| 11-5-13 NCCA Negligence Glares Confusing Policy Great for Instructors; Unfair to Organizers By NM Leland Fuerstman The other day, while perusing the "Lessons and Instruction" page on the NCCA website, I noticed an ad posted by previous long time member and friend of the CCC Expert Todd Trower (2107). I promptly called the phone number which was listed and surely enough, Todd answered! Come to find out, if you wish to take lessons with him, "you will be required to drive to Washington, DC in order to do so" since he moved there over 3 years ago?!! Then, I tried to contact CCC member Tony Sanders who organizes chess in Winston-Salem. Since the contact information was wrong, I e-mailed the address which is listed on the CCC Roster page! Tony promptly answered by saying, "I have notified them "monthly" to change my E-mail address, and they still haven't?!" Finally, when one observes the NCCA Club Listings page, not only is absolutely no information included about the largest chess club in the southeast, the Charlotte Chess Club, 70 currently paid members, but the Tiger Chess Club is still listed after having been closed down for over 2 years?? And, who knows what other erroneous info is still posted?! It seems strange to me that after all this time in his position, the officer in charge of posting this information hasn't even made the simplest attempt to verify that which is already published? In NCCA Vice President Shawn Spencer's curious plea for help, he states, "Help us keep our list up to date." Maybe if he had promptly tried to contact each person via the info which is currently posted, things would have already been "up to date" months ago!? Or, was that just too great a task? There is absolutely no excuse for chess players to show up at the site of a club which has been defunct for years? Dude, show a bit of initiative, stop acting like such a panjandrum and do your job properly... Furthermore, shouldn't the Secretary/Treasurer be responsible for verifying the membership status of all who post information and make sure that they are current members? And, if organizers are charged fees to post info about their upcoming events, why wouldn't these instructors who stand to make far greater profits be required to pay, as well? ... a rather confusing and unfair policy to charge fees to organizers and nothing to instructors who might not even be current members?? Shouldn't someone be paying attention to this? All of these policies should be spelled out and written into the By-Laws. Unfortunately, there are NO By-laws which explain how anything should be done? So, they seem to make it up as they go along. Because, according to the Articles of Incorporation, (which have never been ratified by the members; and shouldn't be...) the "Dictator" has the right to make arbitrary decisions about anything he wishes?! All he needs is the vote of at least one other Board Member, since he has an extra vote in case of a tie??? Furthermore, if you are not already aware of it, members DO NOT have the right to vote on anything except elections (which seem to be conducted in the most curious fashion). Therefore, the loyal subjects who attend the annual meeting this year will only be allowed to spectate and listen to the "Dictator" bloviate about the many unnecessary changes which he has effected since he became President. (In my opinion, he should spend most of the meeting time apologizing) -- Members do not have the right to make motions. In fact, they don't even have the right to speak? What kind of an organization is that? Many question why the NCCA is even charging the organizers $20, when the rumor is they have over $15,000 in the NCCA treasury! Some members would like to know exactly what that balance is and how they have been spending it?! Apparently, that "confidential information" is shared on a "need to know basis" and "you don't need to know!" Look around, people! Most North Carolina organizers are NOT even requiring NCCA membership any more, including the recent NC Open which was promoted by past President Gary Newsom and the upcoming Land of the Sky?! Sorta' seems like these guys are not all on the same page?! My next message will address the "poorly designed" upcoming NC Class Championship and the "Dictator's" attempt to prevent me from participating in it for "personal reasons." An official complaint against NCCA President Rudolph Abate has already been submitted to the USCF Ethics Committee. Stay tuned for the results... I remain disappointed again, NM Leland Fuerstman Charlotte Chess Club |