Artwork by Mike Magnan
Chessville.com Interview: Question #1 asked about relatively short but primary goals for your board-tenure. What long-term goal would you also wish to initiate or re-invigorate that will benefit chess health in USA over the next 5-10 years?
Randy Bauer:
The USCF needs regular membership growth – without it, we will always be careening from one financial crisis to the next. In many respects, we are still a makeshift operation with a lot of questionable business processes. We’ve got to modernize our operation and utilize best practices — both in how we do business and in how we do governance.Mikhail
Mikhail Korenman:
Last summer I made a research analysis based on the USCF membership based on age, membership category, state, etc. One of the problems USCF is having is that the organization is managed without any concepts of development. Everybody has many great ideas but there is no concept of what we want to see in the USCF for the next 5, 10, etc years. There must be a scientific way to analyse all that has happened in the organization in the past, then build a concept for the future. I would be happy to assist with such process.Here is the full interview.
Paul Truong:
Short term:
#1 Totally end the dirty, destructive and petty politics! If we cannot end this, the USCF has no future.
#2 Put in successful, experienced, and knowledgeable board members who can help the USCF and not the same old dinosaurs who want to rule the USCF with 19th-century technology and ideals.
Long term:
#1 Effective chess marketing and promotion! I have demonstrated through the success of the Susan Polgar Foundation that it does NOT have to cost mega bucks to create successful marketing or promotional campaign. This “correct” image will open many doors for new opportunities and revenues. People need to know what the USCF wants to say!
#2 Taking better care of our customers! The USCF sometimes seems to forget that USCF members are their customers. Stop taking them for granted. Stop taking away their privileges or benefits. Give more, not less. We need to add more value to our memberships by partnering up with other chess organizations that can offer things the USCF cannot.
#3 Take advantage of the latest technology! The USCF has a tendency of being way behind the times. Why? Again, the same problem as I have pointed out before. Many of our board members still operate with a 19th-century philosophy and they feel that if it ain’t broken, why fix it? The problem is “IT IS BROKEN!” when we are losing money and members year after year.
Here is the full interview.
Wonderful answers!
Here is what Mr. Sam Sloan stated:
Why don’t you start by telling us what, if anything, YOU do for a living?
— Hal Terrie
I am a bum. I live off my wife, who works. I also publish books and DVDs about chess and other subjects. I take care of my baby and try to make more.
I think that just about covers it.
Sam Sloan
Randy Bauer said:
The USCF needs regular membership growth – without it, we will always be careening from one financial crisis to the next.
This is irresponsible nonsense. The USCF can exist just as well with 100 members as with 300,000,000. Avoiding financial crisis is simply a matter of spending within means. The claim that revenue growth is required, when you read between the lines, is saying that spending will always be beyond the current budget, and so it has to be growing to be always catching up.
After reading that, I’m considering abstaining from the election altogether. Will we ever have professionals to vote for? Acting like politicians and making lame statements like this, is not going to repair the USCF’s reputation, and is not going to convince many to re-engage.
The USCF is perhaps “doomed” to continue it’s historical mediocrity.
Someday somebody, hopefully somebody as well respected as Susan, will start a parallel ratings organization, and using web publishing instead of dead-tree, get the costs so far down we only need a much smaller membership fee. That’s the real truth; technology is changed, we don’t need more $, we need to modernize and spend far less. By “we” I mean average tournament chess players, the currently captive membership of the USCF.
Very good points by Mr. Truong. We need to get with it.