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From ELCA.org.uk County THE NORTHERN MEMBERSHIP SCHEME
PLAY NATIONALLY GRADED GAMES AGAINST FELLOW CLUB MEMBERS FOR FREE?
WANT CHEAPER CONGRESS AND RAPIDPLAY ENTRIES?
CHEAPER ENTRANCE FOR YOUR CLUB INTO LEAGUES?
CHEAPER ENTRY TO THE BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS?
BECOME A BCF MEMBER AT THE SAME TIME WITH CHESSMOVES FREE?
Then this scheme is for you and your club! Read on ..
Open Letter from the NCCU APRIL 2005
To All Counties, Clubs, Leagues, Congresses, Rapidplays, County teams and especially all Players
The Northern Membership Scheme
1/ Purpose 2/ Rationale 3/ Implementation 4/ Frequently asked questions and answers
1/ Purpose
The NCCU (Northern Counties Chess Union) will introduce a Northern Membership scheme on 1/6/2005 that will provide the following entitlements to all members:
A/ All games played by that player will be accepted for grading in the usual way, be they congress, rapidplay, league, county, club or junior games.
B/ All members will automatically become basic members of the BCF (British Chess Federation) and will be entitled to a free electronic copy of Chessmoves.
C/ Membership of the scheme will be £10 per year for adults over 18, £5 per year for all aged 18 and under. For the first year the scheme will run for 15 months (further savings!) from 1/6/05 to 31/8/06, and from Sept 1st Aug 31st thereafter.
D/ The cost of membership will be held at £10/£5 per year until at least 31st August 2008 except in very exceptional circumstances.
E/ All games played by the member and graded in the usual manner will be Game fee exempt.
(N.B. The above was endorsed at the BCF management board meeting on March 19th 2005, and awaits BCF Council endorsement on April 23rd 2005).
2/ Rationale
Massive rises each year in the level of BCF Game fee (19% increase this season alone) means ever more expense for the chess player and for all BCF graded events (be they league, congress, rapidplay, county or junior events). The game fee is hidden in entry fees to these events, but is very apparent to treasurers and event organisers who struggle to keep events afloat.
This cannot continue. This year Northern events have been lost, and others removed themselves from BCF game fee. To reverse this trend, the NCCU placed a proposal regarding membership to the BCF as a means of abolishing game fee (seen by event organizers as a BCF poll tax). The BCF Management Board have accepted, warmly endorsed and wish to support the NCCU proposal that a trial scheme be run this year in the North by which anybody can join the scheme for £10 (£5 for juniors). For that, the person would have every game graded by the BCF, as long as those games are played under normal grading rules and sent through the normal grading channels. Even if the person played in ten congresses or three leagues, he would pay no more than the £10 (£5 for juniors) so the more you play chess, the cheaper it gets! Game fee would be taken away from your club, congress, league, county and rapidplay fees that you pay.
Northern congresses and rapidplays will be offering substantial entry fee savings for NMS members. For instance, the first two congresses after June 1st 2005, South Lakes and Heywood, will be £6 cheaper to enter than for Non-members!
Casual players would be encouraged to play more club games and league or congress events both to improve their play and also to make best use of their membership. As a result more players would be represented on the national grading list, and league and congresses would receive a much needed boost in numbers. Current membership of the BCF is around 1300 members. There are 2000+ Northern players. We wish as many as possible to become BCF members through this scheme.
3/ Implementation
The NCCU will now roll out this scheme (see an entry form attached). We in the NCCU strongly recommend that players take up the proposal. Your NCCU representatives fully support and endorse this scheme. Please pass this message on to every player you know as soon as possible. The scheme will operate as follows:
1/ The Scheme will be open for players to join immediately, though the year to which it applies will begin on 1/6/05 and end on 31/8/06.
2/ Players can join the membership scheme for any congress or rapidplay taking place on or after June 1st. Also Clubs can collect the fee and membership form from each of their players who wish to join the membership scheme - £10 for adults, £5 for anybody 18 or under as of 1/9/05. The event or club would then forward these fees and member details (via supplied excel templates) to the NCCU. In turn, the event or club would NOT pay the game fee element for any member. The club would not have to pay game fee of any league they play in for that member, nor would they pay the game fee element of county competitions. Obviously the club would then adjust downwards the club membership fees that year for NMS members, and events would offer reduced entry fees for NMS members. These are the preferred membership joining methods, since each county will also be made aware of players eligible to play in county competitions, and will have their contact details. However players can become members by applying to the NCCU.
3/ The NCCU will issue membership cards to each member through their clubs, or at events to NCCU players who do not belong to a club.
4/ The NCCU will collate all monies and relevant membership numbers and grading information from all Northern counties and forward to the BCF. 4/ Frequently asked questions and answers
Q1. What is the (NCCU) BCF Membership Scheme? A1. The NCCU are committed to replacing game fee with a membership scheme and have proposed to run a pilot scheme in the North of England, known as: The Northern Membership Scheme
Q2. Why a membership scheme rather than game fee? A2. Game fee is seen as a stealth tax imposed on players by an invisible organisation, the BCF. Apart from tax collecting most players never have contact with the BCF. Game fee has risen to unacceptable levels; a 19% rise imposed last year alone. Membership will bring the BCF closer to the player and give players a say in the organization.
Q3. What are the benefits of being a Northern Membership Scheme Member? A3. a) Pay only £10 a year (£5 if 18 or under as of 1/9/2005) b) Pay no Game Fee c) All games will be graded: League/Club/Congress/Rapid play/county d) With Game Fee, the more games you play, the more you pay. As a member, you play as many games as you like at no extra cost. e) Reduced Entry fees at NCCU Congresses and rapidplays f) You automatically become a basic BCF member. g) You will be able to enter all eligible BCF competitions h) You will be able to download Chess Moves from the BCF website
Q4. How do the costs break down between game fee and being a NMS Member? A4. Game Fee 2003/= 36p 2004/05 = 43p an increase of 19% All members will automatically become basic members of the BCF (British Chess Federation) and will be entitled a free electronically downloadable copy of Chessmoves. (N.B. This is dependent on BCF Council endorsement in April). Membership per year = £10 per adult, £5 U18 (as of 1/9/05) and will remain so for three years except in very exceptional circumsttances.
Q5. What date does the NMS Membership scheme start and finish on? A5. From 1st June 2005 until 31st August 2006 (thereafter Sept. 1st August 31st)
Q6. Are all the NCCU Counties taking part and do they all support this? A6. Yes at the last NCCU meeting in December 2004, all County representatives present were in support and agreed to take these proposals back to their respective Countys.
Q7. What happens if I play in a Chess Congress in June/July/August 2005, will my games be graded? A7. Pay to become a NMS member at the first Congress you play in after 31st May 2005 and all of your games will be graded.
Q8. What happens if I am a Member and play against a player who is not a member? A8. This will not alter the current arrangements for grading. Your game will be graded in the usual way and so will your opponent (assuming he has paid his game fee).
Q9. Who is eligible to join? A9. All those players (who are not at present BCF members) who live in the NCCU or players who play in a NCCU league or event. Q10. If I become a NMS member half way through the season, will I be able to get my previous games graded? A10. Yes, they will be graded. (It pays to become a member early as game fee and higher entry fees will have already been paid for these previous games!)
Q11. Will there be a discount for paying at the start of the 2005/06 season? A11. No, but £10 fee is £6 less that the current Standard Membership and will stay the same for at least 3 years unless there very exceptional circumstances.
Q12. I Live and play outside the NCCU and would like to join: a) Can I join b) What benefits do I get? A12. a) Only if you also play in a league within the NCCU. b) If you do, you would be entitled to the same benefits as all NMS members.
Q13. I do not want to become a NMS member, what will I have to do to have my games graded by the BCF? A13. a) Pay Game fee on League/Club/Congress/Rapid play games b) Pay full entry fee into all NCCU Congresses.
Q14. An NCCU chess player who is a NMS member lives on the border with another (non-NCCU) chess Union/County and plays in both areas, does he have to pay any game fees? A14. No. The NCCU club for whom the member plays sends a list to the treasurer of the BCF of the number of games played by their NMS members in the non-NCCU league at the end of the season. Then the CLUB gets a refund (no work for the non-NCCU league) and the Club either refunds their NMS member or takes the money OFF the players subs next year. Note that Leagues and clubs operating a mandatory membership policy will be totally exempt from game fee without the need to reclaim a refund they do not pay the game fee at all.
Q15. An NCCU chess player who is a NMS member lives on the border with another (non-NCCU) chess Union/County and plays Congresses in both areas, does he have to pay any game fees in the non-NCCU area? A15. No, the non-NCCU Congress should offer a reduced entry fee to BCF members
Q16. A club has 2 teams and a NMS member plays in both. One team requires all players to be a BCF Member to participate; the other is in a league where BCF membership is not required - what happens to the games of the NMS member? A16. All the games will be graded in the usual way, but the Basic member will not have to pay game fee, whereas other non-members will have to.
Q17. How long will the Pilot scheme last? A17. The scheme will run a minimum of 15 months, when it is hoped that other chess unions/leagues and the BCF will adopt the scheme as an ongoing proposition.
Q18. How many Congresses are participating? A18. It is hoped that all Congresses and rapidplays within the NCCU will participate they have NOTHING to lose and, in fact, they will be beneficiaries because people should want to play more (cheaper) chess!
Q19. How do I apply? A19. NCCU Club and County Secretaries will process your application or you can send £10 (£5 if 18 or under) direct to the NCCU, using the enclosed Entry Form. The Northern Membership Scheme Entry Form
Under the pilot scheme run by the NCCU, I wish to become a Northern membership scheme member (and therefore also a BCF basic member) and enclose a cheque for £10 (or £5 for a junior, U18 on or before 1/9/05) payable to The NCCU
Name
Address
.
Tel No. Date of Birth .
E-mail address Male/Female .
Chess Club BCF number (if known e.g. 176606F)
I agree that the information on my grading can appear on the BCF Website. Tick Box
I would like Chessmoves e-mailed to me at the e-mail address above. Tick Box
Fill in Form and either: a/ Hand to your club treasurer with £10 (who will forward all monies and club members entry forms to NCCU) or b/ Post to the NCCU president, with a £10 cheque or postal order made out to NCCU, at the following address: Bill ORourke, NCCU President, 101 Queens Park Road, Heywood, Lancs OL10 4JR
Upon receipt by the NCCU you will be issued through your club (or direct) with your Northern Membership Scheme card.
____________________________________________________________________ Obviously we would like to get every Northern player as a member of this scheme and playing as much chess as they want to at a cheaper price! Our belief is that if we in the North show the scheme to be a success, the rest of the nations chess players will want to join the scheme soon after!
Yours sincerely
The NCCU working party: Bill ORourke NCCU President and Lancashire President Dave Cole NCCU Vice-President and Cumbria President Bryan Bainbridge NCCU Vice-president and Durham Vice-President © Copyright ELCA |
