In a few more months I will hit the 3 year mark as a club level tournament director. I would like to move up to local director, but I’m not quite sure if I’m reading the experience requirements correctly.
Since I belong to a small club of working adults it’s hard to get a large group together. Although I’ve directed several small tournaments the list of entrants only comes to 15 or 20.
Since each of the paragraphs describing experience requirements is followed by “or” and since paragraph e says, “satisfactory performance for three years as a club TD…” I’m thinking that my three years as a club TD is all the experience I need. Is that right?
26e. Satisfactory performance for three years as a club TD
That is true, but there are other expirience requirements that you do need to have. Did check your MSA record Tony, you do have the expierience requirment of having a established regular rating. There was a director that had the same question you had last year, he did not have a established regular rating. You do have a established regular rating, on the other hand you do not have a established quick rating. The quick rating is not a problem, it will not stop you from having the test.
Your term expiration date is 12.31.2005. I’m not sure how the office takes care of sending out, or asking if you want to take the test. It would be best to call or email Larry Pond.
I just did this … email Larry Pond. I received the test fairly promptly, and email beforehand telling me it was coming, and I received the results rather promptly (kept checking MSA every day to see how I did!)
If it was me I would contact Larry around September. When you get the test, you do have around 90 days to take the test. You will need to get 80% on the test to pass. Only having a month to take the test, then have Larry grade the test within a month is not a good idea. Give yourself some time to study every rational line to the problem.
Since it is a open book test, the correct answer is not going to be clear as day. It would be best to study every answer even if you feel it is wrong. Take your time, even if you feel the answer is right, try to prove the answer is wrong. When you start to turn yourself into a punching bag, then the answer to the question is the best you can give. After you have beaten yourself up, then it is time to send in the test.
This is one time when I agree with Doug, I would not wait until one month before your TD certification lapses.
We’re working on a more automated way to contact TDs ahead of when their certification expires. (For those with Local, Senior or ANTD certification, we will also automatically renew their certification at their current level as long as their directing history shows the requisite experience.)
Please make sure we have your current e-mail and phone number.
Having your e-mail address in our records makes it much easier to contact you quickly. Last Friday evening, for example, we were able to notify around 1600 TDs and affiliates of the problem with the August Supplement via e-mail, within a few hours of when we learned of the problem.
Ok, I’ll take your advice and contact Larry in September. It’s always better not to cut things too close if you can help it.
Actually, I’m not too worried about the test. I’m currently working as a tax professional. After working with the United States tax code even the USCF rule book should be a piece of cake.
Since he has satisfactory performance for three years as a club TD, (26e page 248) this takes care of the experience requirments. He has a established (regular) rating, this also takes care of the experience requirments. There are a few local tournament directors without any experience as the chief tournament director or as a assistant tournament director.
Just to take a look at the expiration of a club tournament director.
25. Expiration. Three-year nonrenewable term. After three years, the club TD must apply for local TD status. The Tournament Director Certification Committee (TDCC) may, at its discretion reinstate club TD certification for a TD who fails all of the local TD tests after three full years of experience.
Another piece of advice: Look up EVERY answer in the rulebook (it’s an open book test), even if you think you’re sure you know the answer. Some questions seem designed to test specific rules, and if you don’t find the rule you might overlook the point of the question.
Since I’ll be taking the Local test pretty soon I’d like to study up. Are there any old tests available? I’m not trying to get the answers to the current test, but I’d like to see how the questions are worded and how difficult the questions really are. I don’t want to over think the answers.
Well, the old exams and many of their questions are based on the old rulebooks. Those exams, as well as the current ones, are multiple choice questions/answers revolving around essential rulebook knowledge and problem solving skills. They are a lot like those quizes that appear in the TD Corner column from time to time.
Some of the old exams even contain questions that still appear on today’s tests. Why? Over the years the exams were constantly revised instead of being totaly rewritten (Joan Schlich, Dan Burg, and myself have done most of those revision). Besides, some of those questions are really good (a flag fall is still a flag fall, a complete scoresheet is still a complete scoresheet, three fold repitition is still…).
Best of skill to you in taking the exam. By the way any time you qualify you can ask Larry Pond for the exam. For example: if a Club TD has the experience requirements and meets all the other requirements only 1 year into their 3 year cycle, they can (at that point) ask Larry for the Local exam!?
I’d like take the test as soon as possible to avoid a gap in term. The problem is that I only meet the experience requirements by completing my 3 years as Club TD. So, technically, I don’t qualify until my term runs out December 31st. It’s kind of a Catch 22. I hope there’s some leeway in the requirement.
Would still call Larry Pond to make it very clear. There was a director like you that had the same problem last year. The only reason why he could not take the local tournament directors test, he did not have a established over-the-board regular rating. He was going to work to get an established rating before his term came to an end. There was no talk he had to be a expired club director to take the test.
Think you can take the test before your term comes to an end. As it does not make sense to take the test after your term ends. With the wording in the official rules of chess, it sounds strange you have to be a expired club tournament director to take the test. Then in the same statement, if you fail the test … the TDCC can give you a special second term as a club director.
The only person that can settle this issue is Larry Pond.
Your suggestion to contact Larry Pond is excellent.
Since I wrote (revised is probably more accurate) the section on TD certification, Larry Pond and I talk often regarding the ins and outs of what those rules mean. So, I think I also know what I’m talking about. A club TD is given 3 years to meet the experience and other requirements. Past and recent practice is that if they meet those requirements before the 3 years is up they can apply to become a Local TD. The same is true when one desires to move from Local to Senior TD, etc.
Some clear statement between you and Larry Pond, with the support of the TDCC should be in the October 2005 Supplement over when the directors’ test can take place. There are going to be some club directors without the experience requirements other then having the experience requirements as a club director for three-years. If the club director feels they have to take the test after the expiration of their club directorship, there is less motive to take the test. If they are current to take the test, there would be a greater motive to take the test.
The topic is about not having the satisfactory performance of three Category D events (one as chief tournament director), with three rounds of a total of fifty entrants. For the very small events, it can take a long time just to get fifty entrants, as the small tournaments only have less then ten entrants. With the small chess clubs, they can only have at best one or two tournaments a given year. It is not much, they are designed for the local players not so much designed at the state level. Most small clubs will stop after the first year, with that the club director can be in-active for the rest of the term. This can leave the club director without the satisfactory performance.
The director will have little motive to take the test, if the feeling needing to take the test after the directors’ term is over – there is no motive to take the test. True, if the club director is going to be in-active, there is little reason to be a local director if the director is going to be in-active during the four year term. Four years is a long time, you never know when an organizer wants to have small events again.
If the TDCC can come up with a set time, so the club director can take the test before the end of the term. Just to settle the date before the term ends, for the club directors only having the only experience under 26e. This can also settle the in-active local directors that have less then four tournaments during the term; and settle the in-active senior directors that have less then five tournaments during the term. As the local director will have to take the test over again, if having less then four tournaments during the term. The senior directors will have to take the test over again, if having less then five tournaments during the term.
Tim, I think you might have misunderstood the point I am making.
It is not that I will fulfill the experience requirement early.
Because I belong to a small club the only way I will fulfill the experience requirements for Local TD is by “satisfactory performance for three years as a Club TD” (26e).
A Club TD has 3 years experience when their 3 year term expires. So, I haven’t fulfilled the requirements until my term as Club TD is over. That means I can’t even start the upgrade process until I’m an expired Club TD.
I will contact Larry to resolve the situation, but the rules should be written in such a way that it wouldn’t be necessary to override them.
Maybe rule 26e should be changed to 2 1/2 years, so there is still time to take the test and process the paperwork for Local TD.
Tony
edit: Sorry, Doug and I were apparently composing our messages at the same time…
This issue has never been a problem. TDs getting close to the experience numbers they need, but don’t have enought time to get them, simply ask for an extension. That is how the process works. The only problem is the one you made up above. Once again you have a point in theory but absolutly no point in reality. The process just does not work the way you describe it. It could, but it does not. The USCF has more sense than that.
Is not an extension just a way to get around the nonrenewable term? The spirits of the rules, reinstatement of a second term as a club director, can only happen after the director fails the local tournament directors test, at the discretion of the Tournament Director Certification Committee (TDCC). Granting an extension, of one-year or a full three-year term, makes the written statement of “the club tournament director must apply for local tournament director states” a theory but not in reality.
If the extension is granted, the first days of the extension the director can ask for the local tournament directors test. As the director has been a club director for three-years and a day, would have the experience requirements of rule 26e (Satisfactory performance for three years as a club TD – page 248). Do know of two club director thats’ on their second term, with some time between their first term and their second term. Granting a second term, has not made the directors in a mood to take the local directors test. The one director only asked for reinstatement as a club director, as he was going to be my assistant director, as he was at one time the vice-president of the club. He does not want to be the director, as he only wants to play … not be the playing director … or a simple director.
Granting an extension, is not going to make the club directors any more willing to take the test. There will be a few that will, granted. The majority of the extensions are going to hold off till the extension is close to expiration. Even if the club director does have the experience requirements, some are so unwilling to take the test. This was the major reason why club directors were only granted a nonrenewable term. Not sure what the number of local directors was before the rule change and the current number, can say the numbers are now higher since the rule was changed.
There are a number of club directors looking at the expiration statement, if they do not have the experience requirements, not every director is going to ask for an extension. When the rule makes the statement “Three-year nonrenewable term” it sounds like it is only for three-years and not a day more. There are a number of expired club directors that read the theory not the reality, and now they are expired directors: as they did take face value in the theory.
There seems to be a lot of rules you have some sort of issue with (including this one). How about you re-write all of them in standard English the way you want them to read? Then submit them as delegate motions through your state delegate, or any delegate willing to sponsor them. That-a-way you will be more proactive in making the changes that you see as needed reforms.
You seem believe one thing about what it means to be Club TD, including the upgrade proceedures to become a Local TD. The TDCC believes another thing. Perhaps the ADMs on this year’s delegate agenda (by Mike Nolan) will pass and make the Club TD credentials closer to what you believe they should be. The TDCC has this to say in their annual report:
" In the course of those responsibilities the committee revisited the idea of extending the Club TD Certificate. The TDCC overwhelming supported the current practice of requiring Club TDs, after three years, to take an exam and upgrade to a Local TD certificate. The Federation has an obligation to its members to guarantee that long term TDs have essential problem solving skills and rulebook knowledge. Since Club TDs are not required to take exams, extending their certification would permanently exclude them from the opportunity to confirm essential proficiencies required of all TDs."
Right now when a Club TD asks for a variance (see rule 5 at the start of all those explainations about experience requirements:. “An applicant must first satisfy all experience requirements for the TD certification for which they are applying before taking an exam for that level of certification. The applicant may apply to the TDCC for a variance on this procedure.”) they get an extra year. It seems to the TDCC that if they still can’t meet some very simple basic requirements in order to upgrade then they may want to consider contributing to chess in some other way.
That rule 5 on page 241 is there as a safety valve. In real life how often do the police allow you to ignore the speed limit in an emergency? Almost always. Even the speed law is not absolute. Common sense has to prevail. It has been my experience that in life, as well as in chess, following the “letter” of the law without paying attention to the “meaning” of the law leads to sorrow.
I look forward to seeing your re-writes. When you are done I would be glad to help you through the steps you will need to take in order to possibly get them to take the place of the current rules.
