Editor's Note - August was a busy time for the top two governing bodies of the USCF, the Board of Delegates and the Policy Board. The 1995-1996 Policy Board helds its final meeting on Thursday, August 8. Then the Delegates met on August 10 and 11. This was also the last official meeting attended by four retiring members of the Policy Board: President Denis Barry, Vice President Fred Gruenberg, Treasurer Frank Camaratta, and Member-At-Large Bill Snead (Secretary Rachel Lieberman was reelected to a second term). On August 12 and 13 the 1996-1997 Policy Board met for the first time. Its new members are President Don Schultz (FL), Vice President Bill Goichberg (NY), Treasurer Tom Dorsch (CA/N), and Member-At-Large Jim Eade (CA/N).

Contents:

• Policy Board Meeting, August 8
• Delegates' Meeting, August 10-11
• Policy Board Meeting, August 12-13

The 1996 workshops, Policy Board, and Delegates' Meetings took place in Alexandria, Virginia, in conjunction with the 1996 US Open. Special thanks are in order to the Virginia Chess Federation for a highly successful and well planned event.

Ballots for the USCF Policy Board and RVP elections were counted on Wednesday, August 7.

USCF Policy Board Election results are as follows:

    President       - Donald Schultz, FL

    Vice President  - Bill Goichberg, NY

    Secretary       - Rachel Lieberman, AZ

    Treasurer       - Tom Dorsch, CA/N

    Member-At-Large - Jim Eade, CA/N

Member-At-Large Robert Ferguson continues on the Board until August, 1997, and Member-At-Large Fan Adams continues on the Board until August, 1998. Vote counts can be found on the USCF web site at www.uschess.org.

The 1995-1996 Policy Board met on Thursday, August 8, 1996. The following motion came out of that meeting:

The Policy Board regretfully accepts the resignation of the Executive Director effective Sunday night, August 11, 1996. The Policy Board thanks him for his services and for his agreement to provide consulting services for the next three months to ease the transition.

At the conclusion of the Delegates' Meeting Al Lawrence was elected a Life Voting Member and Delegate At Large.

Other action items from the August 8 meeting included:

• The 1996 National Education Association Exposition was held June 30-July 2 in Washington, DC. Over 15,000 persons attended, and over 1100 stopped by the USCF booth. A special Chess in Education workshop will be held in Washington, DC, on September 17, 1996.

• Treasurer Frank Camaratta reported on the audited yearend financial reports, which showed conformance to GAAP, no deficit, and a management letter that indicated no serious weaknesses.

• Rachel Lieberman reported on the visit of cub scout troop 1570 to the US Open. There is an effort to work with BSA to initiate a national merit badge program for chess in scouting. Anyone involved in scouting can get more information and petitions from Rachel. They were made available at the Delegates' meeting.

• Tim Redman was added to the College Chess Committee.

The Policy Board/Staff forum and the Membership meeting took place on August 9. The membership had the opportunity to ask questions of and provide input to the Policy Board and the office staff. No motions arose from the membership meeting this year.

The incoming Policy Board met with the Scholastic Committee to get input on their concerns.

The Delegates' Meeting took place during the weekend of August 10 and 11, 1996. Significant action items included, but were not limited to the following:

Outgoing President Denis Barry introduced Grandmaster Gata Kamsky to the Delegates. The Delegates expressed concern that Grandmaster Kamsky has not yet been paid for his participation in the FIDE World Championship. After a speech by Grandmaster Kamsky, the following motion was passed by acclamation:

The United States Chess Federation condemns the failure to pay the prize money owed to Grandmaster Gata Kamsky in accordance with the contract terms of the World Championship. The United States Chess Federation also very strongly supports efforts to reform FIDE statutes in order to create a fair voting structure and checks and balances on the executive authority in FIDE. If satisfactory resolution of the Kamsky issue has not been achieved by the conclusion of the FIDE meetings and Olympiad starting in September, 1996, the Policy Board of the United States Chess Federation is authorized to take all measures deemed necessary including joining in the formation of a new world chess organization intended to replace FIDE.

A $6.4 million 11 month budget was passed. Note: The 11 month period is due to the previously announced change of the fiscal year end from June 30 to May 31.

Hanon Russell, Chairman of the Legal Task Force, spoke to the Delegates regarding the divisions within the state of Nevada. There were two groups, each one claiming to be the official state organization in Nevada. At the February, 1996, meeting of the Policy Board, a hearing was held in which each group was invited to present its side. At that time the Policy Board found in favor of the group headed by Allan Magruder. The Magruder group is the official Nevada state affiliate. (Please note: The full text of the decision is to be printed in Chess Life).

The Blue Ribbon panel on USCF Governance prepared a report for the Delegates. The following motion was passed:

It is the sense of the Delegates that the governance structure of the USCF be reorganized to allow for an elected Executive Committee of six members with staggered terms of four years. The committee shall select, from among its membership, a President and Vice President who shall serve for a term of two years. No member of the Executive Committee shall serve two successive four year terms. The Executive Director and the Chief Financial Officer shall serve as non voting members of the Executive Committee. The CFO shall be hired by the Executive Committee but under the supervision of the Executive Director. Duties of the Treasurer and the Secretary shall be carried out by staff under the direction of the Executive Committee. Other Executive Committee members shall have portfolios of duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee. Nominations to run for the Executive Committee shall require submission of petitions containing the signatures of twenty percent of the electorate.

The intent of this motion is that it go into effect in 1999. It was also recommended that this concept should be posted on the USCF website with request for feedback.

LMA issues were discussed. Mechanisms were put in place for determination of the liability for Life Members, reporting of LMA valuation, transfers of assets, and related issues including the possible sale of the building and purchase of another.

The Fred Cramer Awards for journalistic excellence were announced as follows:

    Best Chess Book             - The Bobby Fischer I Knew And

                                  Other Stories 

                                  (Arnold Denker and Larry Parr)

    Best Chess Editor           - Burt Hochberg

    Best State Chess Magazine   - floridaCHESS

    Best General Chess Magazine - Atlantic Chess News

    Best Chess Magazine Editor  - Joseph Sparks, Glenn Petersen

Fred Reinfeld was inducted into the Hall of Fame. His son, Don, spoke to the Delegates and at the Awards Luncheon.

New York, NY, and Tucson, AZ, were named chess cities of the year

The Chess in Education Committee was named Committee of the Year

The Outstanding Career Achievement Award was presented to Burt Hochburg
The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Woody Harris
Meritorious Service Awards went to Paul Gold and Myron Lieberman
Special Services Awards went to Herb Hickman, Hanon Russell, and Helen Warren
The Scholastic Service Award went to Lee LaFrese

Nick Conticello and the Manhattan Chess Club received the Organizer of the Year award.

Rating floors were lowered by 100 points and ratings of prison members are disallowed for "Top 50" lists or invitations. The Delegates rescinded the requirement that in Round Robins or matches a player may not gain rating points against a player currently at his rating floor.

A full time Scholastic Director is being sought for the USCF. An ad will appear in Chess Life.

The Scholastic Committee will develop criteria to be approved and used by the Policy Board to select that committee.

The Scholastic Committee shall be given the tasks of writing the requirements and guidelines for conducting National Scholastic Championship tournaments and recommending bid proposals for said tournaments. Any action of the committee must be approved by the Policy Board.

Any student living in a state that requires public schools to include the home school student in the student's home district for extracurricular activities may play on a school team, but only on the school team for the school that they would normally attend.

Alcoholic beverages were forbidden within any contract areas of any scholastic only event.

The number of Voting Members was increased from 350 to 400 beginning with the 1997 election.

The Delegates recommended that the Policy Board establish a committee to advise the Board on FIDE matters. This committee has since been named by the Policy Board.

The US Cadet shall be completed before the start of the US Open each year.

Age and residence requirements for the US Senior Open imposed by the Policy Board were rescinded. The Senior Committee will study issues relating to the tournament, including age requirements and eligibility for prizes and title.

The official USCF website (at www.uschess.org) is to be maintained and expanded to include catalog sales and memberships. A secure server will be available.

A yearly chess "Oscar" will be awarded to a top US player.

By acclamation the Delegates thanked the Organizers and Chief Director of the 1996 US Open, the Parliamentarian, and the outgoing members of the Policy Board.

The new Policy Board held its first meeting on Monday and Tuesday, August 12 and 13, 1996. Action items included but were not limited to:

Effective August 12, 1996, Deputy Director George Filippone was named Acting Executive Director.

A coupon will be put in Chess Life, to measure the general level of member interest in "One Member One Vote".

The University of Texas at Dallas has a program in which it offers full time chess scholarships. Information on how to apply will be given in Chess Life.

Grandmaster Patrick Wolff, a former US Champion, addressed the Board on how to promote the US Championship. The Board unanimously agreed that the policy of the USCF is to increase the prestige, promotion, and publicity associated with the US Championship and US Champion.

The USCF will not award any bid for future Super Nationals until the results of the 1997 Super Nationals are evaluated.

A bid for National Scholastic events was presented by a group from Peoria, Illinois.

The Board reviewed the bids from Reno, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California, for the 1999 US Open.

Several subcommittees of the Board were formed to work on action items. Board members expressed their thoughts on items that are important to them, and how best to achieve goals. Among the ideas discussed were the concept of a National Mixed Doubles event and the continuation of rating classes for players rated under 1000.

The provisional rating formula may no longer allow a player to gain rating points as a result of a loss.

Upon the recommendation of the Ratings Committee, and review by Tournament Standards Subcommittee, the Executive Director may, at his discretion, revise the rating of any player.

The next meeting of the Policy Board will be held in New Windsor, New York, during the weekend of November 16 - 17, 1996.

© 1996 by the United States Chess Federation - All Rights Reserved
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