Starting Chess Club In Small Town. Looking For Tips

Chess Clubs
1

I live in a town of just under 9,000 people with no chess club. There is another town of 12,000 nearby with no chess club. I have a few questions for anyone who has experience starting a new club.

  1. What is the best way to pay for the club’s $40.00 membership, dues, donations, concession at meetings?

  2. To be a USCF affilate does there need to be a election of club officers.

  3. How should money made by the club on tournaments be handled.

  4. Why is it so difficult to get a copy of the USCF book on starting a club. Several months ago I called several times and got the run around.

There are quite a few people here in town who play chess and I’m sure a club would attract members. I would greatly appreciate any tips anyone could pass my way.

Thanks a bunch,
Larry

2

Just because you have a small town, still can have a chess club. With the affiliate, the cost will come out of you’re pocket: 1) pick the name of the chess club; 2) place you’re name as the president of the club. During the clubs first tournament, have a election of the officers of the club: would make the title more acceptable then granting the title onto yourself.

The other goal become a ‘club tournament director’, as small chess clubs the president and tournament director are one and the same – it is more importnat for any club to have a ‘active tournament director’ then a president. Start with small tournaments, find a number of people that are members of the federation: then have round robins. Never force a chess player to join the federation, as with any chess club there will be members that play only for fun, without any wish of joining the federation. The more tournaments the club performs, the greater the draw of the non-USCF members to join.

Check within 100 miles from you’re town, see if there has been any tournaments. Some areas of the nation, have little tournaments or zero within some pockets of the nation. The more people in the state see you are having tournaments, and going to have tournaments they will come. Just because you are in a small town does not matter, only small dream stops the growth of any chess clubs. The more tournaments the chess clubs has, makes a larger pool of players in you’re chess club.

Finding a room for the chess club, that would meet once a week is a major issue but in a few days or weeks you would have little problems. Find a library or a resturant is one of the better ways to deal with this problem. Number of clubs meet at a book store, if there is a place for food and drinks, makes the club grow stronger. The only minor problem would be the music in the store, in time the membership would have little problem with the low level of music.

The club treasury has been the major problem with any chess club. The treasury as it is a small chess club should always be low. If there is a great deal of money in the treasury, it should go into the chess clubs equipment. If the treasury has over $200, then the players have little idea of what that money is doing. If the club has zero membership fees, use the tournaments for the cost of the equipment, would be the most important way to deal with the cost of any equipment. The club equipment, will find in time some players and non-chess players would be stealing equipment from the club. If having a meeting place that the club can store the equipment, is the best way of dealing with storage of the equipment during the time the club is not meeting.

The first year of any chess club is the major problem. During that start up of the club most of the impornat issues will be done with just one person or a few members. Have the membership have a say in the chess club, do not let the membership make every little detail on the tournaments, or talk during club meets only on club political issues. Talking on club political issues with players that do not care: they will find themselves in the cross firer of a clubs political fight.

3

Your club only needs to be a USCF Affiliate if you plan to hold rated tournaments or sell USCF memberships and take the affiliate discount.

(There are other good reasons to become a USCF Affiliate, but those are the only required ones.)

You may need to pass the hat to collect the initial $40, but on an ongoing basis paying for things like the affiliate fee is part of what you do with the profits from your tournaments.

Unless you have significant costs (like paying rent or a usage fee for the site where you hold the club meetings), I would discourage you from having anything more than nominal club dues. However, $5 - $10/year is not an unreasonable amount for club dues, should not bankrupt any players, and will enable you to do a few good things, like send out a newsletter or tournament flyers or buy some sets for the club to use.

If you’re looking to attract kids, consider a family rate.

4

You don’t really need to cough up $40 unless you want to be a USCF affiliate. I suggest you wait on this until you see what your players want to do. In the meantime, you should at least “act” like a club and have elections jsut to handle things like collecting money from tournaments, dues if you want to have them, etc.

Just have an elected treasurer and let them handle it. It would be a good idea to state somewhere what the money is going to be used for. This may mean you’ll have to formulate some bylaws concerning club policy, just so the members have an idea what the club is doing with thier money, especially if you’re collecting dues.

I don’t know that there is a book on starting a club per se. What you want are ideas for having events for your club. Starting a club is usually a matter of finding a place to meet and then getting the word out to the people. Holding events is whatever you make it. Might I suggest you take a look at chessmasterbob.com? There is a club with a lot of different activities that you can get ideas from.

Hope this helps!

Radishes
[/quote]

5

Like with any new chess club, at first keep it simple, and let it grow on its own will of the membership. On the other hand to gain more membership, the best and only logical idea – go to as many tournaments in you’re state. If the players see you and able to talk with you, they will start to know who you are.

6

I think some certain accomodations should be made to help CC organizers in areas where there are no OTB CCs … why the USCF national leadership is once again slow to assist in such matters is beyond me (and many others)

… my dues are paid up I don’t need the extra magazine that comes with an affilate 's membership nor am I heavy into sales etc so why the lack of flexibility? Proberly the same reason I had problems joining a CC in 1963 when they killed Kennedy (a mystery).

Can’t there be some leeway till such a club gets on its feet?

7

What is it you need to be a USCF affiliate for?

8

Is there a reason for a small chess club needing to be a affilate, as there are a number of affilates that never used there affilate number too run a rated tournament. Building a chess club is a great deal of work, building a chess club with a majority of the membership as USCF active members takes years to build. It is very hard for a small town, with a population under 10,000 to have any active chess club. If the club is having a problem with the officers to pay that $40 affilate membership, then the club is having more problems then just the cost of the affilate.

My idea on being a affilate, if not going to run any tournaments with the affilate number – then what is the rational reason to be a affilate.

9

Frankly I am alittle put off that some ask this question, as the USCF represents the most internationally recognized organized body of US chess players in the USA (though some orgnaization bureaucrats take advantage of the fact).

Second why is it that in the US opportunisticly people seemingly always look for what they can get out of something/someone? I wish the USCF stops taking the memebership for granted but also I’d like to stop hearing members ask what’s in it for me.

10

Mr Douglas you could of phrased you posting in a more concise clear manner as such I must address it as it was stated (literally) and in that you did not relate what you said to what had been previously been said.

You state without foundation (though I am sure you are right):
Is there a reason for a small chess club needing to be a affilate, as there are a number of affilates that never used there affilate number too run a rated tournament.

So what is the significance of not running tournaments?

you further ask:
My idea on being a affilate, if not going to run any tournaments with the affilate number – then what is the rational reason to be a affilate.
[/quote]

gee another unproductive hypothetical question as we can ask you why you ask the question as it is none of your business why some/one’s else’s club has tournaments or not as that is not the issue. as the question should be why do you charge them so that they would be forced to incur debts that allegedly would motivate them to act and produce tiournaments or motivate them to DROP OUT and abandon the USCF?

I think the latter is more likely the case when small clubs depend on single organizers who inevitably must stare at these bills and receipts to be brought to “to ask themselves WHY should I do this?” “Who cares besides me?”

Well I don’t find it gentler nor kinder.

So I ask why don’t you give organizers a break?
Because What?

Do you know the number of over the board chess clubs which are neither state nor USCF affilated in the US? I’d bet you it is relative to the unaffilated players online. Wanna bet?

I admit a conjected that chess clubs in the process of being formed (and organizers) should get breaks (after all admittedly I have a self interest) but also I can name dozens of chess clubs which are completely unaffilated with and state or national organization now can you address the point or in some typical fashion avoid it?

11

[quote=“Larry Coonrod”]
I live in a town of just under 9,000 people with no chess club. There is another town of 12,000 nearby with no chess club. I have a few questions for anyone who has experience starting a new club.

“1. What is the best way to pay for the club’s $40.00 membership, dues, donations, concession at meetings?”

ANSWER: unknown

  1. To be a USCF affilate does there need to be a election of club officers.

ANSWER: no a chess club can be created in the forms of foundations and and trusts the Internet Chess Club’s past affilation is and example in point as it is a privately held corporation

  1. How should money made by the club on tournaments be handled.

ANSWER: internal matters of the affilate

  1. Why is it so difficult to get a copy of the USCF book on starting a club. Several months ago I called several times and got the run around.

ANSWER: the rule book has been used as a fund raising tool when it can be produced with a minimum of expense in ebook form and distributed for free.

games.groups.yahoo.com/group/chess_travel

12

[quote=“Radishes”]

I don’t know that there is a book on starting a club per se.

ANSWER: there the USCF membership department has some useful tracts on different subjects but the question is:

"Is it a comprehensive package that assists organizers when they are found willing as those are even difficult to come by?

13

Yes, I know about the tracts and brochures, but the question was about a book that exists, and there isn’t.

Now, as to the use of your word “comprehensive” I would be interested in knowing how comprehensive you would want it to be. There are some items you can figure out for yourself, since in many cases the solution is dependent on your local circumstances.

For example, you might have to look around your community to determine what facilities are available where your chess club meetings can be held. You may have to decide if the people you are able to attract are willing to pay dues for expenses, and if they aren’t, then that would be a factor in choosing a chess club site.

Just with that little bit alone, you should be able to see any instructions on how to start a chess club can’t be too comprehensive since a lot depends on your local conditions. An organizer has to take some intiative in determining what’s going to work in their area.

Radishes

14

If the club is going to be small or even large, the club does not need a affilate. Can show a number of ‘coffee house chess clubs’, there are a few even in Grand Rapids. Number of these players would not even go to a USCF tournament even if the director pays their USCF membership and give them free entry into the tournament. Now you can start a chess club with it being affilated with the USCF, then would need some active director to have a tournament. Will not find many players become a USCF members just because the club is a USCF affilate. If the club does have tournaments, it will bring in at first members around the state to play chess. If there are tournaments in the city, it does give a reason for these members to join.

Hypothetical questions, the idea of the forum is to come up with any problem that could happen with anyone that could have the same problem. If the forum was to answer one and only one persons question, then the forum would not be a tool for other people to read. Have little will to write in a style only designed for one reader. Clubs will grow if and only if there are tournaments, clubs that do not have tournaments become small. If it becomes small, then will have players of different ratings with a small group. If a master goes to a chess club, only can play people within a class D or class C rating: the master would drop out. If you go and play someone and win against that person 95% of the time, both yourself and the other player would get bored with each other.

In time the club will break down with only class E, class F and a few players a little stronger and some much weaker. If the stronger players leave the club because they win all the time. The weaker players will not get better then what they are. If you’re goal is to become a class A player, what would a player get if they play weaker players all the time. As a player you only get better if you play someone much stronger then yourself. Do know a number of strong players that will not want to play weaker players all the time. The reason, as their skills would become much weaker.

If you do have a non-USCF club with 20 boards going on. The stronger players will start to cherry pick the stronger players. If you go into a chess club, can see how and can understand why the stronger players start to cherry pick who they play. The reason these players do play with a living person, if you do not face a person over-the-board you will start to lose some of your skills. Like the first skill being time managment, being at a board and seeing how the set and board feel to the player.

What is the huge cost of being a organizer / director of a small club. Lets break it down, computer pairing program around $100. Starting a affiliate $40, the cost of the tournament hall should be in the budget and each hall can be free or a acceptable number.

Being a director, have given free memberships away for scholastic players. Have gone and play with scholastic players and then pay for the rating fee. Have even driven 30 miles one way and back, to pick up a player to go to a different tournament that was not my own. Can say during 2004 have or will spend over $500 out of my own money for my tournaments and supporting scholastic players in one way or the other.

Why do something like this, as a director as a player enjoy what I have done. Since June 2003 have performed 49 events, and for a few times my assistant TD used the pairing program they have been sent in on paper. The only reason I will be getting the computer pairing program, as they can be sent online and received the next day. As my personal goal is to get these events in as soon as I can.

If you cannot find the reason to spend that $40 for the affiliate, then why have the affiliate. The cost of being a director is not the cost of the affiliate or the computer software. It is the cost of the phone calls, it is the cost of going and meeting other directors at there tournaments. It is the cost of picking someone up that needs a ride. It is the cost of spending you’re personal money on some scholastic players membership. Its also the cost of going to all the tournaments in your local area. If you’re not willing to go to a different directors tournament, why would that director or those players ever go to you’re tournament. It is the cost of going and visit other clubs that are miles away from you’re own. It is the cost of spending the total cost of a match, going and meet that person, spending the whole day just to play and hope they get some self-esteem from the match.

Going out and worry of the cost of the affiliate, looking to make a deal of $40. Let me put it this way. If I pay for you’re affiliate, what would you do with it. Let me put it this way, how much money are you willing to spend just to keep the club going. If you have a club that has free membership, the president of the club is the one that gets the bill.

15

[/quote]

I don’t see a need for such invective.

The question I posed to you didn’t ask for a definition of comprehensive. I simply asked what it was you thought needed to be in such a package that you called comprehensive, since you obviously thought the tracts and brochures provided by USCF were insufficient.

I had replied that because of circumstances that vary locally, and because some directors and club organizers would prefer not to be micromanaged, material for starting a club may not be comprehensive as some people, such as yourself, would like.

Of course, I guess some folks just need a little more guidance than the rest of us.

Radishes

16

USCF does have a booklet on organizing Scholastic Chess Clubs. It is quite good.

You should try to get ahold of one - I think it would be useful even for non-scholastic chess clubs.

Dorothy

17

Come on and be nice.

Some of us support organizations that should be supported without getting a direct return. However, the organization should strive not to abuse that goodwill by letting the benefits devolve to little or nothing.

I put a lot of my own money into my chess club last year and will probably do so this year. Yet it is true that the USCF can and should do better with regard to support of its scholastic affiliates for the money that is charged.

But let’s not abuse each other. Enough is enough.

Dorothy

18

Have been told in this forum, my english sentence prose is poor, now as overeducated verbose overkill – cannot make everyone happy.

At the Jackson Chess Club, was only the tournament director; at the Greater Grand Rapids Chess Club, I am the president and the tournament director. During 2004, did have 21 tournaments and 9 matches. Have even used my own money to pay for someones scholastic membership; have even spent my own money for the rating fee of the matches, and some tournaments designed to help scholastic player get a established (quick and regular) ratings.

Did have the president and tournament director of the Kalamazoo Area Chess Club come to my event (Western Michigan Open). Did talk to him, and have even emailed him over time. We both want to send players to each others tournaments, and inform both clubs of the events. From both areas we are only 40 miles apart, with a large number of players between both clubs. Since were both active directors, we know not to have events on the same weekend (or same day) as each other. If we had it on the same day, we would only be working against each other for taking the limited amount of active players.

If there was not the USCF, there would be some organization to fill the void. It is much better having the USCF as a non-profit organization, with it being a body built of volunters. Whatever organization someone goes to play chess, there is no free lunch.

19

uschess.org/scholastic/2003SCguide.pdf

This booklet is aimed at scholastic organizers, but much of the information is applicable to other chess clubs, too. Some new organizers might overlook this resource because it is listed as a “scholastic” booklet.

Brenda Hardesty
Austin, Texas
Senior TD

20

Here in Claremore, OK (pop 20,000) the local coffee house was approached about having a chess night. We chose one of their slowest two nights of the week, Tuesday. A blurb was put in the local paper’s What’s Happening section for a week. We told everyone we knew of about it, including the local scholastic clubs. All that was expected of people was to bring their boards and have some fun. No dues, officers, affiliate…

That was 18 months ago. Since then, Tuesday night is often their busiest at the coffee house and they’re quite pleased. They’ve even ran half page ads in the state affiliate bulletin to mutually support chess. Players of all ages, and several chess parents, enjoy chess and fellowship at our informal club’s meetings. People start showing up a little after 6, then come and go until closing at 10. People seem to enjoy blitz games the most. We have several slow game players like myself, and some bughouse played when the mood strikes. One of the better players in the state enjoys coaching other players at the meetings over the blitz board. There have been good discussions about organizing scholastic clubs, resulting in a new one in town this year for the church school and home school kids. We’ve had rated quads at the meetings. We also discuss larger weekend tournaments with school USCF affiliates and with the state affiliate. All of this just happens when it happens, regardless of whatever else is happening, and its wonderful.

Chess has definitely grown in our area due to these simple and informal Tuesday chess nights. This has become the hub of chess activity in our small town. Best of all, it’s simple and free. Getting the word out and letting people know you missed them when they aren’t there is about all the work it takes. Maybe this will work for you.

Have fun,

Mike Swatek