Any ideas out there on how to promote and market Scottish Chess?

How do we increase the numbers regularly playing at all levels and age groups?

How do we further encourage non-members to become Chess Scotland members?

Thoughts on how we increase CS funds through promotion and marketing?

Any ideas on what could be offered to potential investors in the game and how they could utilise a partnership with Chess Scotland for the investors benefit?

General and specific examples could be useful. For example, the Nintendo DS targeted those in the more mature bracket in some of their adverts for the brain training game. Could CS approach Nintendo or whoever manufactures the brain training series with an advertising package and co-operation by suitable CS members to promote their products in return for an investment in our senior teams?

Many ideas may have been aired before and undoubtedly many previous discussions will have taken place but all ideas would be useful to throw in the pot, even if they've been considered before. No harm in reassessing ideas to see if they can be made to work.

Out of interest...

Field of work/study?
Online games or sport?
Holidays in the sun or camping trips up north?
Beer or wine?

:U

It is planned that from February 2012, the authorities will be reprocessing all volunteers (Chess Coaches, Arbiters and Chaperons) who were previously disclosed through the former Child Protection process (Pre 2011). This will mean that a new form will need to be completed which will result in all volunteers being awarded a PVG Scheme Record which they retain and can show to any interested party. More recent CS volunteers (2011 onwards) have already been awarded a PVG Scheme Record.

Chess Scotland's Lead Signatory, Steve Mannion (Snr), has written to each of the CS volunteers who will be affected by the new arrangements. If you think that you should have received a letter but have not done so, please contact the Membership Secretary <!-- e --><a href="mailto:membership@chessscotland.com">membership@chessscotland.com</a><!-- e -->

See the front page!

Nice one Andy

Dundee & Angus Congress will be staging a one-day Spring Allegro on Saturday 26th May 2012 at the usual Congress venue – David Lloyd Leisure, Ethiebeaton by Dundee.

We will be collaborating with Chess For Kicks which will be organised and conducted by SJC officials but the events will share the venue. Hopefully entries for one will generate entries for the other. CFK officials will make their own announcement in due course.

Details of the D&A Allegro will be finalised over the next few weeks but I hope to have provisional details ready by Lothians Allegro and entry forms by Perth. The Dundee Congress website - http://www.dundee-congress.co.uk will carry news and updates although a dedicated website is being developed. For direct news and updates email me at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:director@dundee-congress.co.uk">director@dundee-congress.co.uk</a><!-- e -->

All

Currently GMs get appearance fees at the Olympiad.
However the team has played badly recently

Our Senior team currently get great results but no subsidy and now the possibility of appearance fees is now a topic here too.

I am open-minded here as to what should happen on a tight budget between allocating to
junior/adult/senior/IM chasers

and whether money in a team should be skewed towards the top players or not

If anyone cares to post here or email me than that will help me make decisions in allocating the budget for 2012

Does anyone know what's happening with this? A few of us at Paisley Chess Club have been trying to contact Paul Blair about this, with absolutely no success. Thanks in advance.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.cappelle-chess.fr/en2/default.php">http://www.cappelle-chess.fr/en2/default.php</a><!-- m -->

The 28th International Open of Cappelle la Grande will take place 3 - 10 March 2012 to the Palais des arts.

Last year 2 players received help with accommodation from organisers.
I will check up for situation this year.
If you wish considered for a subsidy, please contact me by 31 December

FOLLOWING UP ANDREW'S SUGGESTION I FIND THAT I HAVE MADE A SERIOUS ERROR.

WHAT I THOUGHT WERE DECEMBER 2006 GRADES WERE IN FACT JULY 2006 GRADES.

SORRY EVERYONE

LOOKING DEEPER INTO THE DATA THIS CHANGES FINDINGS SUBSTANTIALLY AND RAISES SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS.

RATHER THAN CLOG UP THIS POSTING I WILL CREATE A NEW ONE TO EXPLORE THE CORRECTED DATA.
THIS WILL APPEAR LATER TODAY

WHEN TIME (DOUGIE AND MINE) ALLOWS INSTEAD OF PUBLISHING NUMBERS 5 YEARS APART AND ASSUMING LINEAR TEND BETWEEN THE POINTS I WILL PUBLISH DATA AS OF JULY 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

End of Correction


SECOND EDIT DEC 20th 2011
WITH THANKS TO DOUGIE BRYSON I NOW HAVE GRADING DATA FOR THE START OF SIX CONSECUTIVE SEASONS JULY 2006 TO JULY 2011. THESE I HAVE SUMMARISED IN A NEW POSTING AT THE END OF THIS THREAD.

I LOOK FORWARD TO COMMENTS FROM ALL THE USUAL SUSPECTS AND PERHAPS FROM SOME UNUSUAL SUSPECTS.

**********************************************************************************

5 years ago in December 2006(EDIT of Dec 13th DEC 2007) my son Daniel was in Primary 7. He was the only primary school pupil in Scotland with a grade above 1000. There were at that time very few S1, S2 and 3 pupils with a grade.
Using the excellent on line grading system I recorded the 10th highest grades in each J category.

Exactly 5 years later it is interesting to note the differences made as a result of (a) the increase in Junior competitions notably SJC and Hamilton events and (b) the initiatives I put in place and actions I took as IJD between 2008 and 2011.

Here then are the two sets of figures and for convenience the increases made over this 5 year time frame.

Dec 2006 tenth highest grade
J7 less than 10 graded players
J8(and below): 183
J9: 440
J10: 578
J11: 798
J12: 972
J13: 1005
J14: 1261
J15: 1485

Dec 2011 tenth highest grade

J7: 183
J8(and below): 355
J9: 527
J10: 663
J11: 886
J12: 1100
J13: 1186
J14: 1368
J15: 1530

INCREASES OVER 5 YEARS
J8(and below): 172
J9: 87
J10: 85
J11: 88
J12: 128
J13: 181
J14: 107
J15: 45

ALL POSITIVE NUMBERS IN NONE OF THESE AGE GROUPS HAS THE 10th HIGHEST GRADE DECLINED

Yesterday I received a very suspicious e-mail from a friend, the subject was just not her style.
Instead of opening it, I phoned her. She had not sent it, and on looking at her 'Sent' folder, it was apparent that her account had been hacked.

She then sent a warning e-mail to everyone in her address list.

I have two questions for the more up to date people out there:-

1) Is there any way of cleansing the account, or should it be closed after retrieving addresses and any important e-mails saved elsewhere?

2) Is there a chance that the computer has been compromised in any other fashion?