11 year old Bob Seltzer plays 3 members of the then NBA World Champion Boston Celtics.
If you can't identify the three basket ball legends above; ask Bob Kilmer or click on the link below the picture before your neighbors find out and run you out of town on a rail. I exaggerate a little; after all they did play on a "Yankee" team. But this is Kentucky the home of fast horses, bourbon, and basketball.
I wanted to find a picture that might be of interest and not be "political" in nature as an intro to my rambling observations of 2010. I guess I reflect my age as the photo is in black and white.
In 2010 the Club suffered from an internal struggle to change from our casual chess tete-a-tete's to a more structured affair with rules and regulations that virtually choked the fun out of the Club. As a result we lost on odd member or two but rebounded even stronger than before. By popular vote it was decided that the only rule was that there were no rules! Except of course for those laid down by USCF. Actually we are a little more structured now; but without the staid stiffness of the country clubs of yore.
E Pluribus Unium should strike a familiar cord with you; translated from the Latin that appears on the everyday coins you carry in your purse or pocket; it means... Out of many one! As it happens the E-town Chess Club is exactly that...a meeting of like, but different souls who share a common interest in chess! The sage sexagenarian (like Andrew Preston), the confident mid lifer (like Nick Folino and Ernie Weaver), the rebellious teen (like Andrew Lee and Kerry Fatula) , and the chess neophyte of all ages come together to play individually under the canape of the Elizabethtown Chess Club.
2010 saw the introduction of dues for the first time. Included in our 20 dues paying members are 3 Life Members who antied up $100 each as an expression of their belief in the Club. It is significant to note that all the Life Members have a rating below 1200; I believe we should keep that in mind when we begin to spend the club treasury. I was queried by a member as to why I didn't become a Life Member; it must be the Scottish part of my ancestry kicking in as I had already paid to participate in all the 2010 Tuesday Tournaments in advance. Rest assured that I intend to be the 4th Life Member at our first meeting in 2011; joining Sal Mancuso, Stephanie Clayton, and Dave Brock.
Congratulations to Rudy McKinney for becoming the first member of 2011 by winning the "Under 1400" Section of the "Remember Pearl Harbor" Tournament! Johnny Owens became the second member of 2011 by winning the "Open" Section.
2010 saw Johnny Owens becoming a USCF delegate representing the state of Kentucky at the annual USCF business meetings. That's a feature in the cap of both Johnny and the Club.
Stephanie Clayton placed 1st in her class at the Kentucky Open, winning $100 cash!
The Club hosted the Bluegrass State Games for the second year in a row.
Stephanie Clayton and Steve Parsons put together the 2nd Annual Veteran's Tournament; and guaranteed the prize fund!
The Club gained 407 rating points during 2010 with Gelvic Cubar gaining 199 points to take the "Most Improved" title!
The economy directly impacted on the Club with two members changing jobs, one taking an additional job, and one put on "mandatory overtime" for the majority of the year.
All in all it was a very good year for the Club with Joe Farrell winning the 2010 Club Championship in the last game of the December Tournament!
Looking forward to next year I hope for more members to consider running for office; better attendance; and new members. Johnny has already submitted the Chess Life advertisement to USCF for our 2011 "Spring Tournament" and has negotiated a deal to advertise our Second Tuesday Tournaments for free in a couple of issues.
Any ideas for 2011 would be appreciated; you may present your idea to any of the Club officers and I guarantee that they will all be considered.
