CHESS SCOTLAND (CS)
MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING

City Inn, Glasgow
Sunday 30 August 2003

ATTENDEES

D Bryson G Clarke S Collins D Gillespie J Glendinning
D Griffin D Heathwood A McFarlane L R McKenzie F Petrie
C Pritchett K Stewart R Tweedie D Wilson

A number of members had taken up the invitation extended by the President at the AGM (immediately preceding the Council Meeting) to attend as observers.

J Glendinning chaired the meeting and D Heathwood took the minutes.

APOLOGIES

Apologies had been received from the following members of the newly appointed Council: -

D Leslie P McNab I Mackintosh B Marshall A Plato
D Smith L Wilson

PREVIOUS MEETING

The Minutes of the previous Council Meeting, 9 February 2003, were approved. There were no matters arising.

CHILD PROTECTION

A Paper dated 5 August 2003, jointly compiled by J Glendinning, D Heathwood, A McFarlane and S Mannion (senior) had been distributed to Council as at its date of completion. The Paper addressed the area of Child Protection and contained a range of detailed recommendations that CS should adopt. These changes would build upon the existing Chess Scotland Statement of Policy on Dealing with Children, approved by the then Scottish Junior Chess Association at their Meeting of 21 April 1996 and subsequently adopted by Chess Scotland. All of the existing practices as recorded in the 1996 document would continue unchanged, these new measures were additions not replacements. To support its recommendations, the Paper set out the background and changes over recent years in child protection policies implemented in other organisations. The Paper highlighted the range of options in terms of possible changes which should be considered.

It was of course recognised that the policies adopted would require to be kept under review and amended as appropriate in the light of practical experience over future years.

Subject to the following caveats, the recommendations were accepted: -

• (E) Chess Coaches - Chess Scotland should reserve the right (i) to recover any charges incurred and (ii) to charge a fee to anyone seeking to be included in the list of Approved Chess Coaches.
• (E) Chaperons - the wording associated with the envisaged published list of Authorised Chaperons would require very careful drafting to clarify (i) the extent and nature of any Chess Scotland responsibility for the activity of its Authorised Chaperons and (ii) the distinction between an Authorised Chaperon operating in a Chess Scotland or in a personal capacity.
  
• (H) Annual repeat Enhanced Disclosures - further thought should be given to the frequency of repeating disclosures. A triennial repeat might be more suitable than annual.

BEHAVIOUR AT CHESS EVENTS

Council agreed that a sub-group should be formed to draw up behaviour rules. Membership of the sub-group would comprise: -

T Donohue M Hanley M Mathie A McFarlane R Tweedie

ISSUES REFERRED FROM AGM

A member had suggested that the AGM should review three issues: -

• Suitability of joint Scottish Champion
  
• Assessment criteria for selecting player of the year
  
• 50 mile domicile rule for Richardson Cup

AGM had agreed that these questions should be referred to Council. There was some discussion as to the best way of debating the issues. Council were not in favour of any ballot of all members on the question of joint Scottish Champion.

The whole question of play-offs or similar procedures to avoid a joint Scottish Champion had been considered a number of times in the past but no satisfactory resolution had been identified. On the wider question of all member referenda, the normal practice was that Council ran Chess Scotland, if members were unhappy with the decisions being taken, their remedy was to elect replacement Council members at the AGM. Having said that, Council were very conscious of the need to reflect the wishes of members, for example (i) the survey of members to establish the level of support for junior chess being the top priority and (ii) the questionnaire forwarded to all users of the Chess Scotland Internet chess gateway.

The idea of opening out nominations for player of the year was well received. Consideration would be given to inviting nominations across the website prior to the subsequent ballot of members.

The 50 mile domicile rule only related to players living in England and as such was seen as being a relatively minor issue; nevertheless, the appropriate Director would review options once again.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Subject to confirmation, the next Meeting of Council would be held on 8 February 2004. Items held over from the Meeting under minute would either be resolved by Email or discussed at that time.