Limerick Chess Club AGM was held on Wednesday, 24th September 2014 at 8.50 pm. at the Limerick Lawn Tennis Club, Ennis Road, Limerick
Present were
Pat Hayes (President), Laurent Talazac (Secretary), Phillip Foenander (Asst Secretary), John Cassidy (Treasurer), Noel Keating (Asst Treasurer), Tim Dineen (PRO), Kevin O’Flaherty, Ted Jennings, Brian Scully and Niall McDonnell. Absent with apologies Michael Meaney (Chairman)
The meeting was declared open at 8.50 pm by the Club President, Pat Hayes.
Minutes of the previous 2013 AGM were read out by the Secretary.
The Secretary’s Report including a brief summary of the club’s activities during the season 2013-14 was presented.
The Treasurer’s report on the club’s finances was then presented by John Cassidy.
The PRO report by Tim Dineen followed, about promoting the club using posters within schools in the city.
It was mentioned that the password access for members’ details had been changed recently for security reasons.
Following the recent MCU AGM on 7 September 2014, members were informed that the only change within the MCU committee was the election of Gerry Graham as ICU delegate.
The Secretary then called for motions to be discussed by members present.
Motions
- 1) Club membership fee – all members seem to be satisfied with the venue and comfort and agreed that it is a suitable venue for club chess activity. An issue had arisen regarding the cost of the venue. It is mandatory to have 7 Pavilion members, who each pay a €100 annual fee. The 7 Pavilion members had paid more than other adult club members in the past 2 years, and the possibility of dividing this extra expense between all club members was discussed. The proposal of finding only 5 volunteer Pavilion members, with the club paying the remaining €200, was rejected. During the discussion some members stated that they were willing to pay the Pavilion membership fee and that there should not be any problem finding the 7 required volunteer members. It was mentioned that being a Pavilion member grants access to the premises when needed, because each Pavilion member has the building access code. Later in the discussion it was suggested that the club membership fee could be increased by €5, which would cover the expenses if only 6 Pavilion members were reached; if 7 were reached, the extra money could be used to cover other expenses or to buy spare boards or clocks for the club. The discussion ended with a general agreement that this year’s annual adult fee would be €55 instead of €50 as in the previous year, with the junior club fee remaining unchanged.
- 2) ICU fees – club members were reminded that every member taking part in club competitions organised by Limerick Chess Club must be a member of the ICU as per Rule 1 of the club rules. This implies that every member has to pay their ICU fee. Last year only 4 junior members did not pay their ICU fees. A deadline for payment of club membership is already stated in rule 12 of the club rules plus ICU fees, and players could be withdrawn from the club competitions if they are not paid up by the start of round 2.
- 3) Tom White Cup – the possibility of separating players into 2 distinct categories was discussed, but this had proved unsuccessful in the past so the competition should remain as it is. The time control was modified for this year’s Tom White Cup and is now 1 hour 15 minutes plus a 15-second increment for adults and 1 hour plus a 15-second increment for games involving junior players. As this is only possible with a digital clock, should a game be played with an analogue clock the corresponding time controls are 1 hour 30 minutes for adults and 1 hour 15 minutes for juniors. This time control will also be implemented for the Club Championship.
Munster League team
Ray O’Brien resigned as Munster League team captain. Kevin O’Flaherty took over this season as captain of the Limerick Munster League team.
The club timetable remains unchanged, each session being held on Wednesdays from 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm and if necessary up to but not extending past 12 am.
Nomination and election of Club officers was carried with the following officers voted in:
Chairman – Niall McDonnell nominated and elected
Secretary – Phillip Foenander nominated and elected
Assistant Secretary – Laurent Talazac nominated and elected
Treasurer – John Cassidy re-elected
Assistant Treasurer – Noel Keating re-elected
PRO officer – Tim Dineen re-elected
Assistant PRO officer – Kevin O’Flaherty nominated and elected
Other issues
- a) The Limerick Open will be held at South Court Hotel from 25-27 October. It will be organised by John Cassidy. Flyers will be printed within the coming week. Participants must be ICU or FIDE members.
The meeting was then closed at 9.50 pm by club President Pat Hayes.
Source: Limerick Chess Club archive.