Leland: I found last years answer to you on this same topic. It still sounds good, so I will use it again. "Thad Rogers has been running the NC Open for us the past few years and I've never heard a complaint.  He gets no compensation from our organization. It is up to him to make/lose money. All I care about is a well-run tournament. Thad may live in Ga., but he runs the LPO, the past NC Class and has sold equipment and provided trophies to the State Scholastic in recent years. He is also a Life Member of the NCCA. The history of the NCCA running the tournament has been spotty. In 2003, the NCCA ran the NC Closed and it drew 50 players. 50!!! Is that the "handsome profit" you were talking about? That's also a good argument for keeping the tournament open. About 20 percent of the players at a normal NC Open come from out-of-state." Randy ***************************************************** Honorable President: I am disappointed that you could not even spend a few minutes to compose a "new" response to an ongoing issue which I have for some time believed to be of utmost importance?! And, since I so strongly supported your original candidacy as President (I wrote a letter to outgoing president NM Neal Harris providing a critical description of your opponent; Harris subsequently indorsed you), one might assume that in view of my many years of experience, my recommendations and suggestions would be more readily considered by you. Unfortunately, history has proven otherwise.   "Thad Rogers has been running the NC Open for us the past few years and I've never heard a complaint." Well, "I" complained in writing and I can hardly believe that I was the only one?! The fact that Rogers has run the event all this time doesn't make it right! From my recollection, the NCCA Constitution requires that "a "closed" event take place each year... to determine our State Champion." I requested a copy of the Constitution and By-laws last year, which I never received. Until you can show me in writing where the change(s) were made legally, I maintain that it is still required! Do you even have a copy of the constitution and the by-laws? If so, would you kindly post them on the NCCA website (the way most other State Associations do), so they may readily be made available for all to observe? Otherwise, the control of this organization could become arbitrary, assuming, of course, that hasn't already happened!? "It is up to him to make/lose money. All I care about is a well-run tournament." It is up to YOU to make money for the NCCA! And, what better opportunity than our State Championship to do so? In the days of recovering from the effects of an unscrupulous past president who raped our treasury to the brink of bankruptsy, a policy of allowing someone to underwrite the event may have seemed reasonable. But, this is 2008. And, unless I have been misinformed, the NCCA has a healthy treasury. The need to farm out our State Championship to an out-of-state promoter has long passed. In fact, I am the person who stopped the bleeding when many years ago, I suggested that we do away with the paper "Gambit" magazine and all of it's expenses and most of the labor by publishing it on the NCCA website! Considering your reputation for fiscal prudence, it is refreshing to know that you followed at least one of my recommendations! But, since you have continued this policy of passing the responsibility on to someone else, you apparently have little personal experience in organizing a major event. The profits generated are greater than you think! For example, this year's event promises a payout of "$10,000 based on 179 full paid entries." Using an average EF figure of $85 X 179 = $15,215 minus expenses, for a profit of approximately $4,500 or almost one third of the entire prize fund???  In my 30+ years of promoting chess tournaments, (including one in Atlanta back in 1975 where Rogers sold his books and equipment for the first time and even offered to pay me a percentage!) the cost of using the ballrooms and other side rooms was offset by the number of "room nights" that your group occupies. If the agreed upon number is met, the use of the rooms is FREE! (Even if that system is no longer honored, the use of most adequate ballrooms only cost a few hundred per night). "All I care about is a well-run tournament." Of course it will be a well run tournament with the capable assistance of a very efficient North Carolina team of Directors and volunteers who do all of the work!!? A few get paid $100 or so for an entire long weekend of work, and others receive nothing!? But, let's be fair and use the figure $300. Then, other than his own transportation and lodging fees, (savvy promoters often negotiate for at least one free hotel room for themselves), the only other expense is the rating fee, which when submitted electronically, comes to about $100. Gas: from Georgia, $100. Food: $100. What am I missing? The total expenses come to approximately, $600 or so which still yields a "handsome profit" of over $4,000! That is money which I believe the NCCA should be earning. Or, at least we could cut a deal for 1/2 of that or even a small percentage... that would be better than nothing?! Unforfunately, we will probably never know exactly how much money is profited since that information has NEVER been disclosed. In fact, last year, the exact amout of money that each winner received was not even reported on the NCCA website??! In addition, I specifically requested that you provide me (us) with an complete balance sheet of last year's event. You indicated that you would "ask Thad to send you one." If he did, you never sent it to me nor made it public on the website. So, how can one prove or disprove that my figures are not correct? - Never mind the fact that "Mr. Personality" generates thousands of dollars profit otherwise from NC players as a result of the sale of books and equipment ! Years ago, I was told that Rogers actually paid a percentage of his profits back to other organizations for the right to sell his books and equipment!?  Why shouldn't we do the same? I believe there are other vendors who would gladly comply. Is the NCCA a "501C3 non-profit status" organization? Yes or No? If it is, a balance sheet of that event, as well as all others, should be included in your annual report to the IRS, which should be made available for all members to observe. And, if not, we still have a right to know what the real figures are! To give away the entire design, date and control of our State Championship tournament to an out-of-state promoter for absolutely nothing in return is totally WRONG!? Period! "The history of the NCCA running the tournament has been spotty. In 2003, the NCCA ran the NC Closed and it drew 50 players. 50!!! Is that the "handsome profit" you were talking about? That's also a good argument for keeping the tournament open. About 20 percent of the players at a normal NC Open come from out-of-state." Oh, spotty since 2003 maybe? I have been a member of the NCCA since 1973! And, in most of those 30+ years, things were done according to the requirements and by-laws of our constitution. By the way, in my lifetime I have held the positions as President (1985), Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Gambit Editor and Delegate to the USCF Annual Meeting. When it comes to regular politics, everyone knows that my ideas are so far "left" I'm almost an anarchist! But, in chess politics, I am a staunch conservative. It is disconcerting that the transparency which prevailed in the NCCA for so many years seems to have vanished in our past few administrations. Not until recent years like 1988, when the economy was really bad, did we make such a move to allow out-of-state players to compete in our State Championship. Isolated cases of "50" players showing up were rare and generally due to "bad weather." And, anyway, who cares? If you are allowing an out-of-state promoter to take the "risk and reward," why does that make any difference? Since the NCCA won't lose any money, why is it the responsibility of the NCCA to make sure that Thad Rogers makes more profit???! That's no legitimate reason for keeping the event open? That entire argument is simply ridiculous. Other than selling books and equipment and counting the money, the only other task for Rogers is to call a few hotels and make arrangements a few months ahead of time. (And even that has been called into question because of his "full schedule" causing dates to be juggled at the last minute and creating problems with our own NC clearinghouse calendar?!) With a bit of advice and assistance, YOU could have done that yourself! (Like I, and others did when we were President). Furthermore, in these current bad economic times, considering that most of the players who compete in the State Championship don't win money anyway, this would have been a perfect time to reduce the Entry Fee by at least half of what is now being charged! One hundred players paying an EF of $40, (without the profit taking) would allow for a very reasonable prize fund that N.C. players would have been happy with! - Regardless, the "Title" is far more important than the money. The money gets put into your gas tank for the trip home; the "Title" exists forever! Remember, there are Titles in every class. Allowing out-of-state players to disturb the pairings is inherently unfair and absolutely unnecessary. These outmoded policies must be corrected. Look, "my friends," my old buddy Thad Rogers is a perfectly legitimate businessman who is simply taking advantage of a good thing!? In the absence of any oversight for the past few years, he has profited greatly from North Carolina players. I'm sure that he will do just fine continuing to run the LPO and the Land of the Sky. And, I would even consider allowing him to sell books at our State Championship (unless another vendor were to give us a better deal!) Finally, Randy, you and I have been friends for quite some time. Your many years of participation at the Charlotte Chess club with your very talented daughters has always added a special touch of class and civility to the affair; and that I greatly appreciate. Though our differences of opinion in "policy" may never be compromised, I wish to take this opportunity to personally thank you for all of the positive work you have done for the NCCA and chess in North Carolina. Respectfully, NM Leland Fuerstman Ps. Only if I am drafted, nominated and voted in by acclamation will I accept the position as President of the NCCA. Otherwise, choose wisely...