope it will be a success with most of their players joining, so that it can go nationwide and abolish game fee.
8. Although the ECF had not budgeted for a profit, it is expecting to have made £23,000 in 2004-5, compared with £30,000 loss over the previous 3 years. The 2005-6 should at least break even. 2004 Congress profits, £7,816 are to be kept as a hedge against losses at future congresses - e.g. Isle of Man.