174th Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting was held in St Stephen's Church Hall and chaired by President, Jim Keene. Worcester City Club members had, as usual, contributed to the game more generally. Andrew farthing had been appointed to the voluntary post of Strategic Planning Officer for the English Chess Federation, and Ray Collett is Worcestershire's Council member for the ECF. Both Ray and Andrew are Committee members of the Midland Counties Chess Union. Four members have represented Worcestershire first team in over-the-board matches and Jim Keene has captained the County correspondence side. Andrew Farthing won the Bennett Cup competition of Worcester & District Chess Legaue.
Financial matters. Pat Greenow presented the Hon Treasurer's report and the budget for the 2009-10 season. It was agreed that the membership fees would rise for the first time in over 10 years. From September 2010 the fees would normally be £30 and concessions £20 for the 2009-10 season. The visitor fee would remain at £2 per night.
County Team Captains' Reports. The Club had for the first time in many years fielded three teams in League chess during the 2008-9 season.
- Ray Collett, Captain of the Worcestershire Division 1 side, said that the club had finished 5th out of 6, a little unlucky to lose two matches by the slenderest of margins. Ray thought this was a resonable performance given that one member had been unable to play during the first half of the season.
- Captain of the newly promoted Worcester Bishops side, Andrew Farthing, had played in Division 1 of the Worcester & District League, but the team had been outgraded and came bottom. This was a creitable performance because the other sides had outgraded the Worcester City players.
- Roger Yates presented the Captain's report for Worcester Pawns who played in Division 2 of Worcester & District League. The team had won 2 matches, drawn 1 and lost 7 to come 5 out of six sides.
- In the Wheatley Cup knock-out handicap tournament, Worcester City had lost to Greenlands and in the Worcester & District League team knock-out tournament City are due to meet Kidderminster in a much delayed second round game.
Plans for 2009-10. Although one member was keen to enter a County Division League 2 side, members agreed to defer a decision until the County Executive meeting in August when members' availability and the number of matches would be known. Ray Collet was asked to devise internal competitions for next season so that ungraded players who might not be strong enough for selection into City sides would be able to play games that would allow them to become nationally graded. Stronger players were encouraged to coach others. Members agreed to meet for the new Winter season on Thursday 3 September at St Stephen's Church Hall. In the mean time members would try to get a new venue for the Summer now that the club to find a new venue. The Cardinal's Hat, Friar Street was suggested.
Other Worcestershire Chess Competitions. Andrew Farthing said he was helping to organise the Worcestershire Open Chess Congress to be held 25 and 26 July at Catshill, Bromsgrove, the first Worcestershire weekend congress of the 21st century.