For most BCF tournaments the entry fee is typically $17 for members/$27 for non members. Currently money raised by entry fees for a given tournament is divided into four sections for disbursement:
1. Tournament Expenses: (usually rating and TLA fees and TD compensation )
The USCF needs some money to process the rating of a tournament and sometimes the club pays for advertising in Chess Life. The BCF offers $30 - 40 fee (usually $10 / round) for the TD to direct (although a majority of TD's in a majority of events donate this back to the BCF.) Occasionally we have we have other immediate expenses, like running out of pens or pencils.
2. To the BCF overhead:
Depending on the size of the tournament 20% to 30% goes to the BCF to cover it's operating expenses: rent, heat, cable/phone, electricity, bottled water. Please note that this amount when combined with annual memberships has not covered the total general overhead BCF expenses for the past several years. If it weren't 't for the generosity of the membership to donate funds to the BCF, we would be running in the red. Fortunately, the members have been quite generous, and thankfully, with the donations we presently break about even with cash flow to expenses.
3. Other Moneys:
for BCF memberships and USCF membership paid that day and many people donate to the BCF to the TD.
4. Prize Money –
what is left (excluding section 3) - this means usually 70-75% of the entry fees is returned to the prize fund. This is divided among the prizes of winning players.
5) GM and IM entry fee and prize policy.
I don't know if BCF members realize that GMs and IMs receive free entry to all BCC events. Currently the entry fee is taken out of any prize money that the GM or IM might win. The idea being; that GM's & IM attendance raises the quality of the tournament and make it more attractive to everyone. This incentive is a common thing for clubs in the US. In addition the BCF Club Champion, currently Chris Chase, also plays for free. The original thinking was that the subtraction of the entry fee from the GM/IM prize money helps defray overhead expenses so it’s only the prize money pool that is affected.
The board is in the middle of a debate about eliminating the entry fee garnish and giving the whole cash prize to IM & GM's. For many reasons this discussion has become a hot potato. For example with two directors who are IM's it appears they will recuse themselves due to potential conflict of interest reasons. None the less the debate is hot and the final decision has not been made.
In addendum:
6) Cell phone penalty
Bernardo Iglesias proposed to adopt the USCF rule regarding cell phones thus reconciling BCF rules with the USCF:
- A) First offense results in a penalty of 10 minutes or half the remaining time from a player's clock (whichever is less);
- B) Second (and subsequent) offense for the same player during the same event is loss of the game. The board unanimously approved the motion. Posters to alert players to the rule change will be made.
Personally I think there should be sanctions to bystanders that have phones that ring.
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Tournament Schedule changes:
The May 1st quads will be moved to May 8, to accommodate a MACA event; the May 8 event will be moved to May 22; Bernardo will schedule an alternate tournament for the 1st.
Lecture series to come:
Dave Vigorito will give our next lecture on March 10th, and we will set a goal of doing a lecture a month for six months. Marc Esserman volunteered to do a lecture at some point, as did Charles Riordan. The fees will be $20 for non-members and $10 for members.
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Does anyone have any suggestion for the subject material of these future lectures?
What are you feeling about the GM/IM prize formula?
Please Comment.
Thank You
Mike Griffin
02/23/2010
