This week’s Chess in Canada!
For the discerning chess player
Eric Van Dusen was elected on a relatively clear and simple platform that emphasized the need for improved communication! We now know what that really means: in the 4 months since van Dusen was elected there has only been one (!) GL. Van Dusen wrote in this solitary GL:”I am humbled by the trust that you have put in me and I will try my best to live up to your trust… As for the forthcoming year, I am blessed with a terrific team on the CFC Executive.” Undoubtedly the CFC membership and Governors must also feel humbled by now, and maybe even a bit pissed off! For Eric the word ‘‘terrific” must not have the same exciting connotations as it does for the rest of the known universe…
It also scares me when Van Dusen writes ”As for the lower priority ones, I will try to respond as humanly possible…” Surely he means as slowly as humanly possible…
It strikes me as strange that someone would want to run for the Presidency of the CFC without having internet connection. It is almost 2010, isn’t it? Perhaps strange is the wrong word: irresponsible seems more precise a description of Van Dusen’s laisser-faire attitude to his role as President of a national organization.
In anycase, after 4 months of being in office, one would think that what ever obstacle that prevented him from having internet connection at home would have been successfully negotiated by now…perhaps the Mrs. has not given Eric permission!? (Just promise to cut down on the porn!)
To be fair, however, Mr. Van Dusen did make a posting of some sort this month on the CFC message board! In response to Mr. McKillop’s persistent needling about the Trillium grant (120,000 dollars) and the resulting controversy of how it was confiscated (is this an appropriate word here?) by an officer of the CFC, Van Dusen wrote (november 2):
”Hi Peter,Please contact the President of the Ontario Chess Association, Chris Mallon, and the Vice-President, Michael von Kietz for further updates regarding the Investigation Report.”
Just hours later Mr. Mallon wrote on the same message board:
”Heh. Don’t bother contacting me… all I know is what I’ve read here!”
Are we members of the CFC supposed to NOT notice that Van Dusen’s one and only message this month showed him in a less than intelligent light?
I suppose the CFC does not really deserve better… but what ever the case, things can not go on like this forever. Sooner or later (my guess is some time this coming week) GL 2 is bound to appear. The bad news is that Van Dusen will probably put his foot into his mouth again…and this will provide some material for next week’s CIC (pronouced sic)!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS