The annual MECA full membership meeting will be held Sunday, October 24 at Governor's Restaurant in Waterville. It is scheduled to start at 1:00 in one of their meeting rooms. You should enter the building at the center entrance not the restaurant entrance.
This meeting will give the membership and members of the executive and policy boards a chance to discuss and vote on a variety of issues. It will also be a time for anyone who wishes to be a Policy Board member to announce their intention. We are planning on holding an election online again the first week in December to fill the four slots. Currently the Policy Board consists of Brian Roderick, Jon Malev, Steve Abrahams, and Tom Sandford.
The following is the agenda for the meeting:
1. Call Meeting to Order
2. Financial Statement
3. Review of Border Battle with New Hampshire
4. Discussion on Maine State Closed Championship:
I. Suggested Dates and Location for 2011 (April 9-10 - Augusta)
II. Prize Fund and Format
5. Membership Dues:
I. Amount
II. What Dues Are Used For
6. Chess Player of the Year Proposals
7. Policy Board Election
8. Scholastic Support
9. Open Discussion
I. New England Chess Board
II. Other
10. Set Next Meeting Date for Executive Board and Policy Board
11. Adjournment
I hope that many MECA members are able to attend. If you are unable to attend and have some ideas to share , please contact me or another board member. If there are any updates before the meeting, they will be posted here and on chessmaine.net. Hope to see you there - Andy
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
State Closed Championship Set For the Weekend
The State Closed Championship sponsored by MECA is set for the weekend. It will be in the Bangor Room in the Memorial Union on the University of Maine campus in Orono. The details listed on the Chessmaine.net events page are correct and the prize fund is guaranteed. MECA membership will be offered at the event. Players are encouraged to become members or renew to support Maine chess.
At our meeting yesterday we set a date for our annual meeting: Sunday, October 24 in Waterville, time and location to be announced. An agenda will be presented along with the final details by the end of September on chessmaine.net.
Despite a slow start to MECA's new board, we are excited with what lies ahead. We expect a good turnout this weekend and are looking forward to the Border Battle with New Hampshire in September. Top items expected to be resolved at the Annual Meeting include a revamped Player of the year competition for 2011, a set budget, fundraising proposals, and team and class championships.
I hope to see many of you in Orono on Saturday. Feel free to share any ideas or thoughts. Safe travel to all.
At our meeting yesterday we set a date for our annual meeting: Sunday, October 24 in Waterville, time and location to be announced. An agenda will be presented along with the final details by the end of September on chessmaine.net.
Despite a slow start to MECA's new board, we are excited with what lies ahead. We expect a good turnout this weekend and are looking forward to the Border Battle with New Hampshire in September. Top items expected to be resolved at the Annual Meeting include a revamped Player of the year competition for 2011, a set budget, fundraising proposals, and team and class championships.
I hope to see many of you in Orono on Saturday. Feel free to share any ideas or thoughts. Safe travel to all.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Promotion of Maine Chess
As President of the Maine Chess Association, I find it necessary to make a few observations before our meeting this coming Sunday and before the Maine State Closed Championship August 21-22. First off, I did not realize how controversial this position would become. I felt that I could help promote chess with new ideas and encourage people to hold more tournaments. If you look back at my candidate statement and vision for the future of Maine chess, you will see that I have not strayed far from my statements.
Since I have been president, we have had one meeting with the officers and policy board. This meeting was done as a get-to-know each other and try to set up the State Closed Championship as well as formulate a MECA Chessplayer of the Year competition. Due to the length of time of the meeting and giving everybody a chance to share their views, we were unable to complete our immediate tasks. We resorted to corresponding by email to tweak our Closed Championship setup and finalize a place to play; unfortunately we were unable to find a MECA Player of the Year proposal that the majority of us could agree on and we hope to have something in place for January 1. (We will announce a time and place for the annual MECA meeting after Sunday.)
I made a proposal for the current announced setup and prize fund that was accepted by a majority of the Executive Board; this business was conducted via email which was the only practical way to complete our task and have a championship this year. The reason for increasing the prize fund for the Closed Championship was twofold: 1) to increase interest and 2) because a $3000 plus MECA fund balance allowed us a chance to do so. It is distinctly possible that we will lower our fund balance in order to cover our expenditures, but I felt that at this time MECA needed to show that it could put forth an attractive tournament to the top chess players in the state. We need our top players attending our championship. To date response for the higher prize fund has been positive. Nevertheless with less than two weeks until the tournament, we have yet to see many competitors preregister. As an incentive, I thought that we could offer free MECA membership for 2011 to those who preregister. Again this might not be financially prudent immediately, but we need to increase membership and bring new members into the fold. This will increase our viability and also, we hope, our sustainability. We will be discussing this on Sunday, and we would like to hear members' thoughts on this.
MECA is here to encourage chess in Maine. We will continue to vocally support all tournaments from Madawaska to Kittery and from Calais to Bethel. We are pleased that their have been more tournaments in 2010 than in 2009 so far. We are excited that Alex Relyea has expanded his tournaments into Maine and that Roger Morin has provided opportunities north of Bangor. Also we are excited that Steve Abrahams has decided to put his energy into a Border Battle with New Hampshire. I personally would like to recognize everyone that encourages chess whether in USCF rated events, chess clubs, scholastic chess, or online. Drop me an email (bvbryan@aol.com) to share your thoughts and tell me someone who needs to be commended for their work. Finally I would like to acknowledge the active members of the Executive Board for the time and energy that they have put into volunteer positions (even if we don't always see eye-to-eye). Keep me posted and follow my posts!
Andy
Since I have been president, we have had one meeting with the officers and policy board. This meeting was done as a get-to-know each other and try to set up the State Closed Championship as well as formulate a MECA Chessplayer of the Year competition. Due to the length of time of the meeting and giving everybody a chance to share their views, we were unable to complete our immediate tasks. We resorted to corresponding by email to tweak our Closed Championship setup and finalize a place to play; unfortunately we were unable to find a MECA Player of the Year proposal that the majority of us could agree on and we hope to have something in place for January 1. (We will announce a time and place for the annual MECA meeting after Sunday.)
I made a proposal for the current announced setup and prize fund that was accepted by a majority of the Executive Board; this business was conducted via email which was the only practical way to complete our task and have a championship this year. The reason for increasing the prize fund for the Closed Championship was twofold: 1) to increase interest and 2) because a $3000 plus MECA fund balance allowed us a chance to do so. It is distinctly possible that we will lower our fund balance in order to cover our expenditures, but I felt that at this time MECA needed to show that it could put forth an attractive tournament to the top chess players in the state. We need our top players attending our championship. To date response for the higher prize fund has been positive. Nevertheless with less than two weeks until the tournament, we have yet to see many competitors preregister. As an incentive, I thought that we could offer free MECA membership for 2011 to those who preregister. Again this might not be financially prudent immediately, but we need to increase membership and bring new members into the fold. This will increase our viability and also, we hope, our sustainability. We will be discussing this on Sunday, and we would like to hear members' thoughts on this.
MECA is here to encourage chess in Maine. We will continue to vocally support all tournaments from Madawaska to Kittery and from Calais to Bethel. We are pleased that their have been more tournaments in 2010 than in 2009 so far. We are excited that Alex Relyea has expanded his tournaments into Maine and that Roger Morin has provided opportunities north of Bangor. Also we are excited that Steve Abrahams has decided to put his energy into a Border Battle with New Hampshire. I personally would like to recognize everyone that encourages chess whether in USCF rated events, chess clubs, scholastic chess, or online. Drop me an email (bvbryan@aol.com) to share your thoughts and tell me someone who needs to be commended for their work. Finally I would like to acknowledge the active members of the Executive Board for the time and energy that they have put into volunteer positions (even if we don't always see eye-to-eye). Keep me posted and follow my posts!
Andy
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Summer Season Musings
Since I last reported there have been a number of excellent tournaments for Maine chess players to attend. From the far north in Presque Isle to the Downeast Open in South Portland there has been action in the quieter summer months. A newcomer on the block, the Eastern Maine Championship in Bangor, attracted a grandmaster, while the popular Chessmaine.net championship continued to draw many participants despite its move to July. Coming up will be more events in Aroostook County while the long-awaited State Closed Championship will be held August 21-22 at the University of Maine.
Fortunately there are many different members of the Maine chess community who are able to find time to provide opportunities for chess throughout the summer season when there are so many other distractions. This month I give a shout out to the Cape Elizabeth chess boosters led by Dan and Ilene Fishbein. They have been tireless in making sure that there are opportunities in their area for playing chess while making sure that the more dedicated have been able to improve their game. Along with the Fishbeins, Mark Parker (Wesley and Brett's dad) and Peter Hatem (Matthew Reale-Hatem's dad) have been instrumental in keeping Cape Elizabeth scholastic chess one of the best programs in the state. Keep up the great work!
Each post I would like to recognize a member of the Maine chess community for their efforts. Please let me know of people who are out there supporting Maine chess.
MECA's own Policy Board member Steve Abrahams is having a strong impact on Maine chess both over the board and as an organizer. His idea for a Border Battle with New Hampshire is coming to fruition and will be a highlight of the fall chess calendar. Thanks, Steve!
The Maine Closed Championship is less than four weeks away, and we are hoping for a good turnout. The MECA Board will be meeting at Governor's August 15 to discuss the tournament and some other items of interest. Please check chessmaine.net for the agenda. Also let us know if there are any specific items that should be addressed at the annual board meeting coming up in the fall. One of the items that I'm proposing at our August 15 meeting is that a 2011 MECA membership be free for all who preregister for the tournament. This proposal comes from the fact that we have been unable to coordinate a player of the year competition for 2010, and members need to have incentives to be a part of MECA. I am hoping that between our upcoming Executive Board meeting and our annual MECA meeting in the fall we will be able to formulate a schedule for 2011 and a player of the year competition.
I appreciate the support that people continue to give to Maine chess. The events calendar has been busier this year than last. Thanks!
Don't forget to check out your local chess club before the summer is out! Often vacationers stop by and provide a new face to challenge.
Fortunately there are many different members of the Maine chess community who are able to find time to provide opportunities for chess throughout the summer season when there are so many other distractions. This month I give a shout out to the Cape Elizabeth chess boosters led by Dan and Ilene Fishbein. They have been tireless in making sure that there are opportunities in their area for playing chess while making sure that the more dedicated have been able to improve their game. Along with the Fishbeins, Mark Parker (Wesley and Brett's dad) and Peter Hatem (Matthew Reale-Hatem's dad) have been instrumental in keeping Cape Elizabeth scholastic chess one of the best programs in the state. Keep up the great work!
Each post I would like to recognize a member of the Maine chess community for their efforts. Please let me know of people who are out there supporting Maine chess.
MECA's own Policy Board member Steve Abrahams is having a strong impact on Maine chess both over the board and as an organizer. His idea for a Border Battle with New Hampshire is coming to fruition and will be a highlight of the fall chess calendar. Thanks, Steve!
The Maine Closed Championship is less than four weeks away, and we are hoping for a good turnout. The MECA Board will be meeting at Governor's August 15 to discuss the tournament and some other items of interest. Please check chessmaine.net for the agenda. Also let us know if there are any specific items that should be addressed at the annual board meeting coming up in the fall. One of the items that I'm proposing at our August 15 meeting is that a 2011 MECA membership be free for all who preregister for the tournament. This proposal comes from the fact that we have been unable to coordinate a player of the year competition for 2010, and members need to have incentives to be a part of MECA. I am hoping that between our upcoming Executive Board meeting and our annual MECA meeting in the fall we will be able to formulate a schedule for 2011 and a player of the year competition.
I appreciate the support that people continue to give to Maine chess. The events calendar has been busier this year than last. Thanks!
Don't forget to check out your local chess club before the summer is out! Often vacationers stop by and provide a new face to challenge.
Friday, April 30, 2010
April Action ... and Inaction
On the positive side, I'd like to say that the Freeport Open brought in by Alex Relyea was a success and a welcome addition to the Maine chess scene. The number of 65 participants was the largest turnout for a non-scholastic event in quite some time. Let's hope that this is a harbinger of things to come.
Usually April is a slow month that includes the State Closed Championship, but this year we are moving it to the month of August. We continue to iron out the details, and I hope to have them to you soon. The difficulty in coordinating schedules of MECA Board Members has been an obstacle that is problematic in setting and accomplishing goals. I realize that I, as president, need to bring about results to satisfy the MECA membership. I will continue to do my best to facilitate action.
April has seen representatives from the state travel to both the K-9 National Championships in Minneapolis and the K-12 National Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Hardware was brought back from both venues courtesy of some familiar names and newcomers. The two talented Matthews (Fishbein and Reale-Hatem) brought back a team trophy, rookies on the national scene, Jesse Amar and Jason Chubbock of Orono, also secured a team trophy, while MECA's own Vice-President, Maggie Bryan, came home with a trophy as she was tied for 18th in her section. Coming up the Deer Isle-Stonington elementary juggernaut will attend the K-6 Championships in Atlanta along with our fearless webmaster and his son Max from the Airline School. These scholastic events are terrific opportunities for scholastic players, and I strongly encourage attendance whenever one gets the opportunity.
In May the Grand Prix event in Bangor offers plenty of opportunities and sections for players. Then in June, the Chessmaine.net Championship is another chance to play some wonderful chess. I hope that we can continue to have a big event a month to draw some high quality chess in our state.
Usually April is a slow month that includes the State Closed Championship, but this year we are moving it to the month of August. We continue to iron out the details, and I hope to have them to you soon. The difficulty in coordinating schedules of MECA Board Members has been an obstacle that is problematic in setting and accomplishing goals. I realize that I, as president, need to bring about results to satisfy the MECA membership. I will continue to do my best to facilitate action.
April has seen representatives from the state travel to both the K-9 National Championships in Minneapolis and the K-12 National Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Hardware was brought back from both venues courtesy of some familiar names and newcomers. The two talented Matthews (Fishbein and Reale-Hatem) brought back a team trophy, rookies on the national scene, Jesse Amar and Jason Chubbock of Orono, also secured a team trophy, while MECA's own Vice-President, Maggie Bryan, came home with a trophy as she was tied for 18th in her section. Coming up the Deer Isle-Stonington elementary juggernaut will attend the K-6 Championships in Atlanta along with our fearless webmaster and his son Max from the Airline School. These scholastic events are terrific opportunities for scholastic players, and I strongly encourage attendance whenever one gets the opportunity.
In May the Grand Prix event in Bangor offers plenty of opportunities and sections for players. Then in June, the Chessmaine.net Championship is another chance to play some wonderful chess. I hope that we can continue to have a big event a month to draw some high quality chess in our state.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
March Moments
Scholastic championships are crowned in March, and many special moments occur. 2010 brought many special moments to new champions and not-so-new champions with new titles. At the forefront were Bangor High School winning the High School Team Championship outright and ending John Bapst's unprecedented run and our youngest K-12 Individual Champion, sixth grader Matthew Fishbein from Cape Elizabeth. The other team champions were Cape Elizabeth in Junior High, Deer Isle-Stonington in K-6, and the Breakwater School of Portland in K-3. Team titles from four different towns shows good balance in the state.
Individual champions crowned besides Fishbein included Ritvik Kumeran in K-3, Bethanny Humphrey in K-6, and a trio of champions in K-8 - Colin Smith, Wesley Parker, and All Girls Co-champ Haley Deluca Lowell. Fishbein's victory set a new standard for the next young phenom to shoot for; his victory advanced his rating past 1800 for the first time.
There were many other champions in reserve and novice sections as well as many performers exceeding expectations and gaining confidence with their games. The most exciting part of these proceedings was to see so much enthusiasm for chess and for these championships. All involved can celebrate the quality of these events and the ease in which these days passed without a major glitch. Thanks to all involved.
Another Presque Isle tournament and the 3rd John Bapst G/35 fundraiser also drew top competition to the board with Roger Morin and Steve Abrahams proving that their top ratings were well-deserved.
April has begun and there has already been a tournament in Houlton that despite only eight players drew an average rating of 1700. I would encourage players to make the trip up to "The County" for some great scenery and great chess.
The next exciting event is in Freeport on the 24th. It also has higher purses than usual and will be a good place to sharpen your game before the May 15-16 Grand Prix event in Bangor.
My next entry will announce specifics for the Maine Closed Championship to be held August 21-22.
Individual champions crowned besides Fishbein included Ritvik Kumeran in K-3, Bethanny Humphrey in K-6, and a trio of champions in K-8 - Colin Smith, Wesley Parker, and All Girls Co-champ Haley Deluca Lowell. Fishbein's victory set a new standard for the next young phenom to shoot for; his victory advanced his rating past 1800 for the first time.
There were many other champions in reserve and novice sections as well as many performers exceeding expectations and gaining confidence with their games. The most exciting part of these proceedings was to see so much enthusiasm for chess and for these championships. All involved can celebrate the quality of these events and the ease in which these days passed without a major glitch. Thanks to all involved.
Another Presque Isle tournament and the 3rd John Bapst G/35 fundraiser also drew top competition to the board with Roger Morin and Steve Abrahams proving that their top ratings were well-deserved.
April has begun and there has already been a tournament in Houlton that despite only eight players drew an average rating of 1700. I would encourage players to make the trip up to "The County" for some great scenery and great chess.
The next exciting event is in Freeport on the 24th. It also has higher purses than usual and will be a good place to sharpen your game before the May 15-16 Grand Prix event in Bangor.
My next entry will announce specifics for the Maine Closed Championship to be held August 21-22.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
February Kudos
The month of February provides many opportunities to hone one's chess skills which is particularly important for scholastics as they gear up for March Madness - the Team and Individual Championships at the University of Maine in Orono. The team event on the first Saturday of March has traditionally been the largest attended chess event in the state. It should be again this March 6.
I tip my hat this month to four people who have been crucial to chess in Maine and provided opportunities in February for all ages. First to Dick Powell, the longtime chess coach, from Deer Isle-Stonington - coming off his Super Bowl Saturday scholastic tournament tradition (now called the Joe Brown Memorial) - he organized three get-togethers in Ellsworth for area K-8 schools. Students from at least eight different schools attended his events. Dick also continued holding his Thursday night chess club, participated in the All Saints tournament, and was there to support his proteges at All Girls event.
Second to Steve Wong, longtime tournament director and coach in the Bangor area, he again hosted the All Saints Winter Warmup and provided homemade trophies to all his scholastic participants. Steve has been working with chess here in the Bangor area for at least twenty years. He has worked with numerous scholastic champions including his own children. There is no more enthusiastic TD than Steve.
Third to Roger Morin, veteran chess player and now tournament organizer and director in northern Maine, he has played in and thirty-three tournaments since his return to USCF rated events in 2007. All of these tournaments have been in Maine - primarily Bangor north. His passion for chess is unsurpassed, and now he has brought rated tournaments to Millinocket and Presque Isle.
And fourth to Dan Deluca, player, chess parent, tournament director, and chessmaine.net visionary, he continues to work tirelessly on making chess relevant to all Mainers. He has appealed to the casual by taking wonderful snapshots of participants, venues, and scenes from our Maine tournaments. Needless to say, as we mark the four-year anniversary of chessmane.net, we are thankful for the spark and visibility that the website has given to Maine chess.
To Dick, Steve, Roger, and Dan, thank you and keep your enthusiasm and passion for chess alive.
I tip my hat this month to four people who have been crucial to chess in Maine and provided opportunities in February for all ages. First to Dick Powell, the longtime chess coach, from Deer Isle-Stonington - coming off his Super Bowl Saturday scholastic tournament tradition (now called the Joe Brown Memorial) - he organized three get-togethers in Ellsworth for area K-8 schools. Students from at least eight different schools attended his events. Dick also continued holding his Thursday night chess club, participated in the All Saints tournament, and was there to support his proteges at All Girls event.
Second to Steve Wong, longtime tournament director and coach in the Bangor area, he again hosted the All Saints Winter Warmup and provided homemade trophies to all his scholastic participants. Steve has been working with chess here in the Bangor area for at least twenty years. He has worked with numerous scholastic champions including his own children. There is no more enthusiastic TD than Steve.
Third to Roger Morin, veteran chess player and now tournament organizer and director in northern Maine, he has played in and thirty-three tournaments since his return to USCF rated events in 2007. All of these tournaments have been in Maine - primarily Bangor north. His passion for chess is unsurpassed, and now he has brought rated tournaments to Millinocket and Presque Isle.
And fourth to Dan Deluca, player, chess parent, tournament director, and chessmaine.net visionary, he continues to work tirelessly on making chess relevant to all Mainers. He has appealed to the casual by taking wonderful snapshots of participants, venues, and scenes from our Maine tournaments. Needless to say, as we mark the four-year anniversary of chessmane.net, we are thankful for the spark and visibility that the website has given to Maine chess.
To Dick, Steve, Roger, and Dan, thank you and keep your enthusiasm and passion for chess alive.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Welcome to my new blog as president of the Maine Chess Association. I'm excited to help promote chess in an official capacity over the next two years.
The new year has already seen successful events in different parts of the state, success from Maine players across the border at the Portsmouth Open, and the announcement of a Grand Prix event to be held in Freeport. The events in Bangor and Old Town had decent turnouts despite weather playing a part in their schedules. Different players captured top honors and there were a number of upsets which made for good theatre as well as fun chess. I'm looking forward to similar reports in February from the scheduled events.
On another note, I'm looking for a tournament director or two who might be interested in running a tournament in southern Maine. I would be willing to assist if someone is looking for help. It would be nice if there was a rated tournament before the Freeport Open in April. It may be difficult at this juncture with the State Scholastics in March to pull it off, but, if anyone is willing to give it a shot, please let me know.
Right now I feel that a regular schedule of events would help tournament chess players set their schedules. I would like to have the State Closed Championship to return to its old cycle and occur in April, but that won't happen this year with the Freeport Open happening then and last year's happening so late.
I hope to meet with the executive board within the next month to discuss the direction of MECA. I am pleased to be taking leadership at a time when Maine affiliates rank among the top in the nation in the small state category and our website has been cited as one of the best in the country. I look forward to strengthening local clubs and having tournaments in new venues and different areas of the state during my term. Please contact me with any ideas that you think will help promote chess in Maine.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve Maine chess in official capacity.
Andy
The new year has already seen successful events in different parts of the state, success from Maine players across the border at the Portsmouth Open, and the announcement of a Grand Prix event to be held in Freeport. The events in Bangor and Old Town had decent turnouts despite weather playing a part in their schedules. Different players captured top honors and there were a number of upsets which made for good theatre as well as fun chess. I'm looking forward to similar reports in February from the scheduled events.
On another note, I'm looking for a tournament director or two who might be interested in running a tournament in southern Maine. I would be willing to assist if someone is looking for help. It would be nice if there was a rated tournament before the Freeport Open in April. It may be difficult at this juncture with the State Scholastics in March to pull it off, but, if anyone is willing to give it a shot, please let me know.
Right now I feel that a regular schedule of events would help tournament chess players set their schedules. I would like to have the State Closed Championship to return to its old cycle and occur in April, but that won't happen this year with the Freeport Open happening then and last year's happening so late.
I hope to meet with the executive board within the next month to discuss the direction of MECA. I am pleased to be taking leadership at a time when Maine affiliates rank among the top in the nation in the small state category and our website has been cited as one of the best in the country. I look forward to strengthening local clubs and having tournaments in new venues and different areas of the state during my term. Please contact me with any ideas that you think will help promote chess in Maine.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve Maine chess in official capacity.
Andy
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