11.11.22 Maine Chess Association president Michael Dudley reports on the state of chess in Maine in his open letter to the Maine chess community.

November 11, 2022

Dear Maine Chess Community,

With the Maine chess season underway, and National Chess Day in the rearview mirror, we are on track to yet another amazing series of tournaments and events. The National Chess Day tournament in Hampden, hosted by Hampden Academy, boasted an impressive 74 players, more so than have ever played at a single NCD tournament in Maine. With a wide range of schools participating, the National Chess Day tournament in Maine is surely signaling that we're in for a banner year.

Meanwhile, the Maine Chess Association is in transition. With several spots on the board and in the officer ranks coming open, MECA is in need of new leadership in several critical roles. We need a new President, Secretary, and Treasurer, in addition to new Directors to fill the board leadership. Several committees, such as the Scholastic Planning Committee and the Roger J. Morin Scholarship Committee will be in need of folks who can move important work forward in service to the chess community in Maine.

These roles can seem gargantuan, as can the task of planning and organizing events. They needn't be. At its final board meeting for 2022, MECA has voted into ratification a new set of bylaws that will clarify board and officer roles and responsibilities and formalize the ability of officers to delegate work to capable members of the board or the association. The new bylaws also establish the roles of standing committees that advise the board on matters of organizational direction, finance, fundraising, scholastic planning, and the processing of awarding our college scholarships. These bylaws will take effect on December 31, 2022, pending disclosure to our incorporating attorneys and from US Chess.

The Maine Chess Association is in need of help from its membership like never before. New leadership is needed to move MECA forward at every level. I ask you emphatically: please consider giving back to the Maine chess community by running for a board spot, an officer position, or by joining a committee. If you have questions about a particular role or are interested in a nomination in this year's upcoming board election, please contact me at mdudley@chessmaine.org.

Further, in advance of the end of this tax year and the beginning of the second, I am writing to ask all of you to consider becoming a monthly patron, which you can do at https://www.chessmaine.org/donate. Donations to the Maine Chess Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, are fully deductible to the greatest extent allowed by law. In particular, becoming a monthly patron splits your donation between three different MECA administered funds: the General Fund, the Scholastic Fund, and the Roger J. Morin Scholarship Fund. Check your emails in December for a reminder, either to become a monthly patron or to give a one-time donation.

To close, I want to share with you a particular point of pride that I have in the Maine Chess Association as I round out this last term as President. In the ratification of the bylaws, the Maine Chess Association finally made formal its mission of Connecting Mainers Through Chess, a mission I have come to thoroughly believe in and dedicate myself to seeing through. We also have a new vision for the Maine Chess Association: To bring chess to the forefront of Maine community and culture. I am so proud that the Maine Chess Association is now an organization dedicated to community service through chess, and with a vision to bring chess to all Mainers. I hope this will inspire you to come aboard and help lead the Maine Chess Association into its best years yet!

See you over the board,

Michael C. Dudley
President
Maine Chess Association