Chess Scotland proposed constitutional changes

 

Memorandum of Understanding on

Chess Scotland / Scottish Junior Chess issues

[version 5]

 

A single organisation

 

Chess Scotland will have one overall business plan and budget, encompassing  all aspects of its activity, as well as representing national chess as effectively as possible to the Scottish Executive. 

 

Building trust between the different enthusiasts in Scottish chess is clearly important, and the structure encourages that.  Dialogue – not barriers - will encourage that - dialogue in which the views of people expert in their areas will win support.  That dialogue involves working together at some stages, not in permanent silos.

 

Annual General Meeting

Meets once per annum by end August to appoint the Directors who will run the following season's chess programme. [In practice the aim will be to have the AGM by end June so that the team to organise the following season is in place before the summer.]

Functions:

·         To receive the annual report and accounts of Chess Scotland [The annual report and accounts will be an aggregate document covering all Boards.  Boards will be expected to speak to their own areas of responsibility at the AGM]

·         To appoint the Directors

·         To provide a forum in which issues may be raised by members with resulting agreed actions binding on Directors

Nominations for Directors and issues to be raised would have to be proposed and seconded 3 weeks before the meeting and would then be published on the CS website

 

Council

Meets once per annum by end February or more frequently as required

Functions:

·         To approve Chess Scotland's business plan including budget

·         To approve Chess Scotland's strategic direction

 

Management Board

Comprising the President, Executive Director, Finance Director, Customer Services Director, Schools Development Director, Sponsorship Director, the Chairman (or their Deputies) of the Junior Board, Open Board and International Board- ie not exceeding 10 members

The Management Board would replace the Executive Group referred to in the Constitution.

The Executive Director would lead the process of compiling the CS Business Plan and Strategy, working closely with the President, and lead the team formally presenting it to Council for approval.  He or she would deal with the organisation of CS wide meetings and project based issues.

Functions:

·         To build the business plan of Chess Scotland using input from and liasing with the Junior, Open and International Boards

·          (Why liase?  Suppose the overall plans of the Junior, Open and International Boards require significant increase in fees to meet proposed expenditure.  A discussion has to take place to decide whether to reduce expenditure and where, or whether to increase the fees, or some combination of the two.)

·         To recommend the strategic direction for Chess Scotland (replacing the Strategy Group)

·         To be the body from which Directors with resource problems on their business plans seek help.

 

Junior Board

Open Board

International Board

These groups would perform the same functions for their particular constituencies.  There is a risk of grey areas causing duplication or gaps and this would need to be defined.  This is not new.  That definition needs to exist already between Directors.  The International Board would replace the international group which the current constitution includes.

Functions:

·         To recommend the annual business plan for their area

·         To implement the business plan, working with central support services where appropriate

 

In the Junior Board:

Home Chess Director (Junior)

Schools Development Director [This is a key priority for CS and should be at Director level for external linkage and for direct input into the Management Board.  The post is appointed at the AGM]

Representatives of the junior leagues, regional organisations or junior sections of Open leagues which are affiliated to Chess Scotland

Event organisers and other personnel appointed by the Home Chess Director (Junior) and Schools Development Director

At least two young people appointed as decided by the Junior Board

 

In the Open Board:

Home Chess Director (Open)

Representatives of the adult leagues, regional organisations which are affiliated to Chess Scotland [clarify inclusion of National League]

Event organisers and other personnel appointed by the Home Chess Director (Open) and Schools Development Director

At least two people appointed as decided by the Open Board

 

In the International Board:

International Director (Open)

International Director (Junior)

Event organisers and other personnel appointed by the International Director (Open) and International Director (Junior)

At least two people appointed as decided by the International Board

 

It would be for each Board:

·         to decide whether to invite other directors such as Grading Director to any meetings

·         to decide which director shall be chairperson  – the chairperson will have a leadership role in a similar way to the Executive Director for the Management Board

 

A fore-runner of the Junior Board will be convened and, providing it was sufficiently inclusive, the Junior Board fore-runner will seek to make ideally unanimous recommendations for the two Director posts.  It would then be a brave person who tried to resist the unanimous view of all the junior organisers in Scotland.

 

Appeals process

Appeals against decisions by event organisers will be handled in line with Chess Scotland's appeals procedures for tournaments.

Appeals about decisions made in the wider sense by any Director or Board may be made to Council, with a report produced by the appropriate Board.

 

What about the other Directors?

 

The full detail will be defined in a later version building on these initial thoughts.

 

The Management Board contains a Membership Services Director.  This is suggested as a new post encompassing the grading, membership processing and publications (such as Scottish Chess).  It is a way of reducing the size of the Management Board to more manageable numbers.  The new Director could be one of the people filling the current 3 roles or could be an additional person.  Our suggestion would be that the 3 existing people could retain their existing titles or change them at their discretion.  For the time being, we would suggest that they are appointed at the AGM, though there is a case for saying it should simply be the Membership Services Director who appointed them.

 

Executive Director – would lead the process of compiling the CS Business Plan and Strategy and lead the team formally presenting it to Council for approval.  He or she should deal with the organisation of CS wide meetings and project based issues such as whether Chess Scotland should be reconstituted as a limited company, guidance on legal requirements including in relation to disability and visual impairment.  Continue to appoint at AGM.

 

Finance Director – CS wide accountability, though with support from the Boards. Continue to appoint at AGM.

 

Sponsorship Director – CS wide accountability with a key function being to oversee the sponsorship plans of the Boards and ensure no duplication of sponsorship requests

 

Technical Director – no change – provides support etc CS wide. Continue to appoint at AGM.

 

Other directors may also be appointed by the AGM.

 

Existing constitutional groups

 

The Strategy Group, Executive Group, International Group and Junior Commission are discontinued.

 

Other issues

 

E-voting for elections

 

This should not proceed.  Although we agree there is a case for it, its construction would require considerable technical resource which would be better directed to other priorities.  Members can appoint proxies who can attend meetings and vote on their behalf.  For a small organisation, there is also a lot to be said about attending to hear the discussion.

 

Logistics

 

Timing is tight.

 

The Annual General Meeting will be on 28 August (as already advertised).  Neither the Council nor the Junior Commission meeting that day will proceed. 

 

The Special General Meeting will be on 1 July in Stirling starting at 7 pm.

 

 

Memorandum of understanding amongst Chess Scotland and Scottish Junior Chess officials

 

This note describes the totality of agreement on moving forward – if it's not here, it's not happening!

 

Administration

 

Finance

A separate account will be set up to deal with the receipt of entry fees and payment of prizes and expenses for tournaments.  Accounting information will be provided to the Finance Director on request.

Normal budgeting process as described in the constitutional changes would apply

 

Membership process

Processed through current CS Membership services director using CS systems and databases

Free schools registration will continue.  It will be operated through the SJC website, adjusting the on line form to provide the data the CS database uses and feeding to CS Membership services director and a junior representative for action (as currently with CS system).

 

Websites

The CS website will continue to hold information on the wider schools development issues (North Ayrshire, Aberdeen and international projects).  This page will be dual branded.

The SJC website will deal with all junior competitions, in promoting them and registering their results.  The SJC site will be dual branded. It will have its own webmaster working closely with the CS webmaster.

There will be links between the two sites.

Some documents (eg how to run a school chess club) will be located on both.

 

Branding

Dual branding will apply where home junior chess is involved.

Events will be organised by “Scottish Junior Chess, the junior division of Chess Scotland”]

Branding must support the one organisation concept[1]

 

Junior organisers

All organisers of junior competitions [ie those dealing with the chess organisation – more flexibility applies to those providing support] will have been processed for Child Protection clearance (or will have submitted an application and be waiting for the response).

 

 

Behaviour

 

All people working for the new single organisation

 

·         agree that adoption of the constitutional changes as described above represents a line in the sand from which to move forward

·         agree that past issues shall be regarded as concluded and not raised in future discussions

·         will show respect for others working for the single organisation

·         will work to communicate and share their thoughts with others working for the single organisation

·         will adopt a positive approach of constructive discussion with others working for the single organisation on all aspects of the organisation's work

·         will think about what they are saying and be slow to take offence

·         will promote the concept of the single organisation in all their activities.

 

 

 

John Glendinning

Andy Howie

Stephen O'Donnell

June 2005