"Forking Knight" wrote in
message ...[color=blue][i]

David Wrote:
"Forking Knight" wrote in
message ...
-


These aren't defending anything, FK, just helping you out with some
facts.

Unless you are playing in a very small set of tournaments, you do not
pay
the USCF anything for your tournament participation. A portion of your
tournament fee is used by the organizer to pay the USCF for rating the
tournament. This is pennies per game.

snip magazine discussion


The USCF needs to stay out of any kind of buying or selling of
merchandise. Pieces, boards, and clocks should have published
standards, but the sales should be conducted ONLY by outside
companies.
The USCF could charge a fee for official endorsement. Makers of chess
equipment, books, and software, should be encouraged to sponsor
tournaments and exhibitions as part of the correct USCF purpose: to
PROMOTE chess!-

So, I take it that you are unaware that the USCF doesn't sell
merchandise?


With regard to selling merchandise: What is this then?
http://www.uscfsales.com/
Whether or not the USCF is directly involved in these sales doesn't
matter. They shouldn't devote any resources to it, and this online
catalog clearly violates that principle IMHO.

The USCF divested itself of merchandise sales. They are paid a
license/royalty fee (not sure exactly which) from the vendor who operates
the site to which you refer. It is pretty much the system that you
advocate.



I'm posting a schedule for a USCF affiliate I am familiar with below:
snip schedule


The fees you see there are in addition to the club membership fees, and
on top of USCF membership fees as well. So, if I wanted to participate
in the Monday night leagues, I'd be paying about $100 a month just for
some USCF rated games (perhaps as few as 4) a month. I can't imagine
many people would pay this kind of money, and this is the only club for
a large area. I think the USCF should insist that fees for USCF rated
games be as nominal as possible, up to and including no charge, if
practical. It just seems to me that these affiliates feel they should
make several dollars for EVERY game played on their premises. Am I
wrong?

You have made a statement about USCF charging tournament entry fees. The
schedule you have posted has fees charged by a USCF affiliate (in other
words, the business or club, which is not the USCF). I don't know the
affiliate you are referring to. Most social clubs return almost all entry
fees as prizes. Some clubs are businesses, run by an owner, who makes money
from the club operation. In such a case, he will want to make a profit. If
you don't like it, form a club of your own, set it up as a social club, and
charge nominal fees. I've done it. Others have done it. It is a choice.
The USCF publishes several documents to help you get started.

If you are unaware, tournament organizers bear a sizable financial risk for
larger tournaments.

I disagree that the USCF should charge nominal fees, as this would
discourage several viable tournament models that are quite popular.

David
--
without the block

"David" writes:

I disagree that the USCF should charge nominal fees, as this would
discourage several viable tournament models that are quite popular.

Actually, the USCF only charges a rather nominal fee for rating games,
as low as 18 cents/game if submitted online.

What the ORGANIZER charges is left up to the organizer. Of the roughly
7500 tournaments rated by the USCF in 2004, only about 30 were
organized directly by the USCF, and that included side events at
national events like the US Open.
--
Mike Nolan

"Mike Nolan" wrote in message
...
"David" writes:

I disagree that the USCF should charge nominal fees, as this would
discourage several viable tournament models that are quite popular.

Actually, the USCF only charges a rather nominal fee for rating games,
as low as 18 cents/game if submitted online.

What the ORGANIZER charges is left up to the organizer. Of the roughly
7500 tournaments rated by the USCF in 2004, only about 30 were
organized directly by the USCF, and that included side events at
national events like the US Open.

Thanks for the correction, Mike. Your point is the same that I'm trying to
make, but I misspoke, and flubbed the whole thing.

Mine should have read, "I disagree that the USCF should require that
organizers charge only nominal fees...."

David


--
without the block

@David:

Well you're right: I don't like what the only club in town is charging to play chess. I think it is discouraging membership in my area. I am considering making a new club to try to get more people interested in chess and create a stronger devotion to it. Before I commit to that, I'm doing some research on the USCF and need to decide if affiliation with that organization is worthwhile. I've been out of chess for quite a few years, but the interest of children in my life has rekindled my own wish to play.

Why 3-5% organized chess represents only 5% of the chess playyers in the
USA?

furthermo

"Cranky Chess" wrote in message
oups.com...
When I first joined the USCF I did so to play in tournaments. I didn't
know they had a magazine and really didn't care. I care even less
about the magazine now because the flatulent bloviation of people like
fat-ass Jerry Hanken make me ill.

Perhaps you are not print oriented I enjoy the magazine even merely as a
reference to sit on my desk.

In the first year (1973) I played in USCF events, the little town I
lived in (population 8,000) had a twenty-year-old USCF affiliated club
with 20 USCF members and about 30 non-USCF members. That year I
played in about 50 rated games and played in over 60 rated games the
next year.

Fast forward 30+ years. The little town I grew up in has long lost its
chess club and the last time I asked for mailing lables, it didn't even
have a single USCF member (even widdle kiddies!) even though its
population is now 12,000.

This has been repeated all across the USA by the USCF and in fact Mr. Billy
Goichberg didn't send me squat even after he gave me a hard time regarding
the mailing list and I agreed to pay his exhorbitant rates (which is why we
have dead zones, and will continue to have dead zones, as it is not in his
interested to have an organized group such as the the local chess clubs to
compete with his MONEY tournaments [conflict of interest]).


I now live in a small city of 250,000 and it also long ago lost its
chess club. If I am lucky, I might find some skittles games with a few
players in one of the bookstores, but that is not guaranteed. At most
there are two weekend tournaments a year here and they both lose money
and are financially supported by the tournament directors in order for
them to have tournaments to play in. I used to run USCF tournaments
here too, but I finally stopped when it became too difficult and
expensive to recruit new players to replace the inevitable deaths,
moves, and loss of interest among current players.

I have to travel 80 miles and spend over $200 for somne action

Since I hate the magazine, joined the USCF only to play in tournaments,
have to travel to play in a weekend tournament, even 14 cents each day
for the membership is no longer worth it.

I understand completely.

--
Andrew Zito
P.O.Box 1615
Altoona, Pa 16603

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