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Originally Posted by chessoffice
The retreat in Florida, as well as a concurrent
board meeting, was held in May 2006. What calendar are you using that
shows May as part of the winter?
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The retreat idea has been brought up at every board meeting
that I have attended and I have had to shoot it down every time. No
doubt this explains why the crusty curmudgeons who control the board
majority are spending so much time and money trying to have me
defeated for re-election, so that they can start flying to Florida
again at membership expense.
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Sam, the retreat idea has NOT been proposed at ANY board meeting you
have attended, so you have not been able to shoot it down even once.
Regarding "Flying to Florida at membership expense," please note that
even though the board has two Florida members, we have met only once
in Florida during our two years, and that was in the May off season
when hotel rates are low. At that meeting neither Channing, Schultz
nor Goichberg claimed any airfare expense (I have claimed no travel
expense for any travel as President).
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I am hoping that the current election will bring in forward
looking board members who are able to see the obvious merit to
producing a video promoting our national scholastic championships.
Sam Sloan
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I am hoping that the current election will bring in board members
whose posts at least faintly resemble truth, rather than being total
fantasy.
Bill Goichberg |
In the eleven months since I took office office on the board in August
2006, I have had to endure in relative silence false and misleading
statement after false and misleading statement by Bill Goichberg.
However, this one goes too far.
Take a look at the agenda of every board meeting since I was elected.
You will find the word RETREAT there every time.
Joel Channing is always talking about having another retreat. Just
because no board member has had the courage to openly propose another
trip to Florida does not mean it would not happen if I were not there.
Otherwise, why is the word RETREAT in every agenda?
The so-called "Retreat" to Florida in May 2006, just three months
before I took office, was not a mere board meeting. It was an all
expenses paid trip to Florida by the entire USCF-insider group, all
paid for with YOUR MEMBERSHIP DUES !!!
Here is a photo of participants in the retreat:
http://www.chessdon.com/pictures.htm
Standing: Jon Haskel President Florida Chess Association; Beatriz
Marinello Former President USCF; Tim Redman Former President USCF
representing
college chess; Rourke O'Brien President AF4C; Steve Shutt Co-Chair
Scholastic Council; Joel Berez President ICC; Harold Winston Chairman
US Chess Trust;
Mike Nolan USCF Data Base Consultant; Casey Steinbacher Retreat
Facilator; Mikhail Korenman Exec Director Chess for Peace Foundation;
Michael Khodarkovsky, President Kasparov Chess Foundation; Robert
Tanner USCF Secretary; Seated: Bill Hall, USCF Executive Director; Don
Schultz,
Vice Pres. USCF; Joel Channing USCF VP Finance; Joel Benjamin, former
US Chess Champion; Dan Lucas, Editor Chess Life; Bill Goichberg, USCF
President
Missing: Jerry Hanken, President CJA and GIL Luna, Hall of Fame
Quite an impressive group. Remember that everybody in that picture is
spending your dues money, flying to Florida and staying in hotels at
YOUR EXPENSE !!!
Then, Bill Goichberg goes on to say:
"Channing, Schultz nor Goichberg claimed any airfare expense (I have
claimed no travel expense for any travel as President)."
However, what about all the other people in the picture? True, Schultz
and Channing did not claim any airfare expense since they live in
Florida and did not need to fly.
What many people do not realize about Bill Goichberg is that he plays
the horses and flies around the country not only to organize chess
tournaments but also to go to various race tracks during horse racing
season. This retreat was scheduled to be held when Bill Goichberg was
in Florida anyway attending the race track, and thus he was not really
giving the USCF a break by not charging the USCF any airfare.
I make no predictions about the forthcoming election. Any of the
candidates have a chance to win, in my view. However, I am almost
certain that regardless of who wins, Bill Goichberg will not be given
another two years as USCF President. He has not done a good job and
somebody else, almost anybody else, should be given the chance.
Sam Sloan