| NCCA
Elections Saturday, Oct 4 at 1pm! Walsh, Sciacca Each Declare Their Candidacy! By NM Leland Fuerstman Charlotte, NC, 8-28-14: In the final days of the tyrannical reign of NCCA Dictator Rudolph Abate, it is only fair to remind the members of his many dubious changes to policies which had been in place for over 70 years? The result of those changes has caused the organization to experience their lowest numbers since 2000? In fact, the Charlotte Chess Club, with it's 79 current members, has almost as many as the NCCA?! That is probably due to the Dictator's ridiculous idea to require all members to renew on January 1?? Unfortunately, ignoring the recommendations and protests of others, the obdurate Dictator proceeded with his dubious plan... and now the membership has dwindled significantly. Furthermore, he promptly lost an effective VP of Scholastics after he agreed that they would conduct a tournament in Charlotte last year and then reneged at the last minute only to relocate the event to his own "remote" home town of Henderson, NC -- to be conducted by his own local organization? (No conflict of interest there?!) Even worse, was his stubborn or selfish determination to conduct tournaments with ill advised prize funds in "remote locations" which lost thousands of dollars of NCCA funds?? I will not waste the readers time on the "many" other ridiculous acts which he perpetrated while in office, but I must allude to the sorry state of affairs of the NCCA website?? For many months, this author and others have directed attention to the obviously out of date articles which were finally removed on August 27? (and, never been replaced with more current news) Why their so called webmaster was unable to remove those almost 1 year old postings is incomprehensible? Furthermore, according to past VP Walter High, High Point University cut off their sponsorship to the NCCA some time ago, so why is the ad still flashing? ... along with an ad about hunting? and Vance County tourism? Exactly how long were those ads contracted to be posted? Another brilliancy on the part of the Dictator? {FLASH: According to their ad, HPU will be sponsoring the Greensboro International Chess Festival this weekend, but that is organized in typical recondite fashion by a "private company" called Carolinas Chess Initiative? So, what does the NCCA get out of the deal?} Regardless, I'm sure that some sycophant member of the "mutual admiration society" will attempt to present Abate with a plaque recognizing his great contribution to NC chess??? *********************************************
As any conscientious member of the NC
chess community should know by now, the bi-annual
elections for NCCA officers will take place on
Saturday, October 4, at 1pm,
at the annual meeting in Charlotte. A few of
the "still remaining" NCCA members have become
a bit concerned about the slate of officers which is
posted on their shabby website (and,
should have been vetted by the Chairman of the
Nominations committee). Not only
is it necessary to verify membership (which was apparently ignored
by the Chairman of
the Invitational
committee after it was proven that the winner
and one other player were not current members?)
but a thorough investigation of their
background is required by the Articles of
Incorporation. So, what about their image, age, marital status,
vocation, city, rating, experience, qualifications,
and a brief written statement introducing
themselves to the voters? Just
posting their name and their intention
further emphasizes the negligence and incompetence
of the current administration?! Furthermore,
should not these candidates be vetted for arrests
and convictions or other history which may cause
one to raise a brow? After all, the NCCA
is a legal non-profit organization, isn't it?*********************************************
Representing the western part of the state,
the first name which might be recognized is that of Presidential
candidate Kevin Hyde (1481) from Hendersonville.
Kevin's chess career began at the 1998 LotS.
Though he has remained as an active player since then,
he has concentrated more of his efforts on organizing
and directing tournaments. Over the years, he has
improved his credentials by serving as Chief TD
for the LotS as well as many other
"major" events in NC. He now maintains the
credential of FIDE International Arbiter!
Kevin has a very friendly attitude and seems to
be more than willing to consider the suggestions and
ideas of others! Though I have had no personal
dealings with him, recent communications have been
respectful, friendly and productive! (I may even re-join the NCCA!)
And, though he has an obvious association with one of
my chief antagonists, I firmly believe that he is "his
own man" who will make decisions in a fair and
democratic fashion. I therefore agree that Kevin
Hyde is strongly qualified to hold the position
of President of the NCCA! Representing the triangle area and vying for the Vice President's position, Raleigh's Jeffrey "Pig" Jones (1917) chess career began in 1994. And, though he has remained as an active player since then, he has also concentrated his efforts on organizing and directing. However, what seems to have been left out, is the fact that this is the same Jeffrey Mason Jones who was President of the NCCA in 2000 after which he was cited for "misappropriation of NCCA funds?!" (I reserve the right to publish comments made by the 5 officers involved in his censure). According to succeeding President Neil Harris, when he took over, the account had a $34 balance?! Dubious mismanagement notwithstanding, I am the type of person who believes that in time, people have the ability to change, hopefully, for the better! Furthermore, I applaud Jones' many subsequent years of organizing and directing events in the triangle area (though the TACO is now defunct) and his more recent attempt to post chess news, "From the Pig's Pen," on the NCCA website. But, frankly, some have strong reservations about his personal appearance and how he represents himself?! The fact that I am personally not phased by it is not important, but an obese man who refers to himself as "Pig" brandishing a curious display of tattoos is hardly an accurate representation of most of the members of the NCCA. And, though Hyde charitably believes that "a mistake made a decade ago should not disqualify him," many are of the consensus that all members should still have been apprised of Jones' past violations as an NCCA officer. Apparently, the Chairman of the Nominations Committee either intentionally failed to report it, or didn't have a clue... In either case, now you know... and you should know. Representing the east coast and also vying for the Vice President's position is 34 year old "Chess Princess" Sara Walsh (1853) from Jacksonville. Sara's chess career began (at the age of 5!) in 1985 and has extended to the present when she recently gained 51 rating points at the World Open! Being the daughter of Expert Jeffrey Walsh (who defeated me back in the 80's in our lone encounter!), and a military brat, Sara grew up around tournament chess. Over the past couple of years, she has become more active in her local community and vows to increase the numbers on the east coast! Furthermore, she seems to have been one of the few people who openly questions the status quo. Many of her concerns and recommendations have merit; others are ideas which should at least be considered. But, her propensity to communicate with all who chime in on the NCCA message board indicates a strong desire to see positive changes made! She has, for some time, been employed by the military as an organization and administration specialist and has proven that she works well with people! (If I had a vote, she would get it!) I, therefore agree, that Sara Walsh is strongly qualified to hold the position of Vice President of the NCCA. Representing the triangle area and seeking the position of Vice President of Scholastics is Venkataraja Shanmugavadivel (1203) who seems to be a newcomer to the chess scene. Not exactly a household name, "Venkat" has only been involved in organized chess for less than 3 years but has played in a significant number of events in which he participated with his daughter. According to Hyde's design, he will probably be chairing a committee that will attempt to more fairly divide the profits from the major scholastic events which, more recently, seem to have all ended up in one person's pocket? His true efficacy remains to be seen... Tom Kabasakalian (1450) from Charlotte is again running for the position of Secretary/Treasurer and is the only incumbent in the race. However, for the past 2 years, he seems to have followed the dictat of the Dictator by refusing to publish the balance of the NCCA treasury? His smug and unfriendly attitude coupled with his desire to avoid transparency at all cost has perpetuated the same stale policy of non-disclosure which has prevailed in the NCCA for many years. But of more concern is the fact that his predecessor, Gerben Hoekstra, could always be found stationed at the front desk of every major North Carolina tournament collecting NCCA dues! ... something that Mr. Kabasakalian has never done. In addition, should he not have been involved in the vetting of these candidates? After all, he is the Sec/Treas!? If so, what are his findings? In my opinion, we can do much better. NM Patrick Sciacca (2145) from Charlotte has decided to toss his hat into the ring for the Secretary/Treasurers position! An attorney by trade, Pat is an extremely active player who has no problem sharing his thoughts with members of all skill levels. Pat is a religious and moral man. Over the past couple of years, he has been confounded by the system by which the NCCA operates? His decision to run for Sec/Treas. is a breath of fresh air in what has become an organization controlled by an elite circle of good old boys. I, therefore, agree that NM Pat Sciacca is strongly qualified to hold the position of Secretary/Treasurer. Finally, after all of these years, "they" have decided to take my advice and conduct the annual meeting on Saturday at 1pm! instead of Sunday at 8am? This way, a far greater number of members will be allowed to become involved in the democratic process. That is, if some zealous attorney doesn't prance around the entrance attempting to collect proxies in order to insure that his candidates win, again. Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope that doesn't happen... and, by the way, will players be allowed to renew their memberships at the site, and will someone be available to verify the memberships of the "voters?!" I strongly believe in members having the right to submit a "write in" vote! (they could even E-mail it!) But, "write in" vote is different from "proxy" where a member endorses his vote to one person who may vote for anyone he wishes?? That system must be abolished, period. Furthermore, a member's general right to vote must be restored! Trust me; there will be a number of interested parties paying very close attention this time... let's hope that it is a fair and open election without the interference of "Proxies." I remain, NM Leland Fuerstman Charlotte Chess Club www.charlottechess.com |