| Parrthenon 2004-11-29, 12:46 am |
| <<Based on his past experience with Chess Horizons and other chess publcations,
I would say Tim is marginally qualified to be the USCF's Editor. However, some
of the people who have held that job over the years have not appeared to be
highly qualified for the job either. Several years ago the EB passed an
internal rule that Board members could not become USCF employees until two
years after their service on the Board ended. Has this Board reviewed that
policy or changed it?
Perhaps the Delegates should codify such a rule within the USCF Bylaws. (I
think two years might be a bit extreme, six months strikes me as being
sufficient.)
However, I would also note that I have served on the boards or been otherwise
involved with several other non-profits. At least two of them have had board
members apply for or become employees, it is hardly an unusual occurrence. I
was encouraged to apply for the ED position of a local non-profit art center
while serving on its board and was one of the finalists.>> -- Mike Nolan
Ah well. The first portion of the "rumor" is no longer a rumor. Tim Hanke was
laid off from his job. I think Mike, the loyalist to whomever holds power, may
be relied upon, along with the other sources I have.
The second portion of the rumor was that Tim joked or spoke about becoming
Chess Life editor. There is still no denial of this second portion, though
there is outrage against this writer for reporting it. I am not yet prepared to
place rumor in quotation marks, but we are reaching that point.
Mike Nolan is likely trying to prepare you folks for what's coming next. I
don't know what non-profit for which Mike claims he was offered a job, but I do
know the political culture of the USCF. Eighteen months to two years is about
the right period between Board service and moving into a Federation job.
Unlike Mike, I think Tim Hanke is NOT marginally qualified to become editor. I
think he is EMINENTLY qualified for the job: he knows chess and he can, when he
wishes, write up a storm. His account of the Fischer-Spassky 1992 match was the
best single article I have ever read in any chess magazine anywhere, which I
hate to admit because ... well, ahem...
But Tim cannot just step into the job from Board service. There must be an
interval of at least 18 months and, preferably, two years. Same goes for
Beatriz as a future Executive Director.
One thing is clear: if the line is breached between the EB and the Office for
the few cherry positions at the USCF, then the politics of the Federation will
make hiring decent people completely impossible.
Yours, Larry Parr
________________________________________________________________
"FIDE has made its decision. Players who refuse to be drug tested will not be
able to play chess." -- Dr. Press, co-founder of the FIDE Medical Commission.
|