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Oklahoma Quick Chess Championship in
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In May 2004, Frank Berry filed the following Advance Delegate Motion for a vote of the USCF's governing body at the 2004 USCF Annual Delegates Meeting to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 14-15 August. Advance Delegates Motion 04-22 submitted by Frank Berry and promoted
at the USCF Annual Delegates Meeting with his brother Jim Berry. This single sentence motion, if approved by the assembled USCF Delegates at their annual meeting, would revoke the Oklahoma Chess Association's USCF State Chapter Affiliate and award it to Jim Berry's Oklahoma Chess Foundation. There was no justification or other information provided with the motion to support it. The only supporting information was a very misleading single sheet flier distributed by Frank and Jim Berry at the 2004 USCF Annual Meeting. Contrary to what is stated on the flier, Susan Polgar was NOT a supporter of ADM 04-22. After being notified by the USCF of this motion, the OCA leadership assessed the situation. We then drafted documentation to be presented in Fort Lauderdale to support the OCA's position that it has every right to continue as the USCF State Chapter Affiliate. The cover letter for the OCA Response to ADM 04-22 is presented below, with the entire document including attachments linked HERE (213kb pdf). The OCA leadership also prepared a document that presents in detail the OCA Fulfillment of USCF Duties and Responsibilities of USCF State Affiliates. Arkansas Chess Association President Bill Beck granted unused Delegate's Credentials to OCA President Chuck Unruh. Northern California's USCF State Chapter President and newly elected USCF Executive Board Member Elizabeth Shaughnessy granted unused Delegate Credentials to OCA Treasurer Jim Gray, OCA Secretary Mike Swatek and OSCO President Steve Sawyer. The OCA leadership were well prepared to present the OCA's opposition to the motion with supporting information. After many of the delegates had visited with Frank Berry, he chose to withdraw the motion as recommended by the OCA. Regretfully, Frank and Jim Berry also chose to resign their OCA membership at the time they withdrew ADM 04-22. We do hope they will reconsider in the near future. Thanks for your support of Oklahoma Chess. Oklahoma Chess Association Response to ADM 04-22 by Oklahoma Delegate Frank Berry Former OCA leaders who lost control of the Policy Board at the June 2003 Annual Meeting formed the Oklahoma Chess Foundation (OCF) in July 2003. At that time, the OCF leaders stated their objective to be the destruction of the USCF State Chapter OCA and to replace it as such. Their actions since that time on many occasions have supported that stated objective. Upon the formation of the OCF, most assets of the OCA were converted to the use of the OCF without authorization, leaving the OCA with only:
After a challenge of the OCA election results by the OCF, the USCF States Committee issued its Decision on Oklahoma which found the election to be legal and recommended that the OCF leaders participate in the next OCA annual election. The OCF leaders chose to NOT abide by this USCF recommendation or accept the invitation of the OCA leadership to participate in the State Chapter’s established election process. USCF membership is inadequate for Oklahoma to have two State Chapters. So, State Chapter Affiliate revocation would have to precede any granting of this status to another qualified organization. The OCF has made no formal attempt to utilize the processes explicitly allowed for in the USCF Bylaws to revoke Membership of the State Chapter Affiliate. The OCA is ready to present convincing evidence that it has met or exceeded the published Duties and Responsibilities for a USCF State Chapter Affiliate, and their intent. The OCF has not properly applied with credentials, per the USCF Bylaws, to become the USCF State Chapter Affiliate. ADM 04-22 is an attempt to circumvent the USCF Bylaws regarding this and the prior paragraph. If Frank Berry does not withdraw ADM 04-22, the OCA is reluctantly prepared to present compelling evidence that the OCF has not fulfilled the Duties and Responsibilities of a USCF State Chapter, and has behaved in a manner unbecoming of one. We appreciate that the OCF has organized some nice tournaments and is planning more, which the OCA remains willing to support. The new business model of the OCA now encourages organization and directing of tournaments by others to facilitate more Oklahoma chess activity. The Oklahoma Scholastic Chess Organization is the OCA designated affiliate now responsible for scholastic affairs. OSCO has fulfilled their obligation as such to focus on serving the special needs of younger chess players, their organizers and parents. This new OCA leadership approach has facilitated very significant positive results in its first year, for the full spectrum of Oklahoma chess players. The OCF has scheduled tournaments that conflict with all OCA tournaments in 2004. There were 140 Oklahoma attendees at OCA tournaments on these weekends, while only 49 chose to participate in the OCF events. The most recent instance was on the 26-27 June weekend of the OCA’s Oklahoma Open State Championship and Annual Meeting. On that weekend 58 Oklahoma players chose to participate in the Oklahoma Open, while only 15 were at the OCF’s event, which even included a very generously paid GM. The OCA submits that the very positive direction of the Oklahoma chess metrics attached, and recent tournament participation during conflicting events, clearly indicates the OCA is fulfilling its obligations to the USCF and in good standing with the vast majority of Oklahoma’s USCF members. The Oklahoma Chess Association requests that all USCF Delegates vote against ADM 04-22. The OCA also requests that Frank and Jim Berry be required to follow proper procedures as explicitly provided for in the USCF Bylaws regarding any further actions initiated regarding the USCF Oklahoma State Chapter Affiliate. Respectfully, National Master Chuck Unruh President, Oklahoma Chess Association
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