Illinois Chess Bulletin Julio - Agosto 2002 | Page 5

President Podium President’s Podium By Kevin L. Bachler Who Is the ICA? Kevin L. Bachler This article originally ran in November of 2001. Due to the special mailing of this ICB, I have chosen to re-run this article (with a few edits) as my normal president’s podium. Even if you think you are not interested in the ICA, it might be interesting for you if you took a few moments to read this article to learn about the ICA and what we do. I thank you in advance for your time, and consideration. - KLB I’ve played tournament chess for 30 years. During that time I have sometimes seen a tension between chess players downstate and those in the metro area. Or have seen this tension between the local club player and more active tournament players. This tension can perhaps be best described in the single phrase, “Why do they blackmail me into joining the ICA?” This statement really conveys at least two messages. The first message is a sense of anger at having to join the ICA to play in a tournament. Just why does that organizer force you to pay extra just to play chess? The second reason is a lack of understanding about what the ICA is about, and what the money is used for or why these dues are important. By explaining more what ICA is and what it is about, we hope more players will become more interested in the ICA, because we are a volunteer organization, formed by players to further the our chess enjoyment. So just who is the ICA, why is it important, and what are those dues for? What and Who is the ICA? The ICA is the Illinois Chess Association. It is officially an Illinois not-for-profit corporation. It is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, which means that it can accept charitable contributions and that the donor may receive a tax deduction for that donation. The ICA is also the official state affiliate of the U.S. Chess Federation. So the ICA really is a very official organization. Most of what the ICA accomplishes is due to volunteer efforts. The ICA is not a service organization. That is, it does not provide services to make a profit. The ICA is a volunteer organization where Illinois players who care about promoting chess have gotten together to have tournaments, championships, a state magazine to document important state events, and so on. Illinois Chess Bulletin President Kevin Bachler 2144 Manor Lane Park Ridge, IL 60068 Home(847) 698-9365 Cell [phone] Work [phone] [email protected] om Metro Vice President Tim Just 37165 Willow Lane Gurnee, IL 60031 [phone] [email protected] Downstate Vice President Garrett Scott 202 Foster Dr. Normal, IL 61761 [phone] Secretary Roger Birkeland 712 S. Harvard Av. Addison, IL 60101 [phone] [email protected] Treasurer Howard Cohen 10482 Anne Ct #2-E Rosemont, IL 60018-3520 [phone] [email protected] ICA Tour Statistician Membership Secretary Bill Smythe 7042 N. Greenview Av. 1-S Chicago, IL 60626-2833 [phone] [email protected] WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.illinoischess.org ICA Tour Statistician Membership Secretary & Calendar Bill Smythe 7042 N. Greenview Avenue 1-S Chicago, IL 60626-2833 [phone] [email protected] Helen Warren Junior Chess Program PO Box 305 Western Springs,