This page is devoted to the Chelmsford Chess Club Archives. Over the next few months, more archive information will be added to this page.

Minutes Of The 1975 Annual General Meeting

Open Meeting

The AGM of Chelmsford Chess Club was held on the 18th September 1975 at the Shire Hall. There were 25 members and four others present. The Minutes of the Previous AGM were read by the secretary and unanimously adopted.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported another successful season. The average club night attendance continued to be very good. In addition to the club championship, summer tournament, junior tournament and representative matches, the club also held a lightning tournament, a 'crazy evening' before Christmas and one informal talk by John Priestley with the aid of the demonstration board. A team of juniors played an opposition team of Southend and District juniors over six boards and won 4-2.

The Secretary's report was unanimously adopted.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported a final membership of 38 and £35 cash in hand. With an expected increase to the cost of premises, the Treasurer suggested that an increase in the sub would also be necessary.

The Treasurer's report was unanimously adopted, subject to audit.

Mr Wally Sebley was elected as Auditor.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain, John Priestley, reported that more members, than ever before, had taken part in representative matches for the club. The club had two teams in the first Division, two teams in the Second Division and three teams in the knock-out tournament. The 1st team had won the North Essex League Championship, ahead of Colchester, and all the club's team's acquitted themselves well.

The Match Captain's report was adopted unanimously.

Tournament Officer

The Tournament Officer reported that all the Club tournament's were completed and the following individuals were the winners:

Club Champion - Peter Bond

Summer Tournament - Andrew Lewis

Grading Cup - Les Crane

Junior Cup - Nick Amor

The Tournament Officer's report was adopted unanimously.

The meeting then discussed current Subscription fees and voted unanimously in favour of an increase in 'Subs' to £4 for Seniors and £1 for Juniors and Full Time Students.

The Trophies were presented to the above mentioned winners.

The Chairman then closed the meeting.

 Minutes Of The 1976 Annual General Meeting

Open Meeting

The AGM at Chelmsford Chess Club was held at the Shire Hall on the 16th September 1976. There were 19 members and one non member present.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported another successful season that was, however, beset by difficulties connected with the club's premises. In October there had been a sudden cancellation of the booking and the committee decided to redouble their efforts to find an alternative venue. The Secretary negotiated successfully with the new Secretary of the YMCA and after a few of our members had helped with decorating the room, the Club's meeting place was moved there. After a few months, however, it became apparent that there were some drawbacks to the new premises, such as outside noise and the increasing lack of space. When new proposals were put forward by the YMCA to amalgamate the Chess Club with themselves or for the Club to pay a vastly increased rent, the committee decided to move back to the it's previous venue, The Shire Hall. This duly happened in the new season and the weekly rent was raised to £4.

The Secretary then reported that a complaint raised by Witham, against the Club, was rejected by the League. He also mentioned that Wally Sebley had been elected by the committee to the post of Match Secretary, in order to assist John Priestley, the Match Captain.

Towards the end of the season the Club lost Dave Pearce (for a couple of years) and therefore, Les Crane was elected to take his place as Tournament Officer. The Secretary also reported that, on instruction from the committee, he had purchased four further boards, on behalf of the Club

The Secretary's Report was unanimously adopted.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported that the Club began the season with £44 cash in hand. There had been Expenditure of £106. Income from 'Subs' was £91, a raffle raised £6, donations amounted to £12 and visitors' fees came to £1 - a total of £110. This produced a profit of £4, and the Club now had £48 cash in hand. As the cost of hiring premises had increased, the Treasurer suggested that an increase in 'Subs' would be necessary.

The Treasurer's Report was adopted unanimously.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain reported that two teams had taken part in Division A and two teams in Division B. The 'A' team came second to Colchester, the 'B' team finished two places higher than it had in the previous year, and the 'C' team came third in Division B. The Club fielded four teams in the Knock-Out tournament, all of which had done very well, in particular the 'B' team. He made particular reference to Nick Amor's fine performance in representing the club. John Priestley then formally resigned from the Captaincy.

His report was unanimously adopted.

The Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer reported that, despite some hitches, all the tournament's had run fairly smoothly.

The winners were:

Club Champion - S Hewitt

Challenge Cup - S Hewitt

Grading Cup - Nick Amor

Junior Cup - Nick Amor

The tournament officer's report was adopted unanimously.

A vote of thanks was proposed to the Officers, and passed.

Presentation Of The Trophies

The Trophies were presented. S Hewitt, however, was absent.

The following amendments to the club constitution were proposed and passed :-

Article B (i) Replace the word "and" with a comma and add the words "..... Deputy Match Captain and Tournament Office."

Article D (i) Replace the word "four" (Officers) with the word "six". This naturally falls from the amendment to article B (i)

Article C (v) (b) This deals with the number of members constituting a quorum. Replaced the words "two-thirds" with the words "five-eighths". This would be necessary as the size of the committee would be increased from six to eight people.

The following Officers were elected for the new season.

Chairman - Max Pemberton

Secretary - Michael Learner

Treasurer - Ewart Whitehead

Captain - Wally Sebley

Vice Captain - Francis Farier

Tournament Officer - Les Crane.

John Priestley and Peter Elliott were also a elected to the committee.

Wally Sebley was elected as Auditor.

The Subscription Fee was then discussed and the motion was passed to raise the fee to £5.50 for seniors and £2 juniors. This was duly carried with two abstentions. The question of lower 'Subs' for OAP's and Members' partners was also discussed and it was agreed to charge £3 for OAP's and £9 jointly for a husband and wife membership.

An appeal was made for help for the forthcoming Chelmsford Chess Congress.

It was agreed to enter 5 teams in the Knock-Out Cup competition. Francis Farier agreed to continue organising hospitality, i.e. coffee etc.

Close Of Meeting

The meeting closed at 9:35pm.

Minutes Of The 1977 Annual General Meeting

 The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM was held that the Shire Hall on 15th September 1977. There were 21 members and 2 non-members present.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the previous AGM were read by the Secretary, Mike Learner, and were adopted unanimously.

On the Secretary's suggestion, it was agreed that his own report would be given after the other Officers had made theirs.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer, Ewart Whitehead, was unavoidably absent and his report was given by the Secretary. An end-of-season membership of 34 ( 23 for members and 11 juniors) was reported. Expenditure amounted to £220 and Income to £210, which therefore produced a net loss for the season of £10. Cash in hand was £38 compared to £48 the previous season. However, it was noted that £11 had been spent on 'kit', a special Trophies levy of £2 had been paid to the North Essex League and a coffee float of £15 had not yet been returned. The expenditure for the coming season was estimated at £200 and the committee had therefore proposed that the sub remain unaltered.

The Treasurer's report which unanimously adopted and the committee's recommendation seconded and unanimously passed.

The Match Captain's Report

The report was unanimously passed

The Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer, Les Crane, reported that the club championship has suffered from many defaults (12 in fact). Nevertheless, the winners were:-

Club Champion - Simon Thomson

Summer Tournament - Andrew Lewis

Grading Cup - Bill Attwood

The Junior Cup - Andrew Lewis

The report was unanimously adopted.

The Secretary's Report

The Secretary, Mike Learner, reported an average attendance of over 17 over the winter season. This showed how lively and active the Club had become. To a large extent, this was thought to be due to increased membership numbers that were now representing the club. The season had begun with a Lightning Tournament, which was won by the Club Secretary. 16 members also took part in a 6 Round Swiss, which was won by John priestly with maximum points, one-and-a-half points ahead of Les Crane.

A sub-committee, consisting of the Secretary, the Match Captain and John Priestley, had drafted an amendment to the rules regarding individuals eligibility to play in different teams for the same club. After Committee approval, this was then proposed at the League Committee Meeting and was approved. The new rules would make the Captain's team selection task, much easier. The Secretary thanked the Committee for their co-operation and then distributed the Club Bulletin.

The Secretary's report was unanimously adopted.

The Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to the Officers and this was unanimously passed.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Trophies were presented to the winners. In Simon Thomson's absence, the Secretary received the Challenge Cup on his behalf.

The following were elected to serve during the 1977/78 season :-

Chairman - Max Pemberton

Secretary - Mike Learner

Treasurer - Ewart Whitehead

Match Captain - Wally Sebley

Vice Captain - Francis Farier

Tournament Officer - Les Crane

Committee Member - Peter Elliott

Committee Member - Peter Ireland

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Peter Elliott, the Chelmsford Chess Congress secretary, appealed for help at the forthcoming Congress, particularly on the Sunday evening. Tony Toms volunteered to take charge of coffee, etc. on match and other nights. After a discussion, the new committee was asked to make sure that at least one club night a month was free of home matches. The meeting also expressed itself against a Sunday afternoon matches at Writtle, as requested by the Writtle club.

Close Of Meeting

The Meeting closed at 9.07pm

Minutes Of The 1978 Annual General Meeting

The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM was held on the 14th September 1978 at the Shire Hall in the presence of 20 members and 1 non member.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the previous AGM were read by the Secretary, Mike learner, and unanimously adopted.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer, Ewart Whitehead, reported an end of season membership of 41 compared with 34 in the previous season. Expenditure amounted to £217 and income to £248 giving a profit of £31. Cash in hand was £69. The Treasurer estimated expenditure of £235 for the coming year and recommended no change to the annual subscription fees.

His report was unanimously passed.

The Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain, Wally Sebley, reported an excellent season, at the end of which the Club had won all three divisions of the league. The season had finished with the climactic match of Chelmsford 'A' v Writtle 'A', the winners of which would be League Champion. Chelmsford won the match, which included a notable victory by Andrew Lewis over Ivor Smith on Board 1. The Captain thanked the membership for help with transport. He mentioned the help of the team captains and said he would issue and they accepted their responsibilities assess how it in the team's composition slips unless notified to the contrary. He mentioned players unavailability on occasions, but substitutes had always been arranged. 36 players had represented the club of whom 29 has scored 50 per cent or more. All of the teams had done well in the Knock-Out Cup, but the "hoodoo" was still haunting our 'A' team which was again knocked out by the 'B' team, which in turn lost in the semi-final.

The captain's report was unanimously adopted.

The Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer, Les Crane, reported a fairly smooth course in the club championship and the summer tournament. He congratulated the following winners:-

Club Champion - Andrew Lewis

Summer Tournament - Ivan Myall

Grading Cup - Paul Greenwood

Junior Cup - Andrew Lewis

His report was unanimously adopted.

The Secretary's Report

The Secretary, Mike Learner, said that the season had again beaten all previous records. The average attendance on club nights, which was a good guide to the vitality of an organisation, was 21. He expressed his gratitude to Wally Sebley, for his efficient captaincy of the club towards it's triple success, and to the Committee Members. Having distributed the Club Bulletin earlier that evening, he appealed to members to submit more games towards future issues. He then expressed his regret at the departure of Francis Farier to Barbados, Ken Stephens who moved 'up north' and Nick Hennessey, who had departed to found the new club, Billericay. On behalf of the club, he wished them luck and thanked them for past services.

He reported that on one or two occasions the club had found itself short of sets and, in particular, clocks; and he suggested that the new committee should make efforts to remedy the situation. He then appealed for volunteers to help at the forthcoming Chelmsford Chess Congress.

The Secretary's Report was unanimously adopted.

A proposal was then put to the meeting to abolish the post of vice-captain and create the post of Assistant Secretary in its place.

This was unanimously passed.

Presentation Of Trophies

Ewart Whitehead, in his capacity as President of the North Essex League, presented the Trophies to the winners.

Election Of Officers

The following were elected to serve on the new committee:

Chairman - Max Pemberton

Secretary - Mike Learner

Assistant Secretary - Ken Pateman

Treasurer - Ewart Whitehead

Match Captain - Wally Sebley

Tournament Officer - Les Crane

Committee Member - John Priestly

Committee Member - Peter Elliott

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Paul Greenwood suggested an earlier start to the Winter Tournament in order to facilitate the conclusion of games in each round. It was agreed to hold a Lightning Tournament on 5th October. The Secretary proposed that Chelmsford Chess Club enter teams into the Essex Knock-Out Cup competition, and this was passed. The Match Captain noted that he had forgotten to mention in his report that the 'B' team was now fully established as a strong Division one side.

Close Of Meeting

The Meeting was closed at 9:05pm

Minutes Of The 1979 Annual General Meeting

The AGM at Chelmsford Chess Club took place at the Oddfellows Hall on the 14th September 1979 in the presence of 26 members and 3 visitors.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the previous AGM were read by the Secretary, Mike Learner, and were unanimously adopted.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer, Ewart Whitehead, reported an end of season membership of 45 compared with 41 at the close of the previous season. Expenditure amounted to £293 an income to £299, giving a profit of £6. Cash in hand was £75. Considering that the club had spent £84 during the season on various equipment, the Treasurer was quite satisfied with the financial position and again recommended no increase in subscriptions. He drew attention to the fact that donations have amounted to £64 and this included the expenses not claimed by some Officers.

His report was duly adopted.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain, Wally Sebley, reported another successful year in the North Essex League with all five teams having distinguished themselves. The Club had again won all three divisions and he drew attention to the following facts:

The 'B' team came sixth out of 14, in the first Division; the 'D' team had 'pipped' the 'C' team to the Second Division Championship and the newly formed 'E' team had won the Division Three title, thus continuing Chelmsford's record as the only holders of this trophy since Division Three was established. In the North Essex Knock-Out Cup, the Club had again been plagued by a "hoodoo". The Club entered six teams, all of which had done very well, but as usual, the 'B' team knocked out the 'A' team on board count. They went on to reach the Semi-Finals, before losing 1-3 to Wickford. In the Essex Knock-Out Cup, the Club reached the semi-finals, losing 2-4 to the powerful East Ham club, which had both Andrew Martin and Harry Woolverton on their top boards. The Match Captain then thanked Peter Bond for his past contribution to the 'A' team and mentioned that he was moving to Liverpool. The Captain also reported that the Committee had decided to form a 6th team to play in the Third Division. Ken Pateman and Peter Elliott would help in its formation. The Captain then thanked all 32 members who had represented the Club in the season.

The captain's report was unanimously adopted.

The Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer, Les Crane, reported a slight increase in the number of defaults in the last two Rounds of the Club Championship, but on the whole, the 6 Round Swiss had gone quite smoothly. He announced the following winners:

Club Champion - Ben Thomas

Summer Tournament - Ben Thomas

Grading Cup - Paul Barker

Junior Cup - Paul Barker

The report was adopted.

The Secretary's Report

The Secretary, Mike Learner, said that during the past year the Club had again beaten all records, as the reports of the Treasurer and Captain had already indicated. Attendance at Club Meetings, which was one of the barometers used to measure the Club's success, had again risen from 21 to an average of 23, despite bad weather. During the year, the Club had changed it's premises from the dizzy, fourth floor heights, of the Shire Hall, to the Oddfellows Hall, a change which seemed to have met with everyone's approval. He further noted that the Lightning Tournament had been postponed from it's intended date of 5th October to 28th December, when 19 Members had taken part. The 7 Round Swiss was won by John Priestley (6), followed by Andrew Lewis (5.5) and Ivan Myall & Peter Shepherd (5). The Secretary further reported that by purchasing three new sets, the club now also had, in addition to 5 assorted sets, 18 uniformed ones. The Club had also bought six new clocks to increase it's total to 13. The Secretary advised the meeting that he had made a strong wooden lockable container for the Club's equipment, which had saved him from having to carry it back and forth to each meeting. He also reported that, during the year, the Committee had co-opted Peter Ireland as Press Officer. Unfortunately, Peter was now going away to college and would therefore be leaving the Committee. On behalf of the Committee, he expressed thanks to Peter for his past services. He then mentioned the advertisement which was placed in the Britannia Building Society window and had been designed by Peter Elliott's son. He mentioned the proposal to start each Thursday one hour earlier for the benefit of Juniors. The Secretary finished his report by thanking the members of the committee for all their help, to him, in his duties.

The Secretary's Report was unanimously adopted.

A vote of thanks was passed for the Secretary's efforts in bringing out the Bulletin, which was distributed at the meeting.

Presentation Of Trophies

Trophies were then presented to all the winners mentioned in the Tournament Officer's Report.

Election Of Officers

The following Committee was then elected for the coming season:

Chairman - Max Pemberton

Secretary - Mike Learner

Treasurer - Ewart Whitehead

Captain - Wally Sebley

Tournament Officer - Les Crane

Assistant Secretary - Ken Pateman

Committee Member - Peter Elliott

Committee Member - Peter Shepherd

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Ewart Whitehead proposed that a charge of 20p, be made for the bulletin, to cover the considerable expense involved. The meeting agreed that it would be done on a voluntary basis. Ivan Myall proposed that the Club affiliate to the British Chess Federation, thus ensuring an entry in the Yearbook. This was seconded by Ben Thomas. However, a further amendment was then put forward, to consider this matter at some future date.

A vote of thanks to Tony Toms for attending to coffee refreshments was also carried.

Close Of Meeting

The Meeting was closed at 9:15pm

Minutes Of The 1980 Annual General Meeting

The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM took place at the Oddfellow's Hall on September 11th, 1980, in the presence of 27 members.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the previous AGM were read by the Secretary, Mike Learner, and unanimously adopted. The Treasurer, Ewart Whitehead, reported a healthy financial position. Income amounted to £352 and expenditure to £253, giving a profit for the year of £99. The total cash in hand amounted to £174. He pointed out that donations, in the year, had amounted to £72, which included expenses unclaimed by Officers. He again recommended no increase in the subscription fee.

The report was unanimously adopted.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain, Wally Sebley, looked back on the finest season yet. He pointed out that we were the first club in the league to enter two teams in each division.

We have again won all three divisions, with our D and F teams being runners-up to the C and E teams in divisions 2 and 3 respectively. The B team finished in the top half of Division 1. In the North Essex League Knock-Out Cup the club had also entered six teams, all of which reached the 2nd Round. 5 teams reached the third round and the A, B, and C teams reached the Quarter-Finals, where the A team defeated the 'C' team and the 'B' team beat the Cup holders, Braintree 'A'. In the semi-finals, Chelmsford 'B' lost to Witham 'A' and the 'A' team drew with Billericay 'A', but were eliminated on board count. The "hoodoo" still seems to haunt us in the Cup. In the Essex Knock-Out Cup, the Club reached the semi-finals before being beaten by the Cup holders, Upminster. The Match Captain then thanked his three divisional managers, Les Crane, Richard Middleton and Peter Elliott.

The Match Captain's report was unanimously adopted.

Tournament Officer's Report

In the absence of the Tournament Officer, Les Crane, his report was read by the Secretary. The Club Championship, which had again run as a 6 Round Swiss, was won by Ben Thomas with 5.5 points. Les Crane and Dave Power were runners-up with 4.5 points.

The Grading Cup was won by Dave Power and the Junior Cup by Lindsay Edmonds. The. Summer Tournament attracted the largest entry ever and 30 players competed in five groups of six. The final group of five winners was won by Ivan Myal, who had not dropped any points in his nine games.

The Tournament Officer's Report was unanimously adopted.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary , Mike Learner, reported another record year on all fronts, as the Treasurer's and Captain's reports have already testified. Average attendance had again risen to 26. He mentioned the achievements of Club Members, Andrew Lewis and Derek Morris. Andrew had won the British Junior (Under 21) Championship, a feat that qualified him to take part in the 1981 British Chess Federation Championship. Derek had tied for first prize in the Chelmsford Congress (Major Section) and very nearly repeated this success in the Charlton and Ilford Major Tournament's, faltering only in the last rounds. The Secretary then congratulated Ben Thomas in retaining the Club Championship and mentioned that he had also won the Al Scribor Trophy for the best percentage results in the north Essex League (95% !). He reported that a team consisting of Andrew Lewis, Robert Richmond, Ben Thomas and Ivan Myall came joint 4^th in the 2nd British Chess Federation Team's Tournament. They won a chess clock, which they had generously donated to the Club. The Secretary then reported that in order to relieve some of the pressure on playing space caused occasionally by visiting teams on match nights, the committee had booked the premises for seven additional Tuesday evenings. The booking dates were displayed on the notice board. The Secretary then thanked Wally's wife and daughter for their regular attendance to make coffee, thus contributing to the friendly atmosphere on Club nights. He reported the co-option of John Priestley to the committee. On the 4^th September 1979 a Lightening Tournament had been held, which was won by Peter Shepherd and Ivan Myall. The Secretary finished his report by thanking the Committee for their help.

His report was unanimously adopted.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Secretary then presented to the Chairman, Max Pemberton, an engraved fountain pen as a wedding present from the Club. The Trophies were then presented to the Club Champion, Grading Cup winner, Junior Cup winner and the Summer Tournament champion.

Election Of Officer's

The following committee was then selected for the coming season :-

Chairman - Max Pemberton

Secretary - Mike Learner

Assistant Secretary - Ken Pateman

Match Captain - Wally Sebley

Tournament Officer - Les Crane

Treasurer - Ewart Whitehead

Committee Member - Peter Elliott

Committee Member - John Priestley

The Secretary announced the possibility that he would resign before the end of his 10^th year as Secretary.

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The matter of affiliation to BCF was raised by Ivan Myall and after a short discussion it was decided to let the new committee deal with it. Mike Learner distributed the Club Bulletin to those present.

Close of Meeting

The Meeting closed at 9:15pm.

Minutes Of The 1981 Annual General Meeting

The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM took place at the Oddfellows Hall on 10th September, 1981 in the presence of 29 members and one non member.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the previous AGM were read it and unanimously adopted.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer , Ewart Whitehead, reported a healthy financial position, with an overall profit on the year of £36, which had been helped, to a large extent, by expenses unclaimed by Officers. The deposit account stood at £156 and the current account at £36.

The report was adopted.

The Match Captains Report

The Match Captain, Ben Thomas, noted that the content of his report could be found in the Club Bulletin. It had been a good year but not the finest. The 'A' team had retained The North Essex Chess League title and the B team came 7^th - 9^th. The 'C' team lost the Second Division title to Writtle 'B' There had only been 2 Match points that had separated the two sides despite the Writtle team having regularly included 1^st team players. Division 3 was won by Harwich. Chelmsford 'A' won the North Essex Knock-Out Trophy 3-1 over Billericay . The Match Captain thanked Wally Sebley, for his help, and thanked his Divisional Captain's, Les Crane, Richard Middleton and Peter Elliott. He also thanked all the players who had represented the Club. In Division 2, the number of Boards was to be increased to 6. It was also noted that the 'A' team had recorded a record number of wins in Division 1.

The report was unanimously adopted.

The Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer reported on the Club competition's, which could also be found summarised in the Club Bulletin. Ben Thomas became the Club Champion for the third successive year, after a play-off victory against Ivan Myall. The Grading Cup was won by Peter Elliott, the Junior Cup by Russell White and the Summer Tournament, with a new 30-30 format, was won by Ivan Myall.

The Tournament Officer's report was adopted.

The Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported that the club was continuing to thrive, although Tuesday Club evenings were not supported enough to be considered a viable in the future. Andrew Lewis' exploits were reported, including his victory in the London University Championship.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Trophies were presented by the Chairman, Max Pemberton.

Election of Officers

The following Committee was elected for the coming season :-

Chairman - John Priestley

Secretary - Ivan Myall

Assistant Secretary - Wally Sebley

Tournament Officer - Les Crane

Treasurer - Ken Pateman

Committee Member - Ewart Whitehead

Committee Member - Peter Elliott

The new Chairman gave his tribute to the retiring Chairman and to the retiring Treasurer. He also commented on the tremendous service of Mike Learner to that club over the past 10 seasons.

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Affiliation to the B C F was discussed and the matter was left to Committee's decision. The new format of the Summer Tournament was discussed and it was the Secretary proposed that the Club hold a similar tournament the following year. This was duly adopted. The question of the number teams selected to represent the Club was discussed and, in view of the Second Division increased Board numbers to 6, Ben Thomas' set up of 2 Teams (Div 1), 2 Teams (Div 2) and 1 Team (Div 3) was adopted. It was also decided that 7 teams would be entered into the Knock-Out Competition. Mike Learner thanked the Committee for Life Membership. It was agreed to ban five-minute chess during match evenings and a coffee rota was also established for the season. Paper cups, kindly provided by Peter Elliott, were to make the clearing up much easier .

Minutes Of The 1982 Annual General Meeting

The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM took place at the Oddfellows Hall on 9th September, 1982 in the presence of 26 members and one non-member.

In attendance :-

Minutes of the Previous AGM

The Minutes of the previous AGM were read and adopted.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer, Ken Pateman, reported a healthy balance and the overall profit on the year was £63.78. This did not include Officer's expenses and was, with the exception of £1, entirely for the winter season. A buffer fund had been established in the event that the club moved premises.

The report was adopted.

The Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain, Ben Thomas, reported that the content of his report could also be found in the Club Bulletin. He thanked the Divisional Captain's, Les Crane, Richard Middleton and Peter Elliott, who had done a difficult job well. He also reported that the 1982/83 team format would remain the same, that there would be a minor rule change in Division 1, and that throughout the whole season, Chelmsford had not defaulted on a single board.

His report was adopted.

The Tournament Officer

The Tournament Officer, Les Crane, stated that the content of his report was, in terms of Tournament winners, the same as in the previous year. However, he singled out Alan Smith in the Summer Tournament for his particular success.

His report was adopted.

The Secretary's Report

The Secretary noted that his report was also, more or less, as per the Club Bulletin. Richard Middleton was mentioned for his achievement in earning First Place in the North Essex Challenger's competition.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Chairman, John Priestley, presented trophies :-

Club Champion - Ben Thomas (6/6)

Grading Cup - Peter Elliott

Junior Cup - Russell White

Summer Tournament - Ivan Myall

N E Challengers - Richard Middleton

Election Of Officers

The following Officers were elected for the season 1982/3 :-

Chairman - John Priestley

Secretary - Ivan Myall

Assistant Secretary - Trevor Adams

Match Captain - Ben Thomas

Tournament Officer - Les Crane

Treasurer - Ken Pateman

Committee Member - Peter Shepherd

Committee Member - Peter Elliott

The Chairman thanked the Committee for the jobs that they had done throughout the season, and he gave special thanks to those leaving the Committee. After some discussion it was agreed that the subscription fees would remain the same (with a levy of 50p for grading). A motion put by Ken Malchar to raise the 'Subs' was defeated.

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Questions were put to the Committee regarding the forthcoming Basman Simul/Lecture at the Three Cups Public House on Sunday, 12^th September. Further questions were also raised in regard to the Chelmsford Congress. A reminder of the coffee rota was then given. Peter Shepherd suggested that on non-match days five-minute chess could be re-introduced, but it was voted out.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman closed the meeting at 9:15pm

Minutes Of The 1983 Annual General Meeting

The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM took place at the Oddfellows Hall on 8th September, 1983 in the presence of 23 members.

In attendance :-

J Franklyn, S Wicks, D Chalk, A Smith, R L Middleton, A Toms, A James, T White, R White, J Thomson,

T Adams, P G Shepherd, G Merriman, A Marie, A Webster, N Pelling, C White, R Jojic, K Pateman, B Thomas, L J Crane, J R Priestley, I J Myall.

Apologies were received from Peter Elliott and Ken Malchar who were moving house.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the previous Meeting were read and adopted.

Officer's Reports

The Reports of the Secretary, Match Captain and Tournament Officer, were largely contained in the Club Bulletin, but were enlarged upon.

These were duly adopted.

Due to a decreased membership, there was discussion as to the number of teams that the Club would enter into the League. Advertisements, and other methods of promoting the Club, were also discussed. It was agreed that the Divisional team format would be 2 teams in Division 1, 1 team in Division 2 and 2 teams in Division 3. Overall, this would incorporate 26 regular players.

The Treasurer reported a net loss of £7.36 which was agreed as being a good overall performance. It was noted that paper cups had increased in price.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Chairman, John Priestley, presented the trophies to:-

Club Champion - Ben Thomas (5^th successive year)

Junior & Grading Cup - Russell White

Summer Tournament - Ben Thomas & Ivan Myall

N.E. Individual Tournament - Ivan Myall

The format of the North Essex Individual Tournament was set to change and would be organised as a weekend Swiss Tournament.

Election Of Officers

The following Officers were elected for the 1983/4 season:-

Chairman - John Priestley

Secretary - Trevor Adams

Assistant Secretary - Ivan Myall

Match Captain - Ben Thomas

Tournament Officer - Les Crane

Treasurer - Ken Pateman

Committee Member - Peter Shepherd

Committee Member - Peter Elliott

On the recommendation of the committee, the proposal to increase 'Subs' to £7 (+.50p BCF) and Juniors/Pensioners to £3 inclusive, was unanimously carried.

Les Crane reported that Ewart Whitehead had resigned from the club due to various reasons. It was agreed that some form of commemoration for his long, loyal service, be instigated. This was to be placed on the Committee's agenda.

Due to disappointing attendance at the Summer Tournament, the members feelings were investigated. The majority of members were in favour of an 'alternate weeks' programme, with various social events held in between. A majority also favoured a faster time limit.

AOB

Ben Thomas raised 3 points:-

1. A new coffee rota would put up.
2. The North Essex Individual Tournament would now a Swiss style tournament.
3. A vote of thanks was offered to Pam Myall, for her work in typing the Chess Club Bulletin.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman closed the meeting at 9.00pm

 CHELMSFORD CHESS CLUB

Minutes Of Chelmsford Chess Club AGM 1984

Open Meeting

The Oddfellow's Hall, Legg Street, Chelmsford. 7:15 p.m. Thursday.

Apologies For Absence

Apologies were received from S Wicks; A Lewis; M Learner.

The Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the 1983 AGM were distributed before the meeting. P Shepherd proposed their acceptance and this was seconded by A Toms. This was duly carried.

The Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported a good year for the Club with membership having risen to 37, (including more Juniors) at the end of the season. Club Members continued to represent Essex in county matches at both Junior and Senior level. The Club was well represented in the N.E.League with John Priestley (President), Ben Thomas (Championship Secretary and ECU Rep.) and Peter Elliott (Congress Secretary). All other details were contained in the Club Bulletin.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported a satisfactory year and the Club's Balance Sheet was then discussed with the Members. There had been a rent increase during the year and this had resulted in a small loss. Some equipment would also require replacement during the forthcoming season and therefore, because of these two items, the Treasurer was recommending an increase in the Annual Subscription Fee to £8.50 plus 50p BCF. The Chairman proposed that the Annual Subscription for the 1984/85 be raised to this effect together with the reduced fee of £4.50p for Juniors/Seniors/Unemployed.

This was unanimously accepted.

Match Captain's Report

After a brief discussion this was agreed by the members present.

Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer reported on the Winter and Summer Tournaments and summarized the results. The Winter Tournament was completed within it's allotted time-table and there had been no defaults. The Summer Tournament had proved popular with most Members.

The Chairman thanked the Officers and the Committee.

Presentation of Trophies

Peter Elliott introduced Ewart Whitehead to the meeting and gave the Members a short history of Ewart's chess career. He especially mentioned the part he had played over the years in the Chelmsford Chess Club. In order to mark Ewart's retirement and departure from the Chelmsford area, he was invited to present the Club Trophies including a new one that was named after himself.

Ewart Whitehead Trophy - T. Adams
Club Championship - I. Myall
Club Grading Cup - R. Mjddleton
Junior Cup - R White
Summer Tournament - B Thomas

The North Essex League Div 1 and 2 Trophies were accepted by Ben Thomas and Peter Elliott, on behalf of the Club.

The North Essex League Individual Championship award was presented to I Myall.

Election Of Officers

The following officers were elected to serve for the year I984/85.

Chairman John Priestley Prop. B Thomas/T Adams

Secretary Trevor Adams Prop. J Priestley

Treasurer Ken Patema Prop. P Shepherd/A Marie

Match Captain Les Crane Prop. T Adams/P Elliott

Tournament Secretary Ivan Myall Prop. L Crane/R Webster Assistant Secretary Ben Thomas Prop. I Myall/A Marie

Peter Shepherd

AOB

Les Crane reminded Members that league matches within the club were to be played on 20^th September -

'A' v 'B' teams and 'D' v 'E' teams.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman thanked the retiring committee members and closed the meeting at 9:00pm.

Minutes Of Chelmsford Chess Club AGM 1985

CHELMSFORD CHESS CLUB

Oddfellow's Hall, Legg Street, Chelmsford. 7:15 p.m. Thursday.

The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM took place at the Oddfellow's Hall, Legg St., Chelmsford on 12th September 1985.

Open Meeting

Meeting opened at 19.40 hrs.

Present: J Priestley (Chairman); T Adams (Secretary); L Crane (Match Captain/Treasurer); I Myall (Tournament Officer); B Thomas (Assistant / Secretary); P Elliott (Committee Member) and 22 other Members.

Apologies were received from P Shepherd, A James and N Bevitt-Smith.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The minutes of the 1984 AGM were distributed before the meeting. Adoption was proposed by A Smith and seconded by A Marie and, following a minor amendment to wording, was carried unanimously.

Matters Arising

None.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported that the 25 strong membership, at the time of the 1984 AGM, had risen to almost 40 by the end of the season. Everyone who had wanted to play matches had done so. Although the Club Premises were now awaiting demolition, the Club had been promised 6 to 12 months notice. The Club was well represented in the League with J Priestley, (President); B Thomas (Championship Secretary) and P Elliott, (Congress Organiser). L Crane also represented Chelmsford at meetings.

The Chairman proposed adoption of report and this was duly accepted. The Chairman then initiated a discussion on the possible vacation of the club premises and asked all present to report any suitable rooms etc to a member of the new Committee.

Treasurer's Report

Copies of the Club Balance Sheet were handed out which showed £252.23 at the beginning of the year and £228.79 at year-end. Last year's 'Subs' had been fixed with the intention of breaking even but a change in the method of calculating League fees had resulted in an increase of £12. Various other expenses had proved higher than expected and the Club had also purchased two new clocks during the year. Total Paid-Up membership was 38. It was considered that no increase in 'Subs' would be necessary, unless the membership thought it wise to anticipate a rent increase.

The Report adopted by show of hands.

Ken Malchar commented that he felt that the Club offered good value for money at the present 'Subs' level. He also thought that an increase in fees would be both sensible and realistic. After a lively discussion the following proposals were made.

A Marie/J.Franklin: £10 Full 'Subs', £5 Junior/Senior/Unemployed.

After a vote the motion was carried with only 2 against.

Motion carried.

Ken Pateman queried the reason as to why coffee income was not shown in the Balance Sheet. The Treasurer replied that a small profit was held as petty cash, but a large supply of cups had also been purchased at the end of last season. The 'coffee' was self financing.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain reported that, 'disastrously' - no Cups or Trophies had been won this year. The Club reached the Semi-Finals in the Knock-Out and had a number of good wins. There had been no defaults during the season.

The Report was duly accepted.

There followed some discussion regarding team structure for the forthcoming season, as now, there would only be four boards in Div 2, instead of six. A structure of 2 Teams in each Division (Div 1,2 &3) was proposed by R Webster and seconded by T Adams. The motion was duly accepted.

It was also agreed that the Club would enter 7 teams in Knock-Out competition.

Tournament Officer's Report

It was noted that the details of the Tournament Officer's Report could be found in the Club Bulletin. Both the Summer and Winter Tournaments had ran smoothly with no disputes. In total, 31 players had competed in the Summer tournament, and no fewer than 20 at played at any one time.

The Report was duly accepted.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Trophies were then presented by the Chairman:-

Club Championship Ben Thomas

Grading Cup Richard Middleton

Junior Cup Russell White

Summer Tournament Ivan Myall

Ewart Whitehead Trevor Adams

Election Of Officer's

Chairman John Priestley Prop. A Toms/J.Franklin - Unan

Secretary Trevor Adams Prop. J Priestley/Chairman - Unan.

Treasurer Nick Pelling Prop. K Malchar/B Thomas - Unan.

Match Captain Les Crane Prop. T Adams/W Sebley - Unan.
Tournament Officer Ivan Myall Prop. J Priestley/Chairman - Unan.
Assistant Secretary Ben Thomas Prop. A Marie/I Myall - Unan.

The following Committee Members were proposed: -

P Elliott, A Marie, I Cowin.

After a vote the following were elected to the committee:

Peter Elliott Prop. J.Priestley/L.Crane
Ian Cowin Prop. T.Adams/I Myall

AOB

Proposed League changes were outlined by Les Crane. Currently, in the First Division matches, one player could insist to 'play-on' rather than opt for adjudication. A proposal was to be put to the next League Committee for this rule to now apply to the other two divisions. After a discussion it was agreed that Chelmsford would vote against this change.

A proposal by R Webster and seconded by J Franklin to ban smoking on club premises was discussed at great length. An amended motion by I Myall / I Cowin for a summer season ban only was also discussed. After a vote both motions were lost. Alan Marie asked for assistance with the Writtle Junior Club. Ben Thomas mentioned that a list was being compiled of willing Junior and Senior players for County Chess, and invited members to come forward. Les Crane asked for names of willing players for the NECL v Suffolk League match.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman closed the meeting at 20.50 hrs.

Minutes of Chelmsford Chess Club AGM 1986.

The Chelmsford Chess Club AGM took place at the Oddfellow's Hall, Legg Street, Chelmsford, on 11^th September 1986.

Open Meeting

Meeting Opened at 7.30pm

Present: John Priestley (Chairman); Trevor Adams (Secretary); Les Crane (Match Captain); Ivan Myall (Tournament Officer); Ben Thomas (Assistant Secretary); Peter Elliott/Ian Cowin (Committee Members); and 23 others.

Apologies For Absence

Apologies received from J Thomson, W Sebley, R Middleton, A Marie, R Baker, R Adams, S Hardy, M Bevitt-Smith and H Boxall.

Minutes Of The Previous AGM

Minutes of the last AGM had been distributed before the meeting. After one minor amendment - Grading Cup Winner - R Jojic - these were unanimously adopted.

Matters Arising

None

The Secretary reported another good year with the membership rising to 43, including 8 juniors. Some nights had been difficult in finding enough space when two home matches were played. After purchasing new clocks, the Club row had equipment for 20 boards. The Club was still well represented on the League Committee along with our official representative, Les Crane. A vote of thanks was proposed for Les who would be leaving the club after the AGM because of his move to Upminster.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer's report was given by the Secretary. Shortly after the 1985 AGM, the Treasurer had resigned due to other commitments. His duties had been shared by the Match Captain and the Secretary. The Balance Sheet was handed to the Members and questions were invited. The Balance had increased by £36 even though new equipment had been purchased. Estimates of Income and Expenditure for the new season had shown that no increase in 'Subs' would be required. There followed a discussion on Club finances in which Ken Malchar reminded the Membership that the Club should always be prepared for a sharp increase in rent, if the Club was forced to move from it's present premises.

The Treasurer's proposed that there be no change in 'Subs' and this was seconded by Ben Thomas and passed by a majority vote.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captains report had been recorded in the Club Bulletin. This was then discussed. The Match Captain thanked the team captain's, Peter Elliott and Ian Cowin, for their help during the year.

Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer's Report was also in the Club Bulletin. The Club Championship draws had been delayed due to previous round games' having not being played on time. Other ways of running the Championship, such as seeded sections etc. were discussed. Ken Malchar suggested that the present format gave all players the opportunity of good graded games and the present format should be kept. The Tournament Officer noted that he could ensure match games were played on time by imposing whatever penalties were needed. Richard Webster suggested a Major/Minor tournament, but this was rejected. It was agreed to keep the present system. The Summer Tournament was poorly attended/supported but after discussion it was agreed to leave any changes in it's format, to a Committee decision.

Presentation of Trophies.

Club Champion Ben Thomas, Ivan Myall & John Priestley

Grading Cup Roy Jojic

Summer Tournament Ivan Myall & Russell White

Ewart Whitehead Trophy l,es Crane.

A new Junior Cup had been bought and was awarded for the first time. It had been agreed by the Committee that the ‘old cup’ should be held by Russell White who had been the winner from 1981-1985.

Election Of Officer's

Proposer/Seconder

Chairman John Priestley B Thomas/P Elliott
Secretary Trevor Adams J Pniestley/Chairman
Treasurer Michael Blackburn B Thomas/J Franklin
Match Captain Roy Jojic B Thomas/T Adams

Tournament Officer Ivan Myall R Webster/P Elliott
Assistant Secretary Ben Thomas R Jojic/I Myall

Committee Member Peter Elliott P Shepherd/I Myall

Alan Marie T Adams/K Malchar

Team Structure

AOB

Ken Malchar proposed that the Ewart Whitehead trophy be awarded to the Chelmsford player with the best percentage score in League Matches. Seconded by Colin White. Discussed, voted on, motion lost.

Colin White then proposed that a cup be bought and awarded as above. This was seconded by Trevor Adams. Discussed, voted on, motion lost.

Close Of Meeting

Meeting closed at 9.45pm.

Chelmsford Chess Club

Minutes of Chelmsford Chess Club Annual General Meeting held at the Oddfellow's Hall, Legg Street, Chelmsford on 10^th September 1987.

The Chairman opened the Meeting at 7.40pm and welcomed both new and old members to the Club.

Apologies For Absence

Apologies were received from Jim House, Ben Thomas, Ken Malchar, Colin White Wally Sebley, Tracey Eve, and Robert Adams.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

Minutes of the last AGM were distributed before the meeting and were not read out. J. Franklin proposed their acceptance and P Elliott seconded the motion. The minutes were adopted without amendment.

Matters Arising

None.

Secretary's Report

It was reported that there had been a slight drop in membership. There were no specific problems and the Club premises were available for the season and Club equipment in good order. The Committee had already expressed it's thanks and good wishes to Ben Thomas, who was to leave the Club and move to New Zealand. Publicity was discussed, in order to attract new members.

Acceptance of the Secretary's Report was proposed A Marie and seconded by H Boxall. The motion was duly carried.

Treasurer's Report

The Balance Sheet was handed out and the Treasurer answered questions. No Increase in 'Subs' was proposed for the season. The Club discussed uses for cash in hand but nothing was agreed. The Chairman proposed the adoption of the Report, and this was agreed.

I Myall proposed that the 'Subs' remain at their present level. P Elliott seconded and this was agreed.

Match Captain's Report

It was reported that the Club had not won any trophies. In the League the 'A’ team came 3^rd and the 'B' team came 8^th;. The ‘C' team had lost numerous matches by the narrow margin of 2½-1½. In the Third Division, the Club had achieved reasonable results. Everyone had commented that they had enjoyed the matches. In the Knock-Out Tournament, all teams were eliminated by the 3rd Round. Full results were given in The Club Bulletin. R Middleton and P Elliott proposed and seconded the report and it was duly adopted.

Team structure for coming season was discussed and, as the number of known regular players totaled 26, it was agreed that we would enter 2 teams in Divisions 1, 2 teams in Division 2 and 1 team in Division 3.

This was proposed by R Jojic, seconded by P Elliott and carried.

Tournament Officer's Report

Similar problems were reported to those in previous years, but generally games had been played on time. The Summer Tournament was reasonably well attended and many played all games. All the results were listed in the Club Bulletin. T Adams proposed acceptance of the Report and this was seconded by and R Jojic. The Report was adopted. Various suggestions were put forward in order to avoid delayed games in Club Championship. It was agreed that the Tournament Officer would decide the best course of action.

Presentation Of Trophies

Club Champion Ivan Myall

Junior Russell White

Grading Cup Alan Marie

Summer Tournament Ivan Myall

Ewart Whitehead Trevor Adams

Election of Officers

Proposed /Seconded

Chairman - John Priestley P Elliott / J Franklin

Secretary - Trevor Adams Chairman

Treasurer - Michael Blackburn T Adams / R White
Match Captain - Roy Jojic A Marie / A Alcock

Tournament Officer - Ivan Myall H Boxall /P Elliott

Assistant Secretary - Alan Marie I Myall / T Adams
Committee Member - Peter Elliott T Adams / I Myall

Committee Member - Harry Boxall A Marie / P Elliott

AOB

R White proposed to hold an earlier AGM to avoid the need to guess the team structure before the fixture Meeting. After some discussion the proposal was withdrawn.

The Coffee rota was discussed. It was agreed to try volunteers first. A 'non playing' membership fee was discussed for those who wished to maintain contact with the Club, but were unable to attend regularly. This was left for the Committee to decide. Peter Elliott reminded the meeting of the forthcoming Chelmsford Chess Congress and asked for assistance in setting up the Hall on the day.

Close Of Meeting

The Meeting was closed 9.30pm

Chelmsford Chess Club Annual General Meeting 6^th September 1988

Open Meeting

Present: John Priestley (Chairman); Trevor Adams (Secretary); Roy Jojic (Match Captain); Ivan Myall (Tournament Officer); Alan Marie (Assistant Secretary); Harry Boxall (Committee Member)

Peter Shepherd, Richard Webster, Russell White, Andrew Myall, Jack Thomson, Jennifer Franklin, David Chalk, Robin Slade, Andrew Alcock, Richard Middleton, Colin White, Richard Stzadhaus, Rudi Delphin, Bill Attwood, Jonathon Bryant (+ Guest).

The meeting was opened by the Chairman at 7.40 p.m.

Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from :- Peter Elliott (attending League meeting on behalf of Chelmsford Chess Club), Ken Malchar, Robin Tew, Robert Adams, Steve Savill, Tony Toms.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

Minutes of The previous AGM had been distributed before the meeting. These were adopted with only a minor amendment to match results.

Matters Arising

None

Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported that there had been no problems during the past season other than finding new premises. Equipment,consisting of 20 sets, boards and clocks were in good condition. Advertising had been restricted to the County Library and the membership had remained at 36. The report was adopted.

During the discussion that followed it was decided that the Club should advertise more widely, contact schools, clubs etc in an attempt to attract more juniors to the game and the Club. These points were left for the new committee to act upon.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer's Report was given by the Secretary (the Treasurer having left the country during the season). The Balance Sheet was handed out and an analysis of the main points was discussed by question and answer. New premises had now been taken on at twice the previous rental cost and an increase in Subscription Fees would be required in order to retain a small reserve fund. A discussion was opened with the Secretary suggesting a subscription fee of £20. Jennifer Franklin proposed saving money by abandoning the Summer Season and this was seconded by Andrew Alcock. The motion was lost on a vote of 8 for and 12 against. Ivan Myall proposed that the Summer Season should be held at alternative premises, where an hourly charge was made and where the Club could meet for a maximum of 3 hours per night, in order to save on rental costs. Andrew Myall seconded the motion. This was carried on a vote of 15 for and 3 against. A proposal by Trevor Adams / Roy Jojic that Subscription Fees for the year should be £20 for full membership, with other rates increased by the same proportion as previously. This was carried unanimously. Fund raising events were to be discussed at the next Committee meeting. The Treasurer's report was adopted.

Match Captain’s Report

The Match Captain detailed the results of League Matches and noted that there had been no defaults by Chelmsford teams. The results were shown in the Club Bulletin. With only 25 known members willing to play in League Matches it was anticipated that it would be difficult maintaining a team structure of 2-2-1 (2 teams - Div1, 2 teams - Div 2 & 1 team - Div 3). The Match Captain suggested a team structure of 1-2-2 with 5 teams also entered into the Knock-Out Competition. After discussion Alan Marie proposed a team structure of 1-2-2 with 6 Knock-Out teams. This was seconded by Jonathan Bryant and carried by a vote of 21 for and 2 against.

Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer reported a difficult Summer Tournament due to poor attendance but considered that it was still worthwhile. The Club Championship had run well, but had been delayed at times due to unfinished games. Ivan Myall / Alan Marie proposed and seconded the motion to introduce a "Quick-Play" finish to Club Championship on a one-year trial basis. The Tournament Officer was to formulate the rules. This motion was carried by 13 to 5.

Presentation of Trophies

Club Championship - Ivan Myall

Summer Tournament - Ivan Myall

Grading Cup - Bill Attwood

Junior Cup - Russell White

Ewart Whitehead - Trevor Adams

Election of Officers

The Chairman, John Priestley stated that he was retiring from chess and would therefore not be willing to stand for a further year. He then proposed Peter Elliott as Chairman and this was carried unanimously.

Proposed / Seconded

Chairman - Peter Elliott Chairman

Secretary - Trevor Adams Jennifer Franklin / Andrew Alcock

Tournament Officer - Ivan Myall Jennifer Franklin / Roy Jojic

- Alan Marie Trevor Adams / Ivan Myall

After a vote Alan Marie was elected

Assistant Secretary - Ivan Myall Trevor Adams / Russell White

- Harry Boxall Alan Marie / Andrew Alcock

After a vote Harry Boxall was elected

Committee Members - Ivan Myall John Priestley / Chairman

Jonathan Bryant Andrew Alcock / Ivan Myall

Jack Thomson Ivan Myall / Trevor Adams

After a vote Ivan Myall and Jack Thomson were elected

Treasurer - Peter Shepherd John Priestley / Chairman.

AOB

Roy Jojic outlined the rule changes to league games, particularly the option of the "Quick-Play" finish. After discussion it was decided that the Club would not have a fixed policy on Quick-Play, but would allow team members to decide for themselves before each match.

Close Of Meeting

Meeting Closed

Open Meeting

The Chairman welcomed those present and opened the Meeting at 7.45pm

Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from R Jojic (Match Captain); S Death; R Sztadhaus and J Thomson.

Minutes Of The Previous AGM

Minutes Of The Previous AGM were distributed to all members prior to the meeting and were accepted.

Matters Arising

A minor omission in the grading list was noted by the Match Captain prior to the meeting.

The Secretary's Report

It was reported that the season had started well, with new premises at the Sea Cadets being roomy and with a large car park. However, as the season progressed, the number of available car park spaces diminished and the gas heating ran out. It was felt amongst the members that new premises should again be sought, at least for the summer season. The Church, Hall at Forest Drive was used for the ten weeks of the summer season which proved to be successful in terms of suitability and good attendance. The Assistant Secretary looked into the possibility of sponsorship without success and after many enquiries the Forest Drive venue was booked for the coming season. The 'fax' match organized by the Assistant Secretary against Backnang was in progress and would continue throughout the season with players from Writtle and Marconi helping to represent Chelmsford aso a whole. It was remarked that only two 'Quick-Play' matches should be played in the league. The Chairman proposed acceptance of the report and this motion was carried unanimously.

The Treasurer talked through his statement of expenses and answered questions. The Chairman proposed a motion to keep subscriptions at their present level and this was carried unanimously.

Match Captain’s Report

The Match Captain's report was presented by I Myall. The success of the ‘D’ team, which won the first Division 3 title for Chelmsford in ten years was highlighted. The ‘B’ team had managed 3rd place in Division 2 with honours going to Braintree ‘B’ who took the title by just 1 point from Witham 'B’. The ‘A’ team were Runners-Up to Witham ‘A’, by just two points. In the Knock-Out Competition, the ‘A’ team were beaten in the Semi-Finals by Writtle who went on to win the Final after a replay with Witham ‘A’. All of Chelmsford's other teams were defeated by Round 4. It was proposed that the team structure would remain the same and the Knock-Out event would be seeded. This was carried unanimously.

The Summer Season proved popular with an average attendance of around 18. R White won with 9/10. Joint 2nd wnt to I Myall and S Savill with 6.5/10. Two Lightning Tournaments were also played with I Myall (4.5/5) & R Maris - A Guest from Felsted (5.5/6) taking the respective honours.

Tournament Officer's Report

It was reported that the Club Championship was played over 5 rounds. This season saw a new champion in Steven Death who took the title with 5/5, after winning the 'decider' against Ivan Myall who then shared 2nd place with Andrew Alcock & Peter Elliott 4/5. Andrew won the Junior Cup and Peter, the Grading Cup. Three players withdrew after the first round and one game overran the time limit causing both players to score losses in the game.

Presentation of Trophies

Club Championship - S Death

Summer Tournament - R White

Junior Cup - A Alcock

Grading Cup - P Elliott

3rd Division Title - D team (R Slade; S Savill; A Myall; T Adams; P Elliott - all received medals.

Ewart Whitehead Trophy - T Adams

It was agreed that a new trophy to be known as the John Priestley Trophy would be introduced to recognise the best percentage of wins in League Matches and would be presented at the end of the coming season.

Election of Officers

Proposer/Seconder

Chairman - P Elliott A Marie / A Toms (1 against)

Secretary - J House R Webster / R Middleton

A Marie I Myall / P Elliott

J House was elected by open ballot 11 to 7. (T.Adams stepped down)

Assistant Secretary - H Boxall J House / P Shepherd (Unan)
Treasurer - P Shepherd A Marie / T Adams (Unan.)

Match Captain - R Jojic A Myall / J House (Unan.)

Tournament Officer - I Myall A Marie / T Adams (Unan.)

-A Marie A Alcock / A Myall (Unan.)

-A Alcock J Bryant / J House (Unan)

I Myall was elected by Open Ballott - I Myall (11), A Marie(7) A Alcock (3)

Committee Member - A Marie I Myall / R Slade

- R Slade J House / M Crane

- J Thomson A Myall / A Alcock

The two vacancies were filled by A Marie & R Slade 15 votes each; J Thomson 5 votes.

Any Other Business

J Bryant & I Myall discussed 'Quick-Play' finishes and proposed that Games should be 36 moves in l.5 hours, then 'Quick-Play' finish, making a total playing session of 3.5 hours. It was also decided that the Seeded Swiss should be according to grading. J Bryant expressed a wish for permanent records of Trophy wins.

A vote was then taken on the 'Quick-Play' finish option in League matches, and it was noted that 3 possible options could be considered, when deciding to whether or not to accept the 'Quick-Play' option.

1. Should any one player be opposed to 'Quick-Play', the team would vote against

2. The decision would depend on a majority team decision

3. The decision would rest with the Captain. This final motion was thrown out.

The vote was in favour of the second motion by a majority decision of 12 to 6.

Close Of Meeting

The meeting was officially closed by the Chairman at 21:30 hrs (9:30pm).

CHELMSFORD CHESS CLUB

Annual General Meeting Wednesday 12^th September 1990

Open Meeting

The meeting was held at Forest Drive Church Hall, Chelmsford, and opened by the Chairman at 1945 hrs. (7.45 pm.)

Present:

Committee: P Elliott (Chairman) J House (Secretary) I Myall (Tournament Officer) P Shepherd (Treasurer)A Marie, R Slade.

Members: K Malchar, N Gough, A Myall, J Franklin, J Bryant, R White, S East, J Thomson, K Pateman, R Middleton, M Crane, S Savill, A Toms, T Adams.

Guests: R Turner (Speaker) N Pelling, M Fearnon.

Apologies were received and read by the Secretary as follows: R Webster, D Gateral, W Attwood, S Death, A Mack, R Killeen, C White, R Jojic (Match Captain), S Moore, H Boxall (Assistant Secretary).

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported on the 1989/90 season, which had been a successful year for the Club. There had been notable achievements in the North Essex Chess League as well as an increased membership. The highest membership figure in ten years (41), allowed the club to field six teams in league competition. The Club had also received support from the local media (Essex Chronicle and BBC Essex) during the season. Since a rota had been pinned to the notice board, there had been an increase in the number of volunteers making coffee. However, there still remained a minority of individuals who had not taken their turn.

Club departures included Peter Shepherd; Richard Webster; David Gatheral and 'part-departure' by Robin Slade, who, although remaining a member, would be away over the next four years, studying at York University. He would still be able to visit on Club evenings during the holidays.

At the end of the Report, Mr. House introduced Mr. Roger Turner, of Home Financial Consultants, who had expressed a willingness to sponsor the Club throughout the coming season. It was noted that he wished to visit members', in their own homes, with a view to discussing any financial arrangements they may be interested in. He emphasized that there would be no obligation to any member agreeing to an appointment, but in return for every appointment made, the Club would benefit by a set amount 'per head'. The amount was to be later agreed. There followed a short period of open discussion and then the Chairman proposed that the matter be handled by the Secretary in the coming weeks, in order to ascertain who, precisely, was willing to see Mr. Turner.

The Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer noted that the Financial Statement, which had been distributed to the members present, was incomplete. £165.11 carried into next season, was down on previous year, with extra costs still to be deducted. This was mainly a result of one-off Expenditure items, such as The 'John Priestley Trophy' and the Chess Board presentation. The Treasurer also reported a stable rent situation and, therefore, he did not view an increase in Subscription Fees as necessary. Mr. Malchar queried the £5.00 figure against heating expenditure. The Treasurer reassured him that this was not a heating cost, but merely a provision, set aside as a float towards the meter.

Mr. Savill proposed a 5p increase to the cost of coffee/tea, to 20p and 15p respectively. This was carried unanimously.

Despite the Treasurer's statement, it was generally felt that a small increase in Subscription Charges was necessary. The Chairman proposed that a vote should be taken to raise the Full Adult Membership fee by £1, to £21, and to raise the Juniors and Consessionary Members fees by 50p. This was met with majority approval of 18, in Favour, 4 Against.

The Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain, R Jojic, was unable to attend the meeting and I Myall, therefore, made brief comments on his behalf. It had been a successful season, with the Chelmsford 'A’ team winning the North Essex League Championship by a clear 3 point margin. In Division 2, the ‘B and ‘C’ teams achieved 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. In Division 3, a remarkable achievement by the 'E' team earned them the Division title, ahead of their 'stablemates', the 'D' team. The 'F' team finished a gallant 9th, helping to steal valuable individual board points from rival teams, in many important matches.

The Match Captain, Mr. Jojic, had announced his intention to step down from position prior to the meeting.

The Tournament Officer announced the Club's internal achievements. Ivan Myall won the Club Championship 5.5/6 and runners-up were Richard Middleton, Russell White and Stephen Death, all with 5/6. The Junior Club Champion was Andrew Myall and the Grading Cup was won by Alan Marie. The Summer Tournament was hampered by a poor turnout, partly due to the Soccer World Cup, but nonetheless was won by Ivan Myall.

The Chairman presented the following : -

League Trophy Chelmsford ‘A’
Division 3 Trophy Chelmsford ‘E’
John Priestley Trophy Steve Savill
Al Scibor Trophy Steve Savill
Junior Trophy Trevor White
Club Championship Ivan Myall
Grading Cup Alan Marie
Summer Tournament Ivan Myall
Ewart Whitehead Trophy Jim House
Backnang Visit (Appreciation Award) Harry Boxall (for his hard work)

Proposer/Seconder

Chairman P Elliott I Myall (Unan.)
Secretary: J House R Slade (Unan.)
Treasurer: S East A Alcock / P Shepherd (Unan.)
Match Captain I Myall P Elliott / A Marie (Unan.)
Tournament Officer R Joiic I Myall / J House (Unan.)
Assistant Secretary A Marie J House / K Malchar (Unan.)
Committee Member M Crane S Savill / T Adams (Unan.)
Committee Member N Gough A Marie / P Elliott (Unan.)

Mr. Bryant proposed that the Club arrange a '30/30' tournament. The Chairman stated that this was a matter for the new Tournament Officer.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman closed the meeting at 9.25pm.

CHELMSFORD CHESS CLUB - Annual General Meeting 1991

Date : Wednesday 4^th September 1991

Venue : Forest Drive Church Hall, Forest Drive, Chelmsford, Essex.

Open Meeting

The Meeting was opened by the Acting Chairman at 7.45pm.

Present:

Committee: J House (Secretary/Acting Chairman), R Jojic (Tournament Secretary), I Myall (Match Captain), A Marie (Assistant Secretary), S East (Treasurer), M Crane (Committee Memeber), N Gough (Committee Member)

Non-Committee: T Adams, J Bryant, S Death, J Franklin, K Malchar, R Middleton, A Myall,

N Pelling, S Savill, R Slade, J Thomson, A Toms, R White.

Apologies For Absence

Apologies were received by the Secretarv, and read as foI1ows: A Alcock, H Boxall, P Elliott (Chairman), A Mack, B Payne, C White, (S East apologised for a late arrival).

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

The Minutes were read by the Acting Chairman who also noted that, in the list of Member's Present, A Alcock's name had been omitted. This was accepted and the minutes were adopted.

Matters Arising

No matters were raised.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary welcomed those present and reported on the 1990/91 season, which had seen the Club Membership decrease slightly from 41 to 38. He also commented that he thought the Club should seek new ways of attracting membership, by furthering it's appeal to newcomers and encouraging renewals of Membership. He noted that of the 4 new members who had joined at the start of the previous season, only 1 had now shown a renewed interest to rejoin. The Secretary believed that this resulted from a lack of necessary encouragement, but added that this was not a criticism of Club Members. Club circumstances were such, that there had been little on offer to facilitate encouragement to new members. He further noted that if the Club were able to improve it's facilities, by measures such as a separate evening for non-match playing purposes; it would result in greater comfort to existing members and perhaps lead to a more sociable environment. Finally, the Secretary reported that the sponsorship deal with Roger Turner, of Home Financial Consultants, was fairly successful. Just over half of the Members had participated, by agreeing to meet Mr Turner, which had been enough to generate a number of cash injections to the Club.

Match Captain's Report

It was reported that, although the Club had failed to win a single trophy during the season, it had finished runners-up in all three divisions and both knockout competitions. In Division 1, the 'A' Team had finished 2^nd after losing out by just one point. In Division 2, the 'B' Team also lost out by the same 1 point margin and the 'D' and 'C' teams achieved 3^rd and 5^th place respectively. In Division 3, the 'E' Team only missed out by an inferior game points difference, while the 'F' Team came a creditable 5th place. In the Knock-Out, the 'A' team were again runners-up to Writtle, after a replay, and the 'E' team reached the final of the Plate competition after disposing of Chelmsford's own 'B' team on the way. It was also noted that the Club's entire membership could take pride in such a solid performance and also for not defaulting on a single board throughout any of the 84 pairings during the season.

Ivan Myall also announced his intention to stand down as Match Captain.

Tournament Officer's Report

It was reported that, Russell White & Ivan Myall had both shared the honours in the Club Championship with 4.5/5. However, there had only been 18 entries in the event. This reflected various problemsthat had been encountered, such as the completion of matches for some players, with 6 also competing in various other clubs within the NECL. The Tournament Officer noted, that if re-elected, he would intend to alter the Club Championship from a Swiss system to an 'All Play All' format. The Summer Tournament had an average attendance of around 10 per week and was won by Andrew Alcock (9/10). Additionally, Ivan Myall won a Lightening tournament, that was held during the Summer Season.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported that he felt that the present financial security of the club was largely a result of the cash injections from Roger Turner's sponsorship. He reported a Balance In Hand figure of £361.61, compared to the previous year's figure of £165.11, and suggested that Subscriptions Fees should be increased in line with inflation.

Assistant Secretary's Report

The Assistant Secretary had nothing to report. He announced his intention to stand down from his current position.

The Presentation Of Trophies

The Acting Chairman asked J Priestley (Guest Speaker) to present the following: -

John Priestley Trophy: Nick Pelling

Al Scibor Trophy Andrew Myall (Presented by NECL)
Club Championship Ivan Myall & Russell White
Grading Cup Nick Gough

Junior Cup Nick Gough

Summer Tournament Andrew Alcock (received by J Bryant)
Ewart Whitehead Trophy Colin White (received by Russell White)

Medals were also presented to members of the 'A' & 'E' teams for their successes in the 1989/90 season.

Membership Fees/Registration Fee Proposal

Following the Treasurer's report, J House suggested a £1 increase to the cost of Full Membership. T Adams further proposed a £2 increase to £23 and this was duly passed with 19 votes to 2 in Favour. J House proposed the setting of a 'late fee' for existing members, whose subscriptions were not renewed by the end of November. This was seconded by Mr. Thomson and passed unanimously. A £5 late fee was then proposed by J House and seconded by J Franklin. This was passed with a majority vote of 18 For and 3 Against.

Constitution

J House commented that there were no guidelines in the Constitution regarding the duties of the Post-Holders. He suggested that the Constitution should be updated and invited suggestions from the members.

The Members believed, however, was that the Committee needed to determine concrete proposals, before bringing them for discussion. It was decided that the incoming Committee should therefore be responsible for considering whether any amendments to the Constitutional were needed.

Election Of Officers
Proposer / Seconder

Chairman H Boxall J House / R Jojic (P Elliott stood down)
Secretary J House J Bryant / R Jojic
Treasurer S East A Myall / A Marie

B Payne J House / R Jojic

(S East was elected by a majority vote of 17 to 4)

Match Captain N Pelling J House / J Bryant (I Myall stood down)

Tournament Secretary R Jojic R Slade / J Franklin

Assistant Secretary A Alcock J Bryant / J House (A Marie stood down)

Committee Member N Gough I Myall / J Bryant)

(B Payne replaced M Crane and N Gough was re-elected)

Format For The Club Championship 1991/92

The Tournament Secretary explained his ideas for changing the Tournament format. All entrants were to be split into two main groups. The top to middle grades would then compete in the 'Major Tournament' and the middle to lower grades would compete in the 'Minor Tournament'. The Major event would then be further split into 3 or 4 smaller groups, depending on numbers, with the winners of each group forming a final stage Knock-Out Tournament to decide the winner. The Minor Tournament would be run as a straight 'All-Play-All' separate from the Major. After a short discussion, the plans were welcomed by those present and adopted.

Any Other Business

J Thomson proposed a vote of thanks to the Outgoing Committee for all their work throughout the season. Miss Franklin seconded the proposal.

It was suggested by Mr. Jojic that the two Extra Committee Members could be responsible for sorting out the perennial problem of who should make coffee/tea during home matches. The Acting Chairman agreed that this was a good idea but felt it would be unfair to propose such a motion in B Payne's (Committee Member) absence. The matter was to be discussed at the next Committee meeting.

S East commented that he would ensure there would be £20 worth of 10p’s held in the cash box at all times, to ensure sufficient coinage to pay for the heating meter

Close Of Meeting

The Acting Chairman closed the meeting at 9.35pm

CHELMSFORD CHESS CLUB Annual General Meeting 1992

Date: Thursday 3rd September l992

Venue: The North Springfield Community Association Centre (NSCA Centre), Forsythia Close, North Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex.

Present

Non-Committee: S.Death; P.C. Elliott; K. Malchar; A W. Marie; R L. Middleton; A I Myall; I J Myall; S. Savill; R Slade;

J R Thomson; A M Toms; C V. White; T. Adams.

Open Meeting

The Chairman opened the meeting at 1955 hrs. (7.55 p.m.

Apologies were received from, A R Brett (Assistant Secretary) [formerly A. R Alcock]; M J Crane; R Delphin; R T S Sztadhaus; and R P White.

Minutes Of The Previous Meeting

Minutes of the previous AGM were distributed prior to meeting and were agreed to be accurate.

(Proposed T. Adams / Seconded N J Pelling - Unan.)

Matters Arising

None

Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported an increased membership of 42, and noted the benefits of the move to the NSCA Centre, such as better security, greater comfort and more flexible hiring arrangements. He reported that the previous venue at Forest Drive had offered very little by comparison and he felt that the Club had been forced to find alternative premises in order to further it's prospects. The Club had now made Thursday its official club night, and also had the option to book some Monday nights during the season. This was an option that was to be discussed under a later item.

The Secretary also reported that the Junior Club Coaching Programme ran, as planned, throughout the summer months, with a total of 16 youngsters attending over the ten-week period. Unfortunately, only 20% of those had now re-approached the Club to join for the new season but, nevertheless, he was hopeful that the Club's proximity to a Junior School would bring further benefits.

The Secretary finished by thanking Roy Jojic, (who had announced his intention to step down as Tournament Secretary), Harry Boxall (who had taken over the duties as C & D Team's Captain in mid-season), and Russell White (for his input during the Junior Club Coaching Programmes). He also congratulated the Club’s Team Captain's, Nick Pelling, Harry Boxall, Ivan Myall & Colin White, for their individual efforts.

The Treasurer circulated copies of the Club’s financial status, mentioning that there was still some extra expenses to take into account, such as new trophy purchases and engraving costs. The present Balance In Hand figure stood at £334.40. It was also reported that less interest had appeared on the bank statement than he had anticipated, and an extra expense had also been incurred during the year, when the Club made a donation to Backnang. The Treasurer noted that, should the membership figures remain consistent, it was likely that the Club would be able to absorb the necessary costs involved in financing an extra club night. A small increase in Subscription Fees, however, was recommended. The Subscription Fee would be discussed following, the outcome the discussion of 'Extra Club Night Hire' on the Agenda.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain thanked the Team Captain's for their contribution to a very successful Club season.
He then listed the details of the Club's success as follows: -

Div 1 A Team (2^nd - Capt. Ivan Myall)

Div 2 B Team (1^st - Capt. Nick Pelling)
C Team (2^nd - Capt. Harry BoxalI)

Div 3 E Team (1^st - Capt. Colin White)

It was also reported that the Club had not had the same fortune in the Cup Competitions' of the NECL, with the Colchester 'A' and Colchester 'C' teams taking the honours as 'Knock-Out' and 'Plate' winners, respectively.

Tournament Officer Report

The Tournament Officer reported on the new format adopted in the Club Championship, which had seen the tournament been split into two, 'All-Play-All' sections, named as Major and Minor sections. In the Major section, a large number of games were unplayed, but the tournament was eventually won by Ivan Myall who contested a 3-way Final play-off with Russell White and Steven Death. The 3 finalists had won their respective all-play-all sections to qualify.

The Minor Tournament was limited to players graded 101 and below. Ten competitors took part in the ''All-Play-All' which was eventually won by Colin White, with 8/9. In second place was Jim House with 7/9, and Rudi Delphin with 6/9, came third

Other Club accolades were as follows: -

Grading Cup Ken Malchar

Junior Cup Nick Gough

Percentage Trophy (Minor) Jenny Franklin

Summer Tournament Ivan Myall (2^nd - Russell White)

The Tournament Officer announced his formal resignation from the Committee, and wished the incoming Tournament Officer every success, noting that the new Club night, being a Thursday, would be likely to ease some of the difficulties of the previous season, when players had been busy on Wednesdays, the night most other NECL clubs played League matches.

Committee Reformat Proposals:

At a previous committee meeting it was agreed that suggestions, initially put forward by the Secretary, would be submitted to the AGM, for ratification. The proposals were to terminate the post of Assistant Secretary which, the Chairman stated, was a post that had been redundant for some time, and instead, to create the position of Vice-Chairman. This Post holder would then assume the responsibilities of the Chairman in the event of his absence. In addition to this, it was also proposed to create the new position of Knock-Out Captain. This post would be responsible for all the Club's teams in NECL Knock-Out events. This would then ease the burden currently shouldered by the Match Captain. The Post would replace one of the present Committee Member positions, thereby retaining the total 8 strong Committee, as 7 officers and 1 extra Committee Member.

The Secretary listed the changes to the Club's constitution, brought about by these proposals, copies of which, had been distributed, prior to the meeting. After some discussion, the Chairman called for a Proposer and Seconder, from the floor, to formally adopt the motion.

Proposed P C Elliot and Seconded T Adams (All in Favour, 1 abstention)

The new proposals were adopted, and the Secretary stated a revised Club Constitution would be drawn up and copied to all members.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Match Captain reported that the 'B' Team were the NECL Division 2 Champions, and the four most regular players, Nick Pelling, Richard Sztadhaus, Harry Boxall and Steve East, all received medals.

The 'E' Team were also noted to be the NECL Division 3 Champions, and again the four most regular players, Roy Jojic, Ken Malchar, Colin White and Chris Clarke, received medals.

The Match Captain stated that all the medals would be engraved shortly.

Club Championship (Major): Ivan Myall

Club Championship (Minor): Cohn White

Grading Cup (Major) Ken Malchar

Grading Cup (Minor) Jenny Franklin

Junior Cup Nick Gough

Summer Tournament Ivan Myall

John Priestley Trophy Richard Sztadhaus

Ewart Whitehead Trophy Roy Jojic & Jim House

Election Of Officers

Proposed / Seconded

Chairman H Boxall J H E House / P C Elliott

Vice-Chairman T Adams J H E House / P C Elliott

A I Myall R Slade / R Jojic

(T Adams elected by majority vote 17 - 3)

Secretary J E House S East / J R Thomson

Treasurer S A East N J Pelling / A I Myall

Match Captain N J Pelling J H E House / I J Myall

Knockout Captain B P Payne N L Gough / T Adams

Tournament Officer R P White R Jojic / N J Pelling

Committee Member N L Gough A I Myall / R Slade
R Killeen B P Payne / R Slade
S B Death J H E House / Sec R Jojic

A L Myall S A East / H Boxall

(S B Death was elected after the following votes were cast S B Death (7); R Killeen (6); N L Gough; A I Myall (3)).

Extra Club Night Hire

Much discussion was aired on the subject of Monday evening being an extra option for Club activity P Elliott suggested that the extra tine could be used for Club matches in the league, accommodating those who were unable to attend on the regular Thursday sessions. J House agreed with the suggestion. The Chairman then proposed that, during the season, one Monday per month was an affordable scenario. All present agreed.

S Savill suggested that if the Junior Club was re-introduced during the regular season, it could be run separately from the Club proper, and financed by small subscriptions paid on attendance nights. J House noted that if this could be organised, a commencement date of October or November 1992, would be aimed for.

Club Subscriptions For Year 1992/93

In view of the Treasurer’s earlier remarks matters discussed, the Treasurer recommended a small increase. P Elliott and S Savill proposed £24, for Full Adult Membership and £12 for Juniors and Concessionary Members. It was also proposed that the 'Family Fees' would retain their present format i.e. One Member paying Full Price at the respective rate and all subsequent members paying half their respective rate. The Proposals were accepted and duly carried.

Team Structure For The Year 1992/93

It was proposed to field 5 teams in the three divisions of the NECL, with one team in the First Division. The Match Captain also proposed to wait until after the NECL Fixtures Meeting before making any final decision. This Proposal was accepted by majority.

The Incoming Tournament Officer was not present, but had previously mentioned to the retiring Officer, R Jojic, that he had no plans to change the Minor Championship format, if elected. No decision had been made on the format of the Major Tournament at the time of the meeting.

Any Other Business

N Pelling reported that at a recent NECL meeting, Scott Wood had resigned as the NECL Tournament Officer and also that the NECL General Secretary, Dave Millward, had announced plans to expand the County League, to a total of 4 Divisions in all. The new Fourth Division would accept players graded under 125. It was also reported that Felsted Chess Club had now changed their name to Dunmow Chess Club.

The Chairman stated that the Club had expressed a general preference to fly to Backnang for the 1993 visit, rather than travel by coach and ferry. This was scheduled for the end of June.

Close Of Meeting

J Thomson proposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing Committee for their work throughout the season.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 10.12 p.m.

Chelmsford Chess Club AGM 1993

Thursday, 9^th September 1993

NSCA Centre

Open Meeting

Meeting Opened 7.45pm

16 Present

Apologies for Absence

Minute's Of The Previous Meeting

Minute's of the previous AGM were read and unanimously agreed upon.

Officer's Reports

Not Minuted - Copy Reports filed with Club Records

The current Balance In Hand figure is £150 compared to £366 last year. Membership numbers fell by 5 and higher also rental charges now applied. It was noted that the new rental charge now partly offset the heating costs. Also, during the year, £20 was paid for the purchase of score sheets. In the discussion that followed, it was decided that, although the Club is a non-profit making organisation, it should nevertheless endeavour to maintain a minimum Balance In Hand figure similar to that held in the current balance account.

Presentation of Trophies

NECL Knock-Out Competition Chelmsford A (Shared with Writtle A)

Div 1 A Team

Div 3 D Team

The Division Trophy has now been changed. The Club have been allowed to keep the old trophy having won it on most occasions.

North Essex League (Plate Competition) B Team

Al Scribor Trophy (NECL Best Percentage Score) S Death

Club Championship: - Major R White

Minor B Payne

Junior N Gough

Grading Cup P Elliott

Summer Tournament J House

Chelmsford Best Percentage Trophy S Death (Trophy to be returned by R Sztadhaus)

Ewart Whitehead Trophy T Adams

Election Of Officers

Chairman H Boxall (Unan.)

Vice-chairman P Elliott (Majority 13 for) (6 for J House)

Secretary T Adams (Majority 18 for 1 against)

Match captain I Myall (Unan.)

Tournament officer R White (Unan.)

Knock-out match captain B Payne (Unan.)

Committee member N Pelling (Majority 13 for) (4 for S Collins)

Duration Of Season

The Members discussed the length of the Club season and noted that there had been a low attendance and a general lack of interest in the 6 meetings held in the Summer, out of the League Season. A Marie suggested that Members could meet at each other's houses to save on rent, should they wish to continue playing Tournament Chess. Five people present expressed an interest to play over the summer months. H Boxall suggested that the Club could wait until the end of the current League Season before making it's decision. At this point, the Tournament Officer would then be able to base his decision on a current response from the Members.

It was agreed that a booking would only be made until the end of April for now.

Team Structure 1993/94

It was noted that the current Club Membership stood at 28 and also that there was to be an intended motion put to the NECL meeting to make all NECL Divisions into 5-Man teams (Currently: Div 1= 5-Man, Others =4-man). With this in mind, it was proposed to enter 1 team in Division 1, 2 teams in Division 2 and 2 teams in Division 3.

Club Tournament

Formation Of Junior Section

It was noted that the Club should attempt to capitalise on the recent Kasparov-Short World Championship Match although this could require organisation and commitment. Steve Savill was able to organise coaching from 6:30pm and R White, N Gough & A Marie offered their help, when available. Steve Savill agreed to place a poster in the Chelmsford Library.

Subscription Rates 1993/1994

In the previous year the Club had 17 Full Members and 11 Reduced Rate Members, on it's books. The Treasurer proposed increasing Subscriptions by £1 for Full Members and others proportionately. It was intended that this would leave the Club with a reasonable Balance for next year.

The proposal to increase Subscriptions to £25 Full Membership and £12.50 Reduced was duly accepted.

AOB

Several Members participated in the recent excursion to the Backnang Chess Club, as part of the Chelmsford/Backnang twinning events. The Club had received some sponsorship and it had proved an enjoyable week-end. Fewer people than previous had attended and so it was possible that the next visit may be scheduled at Easter in an effort to encourage more people to participate. It was also noted that this year the Germans would be visiting the Chelmsford Club in April.

It was noted that, subject to financial constraints, the Club now required one or two more clocks. It was suggested that the Club undertake a survey of it's existing clocks to see exactly how many where in full working order. This was noted as an action item for the Secretary.

It was noted that the British Chess Federation offered reasonably priced insurance at, about £25, and it was subsequently agreed by those present, to take out a Club policy.

A Club Bulletin had not been produced in the previous year and there was a request for volunteers to take on this roll. Unfortunately, no volunteers were forthcoming. It was further noted that the Club should place a notice in the Library, especially as it involved no charge. It was suggested that Robin Slade, who worked at the Library, would be able to offer advice on the matter.

Close Of The Meeting

Meeting Closed 9:50pm.

Minutes of Chelmsford Chess Club AGM held at NSCA on 8^th September 1994.

Open Meeting

The Chairman opened the meeting 7.50pm. There were 17 Members and a visitor present

Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from R White and R Gough.

Minutes Of Previous Meeting

Minutes of the previous AGM had been distributed and read. After one minor amendment they were duly adopted.

Secretary's Report

It was reported that Membership numbers had fallen to 28. The Club premises were only booked for the winter season and the Club closed over the summer. The Junior section was tried but met with little success. Equipment consisted of 15 reasonable clocks, although 5 had minor parts missing, and 18 sets and boards. The Secretary noted that the subject of Insurance was to be discussed by the Treasurer. It was also noted that the Members' opinion of the Club venue was that it was reasonable, but noisy at times. The NECL consisted of 12 clubs and 31 teams, plus a daytime tournament. The members were reminded of the NECL Congress on 17/18 September.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer discussed the Balance Sheet, making reference in particular to the rent increase (£30) and insurance costs (£30). It was also noted that a clock, that had recently been won by Club Members, was donated to the Club. It was suggested that the Club would need to increase the Subscription Fee. H Boxall proposed raising Subscription Fees to £28 with a pro-rata increase for the reduced rate. This was seconded by P Elliott and passed unanimously.

A discussion followed, in which methods of how to increase membership and raise Club funds, were discussed. Ideas were put forward such as, a raffle, selling unwanted chess books, a simultaneous display, placing posters in the library and other locations such as the Borough Council or Anglia Polytechnic University. All these suggestions were to be considered by the committee.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain reported the Club results for the season. In Division 1, the 'A' team were second to Writtle, while in Division 2, the 'B', which suffered from a shortage of players, came 4th. The 'C' Team were declared the Division 3 Champions and a vote of thanks was proposed to the team captain, Brian Payne and medals were awarded to the 5 most regular players (C White, P Flint, R Jojic, S Savill and B Payne).

Knock-Out Captain's Report

It was reported that Chelmsford had reached the semi-finals in both competitions where Blue Knights and Kelvedon 'A' proved the stronger opposition. It was noted that the 'D' Team had achieved particularly good results; and with no defaults.

Tournament Officer

No report.

There was a discussion on team numbers and structure for the 1994/95 season. H Boxall proposed the following structure: - Division 1 (1 Team), Division 2 (2 Teams), Division 3 (1 Team). This was seconded by P Elliott and carried unanimously. For the Knock-Out Tournament, B Payne proposed entering 3 teams and this was seconded by R Jojic and carried unanimously.

Presentation Of Trophies

Club Championship - N Gough

Junior Championship - N Gough

Grading Cup - R Jojic

Ewart Whitehead - T Adams

J Priestley - Not known

Club Minor - Not known

Election of Officers

Proposed / Seconded

Chairman - H Boxall S Collins / A Brett Unan.

Vice Chairman - P Elliott S Collins / P Flint Unan.

Secretary - B Payne S Collins / J House Unan.

Treasurer - S Death J House / S Collins Unan.

Match Captain - I Myall H Boxall / T Adams Unan.

(After a discussion on the duties in which it was ageed that Match Captain would only be responsible for Div 1)

Knockout Captain - R Jojic T Adams / H Boxall Unan.

Tournament Officer - A Brett N Gough / R.Slade Unan.

Committee Member - R White

N Pelling

S Collins T Adams / J House Elected By Majority (7)

AOB

It was noted that Backnang did not play at Chelmsford in 1994 as they were unable to raise a team. H Boxall would keep the Members informed of the 1995 details. A Russian GM would be coming to Essex and was likely to play Simultaneous displays - Members were advised to see Harry Boxall if interested. N Pelling would attend the NECL Committee meeting on 13^th September.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman thanked all for attending and closed the meeting at 9.40pm

 CHELMSFORD CHESS CLUB

MINUTES OF THE 1995 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Held on 7th September 1995 at the North Springfield Community Association

Open Meeting

The Chairman opened the meeting at 7.45pm and welcomed those attending, 20in all.

Apologies For Absence

Apologies were received from: Jack Thomson, Colin White, Alistair Baldwin and Robert Killeen.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

Minutes of the previous AGM had been distributed and read. R Slade proposed their adoption. This was seconded by P Flint and agreed unanimously.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported that the Club membership, having increased to 36, had seemingly reversed the declining trend of recent years. It was hoped that this trend would continue and the Secretary detailed a number of initiatives that the Club had carried out during the summer, that had been designed to increase Club awareness. The effects of these initiatives remained to be seen, although initially, the main interest seemed to come from Juniors. The Members endorsed the decision to set up a Junior section to operate in the early part of the Club evening. K Malchar expressed his concern about noise levels and was assured that P Flint, who had agreed to organize the Juniors, would ensure that discipline was maintained. R Shade was thanked for his efforts in running the successful Summer Tournament and P Flint was thanked for producing posters.

The Chairman pointed out to members that the 1995 Summer Tournament had been run as a self-financing event and included a provision for prize money. A surplus for Club funds had been achieved, and B Payne was thanked for his organization of this event.

Adoption of the Secretary’s report was proposed by P Elliott and seconded by A Brett. This was unanimously agreed by the meeting.

Treasurer ' s Report

The Treasurer distributed an Income & Expenditure Account for the previous season and commented on the principal items. There had been an increase in total Subscription fees, thus reversing the decline of recent years, and there had also been a contribution from the Summer Tournament. Extraordinary costs included, team entry fees (x3) to the Writtle Team Blitz tournament, engraving costs, and a donation in respect of Backnang.

There was a discussion on the merits of insuring Club property. It was generally agreed that insuring Club trophies would prove too expensive, but insurance cover should be sought for sets, boards and clocks, as these were considered as a greater risk. It was accepted that the Treasurer would arrange the Insurance cover.

K Malchar enquired about the receipt of subscriptions and the Treasurer noted that he had not encountered any particular problems when collecting last season's Subscriptions and this season's payments were well ahead of normal.

T Adams proposed to adopt the Treasurer's Report and Accounts and this was seconded by K Malchar and unanimously agreed by the meeting.

Match Captain’s Report

The Match Captain reported that, unusually, the club had not managed to win any of the NECL’s three divisions. In Division 1 the 'A' Team managed a creditable second place to Writtle 'A', who had played a number of 'imports' (including one from Germany) during the season. The 'B' and 'C' Team's were to be congratulated on coming second and third respectively, in Division 2. The 'D' Team came a good fourth in Division 3, although equal on points with the third placed team. This last effort was particularly notable as, during the season, the team had been selected on the basis of giving League experience to as wide a number of people as possible, and without any expectation for a high League position.

The Match Captain stated his view that the Club was probably the best in the league with a wide spread of players and could be proud that once again it had not defaulted a board all season.

The Match Captain, having announced his intention to stand down from his post at the end of the meeting, was thanked for him efforts.

R Slade proposed the adoption of the Match Captain’s Report. This was seconded by K Malchar and unanimously agreed.

It was also reported that the Club had entered three teams into the Writtle Lightning Competition. The 1st Team had come second against a very strong field. The team could argue, it was noted, that they had lost by the narrowest of margins, as in one particular game, R White hadn't noticed that his opponents flag had dropped, prior to his own resignation. A different outcome would have gained the vital extra points needed to win the Tournament.

Knock-Out Captain’s Report

The Knock-Out Captain had advised that, for personal reasons, he would he unable to attend the meeting or renew his membership for the year. He wished the Club every success for the coming season.

The Chairman advised the meeting that despite a close game with the Club's perennial rivals, Writtle 'A'(again with imports), the Chelmsford 'A' Team had lost on board count. Having received a bye in the first round, the team were unable to take part in Plate competition. The 'B' Team had lost in the first round to Witham 'A' but, neverthless, should be congratulated for going on to win the Plate competition, beating Braintree in a replay of last year's final. As no one could particularly remember how the 'C' and 'D' teams had fared it was presumed that no giant killing had taken place.

In the absence of the Knock-Out Captain no vote was taken.

Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer reported that the main Club Tournament had been organized, by grade, into three 'All Play All' sections. The Grading Cup was awarded to the winner of the 'Intermediate' section, with the existing Major and Minor trophies being awarded to other sections. Although the top section had suffered from 3 'dropouts' during the season, the second and third sections were well supported, with all matches being played.

Due to University commitments, the Tournament Officer announced his intention to stand down from the post at the end of the meeting.

Adoption of the Tournament Officer's Report was proposed by A Toms, seconded by I Myall and unanimously agreed by the meeting

Presentation of Trophies

NECL Plate Trophy - Tony Husband (for the B team)

Club tournament - Major: Andrew Brett
- Intermediate: Anthony Toms (Grading Cup)
- Minor: Steve Collins & James House

- Junior Cup: Richard Gough

Summer Tournament - Overall: Andrew Brett (£10)
- Major: Robin Slade (£ 5)
- Minor: Mario Cassar (£ 5)
- Late Start: Brian Stevens (£ 5)
John Priestley Andrew Brett

Ewart Whitehead Brian Payne

It was noted that S Death had been the winner of the J Priestley Trophy for the 1993/94 season and medals were given to the 1993/94 Division 3 winners.

Election Of Officer's.

The Chairman announced his intention to stand down from the post at the end of the meeting.

There was only one nomination for each of the following posts:

Proposer Seconder passed
Chairman T Adams P Elliott H Boxall Unanimous
Vice Chairman P Elliott H Boxall T Adams
Secretary B Payne R Slade M Cassar
Treasurer S Death M Cassar A Brett
Match Captain R Slade I Myall K Malchar
KO Match Captain T Husband H Boxall I Myall
Tournament Officer S Collins R Slade M Cassar
Other (Juniors) P Flint H Boxall B Payne

It was also agreed that R Slade would be supported in his role of Match Captain by I Myall (Division 1) and B Payne (Division 2) & T Adams (Division 3).

Subscriptions 1995/96

The Treasurer explained that, after careful consideration, he was recommending that the full Subscription was increased by £2 to £30 with Concessionary Subscriptions increasing pro rata. A discussion followed, which indicated that rent, the Club's main expense, had increased by 20%. The increased subscription was deemed necessary to ensure that Club funds remained healthy and to provide for renewal of equipment. It was pointed out that compared to other chess clubs in the area and other leisure activities, the Subscription remained excellent value for money.

Adoption of the new subscriptions was proposed by S Death, seconded by P Elliott and unanimously agreed by the meeting.

It was agreed, that the system introduced that year (whereby members renewing their Subscriptions prior to31^st August could pay at the existing rate rather than any increased rate agreed at the AGM), should continue.

Teams structure 1995/96

There was a discussion on the number of teams to be entered in the league for the 1995/96 season. It was generally agreed that at least one extra team should be entered, as in the previous season there had been an excess of members wanting to play League chess. Consideration was also given to the proposal that was to be made at the forthcoming League meeting, concerning automatic promotion and relegation. No prevailing opinion arose on this item and P Elliott was asked to vote as he thought fit at the League meeting.

The Match Captain recommended that one team should be entered in Division 1, two in Division 2 and two in Division 3, as well as five teams entered into the Knockout competition. R Slade proposed the acceptance of this suggestion and P Elliott seconded. This was unanimously agreed.

It was noted that the team numbers had to be formally notified to the league by 9th September. The meeting agreed that should a sudden influx of members, before that date, warrant a further team in the league, the new Match Captain, R Slade, would be allowed to enter a further Division 3team, should he think fit.

AOB

The Chairman talked about the recent visit to Backnang and encouraged Members to take part in future trips, which he described as 'excellent value and jolly good fun' (hic !).

The Secretary advised the meeting that the North Essex Chess Congress would take place on l6th & 17th September. Forms were available and Members were encouraged to support the event. The new location of the Congress was advised.

P Elliott agreed to attend the forthcoming League meeting on behalf of the Club. R Slade and I Myall agreed to attend the Fixtures Meeting on 26th September. It was noted that the Club should avoid scheduling matches on 20th October, due to noise from the adjoining hall. Members were asked to co-operate by accepting their fair share of coffee making, during the season.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman closed the meeting and thanked those present for attending.

CHELMSFORD CHESS CLUB

MINUTES OF THE 1996 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 Open Meeting

The Chairman opened the meeting at 7.45pm with a welcome to all.

Numbers attending: 21

Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from :

Christopher Burlton; Jack Thomson; Anthony Toms; Colin White; Russell White; James Marriage; Nicholas Gough; Anthony Husband; Steven Death; Robert Killeen.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

Minutes of the previous AGM had been distributed and read. The Chairman proposed their adoption and this was unanimously agreed by the meeting.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary reported that membership numbers for the preceding season (40) confirmed that the declining trend of recent years had been reversed. Membership had risen further after April (the end of the main season) to reach 46 during the summer activities. This is probably the highest ever membership total and it was hoped that, in the current season, Membership would remain strong and a membership of 50 seemed a possibility. It had already been confirmed that early Membership returns for the current season, numbered 34, compared to 28 at the same time the previous year.

It was also reported that, for the first time ever, the Club had remained open all summer. The Club repeated the '30/30' tournament of the previous year, as well as hosting a five-minute and graded Swiss tournaments. Coaching sessions were also arranged. Thanks were given to Steve Collins, Robin Slade, Russell White and Nicholas Cough for their work in organizing the various activities.

The 30/30 tournament had been a particular success, attracting a total of 42 players, compared to 27 in the previous year - this despite competition from European football and The Olympics. The five-minute tournament attracted 19 players, while the Swiss had so far attracted 18. The summer season had been self-financing with charges of £l .50 (for '30/30') and £1 per week being levied. As well as covering it's own costs and providing significant prize fund, it had been successful enough to generate a £100 surplus for Club funds.

The Secretary’s report was adopted and unanimously approved.

Treasurer's Report

The Chairman reported that S Death had resigned as Treasurer due to his emigration to the USA. He had passed over his duties, as Treasurer (and the club funds!), to the Chairman, who distributed the Income and Expenditure Account for the previous season. The Treasurer commented on the principal items which included, a contribution from the summer tournament and increased revenue from Subscriptions. Costs included the insurance of Club equipment and the also the purchase of boards, sets and clocks, to increase the Club's total to 20 of each item.

A replacement policy, for Club property, was then discussed. However, it was the Member's opinion, that the Club, having purchased some new equipment, had in fact, demonstrated a replacement policy already existed.

The Treasurer’s Report was adopted and acceptance of the Club accounts was agreed, unanimously.

Match Captain's Report

The Match Captain reported that the Club had had an excellent League season. In Division 1 the 'A' Team had managed a creditable third place behind Writtle 'A' and Colchester 'A'. In Division 3, the 'E' Team had also performed well and had taken a number of valuable points from opponents. It had been a pleasure to see an all-Junior team on some of the home matches. However, the Club's big success had been the 'D' Team who had won their last match to top the league and win the Division 3 trophy, yet again. A further bonus was their promotion to Division 2 for the following season.

A similar scenario had been expected in Division 2, where the 'C' Team acted as a support to the 'B' Team. However, there was a sign of things to come when, in the first match of the season when the 'C' Team beat the 'B' Team. For the rest of the season the 'B' Team hadn't quite been able to catch up to the 'C' Team, as they put in a tremendous performance. A win in either of their last two matches would have given the 'C' Team the Division title. Unfortunately, this was not to be and the 'C' Team finished second to Billericay 'A' with the 'B' team finishing third. This had been the same as the previous season's placing except for the reversal of the two Chelmsford positions. Billericay 'A' reward was promotion to the First Division, and Members jokingly suggested that this was the reason for 'C' Team's losses in it’s last two matches!

Congratulations were given to Paul Stukas, Stephen Woodall, Paul Roake and John Staplehurst on earning their first official grades and to the many players whose grades had gone up in the year. In particular, mention was made of Steve Collins whose grade had increased by 20 points.

Thanks were given to Ivan Myall (A), Brian Payne (C), Colin White (D) and Trevor Adams (E) for their work as team captains.

Adoption of the Match Captain's Report was agreed by the meeting, unanimously,

Knock-Out Captain’s Report

The Knock-Out Captain was unable to attend the meeting and, in his absence, the Chairman read out his report.

The Club had entered five teams in the Knock-Out tournament, but it had only been intended to enter one more than in the previous year. On checking it was found that this should have been four and the 'E' Team was therefore withdrawn from the first round.

The results were as follows:

'D' Team: lost to Colchester B 1-3 and then lost to Kelvedon 0 - 4 in the first round of the plate;

'B' Team: beat Maldon C 4 - 0 then lost to Braintree A on board count in the second round;

'C' Team: lost to Colchester B 1-3 then beat Braintree C 2.5 - 1.5 in the first round of the Plate and lost to Blue

Knights 1-3 in the Plate quarter finals defaulting one board by mistake.

Adoption of the Knock-Out Captain’s Report was agreed unanimously.

Tournament Officer's Report

The Tournament Officer reported the main Club Tournament had been organized by grade into 3 'All-Play-All sections. The top section had suffered from a lack of games being played. It had therefore been decided that the Club Champion Trophy (the Club’s most prestigious) would not be awarded for the I995/96 season.

The Intermediate section was highly competitive and most games were played. Peter Flint won the tournament with a score of 3.5/5 and a commendable performance had also come from Ken Malchar. The Minor section had proved even more competitive and was won by Steve Collins with a score of 7/8. Commendable performances had also come from Trevor Adams, John Staplehurst and Paul Stukas,

The Tournament Officer recommended that the following Club Tournament be split into two 'Major' (above 100) and 'Minor' (below 100) sections. He further recommended that the Grading Trophy be restored (currently intermediate) and awarded for the best performance in the Major section, by a player graded 130 or less.

Adoption of the Tournament Officer's Report was unanimously agreed.

Junior's Officer's Report

The Junior's Officer reported that, during the year, the Junior section had shown excellent progress, with attendance numbers rising steadily during the season. In addition to Club evenings, many of the Juniors had also participated in coaching sessions and junior competitions, several of whom, met with success.

For the forthcoming season, it had been arranged to open the Club premises from 6.30pm to promote Junior attendance. Occasional assistance, during the season, was also requested, so that the Club could ensure permanent adult supervision over the earlier opening times.

The Junior's Officer also outlined various other initiatives, including a proposal to set up an Essex Junior league in which the Club could partake. The Club would be advised of any future developments as, and when, they arose.

Adoption of the Junior Officer's Report was unanimously agreed.

Presentation of Trophies

NECL Division 3 Trophy 'D' Team (Received by Steve Collins)

Medals awarded to: Steve Collins, Colin White, Trevor Adams and Stephen Woodall

Club Championship

Major Not Awarded

Intermediate Peter Flint

Minor Steve Collins

Junior Cup Richard Gough

Summer Tournament Russell White 1st (£20)

Steve Collins 2nd (£10)

Robin Slade Over 90 (£ 5)

Paul Stukas Under 90 (£ 5)

Ken Malchar First 5 (£ 5)

Steve Savill Second 5 (£ 5)

Alistair Baldwin 1st Junior (£ 5)

Andrew Murphy 2nd Junior (£ 5)

James Manning (£ 5)

Abigail Flint Second 5 (£ 5)

Five Minute Tournament

Week 1 Nicholas Gough (£ 5)

Week 2 Russell White (£ 5)

Week 3 Robin Slade (£ 5)

Grading Richard Gough (£ 5)

Junior Christopher Burlton (£ 5)

John Priestley Trophy Ivan Myall

Ewart Whitehead Trophy Brian Payne

Election of Officers

With the exception of Treasurer and Knock-Out Officer, the Committee Members were prepared to stand for re-election.

There was only one nomination for each of the following posts:

Proposer Seconder Passed
Chairman T Adams S Savill H Boxall unanimous
Vice Chairman P Elliott S Savill H Boxall
Secretary P Payne S Savill H Boxall
Treasurer S Woodall S Collins P Flint
Match Captain F Blade S Savill H Boxall
KO Match Captain R Killeen B Payne S Savill
Tournament Officer S Collins S Savill H Boxall
Juniors Officer P Flint S Savill H Boxall

It was agreed that R Slade would be supported in his role of Match captain by Ivan Myall (Div 1), B Payne and one other (Div 2) and T Adams (Div 3).

Harry Boxall proposed a vote of thanks to the Committee, which was seconded by James House and unanimously passed by the meeting.

Subscriptions 1995/96

Discussion took place on whether the Subscription fees should be increased. The general opinion was that a small increase should be made to retain healthy Club funds, and to avoid the need for large increases in the future. The consensus was that all fees should be increased by £1, making Full Membership, £31.00, and Concessionary Membership, £16.00.

Adoption of the new Subscription fees was proposed by K Malchar and seconded by S Savill, and agreed by the meeting on a majority vote.

It was noted that the policy of allowing Subscription renewals at the old rates to against the payments made prior to 31^st August, was proving successful and the meeting agreed that this policy should continue.

Team Structure 1995/96

The number of team entries for the 1996/97 League season, was discussed and the Match Captain noted that the 'D' Team's promotion to Division 2 meant that the Club could now enter 1 team in Division 1, 3 teams in Division 2 and 1 team in Division 3. The Match Captain believed that this would be appropriate for the coming season.

This structure was proposed by R Slade, seconded by P Elliott and unanimously agreed by the meeting. It was further agreed that the number of Knock-Out teams entered, should remain at four.

Any Other Business

The Secretary noted that the North Essex Chess Congress would take place on 21st & 22nd September. Forms were available and members were encouraged to support the event. The new location of the event was also advised.

P Elliott agreed to attend the forthcoming League meeting, on behalf of the Club and R Slade and T Adams agreed to attend the League Fixtures meeting on 23rd September. It was mentioned that 31^st October should be avoided when scheduling matches, due to noise from the adjoining hall. Members were asked to cooperate by accepting their fair share of the coffee-making, during the season.

The meeting approved of the format of the recent summer season and agreed to a similar format for the following summer.

Following a suggestion by Russell White (not present), it was discussed whether the Club should formulate a League proposal to amend the NECL Knockout Competition Rules so that teams entered, could not exceed a specified average grade. The intention of the rule change was to ensure that one-sided matches would be reduced and all teams would stand a better chance of winning the competition. Points were raised both for and against the idea. In conclusion the meeting agreed by a majority vote that the Club would support a suitably worded proposal to be drafted by Russell.

Close Of Meeting

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and wished all Members success over the coming season. The meeting was closed at 9.45pm.

Chelmsford Chess Club

1997 AGM

Thursday 4^th September 1997

Minutes Not On File

Chelmsford Chess Club Minutes Of The 1998 Annual General Meeting

7.30pm

10^th September 1998

Nabbotts Junior School, Forsythia Close, North Springfield, Chelmsford

Open Meeting

At 8.00pm the meeting was declared open. The Chairman welcomed those present, in particular Jim House and Harry Boxall who had been away for most of the a year.

Members Present 15

Apologies were received from Steve Collins, Paul Stukas and Colin White.

Minutes Of The Previous Annual General Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting were read. John Staplehurst noticed an amendment was required for a missing name. This was accepted and duly changed. The chairman proposed the acceptance of the minutes and this was agreed unanimously.

Treasurers Report

The Treasurer reported that a complete Balance Sheet would be provided for the following weeks meeting. This would allow for a number of late changes to be incorporated into the accounts.

Current Bank figures were reported as:-

Previous Year Bank £473.64

Cash £ 66.91

Total £540.55

Current Year Bank £364.60

In addition to this there had been £30 paid out for Summer Tournament prizes although a further £8.50 had been made in ‘coffee’ profits. Therefore Club funds had increased by £77.88 in the year.

Robin Slade noted that, in the coming season, a £2.00 to £2.50 increase in League Fees would be coming into effect.

The Treasurer proposed that subs could be increased by £1.00 with junior fees remaining the same.

Proposed Steve Woodall Treasurer

Seconded Steve Savill

Carried Unanimously.

Secretary’s Report

The secretary commented on the declining membership and noted that new members were not being attracted. Membership for the year was 27 compared to 40 in the previous year.

Tony Armer suggested that a challenge to Anglia University could be made.

Match Captain’s Report

Robin Slade commented on the club’s four teams in the North Essex League. Currently the club have two teams in Division 1, one team in Division 2, and two teams in Division 3. With the A team, the policy had been to field a weakened side and subsequently retain some players for the B team, in order to maintain as strong a team as possible. It was also noted that at the start of the season the B team had in fact beaten the A team.

The A team finished 2^nd just 1 point behind Writtle and the B team survived quite admirably. The C Team finished mid-table, and the match Captain gave special praise to Paul Stukas for scoring a commendable 6/7 games. With the D Team, the policy had been to allow everyone the opportunity to get a game. It was noted that the Junior member, Chris Burlton, scored 2.5/6 games.

The Match Captain offered his gratitude to the match Captain’s, Peter Elliott, Steve Collins and Trevor Adams. All in all, 180 games were played without a single default.

Tournament Officer’s Report

Knock-out Tournament

Steve Savill commented on the 1997/1998 Knockout Tournament which, overall was won by Steve Collins.

The Major section was won Robin Slade with 5.5/6 pointas.

The Intermediate was won by Steve Collins, with 6 points, who thus became the overall tournament winner.

The Minor was won by 3 players, all sharing 4 points -:

John Staplehurst

Steve Woodall

Peter Brander

The junior prize went to Chris Burlton.

Summer Tournament

The summer Tournament was won by Robin Slade, although a special mention was given to Peter Brander who had led throughout most of the tournament, only to be beaten into second place in the final round.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Chairman presented the Club’s trophies :-

The John Priestley Trophy awarded to Paul Stukas for scoring 7/8 points in the NECL

The Ewart Whitehead trophy was awarded to Robin Slade

He Junior trophy was awarded to Chris Burlton.

Election Of Officers

Position Nomination Proposed Seconded Carried

Chairman Trevor Adams Robin Slade Peter Elliott Unan..

Vice-Chairman Peter Elliott Steve Woodall Robin Slade Unan.

Secretary Robert Killeen Trevor Adams Steve Savill Unan.

Treasurer Steve Woodall Trevor Adams Robin Slade Unan

Match Captain Robin Slade Trevor Adams Steve Woodall Unan

K O Captain Jim House Robin Slade Trevor Adams Unan

Tournament Officer

Steve Savill Jim House Steve Woodall

Ken Chowne Peter Elliot Trevor Adams

Committee member

Steve Savill Trevor Adams Peter Elliot Unan.

Team Captains were decided upon and voted en bloc.

A Robin Slade

B Steve Savill

C Brian Payne

D Trevor Adams

AOB

Robin Slade commented on the recent North Essex League meeting, where a change to playing times had been introduced. Following a discussion on K.O time limits, it had been decided to introduce a compulsory Quickplay finish in the knock-out tournament. The playing schedule would now be amended to 30 moves in an hour and a quarter, with a 15 minute quickplay finish.

No other changes except now an invitation to go up

Advertising

Peter Elliott suggested that in light of a falling membership the club could try advertising or some promotion at Clarkes bookshop

Trevor Adams suggested a poster at clarkes bookshop

Peter Elliott also suggested ‘car stickers’ as a source of advertising.

Robin Slade mentioned the forthcoming North Essex and Colchester tournaments

Ken Chowne noted that the new North Springfield Community Centre was due to open but there were no details at present

Meeting Close

The chairman thanked everyone for attending and the meeting was closed at 9.00pm

Chelmsford Chess Club Minutes Of The 1999 Annual General Meeting

7.30pm

16^th September 1999

Nabbotts Junior School, Forsythia Close, North Springfield, Chelmsford

Open Meeting

At 8.00pm the meeting was declared open and the Chairman welcomed those present. Apologies were accepted from Harry Boxall, Nick Gough and Brian Payne

Members Present 15

Trevor Adams, Tony Armer, Peter Brander, Ken Chowne, Steve Collins, Peter Elliott, Richard Gough, Robert Killeen, Ken Malchar, Steve Savill, Robin Slade, Paul Stukas, Colin White, Russell White, & Steve Woodall.

Minutes Of The Previous Annual General Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting were read. As there were no matters of concern, the chairman asked for a proposed acceptance of the minutes.

Proposed Paul Stukas

Seconded Peter Elliott

Carried Unanimously.

Treasurers Report

The Treasurer reported that the club was in a healthy financial position.

Current Bank figures were reported as :-

Previous Year Bank £354.60

Cash £275.33

Total £629.93

Current Year Bank (Dep. A/c) £505.00

Bank (Cur. A/c) £105.72

The Club Financial Statement was to follow.

Robin Slade noted that club finances could be affected by the increased cost in Grading Fees in the current year.

Russell White proposed a that a charge was levied for entry into the club championship. This was seconded by Robin Slade. The motion was put to the vote and was defeated.

The Treasurer proposed that subs could be increased by £1.00 with junior fees remaining the same.

Proposed Steve Woodall Treasurer

Seconded Steve Savill

Carried Unanimously.

Secretary’s Report

The Secretary commented that the declining membership of recent years had now seemingly steadied, and the current membership of 28 compared to 27 in the previous year. It was noted, however, that the club was still failing to attract significant numbers of new members to the club.

The Secretary also reported that he planned to develop a 'Chelmsford Chess Club' Website, which he hoped would be active by the Summer 2000

Peter Elliott reported that he had produced a poster which, if possible, could be displayed at the local library and the university. He asked to be informed of any other promising sites.

Match Captain’s Report

Robin Slade, commented on the club’s four teams in the North Essex League. The Currently the club have two teams in Division 1, one team in Division 2, and one team in Division 3. The A team lost only Writtle, who themselves had a 100% record. Meanwhile, the B team, finished mid-table, although they did earn a commendable draw with the A team during the season. In division II the C team had been close to relegation at Christmas, but battled back to finish the season in a mid table position. In Division III the D team also finished in a mid-table position.

In the knock-out competition the Chelmsford A team also tied with Writtle A.

The Match Captain thanked the various Team Captain's.

The Match Captain then outlined his recommendations for the forthcoming year. It was suggested to increase the number of league teams to five, as the now had a strong solid player base. However, a further recommendation was to drop one team from the knock-out competition because of the club's struggle to field full squads, for all teams, in the early rounds.

The recommendation of removing one team from the knock-out competition was queried and the Match Captain remarked that in previous years the Club had often defaulted a team.

 Tournament Officer’s Report

The Tournament Officer, Ken Chowne, reported on the 1998/99 knockout tournament which, he reported, was based on a Ratings type tournament, where the level of points scored varied depending on the strength of the opponent. 21 club members participated playing a total of 107 games, and 16 members achieved the minimum requirement of playing 8 games.

Comments were raised concerning the format of the competition. It was noted that the competition's scoring format was complex but that players could play numerous games. It was noted that, as it was possible to play more than one game, it then encouraged other players to play more games also.

The Summer Tournament was won by Ivor Smith.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Chairman presented the Club’s trophies :-

The John Priestley Trophy awarded to Peter Brander for his score of 5 ½ / 6

(92% in league matches)

The Ewart Whitehead trophy was awarded to Robin Slade

The Club Championship was won by Nick Gough

The Grading Cup was won by Steve Collins

The Minor Trophy was won by Trevor Adams

The Knock-out Trophy was won by Robin Slade

The Junior trophy was not awarded.

It was also noted that Russell White had become the current Essex County Champion

Election Of Officers

Position Nomination Proposed Seconded Carried

Chairman Trevor Adams Robert Killeen Peter Elliott Unan.

Vice-Chairman Peter Elliott Trevor Adams Steve Savill Unan.

Secretary Robert Killeen Ken Chowne Russell White Unan.

Treasurer Steve Woodall Ken Malchar Russell White Unan

Match Captain Robin Slade Steve Woodall Peter Elliott Unan

K O Captain Robin Slade To undertake this post

Tourn. Officer Ken Chowne Trevor Adams Steve Collins Unan.

Committee Steve Savill Ken Malchar Trevor Adams Unan.

Committee Ken Malchar Peter Elliot Trevor Adams Unan.

Team Captains were decided upon and voted en bloc.

A Russell White D Colin White

B Steve Collins E Trevor Adams

C Brian Payne

AOB

The Chairman reported that Jack Thompson had now reached the age of 80, and that the committee wished to offer him a life membership of the club. The Chairman offered the proposal and this was agreed and unanimously accepted.

It was noted that the club was fully stocked with 20 sets/20 boards, although storage space in the cupboard box was now at a premium.

Peter Elliott mentioned that help was requested to set up chairs, tables and equipment for the Braintree Chess Congress.

Robin Slade mentioned the need for all members to stack tables and chairs at the end of each club evening. He also mentioned that the new BCF gradings should be published shortly.

Meeting Close

Steve Savill proposed a vote of thanks and this was duly seconded and carried unanimously.

The chairman thanked everyone for attending and the meeting was closed at 9.00pm

Chelmsford Chess Club Minutes Of The 2000 Annual General Meeting

7.30pm

14^th September 2000

Nabbotts Junior School, Forsythia Close, North Springfield, Chelmsford

Open Meeting

At 8.00pm the meeting was declared open and the Chairman welcomed the members present, and on behalf of the club, he also welcomed Anthony Rogers, who was visiting the club for the first time. Apologies were accepted from Ken Malchar (holiday), Ken Chowne, Jack Thomson, Tony Husband and Nick Gough.

Members Present 13

Trevor Adams, Peter Brander, Steve Collins, Peter Elliott, Richard Gough, Jim House, Robert Killeen, Brian Payne, Alan Riddoch, Robin Slade, Paul Stukas, Russell White & Steve Woodall.

Non Members 1

Minutes Of The Previous Annual General Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting were read. As there were no matters of concern, the chairman asked for a proposed that the acceptance of the minutes.

This was accepted and passed unanimously.

Treasurers Report

The Treasurer reported that the club was in a healthy financial position.

Current Bank figures were reported as :-

Previous Year Bank (Dep. A/c) £505.00

Bank (Cur. A/c) £105.72

Cash £ 65.93

Total £676.65

Current Year Bank (Dep. A/c) £571.76

Bank (Cur. A/c) £ 83.67

Less (Outstanding Rent) (£ 75.00)

The Club Financial Statement was to follow.

The Treasurer commented that the club's net worth had increased by approximately £100 over the course of the year. Despite this, he stated his recommendation to increase the price of membership fees, with the exception of the Junior 'subs', by £1.

In light of the increased Club funds, Russell White questioned the increase in membership costs. The Treasurer remarked that the club was indeed healthy and this measure was simply of a prudent nature.

Peter Elliott noted that in previous years, an unexpected increase in rent had proved a heavy financial burden to the club. The Treasurer mentioned that an increase in League fees was expected, but no additional expenses were anticipated.

Russell White proposed that there should be no increase in the price of membership fees.

Proposed Russell White

Seconded Peter Elliott

For 4 Against 4 Abstain 5

The motion failed by virtue of the Chairman's, casting vote.

The Treasurer proposed to increase the cost of Full Membership by £1.

Seconded Robert Killeen

The motion was passed by majority. For 6 Against 3 Abstain 4

Secretary’s Report

The Secretary commented that the Club membership was steady and the current membership was 27, which compared to 28 in the previous year. A number of enquiries were received over the course of the year, but in some cases those concerned had been re-directed to more local clubs.

The Secretary also reported that plans for a 'Chelmsford Chess Club' Website, had been delayed, but nevertheless, were now well underway.

Match Captain’s Report

The Match Captain, commented on the club’s five teams in the North Essex League. Currently the club have two teams in Division 1, one team in Division 2, and two teams in Division 3. It was noted, with humour, that for once the 'B' team had actually lost to the 'A' team during the season. The 'B' team's victory over Colchester 'A', however, ended Colchester's 100% record and, as a result, helped to confirm the 'A' team's position as Division 1 champions. The 'B' Team finished 7^th in the division.

In Division 2, the 'C' team finished 3^rd and only just missed out on promotion when they suffered a late defeat by Clacton 'A'. In Division 3, the 'D' team failed in their bid for promotion partly as a result of being beaten by the Chelmsford 'E' team. The teams finished 2^nd and 6^th respectively.

In the forthcoming season, changes to the format of the North Essex Chess League would now result in all games being played to a Quick-Play finish. Other rule changes now allowed for all players to play an extra two league games.

The Match Captain thanked the various Team Captain's.

Peter Elliott questioned the team formats for the coming season. The Match Captain reported that , in view of the steady Club membership, the format would remain the same as the previous year.

Tournament Officer’s Report

The tournament officer, Ken Chowne, was unable to attend the meeting.

Presentation Of Trophies

The Chairman presented the Club’s trophies :-

John Priestley Trophy David Chandler

Ewart Whitehead Trophy Robin Slade

Club Championship Robin Slade

Grading Cup (Intermed.) Brian Payne

Minor Trophy Alan Riddoch

Junior trophy Not awarded.

Summer Tournament Alistair Hung (Writtle)

Russell White, on behalf of the 'A' team, received the NECL Division 1 Title.

Al Scribor Trophy was won by David Chandler (Score of 8.5/9)

Election Of Officers

Position Nomination Proposed Seconded Carried

Chairman Trevor Adams Steve Woodall Peter Elliott Unan.

Vice-Chairman Peter Elliott Trevor Adams Russell White Unan.

Secretary Jim House Trevor Adams Robert Killeen Unan

Treasurer Steve Woodall Trevor Adams Russell White Unan

Match Captain Robin Slade Trevor Adams Peter Elliott Unan

K O Captain Robin Slade To undertake this post

Tourn. Officer Ken Chowne Trevor Adams Steve Woodall Unan

Committee Richard Gough Trevor Adams Steve Collins Unan.

Committee Ken Malchar Trevor Adams Steve Collins Unan.

Team Captains were decided upon and voted en bloc.

A Russell White D Colin White (to be confirmed)

B Steve Collins E Trevor Adams

C Paul Stukas

 AOB

The match Captain reported that a new League competition was planned which would have a double round '30:30' tournament format. It was also reported that there were also plans to introduce a 6-man teams knockout tournament. He also reported that the new BCF grading list was due out on the 28^th September 2000.

Russell White commented that the new Club bulletin was now available for the small cost of £0.30.

Peter Elliott commented on County Chess. He mentioned that 2 Chelmsford members currently played County Chess, that it was available to all players and that there were no grading requirements

Advertising was mentioned and it was decided to place further posters at the Anglia University.

Meeting Close

The chairman thanked everyone for attending and the meeting was closed at 8.50pm