I have written a finance report for inclusion in the annual report but in the spirit of discussions on another thread I have put together my "election" address below. I will also try to upload a photo as my user avatar for those who don't know me, so you can say hello or ask me any questions when you see me at a congress or some other chess match or event.

I was impressed by David Deary's manifesto for Home Junior Director and would echo many of his sentiments regarding the way forward.

David Congalton
Finance Director

Financial Background

Last 8 years as company accountant with a successful, local family run business near my home.

Replaced Mac MacKenzie as finance director at last year’s AGM when he stepped down after many years of service.

Chess Background

Returned to playing in 2008. I regularly play congresses in Scotland and England, as well as Ayrshire League events and Glasgow League matches. I am a member of both Greenwood and Cathcart chess clubs.

I have assisted in organising the Prestwick Congress and its successor the Ayr congress for the last three years.

I helped to bring GM Paul Motwani over for a series of events held in Ayrshire, in early May this year.

Assisted with the organisation of the junior teams particpation in the Liverpool Quadrangular in 2012 and the Glorney-Gilbert International in Cardiff last month. Attended both events and helped.

I am helping to organise the Inverness Congress taking place next month and trying to help develop a thriving junior chess scene in Ayrshire by running a new junior masters series of events.

In 2014 I will be helping at a South Ayrshire congress in January, the fourth Ayr congress in May and the first Highlands and Islands congress for June. After that I have nothing further planned.

Working towards becoming a qualified arbiter.

2012-13

Last year was a year of learning in the Chess Scotland role for a good part of the period. Familiarisation with the way things worked and the timings of incomes and expenditures. Reviewing the processes and making some changes to improve them and make things simpler.

Failure was the unsuccessful application to the Big Lottery Fund.

Success was helping to put Chess Scotland in a strong financial position for the challenging year ahead.

2013-14

If re-elected, I hope going forward to use the experience and knowledge gained last year to be able to spend less time on the administrative side and more time looking at ways to increase the revenue coming into Chess Scotland. Having had a years experience I am now in a better position to organise my time more effectively and find the right balance between work, chess finances and my other commitments and pastimes.

The loss of government support will be addressed and I will work towards having some form of government assistance reinstated, while actively seeking alternative means of funding.

I very much see the finance position as a support role for the various other directorates and for Scottish Chess as a whole. I believe that the current government strategy for supporting voluntary organisations such as ourselves means we have to adapt to a more targeted approach to funding.

I will be looking at working with all sections with a view to securing targeted funding for the various projects and events they wish to undertake in the coming year.

I understand the premise of the council motion for control on all spending not approved as part of the budget process but the recent trial of obtaining a decision involving all council members has yet to result in an outcome. As an alternative I would like to put together a small finance committee which would review requests for spending above a de minimus level, on a case by case basis. I believe a maximum of five people, including myself, would be conducive to this working efficiently and effectively, with all members of the panel drawn from those making up the Chess Scotland council.

Going Forward

At the moment the Chess Scotland membership and active chess players in the country need a strong governing body who have the resources to support the development and increase the over the board popularity of playing chess among all ages and all types of people.

The constant squabbles (and worse) of the last year cannot be part of the future. For those intent on this please consider taking up draughts, darts or perhaps try solitaire. It is becoming tiresome. If you truly have the best interest of Scottish chess at heart consider swallowing some pride and taking the first step to conciliation. There is a wind of change blowing with the younger generation stepping forward this year to take positions. It would be hugely unfair to them to drag Chess Scotland into a pit which they have to haul it out of. Is this really the legacy those who are elder and should be wiser want to leave?

I do believe the “new” people coming forward is proof that the number of people willing to give up their own time to organise and run Scottish chess is significantly more than many would think. It is important that we all try to work together and support each other. When new people come in we must do our best to make them welcome, to assist them and to make them want to continue giving their time and energy to making chess the big story of the next few years.

I fully intend to work with all parties, old and new, involved in progressing Chess in Scotland, moving the game forward and regenerating the enthusiasm and interest I believe is there. Chess is a special pastime and there is huge potential to do something great in the next few years, with a positive and active approach to everything that is done.

“To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.”

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If my email address had been collected as part of an entry to an event, and I am then subsequently sent an email that has nothing to do with said event, is that a breach of the Data Protection Act which states:

Quote:Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.

Quote:Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.

The inaugural Junior Chess Masters event will take place on Saturday, August 31st at Prestwick Academy, from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

Further details can be found on the calendar page of the Chess Scotland website and also at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://ayrshirejuniorchess.co.uk/events/junior-masters.html">http://ayrshirejuniorchess.co.uk/events ... sters.html</a><!-- m -->

I am making this statement in response to an earlier post in this thread from Derek Howie and also in response to an email from Robin Moore.
I want to make it absolutely clear I have total respect for my opponent Hamish Glen and for all the others that are standing for election.
I needed help with my bid for election and Ian Brownlee was kind enough to help.


Chess Scotland
Presidency
C.V. & Manifesto
What are your main goals for the next 12 months?
I think that it is important that work is started to clarify not only the constitution, but the roles of the President and Directors. The description of the Presidents role is crucial as there has to be clearly defined parameters as to what he/she can or cannot do. Recent events have proved this in my view.

I also want to clarify who is responsible for the day to day running of the Association. Council must remain the supreme decision making body for chess in Scotland, but the association has to still function as a body on a day to day basis.
A working party has to be formed to reform our constitution.
One Idea worth considering is the introduction of voting by email. This could cut out the need for proxy voting.
What are you going to do to increase the chess playing in Scotland?
2/ This is a very difficult one to answer. I think we must constantly publicise the inclusiveness of chess and a sport that can be played on an equal basis regardless of age, gender or disability.
Do you have any plans to improve CS's relationship with Holyrood?
3/ I have to admit that I do not know much about much about this topic. I think that my international role can be of service to the Association though, as our affiliates in the IBCA, have dealt with national and state governments when organising events on our behalf.
Do you have any plans to mend any of the fences that have been broken over the past 12 months?
4/ There has to be a process of reconciliation in my view. There is a clear need for this in Chess Scotland. If Chess Scotland wants to go forward, we have to all work together for the good of the WHOLE Chess community. I am fearful that the recent spats particularly on the noticeboard have been damaging to the whole of our community. I am not convinced that people realise this when posting.
In order for Chess Scotland to go forward, the above paragraph has to happen in particular. CS will not move forward until it can stop its infighting.

I held the post of Home Director for 3 and half years. I resigned the post because of a decision I made in regards to the Richardson Cup. I made an error and resigned to protect the integrity of the post. The post is more important than the occupant. I also try to do my job in a most impartial way
I am currently the Secretary General of the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA). I have completed 5 years in this post which is a very senior one on the international stage. I am now in my second term as I was re-elected unanimously in Chennai in 2012.
In my work for the IBCA, I have been involved in the organisation of the following,
World Junior Braille championships in Sweden in 2009
World team Championships in Romania in 2010
World Braille Championships in Serbia in 2010
World Junior & European Braille Championships in Rhodes in 2011
14th Braille Olympiad in India in 2012
Pan American Braille Championships in Argentina in 2012
World team Braille championships in Spain in 2013
World Braille Championships for Women and also the Junior World Braille Championships due to start in Belgrade, Serbia on the 21/8-1/9 2013
I have also helped two young players one in Aberdeen through Sheila Emery and the father of a blind kid in Hamilton by providing braille sets free.
I have also donated a number of Sets to Chris Hampton to help him set up a chess club for the blind in Edinburgh.

When I say I will do something, then people can be certain that I will do my utmost to do it.
My emphasis is to bring both sides together

Please find my ‘manifesto’ below, this is not an exhaustive list and is a bit rough but hopefully will give members an idea of what I am all about. If you have any ideas or suggestions feel free to reply to my post. I’m not 100% sure of where the remits of the Junior Directors stop so apologies to Calum and June if I am stealing any of their ideas or stepping on their toes.

Manifesto of David Deary for Home Junior Director

What are my aims/objectives:
Ultimately, I view the Home Junior Director post as being about getting more kids playing chess across Scotland. That’s my number one priority. There are several vehicles to do this: more junior clubs in schools; more junior clubs outwith school and better links between junior clubs and senior clubs with more senior clubs becoming junior friendly and perhaps offering a junior night.

Obviously, these are not things that I can do on my own and I will require help and support in order to make these aims a reality. I’ll want to get out in the regions across Scotland speaking to clubs, associations, leagues and junior bodies to see what support CS can offer to help implement the above in their areas. I also want to see how things work across different areas of Scotland and whether the ideas can be shared to have a truly national framework for Junior Chess. To this end, I wish to reconstitute the Home Junior board and have its membership representing the diverse approaches and opinions we have from across Scotland. I would envisage that the Board would convene on a fairly regular basis such as every six to eight weeks and meetings could be held via Skype to bring everyone from across Scotland together.

I also wish to see a thriving junior website again where juniors contribute and it is packed with news for Chess Scotland’s junior players. This would require the support of the Website Administrator and the International Junior Director and Schools Development Director. Having spoken to Calum and June I know this is something they are both extremely keen on.

Another area of focus and its certainly doesn’t have an easy solution is bridging the gap with young players who play the game frequently at primary school and seem to fall away as they join secondary school. In all honestly, I’m not 100% sure as to the reason for this and I’m sure there are multiple contributory factors but it’s something I intend to investigate and along with the Junior Board come up with some initiatives to arrest this slide.

In terms of tournaments:
I inherit the extremely well run Primary Individual that as a format and a tournament works well and the feedback is always positive. My intention wouldn’t be to tinker with this event and I would seek advice and support from those who have run it for so long. Namely, SJC, the ball is in their court over whether they are willing to work with me but I sincerely hope they will.

The Junior Grand Prix I would continue in its current format with perhaps an extra section for the U20 age group but this is something that I need consider. A recent suggestion (I don’t wish to name drop with whose idea it was) that we could award one of the places at the British as a prize was mooted. This is the sort of ideas I would like to see, if anyone has any further suggestions let me know.
The Jonathon Rowson and Cherie Booth awards are both extremely prestigious awards that I would like to see returned to a committee judging the winner. Preferably, as in the past with a titled player, an experienced former junior and perhaps a Director as opposed to a vote of the membership or a decision by the HJD.

I would like to see the Scottish Schools Championships revived. I had the good fortune to win two Scottish Schools Championships (the same number as Hugh Brechin no less!) as a pupil of Greenwood Academy. When I was at school it was the tournament to win and I had great fun travelling across Scotland to play other schools. This is something that I would work on with Stephen Taylor (who previously ran the event) and the Schools Development Director as I am unsure whose remit it falls into.

I will also assess the viability of a Secondary Individual Championship perhaps in a similar format to the Primary Individual. However, until elected I’m not 100% sure of the resource requirements and the financial implications.

Similarly, I’d like to see the Inter-County Championships making a return in the next year and again would need to seek the support of those who have carried it out in the past. I’m unsure of who previously ran this event and would be interested to know.

Obviously with the loss of the grant Budgets are even tighter than in the past and I will need to be creative in making the budget stretch that bit further. I also hope to be able to prepare some marketing material along with the fellow Junior Directors and the Marketing Director to bring more funds into junior chess.

Experience:
I’ve played chess for about fifteen years now and some of my favourite chess moments were as a junior. I’m passionate about chess and I’m passionate about bringing the game to more people. I’m currently Treasurer of the Ayrshire Chess Association and in my tenure we have supported junior clubs in Ayrshire by providing boards and sets in additional to organising junior training events and supporting our juniors selected for Scotland. I have also assisted in running junior events at the Prestwick (now Ayr) Congress. I’m also currently finishing my training to become a CS arbiter (hopefully I’ll have my three reports after the Inverness Congress). I’ve also been a bit of a ‘hanger on’ at Junior events where my brother ( Daniel) has been playing and most recently assisted with coaching the junior players at the Glorney in Cardiff.

As I said, previously, none of the things I have listed as my aims can be achieved alone and it might be true to say I am not that experienced but I am enthusiastic to see change for the better and I hope others will join me to get more junior playing the game we all love.

Why am I running?:
Initially, I spoke to Calum MacQueen in June who advised me that he was running for IJD and he encouraged me to run for HJD. In Calum, I saw someone who I believed I could work with, who had similar aspirations and who has been and still is one of Scotland’s top young players. I spoke to a handful of close friends about running who advised me that I would be good in the role and offered me their support if elected.

Finally, I am standing for election because I am disappointed with the recent schism in junior chess and my hope is that everyone can contribute positively and move forward. In the past year, there has been so much vitriol spouted on all sides that it’s a miracle we still have so many people willing to volunteer and my hope is that we can all bury the hatchet and move forward. This is probably easier said than done but my door remains open to anyone who is constructive about pushing junior chess forward and increasing participation levels.

I now welcome any questions, queries, suggestions or comments from anyone.

Many thanks,

David

P.S. Apologies for the essay it was meant to be more concise but I got a little carried away. :U

As I am standing my pitch is:

"Most important attribute is honesty. No cyber bullying. I am in favour of the lads tournament of 19 in Andorra & 2 Edinburgh teams in the club cup and Scottish team in Warsaw and good Senior teams and some comeback kids for Norway"

I believe that more than one person has been seeking proxy votes.

I would say that it is acceptable to say "I am going to the meeting if you want me to act as proxy." to known people. It is much less appropriate to say something like "Give me your proxy even though you don't really know me" especially if this happens in what is effectively a spam email.

Anyway my election address for Director of Scottish Championships.

I have been running this event for more years than I care to remember. The current international format and the support of a benefactor has proved beneficial. I am an experienced arbiter, officiating at events since 1980. I have organised a number of events both in Scotland and in England (bet that counts against me!). I am recognised by FIDE as a category B International Arbiter, International Organiser and Arbiter Trainer.
I was the Chess Scotland Home Director and President of the Scottish Junior Chess Association.

I'm sure I could say more. Hopefully others will give a similar (and brief synopsis) either here or more officially.

All

I've decided to step down from my roles on the forum in order to focus my attention elsewhere. This change will take effect from the date of the AGM, and means I will no longer be responsible for any forum related issues.

I want to thank Andy and Hugh for their support over the years/months. Forum moderation is sometimes a difficult and time consuming task and their help has been very much appreciated.

Regards
Andrew

Lennart Koehn is currently battling away against some strong opposition in Austria.

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I’ll use a different thread as an excuse to re-post details of this year’s Dundee & Angus Congress. It will take place 11 – 13 October at David Lloyd Leisure near Monifieth. This year will be our 10th running of the modern Dundee Congress and the 9th at this venue.

Points of note for this year:

We have received additional funding from Awards For All Scotland so the prize fund has been significantly increased. The new money has been spread across most prize groups with additional grading prizes, but Junior prizes have not been increased - instead we have secured the services of one of Scotland's leading junior coaches, Andrew Green, who will conduct one-to-one and small group coaching. Further details including times and format nearer the time (email me if you want info sent direct to you - <!-- e --><a href="mailto:director@dundee-congress.co.uk">director@dundee-congress.co.uk</a><!-- e -->).

Entry fees are unchanged from last year - £23, £21, £19 and £17.

Our policy of not offering free entry continues.

Rate of play – we are dispensing with the interim time control and quickplay finish. Each player will have 1¾ hours for all moves.

Accommodation – plenty of options between Monifieth, Brought Ferry and Dundee. For a comprehensive list of options see http://www.dundee-congress.co.uk/accommodation.htm

Current offers:
Travelodge (http://www.travelodge.co.uk)
Dundee Central - Fri - £34, Sat £43
Strathmore Ave - Fri - £22, Sat £29
Dundee (by Camperdown Park) - Fri - £25, Sat £31 (booked together)

For full details of the congress visit our website http://www.dundee-congress.co.uk
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