| Fuerstman
Sets the Record Straight Doesn't Appreciate Being Misquoted? By NM Leland Fuerstman Now that over 400 people have read the Bumcombe County "BS" published by A. Wilder Wadford, Jr. on the NCCA Forum, I guess it's time for me to respond in order to defend my good name. Apparently, Attorney for the NCCA (has he been elevated from "Legal Adviser?") A. Wilder Wadford, Esq. has little more to do with his time lately than rehash old issues that no one really cares about. Furthermore, his memory of these events seems to be somewhat skewed... But, it is clearly obvious to everyone who remotely cares about the current state of affairs of the NCCA that his negative rhetoric was nothing more than an intentional smoke screen specifically designed to change the subject and divert attention away from the foolish and irresponsible acts of the current NCCA President, Rudy Abate... a President who Wadford went to such great extent to make sure was elected! For those of you who are not familiar with him, for the past 10 years or so, self appointed chess "puppet master," A. Wilder Wadford always shows up just outside of the annual meeting room with his trusty clipboard in hand, in order to gather "proxies?!" Many have complained that he abruptly gets into their face, introduces himself as the NCCA Attorney and attempts to convince them to sign their name? His intention is to use their vote in the election in order to insure that his candidate wins - or is that to insure that other certain candidates DON'T get elected!? (Probably both?!) Regardless, according to their own rules which were imposed upon another influential member, "proxies must be certified by the NCCA Secretary/Treasurer prior to the meeting!?" In the case of last years election, the Secretary Treasurer, Gerben Hoekstra, was not even present... so, how could Wadford's proxies have been legal? The problem is, the administrative environment is so contrived and convoluted that no honest and capable person wants to become involved. So, Abate ran unopposed and was unduly elected by the dozen or so members who showed up for the meeting. (from my recollection, according to the NCCA membership list, half of those who voted were not even current members of the NCCA? So, for lack of a quorum, the election itself was illegal) But, Wadford needed to place someone in the position, so Abate was his man. Unfortunately, since his election, the Dictator has done a miserable job... not only has he made many knee jerk decisions and ridiculous changes to policies which have been in place for 70+ years, but he just capped the year off with a disturbing monetary failure which cost the NCCA $1,500? (His ill advised decision to "guarentee" the prize fund ended up being a double question mark blunder??) And, worse, he didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge nor apologize to the members for his flippant negligence and loss of precious NCCA funds? Furthermore, the NCCA website is pitiful. Though they pay a webmaster, he never answers E-mail, nothing which is submitted ever seems to get posted and no current news is ever available? Why would anyone want to waste his money on that? So, please stop harping on the idea that I "renounced my membership?!" Understand this... I do not want to be a member of the NCCA under the current regime -- no right to vote, no legitimate accounting, a terrible website, no co-operation, no democratic process... who needs it? At one point in time, the NCCA was operated by capable, competent, intelligent and altruistic men and women! Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The Charlotte Chess Club has been operating just fine without the assistance of the NCCA! And now, we have almost as many members! In fact, I may just petition the USCF to have the CCC recognized as the "official state affiliate"! We're certainly doing a better job! And, we don't exclude players from participating in tournaments! But, regardless of Wadford's blathering rhetoric in Para. 6 & 7, according to the rules of chess, an organizer or Director does not have the right to exclude a USCF member from participating in tournament competition for "personal reasons." However, that is exactly what the Dictator just did in his last "costly" event? That issue is still being belatedly debated by the USCF. In his diatribe, Wadford includes many inexactitudes, misquotes and unfounded assumptions. Just because a person is an attorney does not mean that the things he says and publishes are automatically true? (That would be all the more reason to question his statements!) Most of that which he so eloquently states is simply his own opinion. Furthermore, Wadford seems to be conducting his own personal crusade to defame NM Leland Fuerstman in a mock internet courtroom where he serves as Prosecutor, Judge, Jury and Executioner? But, according to the rules of standards for attorneys in North Carolina, [5] "A lawyer’s conduct should conform to the requirements of the law, both in professional service to clients and in the lawyer’s business and personal affairs. A lawyer should use the law’s procedures only for legitimate purposes and not to harass or intimidate others..." Regardless, this is NOT a court of law. And, I will not be bullied by A. Wilder Wadford, Esq. nor anyone else... so, please get off my back and cease attempting to publicly harass and intimidate me! I have a constitutional right to my opinion, and I have a responsibility to continue to share that opinion with my readers. In fact, even though YOU personally drafted an agreement which was supposedly designed to put this issue to rest, and the agreement was endorsed by both NM Leland Fuerstman and Gary Newsom in 2010, (See Message 526a) you have again intentionally brought up the subject of the 2009 Scholastic Championship. However, I take great offense at Wadford's statement that NM LF "accused the organizer of the NCCA Scholastic Championship of the misappropriation of $4,000 from the entry fees." Sir, please be kind enough to point precisely to a Message posted on the CCC website which includes that exact quote? It is irresponsible to publish such a statement unless you can prove that I said or wrote that, and I have NEVER stated what you claim. We simply asked questions... questions which Wheeless refused to answer. I have never made any accusations. Please bear in mind that it is illegal to intentionally misquote someone on a public forum much less intentionally impede a citizens right to free speech. Either cite the "exact quote" or remove it and apologize. The first thing that Wheeless told me in a phone conversation shortly after the conclusion of that event was that he was "running that tournament for himself, Randy Wheeless." End of Quote. So, how could he possibly steal money from himself?! What we were curious about was the utter absence of any accounting; especially since he admitted to "giving" 30 FREE entries away, collecting hundreds of dollars for team rooms," etc? Look, I have promoted large chess tournaments for 40+ years and, I know what it entails. The hotel representative told me that he did not pay any money for the use of the facilities. When Wheeless was asked to show us his original agreement with the hotel and the final receipt, he refused to produce them. In fact, in 2009, NM Leland Fuerstman was still a "member in good standing with the NCCA." Nor could the integrity of another interested individual be challenged. So, why wouldn't Wheeless just show us those receipts then, instead of waiting 9 months to "supposedly" show them to others with similar credibility? Answer: Because, those two documents would have proven that he was not telling the truth. Considering the amount of money which was collected at that event, that was news which our members and parents of scholastic players had every right to be apprised of. The problem was then, as it is now; wrongdoers don't like to be exposed... So, 9 months after the event, when the NCCA was under "martial law" and according to then President Gary Newsom, Attorney A. Wilder Wadford assumed total control of the NCCA whereupon a consorted coverup was orchestrated which was designed to clear the name of Randy Wheeless and smear the name of NM Leland Fuerstman. At that time, though I may have jumped the gun and verbally agreed with a cohort to end the entire affair, after I actually got around to reading his lengthy "resolution," I realized how completely inaccurate most of it was. Hence, I flatly rejected to sign my name to it. What people don't understand is that Wadford and I were personal friends for many years prior to this. We had successfully worked together as officers of the NCCA and socialized on many occasions. Yet, when all of this began to boil over and he declared "martial law," he had already chosen sides and, in fact, never once attempted to communicate with me either by phone nor E-mail nor personal letter? I never had the opportunity to express my opinion and substantiate my claims before his findings were already published. And, I have continued to challenge the authenticity and accuracy of those findings to this day. Look, I have already explained that I am no longer serving as the "undercover detective" for the scholastic community? Since the 2009 scholastic event, the entry fee has skyrocketed from $35 to $70 for every 10th child to win an $8 plastic trophy? And, excessive profits continue to go to one person, Bill Claussen?? ($70 X 500 scholastic kids = $35,000+) Yet, though I have clearly explained that to the entire chess community, it seems that nobody really cares? So be it. --- I no longer care, either... so, why did you bring the subject up again if it weren't simply meant to be a smoke screen designed to divert everyone's attention away from the Dictator?! But, I do care about my reputation. And, I intend to defend it right here and now. Wadford alludes to Articles of Incorporation which I complimented him on for composing back in 1985. This is true! However, that version did not include the loss of each member's right to vote nor did I make use of them in 1986 since I was no longer President?! Yet, according to the report in the Nov/Dec 1985 issue of the "Gambit," an expense of $120 was paid to Wadford in December of 1985 in order to file the Articles with the State Corporation Commission. However, that was "not processed" for almost 4 more years, when upon his own admission, he reported that the amended articles were "recorded with the Secretary of State in 1989!?" Wadford cites the following ridiculous reason for the lapse in time: "This was a deliberately long process over approximately four years giving the membership many opportunities to register objections, which were never made." Yeah, right. Four years to "register objections?!" Pleeease? Furthermore, his grand promise to certify IRS 501-C3 status was NOT achieved. Nor has that been followed up on by any succeeding President. But, of greater concern is the fact that in the "Minutes of the Meeting," which were authored by Sec/Treasurer Kenneth Baxter, who went into great detail about every facet of what had occurred that year, (including the number of proxies which Wadford had accumulated!) nowhere does it ever state that the "Articles of Incorporation" were either presented to nor RATIFIED by the members? Nor, have they proven that they ever have been to this day?! Yet, Wadford so eloquently explains that "everyone was on board with this?" Though, I seriously don't remember its ever being discussed?!? Wadford conveniently makes the statement that the "amended" Articles of Incorporation were adopted by the Board of Directors (but not necessarily by the members?) Oh really? Was that before every member lost his right to vote, or after? According to his own words, Para. 8, "For three years these were the governing documents. They were then submitted by myself to the members at the 1988 annual meeting and they were adopted by the membership and then recorded with the Secretary of State in 1989." Question #1: If those "Articles of Incorporation" were indeed "submitted by myself to the members" and "adopted by the membership," then why on p.19 of the Nov-Dec 1988 Carolina Gambit is there absolutely no mention of this in Baxter's report of the "Minutes" of that meeting? I can hardly believe that Mr. "Meticulous," Ken Baxter, would leave that important detail out, unless it never occurred?! The fact is, nobody really cared!? There was no internet back then and very little interactive communication. The constitution was a non issue. Besides, nobody was trying to make wholesale changes and knee jerk decisions. So, it just wasn't important. --- But, it is now! Members want to know what their rights are. The answer is, you can only vote in elections. The Board of Directors will make all of your decisions for you... always without any prior discussion nor consideration for the opinions of more intelligent and experienced members. And, I'm sorry, people. But, I just don't agree with that? Question #2: In Para. 4, concerning the idea that the NCCA should be audited, Wadford states, "It is simply a means by which to cost the NCCA a minimum of $5,000 for full scale audit and a tool for a member to make frivolous and time consuming demands." Whatever that means..? Since I have been advised that the NCCA only has a few pocket sized checkbooks to serve as their official financial records, why can't interested members simply observe those checkbooks? That wouldn't cost the NCCA one penny!? How can members not deduce that someone is trying to hide something? According to inside sources, the NCCA recently had over $15,000 in the bank!? Yet, they intentionally neglected to provide the actual balance of that account in their recent annual report?? The excuse that it would cost $5,000 to do an audit just doesn't fly? It has now become obvious to many that as long as Attorney A. Wilder Wadford is in control of this organization, your most active and productive members won't have anything to do with the NCCA administration. And, many ex-members of the NCCA who were once directly involved in its success have flatly refused to rejoin. This indicates a long overdue need for change. Wadford's complete control over the opinions and decisions of the NCCA officers has caused the organization to degenerate into what we have today; negligence, incompetence and chaos... The recent departure of the Honorable ex-VP Brad Dill substantiates that. Right now, the NCCA is just a privately owned chess company which is trying to "sell" a product that "totally sucks?" Nor, have I seen any signs at all of improvement. So, who needs it? --- The CCC provides a list of Upcoming Events on which organizers may post for FREE! Just check out www.charlottechess.com! And finally, some folks have the idea that NM Leland Fuerstman wants to be the President of the NCCA? That is simply not the case. I already have my hands full with my own responsibilities to the CCC, our Saturday tournaments and our website. I would just like to see a slate of competent, intelligent and honest individuals describe their skills and experience ahead of time and then participate in a fair and democratic election; without the interference of a zealous attorney with a clip board full of proxies!? -- Happy New Year Everybody! I remain, NM Leland Fuerstman Charlotte Chess Club |