12-03-2014, 11:23 AM
Below is my draft finance report, as it currently stands. As I knew I would be busy with work this week, it was my intention to have a final report published at the same time as the fees and budgets but I ran out of time at the weekend.
However, I think it best to publish this just now, in advance of the meeting, to allow digestion and discussion, rather than have the meeting wait for everyone to read through the document.
Please excuse me if I am unable to respond to any questions quickly. I am particularly busy at this time and am still playing a bit of catch-up on this particular discussion thread.
Audited Accounts for 2012-13
The audited accounts were sent to me in November 2013 to be signed off and returned for the auditor’s signature. This was duly done by e-mail but unfortunately my e-mail disappeared into the auditor’s spam folders. It was only when I chased them up in January that this came to light.
The delay in the publication led to the auditors being approached by Chess Scotland (CS) members with a variety of questions. Had members approached me directly or through other CS officials or members I would have provided them with copies of the audited accounts and answered any questions they might have had. It is unfortunate that the members did not feel they wanted or could approach me and I will try to address this during my remaining time as Finance Director.
The change in the presentation of the accounts also prompted some questions on the accounts and this was to be expected. I have endeavoured to address the questions and hope that I have been able to answer them to the member’s satisfaction.
Essentially the audited accounts were a consolidated version of the two sets of accounts, CS and Championship, which I presented to the AGM in 2013. There was a difference of around £1,000. This was due to the auditors including Championship entry fees for the 2013 event held in Helensburgh, which I had excluded from the 2012 Glasgow Championships account.
Current CS Finances
Through the prudent management of Chess Scotland finances and the huge generosity of a few individuals CS will have a surplus at the end of the 2013-14 financial year as forecast.
This planned surplus was budgeted to take account of the two major events in 2014 which CS will support, the Olympiad and the Glorney.
The recent publication of the regulations for the Olympiad to be held in Tromso has allowed the International Director, Andy Muir and myself to assess and estimate the cost of participation of the Scottish teams and I am happy to report that the swift action of Andy Muir in selecting the team and prompting the players to book flights quickly looks as if it will significantly minimise the total cost involved.
At the present time I am hopeful that being quick off the mark will lead to the final cost coming in around the £5,000 mark for the whole event. This is significantly below the estimates we were looking at in January and I would like to thank Andy Muir for the huge part he has played in minimising the expense.
The biggest event for Scottish Chess this year is undoubtedly the Commonwealth Championships. These have always been planned as a stand alone event with the generous support of our anonymous benefactor largely funding what will hopefully be a fantastic experience for Scottish Chess players.
CS has made two applications for significant funding for the Commonwealth Championships, one of which was a joint application with the Glorney. We are awaiting the outcome of these applications.
As previously stated at meetings I am happy to submit further applications to appropriate funding providers where it is felt there are specific projects that CS could organise.
Future Funding Initiatives
I am currently working on a number of funding initiatives which I hope will be long-term fundraisers for the work that CS does.
Already in place, due to the generous backing of CS members to fund the start up costs, is the start of CS Merchandise. The Chess Scotland Victory pen is now available to purchase for £2. The pen is a quality, metal pen with a twist action and will be available at all events I organise, as well as, hopefully, other events and through the CS website. I would ask all Council members to support this venture and promote it in their regions and clubs.
Funds raised from pen sales will be used to purchase team apparel for the junior international squad.
If the pen merchandising idea is successful I will look at adding other products to the list, with a view to having a small line up of CS goods available for people to purchase with their memberships or as gifts or just to treat themselves.
The junior international squad will also benefit from the upcoming Livingston and Ayrshire allegros. While both events will be run in the normal way, I hope to make a small surplus from entries and also raise some funds on the day towards supporting all of our junior internationalists, with fundraisers like change for chess, where I will ask players to consider putting any loose change they have into a collection bucket during the breaks in rounds.
I envisage holding at least one CS allegro event per month in towns and cities throughout the country, to raise small amounts towards specific CS causes, as well as promote chess throughout Scotland and provide opportunities for all to play.
Initially, these events will be organised through the body set up to run the Ayr and Inverness Congresses. This is largely to minimise the risk to CS. However, I would hope that the events are successful and supported enough to persuade Chess Scotland to take on their organisation, allowing them to run on a long-term basis as nationally organised events.
Finally, on international junior fund raising and junior fund raising as a whole, I am working closely with the SJCAET to explore areas where we can work together to support and benefit our young chess playing kids.
The SJCAET have been extremely helpful in the past and have already pledged support for the Glorney International later this year. I hope to be able to announce exact details, very soon, of their specific support and also of a joint project with SJCAET to give further help to our Glorney Internationalists.
A further suggested fundraising project has been prompted by the difficulties tight funds have placed on the Scottish Olympiad teams going to Tromso this year. I have to admit this is not my idea but I fully support it, as it seems much more sensible to raise funds for the Olympiad teams throughout the two year period between events rather than leaving fund raising until late in the day when it becomes apparent that the Olympiad pot is not as full as would be liked.
The suggestion is that an Olympiad appeal is featured on the home page of the Chess Scotland website, in a similar (or better) way to the Canadian Chess Federation.
The Canadians have a fund-raising drive barometer (see below). Such a diagram could be implemented into the CS website, with a “donate now” type button. Perhaps this could replace the sensory board appeal button currently in place.
CS Finance going forward
I would like to see some sort of nominal value put on the grading of junior events in an official way. This would be useful for a few reasons, including applications for funding junior events where a cost breakdown is required.
At the moment the grading service and other available services and benefits are provided free (with the exception of insurance). Does this make them worthless or just taken for granted?
By introducing junior grading fees to the list of fees, I would perhaps be opening the door to free or reduced rate junior grading being one of the benefits of affiliation to Chess Scotland. However, I would consider this to be a matter for discussion by the junior board.
No income from junior fees is included in the proposed budget for 2014-15. The sum of £556 is the total attributable to income from adult allegro events.
It is not my intention to actually charge these junior fees in the coming season (2014-15) but I would like to see the discussion take place and an amount included in the fees list. Essentially all fees would be waived.
If I were to continue in the role of finance director I would propose publishing a list of the beneficiaries of this and the amounts in my annual report to the AGM.
I have also proposed raising some fees in line with the current rates of inflation. In the case of grading fees for tournaments not offering a discount to CS members I have proposed raising the fees at a slightly higher rate to encourage offering a CS discount.
I have proposed reducing the fees for under-17’s to the same level as all other juniors in an attempt to encourage all juniors to continue with CS membership throughout their time at school.
Additionally, I have looked to reduce the fees for smaller clubs to assist these clubs to start up and to grow. I have also considered the waiving of fees for start-up clubs but need to fully assess the implications and workings of this with regard to clubs who may amalgamate or change their name.
The current structure and level of fees allows Chess Scotland to provide a core framework for chess in the country. Among the things we provide are
• a modern website which is updated regularly with news and events,
• a grading system that is fundamental to competitive chess is Scotland,
• a membership service which permits players to support the game and the services, as well as reap a few benefits,
• the publication of a bi-monthly magazine which players can enjoy,
• a PVG scheme to provide for the safety of our juniors,
• a directory of qualified coaches
• a structure to train and provide arbiters for tournaments
• a national championships and other major events
There are many more and without the hard work and generosity of people who love the game CS would never be able to come remotely close to doing all it does. The core costs of providing all of this are approximately 65% to 70% of the annual income of the organisation with the remainder split largely between supporting junior and open international participation.
Quite rightly there has been concern about the loss of the government grant and we have had to keep spending under tight control. However, had we received £11,000 from the Government or anyone else, what would we have spent it on and how would that have benefited the long-term future of chess?
However, I think it best to publish this just now, in advance of the meeting, to allow digestion and discussion, rather than have the meeting wait for everyone to read through the document.
Please excuse me if I am unable to respond to any questions quickly. I am particularly busy at this time and am still playing a bit of catch-up on this particular discussion thread.
Audited Accounts for 2012-13
The audited accounts were sent to me in November 2013 to be signed off and returned for the auditor’s signature. This was duly done by e-mail but unfortunately my e-mail disappeared into the auditor’s spam folders. It was only when I chased them up in January that this came to light.
The delay in the publication led to the auditors being approached by Chess Scotland (CS) members with a variety of questions. Had members approached me directly or through other CS officials or members I would have provided them with copies of the audited accounts and answered any questions they might have had. It is unfortunate that the members did not feel they wanted or could approach me and I will try to address this during my remaining time as Finance Director.
The change in the presentation of the accounts also prompted some questions on the accounts and this was to be expected. I have endeavoured to address the questions and hope that I have been able to answer them to the member’s satisfaction.
Essentially the audited accounts were a consolidated version of the two sets of accounts, CS and Championship, which I presented to the AGM in 2013. There was a difference of around £1,000. This was due to the auditors including Championship entry fees for the 2013 event held in Helensburgh, which I had excluded from the 2012 Glasgow Championships account.
Current CS Finances
Through the prudent management of Chess Scotland finances and the huge generosity of a few individuals CS will have a surplus at the end of the 2013-14 financial year as forecast.
This planned surplus was budgeted to take account of the two major events in 2014 which CS will support, the Olympiad and the Glorney.
The recent publication of the regulations for the Olympiad to be held in Tromso has allowed the International Director, Andy Muir and myself to assess and estimate the cost of participation of the Scottish teams and I am happy to report that the swift action of Andy Muir in selecting the team and prompting the players to book flights quickly looks as if it will significantly minimise the total cost involved.
At the present time I am hopeful that being quick off the mark will lead to the final cost coming in around the £5,000 mark for the whole event. This is significantly below the estimates we were looking at in January and I would like to thank Andy Muir for the huge part he has played in minimising the expense.
The biggest event for Scottish Chess this year is undoubtedly the Commonwealth Championships. These have always been planned as a stand alone event with the generous support of our anonymous benefactor largely funding what will hopefully be a fantastic experience for Scottish Chess players.
CS has made two applications for significant funding for the Commonwealth Championships, one of which was a joint application with the Glorney. We are awaiting the outcome of these applications.
As previously stated at meetings I am happy to submit further applications to appropriate funding providers where it is felt there are specific projects that CS could organise.
Future Funding Initiatives
I am currently working on a number of funding initiatives which I hope will be long-term fundraisers for the work that CS does.
Already in place, due to the generous backing of CS members to fund the start up costs, is the start of CS Merchandise. The Chess Scotland Victory pen is now available to purchase for £2. The pen is a quality, metal pen with a twist action and will be available at all events I organise, as well as, hopefully, other events and through the CS website. I would ask all Council members to support this venture and promote it in their regions and clubs.
Funds raised from pen sales will be used to purchase team apparel for the junior international squad.
If the pen merchandising idea is successful I will look at adding other products to the list, with a view to having a small line up of CS goods available for people to purchase with their memberships or as gifts or just to treat themselves.
The junior international squad will also benefit from the upcoming Livingston and Ayrshire allegros. While both events will be run in the normal way, I hope to make a small surplus from entries and also raise some funds on the day towards supporting all of our junior internationalists, with fundraisers like change for chess, where I will ask players to consider putting any loose change they have into a collection bucket during the breaks in rounds.
I envisage holding at least one CS allegro event per month in towns and cities throughout the country, to raise small amounts towards specific CS causes, as well as promote chess throughout Scotland and provide opportunities for all to play.
Initially, these events will be organised through the body set up to run the Ayr and Inverness Congresses. This is largely to minimise the risk to CS. However, I would hope that the events are successful and supported enough to persuade Chess Scotland to take on their organisation, allowing them to run on a long-term basis as nationally organised events.
Finally, on international junior fund raising and junior fund raising as a whole, I am working closely with the SJCAET to explore areas where we can work together to support and benefit our young chess playing kids.
The SJCAET have been extremely helpful in the past and have already pledged support for the Glorney International later this year. I hope to be able to announce exact details, very soon, of their specific support and also of a joint project with SJCAET to give further help to our Glorney Internationalists.
A further suggested fundraising project has been prompted by the difficulties tight funds have placed on the Scottish Olympiad teams going to Tromso this year. I have to admit this is not my idea but I fully support it, as it seems much more sensible to raise funds for the Olympiad teams throughout the two year period between events rather than leaving fund raising until late in the day when it becomes apparent that the Olympiad pot is not as full as would be liked.
The suggestion is that an Olympiad appeal is featured on the home page of the Chess Scotland website, in a similar (or better) way to the Canadian Chess Federation.
The Canadians have a fund-raising drive barometer (see below). Such a diagram could be implemented into the CS website, with a “donate now” type button. Perhaps this could replace the sensory board appeal button currently in place.
CS Finance going forward
I would like to see some sort of nominal value put on the grading of junior events in an official way. This would be useful for a few reasons, including applications for funding junior events where a cost breakdown is required.
At the moment the grading service and other available services and benefits are provided free (with the exception of insurance). Does this make them worthless or just taken for granted?
By introducing junior grading fees to the list of fees, I would perhaps be opening the door to free or reduced rate junior grading being one of the benefits of affiliation to Chess Scotland. However, I would consider this to be a matter for discussion by the junior board.
No income from junior fees is included in the proposed budget for 2014-15. The sum of £556 is the total attributable to income from adult allegro events.
It is not my intention to actually charge these junior fees in the coming season (2014-15) but I would like to see the discussion take place and an amount included in the fees list. Essentially all fees would be waived.
If I were to continue in the role of finance director I would propose publishing a list of the beneficiaries of this and the amounts in my annual report to the AGM.
I have also proposed raising some fees in line with the current rates of inflation. In the case of grading fees for tournaments not offering a discount to CS members I have proposed raising the fees at a slightly higher rate to encourage offering a CS discount.
I have proposed reducing the fees for under-17’s to the same level as all other juniors in an attempt to encourage all juniors to continue with CS membership throughout their time at school.
Additionally, I have looked to reduce the fees for smaller clubs to assist these clubs to start up and to grow. I have also considered the waiving of fees for start-up clubs but need to fully assess the implications and workings of this with regard to clubs who may amalgamate or change their name.
The current structure and level of fees allows Chess Scotland to provide a core framework for chess in the country. Among the things we provide are
• a modern website which is updated regularly with news and events,
• a grading system that is fundamental to competitive chess is Scotland,
• a membership service which permits players to support the game and the services, as well as reap a few benefits,
• the publication of a bi-monthly magazine which players can enjoy,
• a PVG scheme to provide for the safety of our juniors,
• a directory of qualified coaches
• a structure to train and provide arbiters for tournaments
• a national championships and other major events
There are many more and without the hard work and generosity of people who love the game CS would never be able to come remotely close to doing all it does. The core costs of providing all of this are approximately 65% to 70% of the annual income of the organisation with the remainder split largely between supporting junior and open international participation.
Quite rightly there has been concern about the loss of the government grant and we have had to keep spending under tight control. However, had we received £11,000 from the Government or anyone else, what would we have spent it on and how would that have benefited the long-term future of chess?
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