Board Actions Between Meetings
Objections Procedure: The following motions were made by objections procedure between the January and May meetings of the Board.
EB-00-75 (Redman) It is the position of the USCF that implementation of the FIDE Commercialization memo must not occur until reviewed and approved by the General Assembly. PASSED BY OBJECTIONS
EB-00-76 (Redman) In order to allow the new Executive Director to familiarize himself with various kinds of USCF tournaments, the Board motion in Reno requiring Board authorization for ED travel is suspended from the period from Valentine’s Day through Memorial Day 2000. OBJECTION RECEIVED
EB-00-77 (Redman) EB-00-04 is amended by deleting the last sentence and replacing it with the following: "All travel expenses other than Executive Board meetings or Delegates’ Meetings must be approved by the full Executive Board, except that all travel expenses for the Executive Director between February 14, 2000 and May 29, 2000 inclusive, may be approved by the Vice President for Finance. OBJECTION RECEIVED
EB-00-78 (McCrary) The Executive Director is authorized to travel to the three national scholastic events, the 2000 U.S.Masters, and the 2000 National Open. PASSED BY OBJECTIONS
EB-00-79 (Warren) The Executive Board of the USCF authorizes the Executive Director to implement the promotional proposed agreement with GM Maurice Ashley, described in a letter dated February 18, 2000, by Helen Warren to the Executive Board, which includes the following elements:
1) The Executive Director will appoint a contact person to oversee implementation of the plan.
2) The USCF will make available ad space for four 1/2 page ads for GM Ashley’s use in promoting his tour and website. Such ads will be approved for content by the Chess Life editor, and will run in four consecutive issues by agreement between GM Ashley and the editor.
3) The Executive Director will determine the feasibility of extending this agreement.
4) GM Ashley will agree to provide the necessary information and materials to the USCF office in a timely manner as a part of this arrangement. PASSED BY OBJECTIONS
(EB-00-80 (Redman) Given the current financial picture, I propose that George DeFeis offer a three-month promotional tournament life membership priced at $400. The life membership would carry lifetime tournament playing privileges and lifetime access to the members-only Internet site. I will suggest in May that we start carrying an expanded version of Chess Life on the Internet as part of the dues restructuring proposal. We might consider offering a conversion option down the road to full life membership for an additional $400 or 5 years at $100 a year, but I suggest we defer that matter because there are some Delegate motions governing the transfer of life member monies. I suggest this as a motion by objections procedure. OBJECTION RECEIVED
EB-00-81 (Redman) Helen Warren is named the new liaison to the Grandmaster Affairs Committee. OBJECTION RECEIVED
EB-00-82 (Redman) The Executive Board welcomes the initiative taken by the Seattle group in preparing to organize a sponsored U.S. Championship and U.S. Womens’ Championship and looks forward to receiving a written bid for the events. PASSED BY OBJECTIONS
EB-00-83 (Redman) The Executive Director is authorized to borrow up to $400,000 from the LMA. PASSED BY OBJECTIONS
Motions from conference calls
A conference call was held on February 15, 2000. All Board members participated. The following motions were considered:
EB-00-84 (Redman) Board travel to New Windsor must be approved by the Board. FAILED 4-4, Smith, McCrary, Ippolito, Scott opposed.
EB-00-85 (Redman) The USCF will join in a partnership with K-O Interactive to develop a USCF Internet playing site on the web along the lines presented to the Board in Tucson. PASSED 5-2-1, Smith, McCrary opposed, Ippolito abstaining.
EB-00-86 (Redman) In order to move toward the goal of Beta testing the new USCF K-O Interactive playing site this fall, and full implementation in 2001, the Board confirms the initiative of the President in directing the Vice President for Finance to enter into an interim consulting arrangement with Priority Projects to work with K-O Interactive on this USCF Internet playing site. The Executive Director is the "appropriate official" named in the contract with full power regarding the extension of the contract. PASSED 5-1-2, Ippolito opposed, Smith, Pechac abstaining.
A conference call was held on May 10, 2000. Garrett Scott was unable to participate as he was presiding over a civic function. The following motion was considered:
EB-00-87 (Redman-McCrary) The Executive Board authorizes the Executive Director to travel to Seattle to negotiate the terms of the proposed U.S. Closed and U.S. Women’s Championships with the Seattle group, with full authority to commit the Federation to up to ten such joint events over a period of up to ten years starting as soon as this year, provided that the agreement includes a clause cancelling the contract if the Seattle group fails to hold the events during any calendar year during the agreement period, or fails to meet minimum standards for budget and format. Although the USCF anticipates that the arrangement with the Seattle group may extend beyond the ten-year contractual period, any agreement beyond the ten years must be ratified by the Board at its May meeting before going into effect. PASSED (Note: publication of the specific vote is being deferred pending a requested review by the Bylaws Committee.)