Minutes 21 November 2024 not approved yet
2024-11-27
Minutes of the Chess Edinburgh Council Meeting
held at the Edinburgh Chess Club, 1 Alva Street, Edinburgh on Thursday 21st November 2024 at 19.30.
Present: David Stewart (Chair), Calum McGillivray, Dave Watson, Peter Woollven, Jim O’neil, Stewart Good, Martin Robinson and Crawford Macnab.
1. Apologies for Absence: Nil
2. Minutes of Last Meeting. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 29th August were
approved: proposed by David Stewart and seconded by Calum McGillivray.
3. Matters Arising
3. Child Safety Policy.
Dave Watson undertook to try and speak to someone from Chess Scotland at the upcoming SNCL match.
4. Edinburgh Chess League
(a) The League Secretary, Calum McGillivray, reported that
(i) The leagues are up and running with 32 teams in 4 divisions and all fees have been paid.
(ii) The new system for clubs in the Premier and Division 1 to list their team members in playing
order is in operation and so far there have been no problems.
(b) Martin Robinson reported that he has been able to arrange for a lot of engraving to be done to the League Trophies, but there is still a considerable amount of information missing for the Division 1 Trophy. He will see if Chess Scotland can help. He also needs to get the Division 2 Trophy to see if there are any omissions.
5. Edinburgh Allegro Chess League
Peter Woollven reported that 14 teams are taking part and that it is going well.
6. Lothians Allegro Congress
Martin Robinson reported that:
(a) Bainfield Bowling Club has been booked for 19th January and that the event is on the Chess Scotland
calendar. An entry form is still to go on.
(b) There has been no increase in the cost of hiring the hall and so he hopes to keep the entry fee at the
same price as last year.
(c) He hopes that there will be a canteen.
(d) He will get an estimate for the repair of the trophy and we will then have to decide whether to have it
repaired or to purchase a new trophy.
7. Summer Cup/Plate
Calum McGillivray reported that
(a) Edinburgh West won the Plate defeating Edinburgh 1 in the final.
(b) David Stewart has the Summer Cup and Martin Robinson has the Plate Trophy; both are in need of some
repair.
8. Edinburgh Congress
Dave Watson had produced a draft letter to the committee of the Hibs Suporters Club in Sunnyside Lane and David Stewart had used this to write asking if their premises could be available for the Congress. They replied offering two dates in June at a cost of £800 with a maximum of 180 players. There are potential problems with both dates and so David Stewart had responded declining their offer. However, after some discussion the Council decided that the weekend of the 6th-8th June could work. Martin Robinson agreed to speak to potential arbiters at the upcoming SNCL match and it was agreed that if they are available David Stewart should book the venue.
9. Lothians Championship
Calum McGillivray will again run this. With only a day to go, there are only 7 entries’ compared with 12 last year.
10. Lothians Junior Chess
Stewart Good reported that:
(a) They are in a healthy financial position which has allowed them to reduce some entry fees and to make
several donations to support the development of chess for juniors in Scotland.
(b) They have lost the services of Jenny Wilson and he paid tribute to her many years of hard work.
(c) They have held their first Team Day with 20 teams participating. There was a pleasing increase in the
numbers in the Secondary section but fewer in the lower age groups. There was a disappointing drop in
the number of school teams.
(d) They are holding the Edinburgh Junior Congress on Saturday 23rd November and have reached their
maximum of 130 players across two Primary and two Secondary tournaments: there were 86 last year.
11. AGM
This was held at Slateford Bowling Club on Thursday 19th September and minutes of the meeting have been sent to clubs.
12 Website
It continues to be updated on a regular basis.
13. President’s Report
David Stewart reported that:
(a) Chess in the Park has been a success at its new home on Leith Links. It is closed now for the winter.
(b) Robin Murray of the Bank of Scotland and a former auditor has died.
13. Treasurer’s Report
(a) The Treasurer, Jim O’Neil, had circulated the current figures prior to the meeting and reported that he anticipates that we shall make a small loss in this financial year.
(b) The Bank of Scotland is replacing the Treasurer’s Account with a new Community Account with monthly charges. He proposes to merge the two accounts that we have with the Bank of Scotland and to put the majority of our funds in a new deposit account.
Council approved his proposals.
(c) Dave Watson raised the question of the insurance money that David Stewart had received on behalf of Chess in the Park and which is currently in the Chess Edinburgh account. It was agreed that the Treasurer will keep a separate record of this money and that it will be used for Chess in the Park as required.
Date of Next Meeting
Thursday 27th February at 7.30pm at the Edinburgh Chess Club. Calum McGillivray to book