The Gap Chess Club Annual General Meeting 2004

Report by Patrick Byrom (Junior Club Coordinator)

I replaced Max Leskiewicz as the junior coach in February this year. At that stage, there were seven children attending the club. Unfortunately, two of those were visitors from the UK who immediately transferred to a nearer club (and then returned to Britain at the end of the first term). Three other players did not return after the first night for various reasons, leaving only two regulars. In Term 2, the club gained two new regular players (Cameron and Shannon Farlow) and several other players from the Gap SS also came for a few weeks. However, our two continuing players from Term 1 had to move to NSW when their father was employed there at the end of Term 2. During Term 3, the only regular attendees were the Farlows. They left at the end of the term, and the club had zero attendance in Term 4. As a result, I have decided to cease coaching at the Junior Club on November 19th, and will not be continuing next year.

I was optimistic when I took over the club, as I have been successful in improving small attendances at other junior clubs. But I do not believe that I could now achieve anything more by continuing next year. Attempts to increase membership (by myself and others) during the year were unsuccessful. I wrote to all the schools in the vicinity, informing them of the club. And I placed notices at the nearby Shopping Centre. Neither of these resulted in any new members. Several parents also publicised the club at their children's schools, also without success.

There has been a general decline in junior clubs in Brisbane. The once flourishing Nundah/Northside Junior Club has completely disappeared. The Ironside club has continued after its move to Mt Ommaney, although with much-reduced numbers. Only the Southside club has managed to sustain its numbers. The major problem at the Gap appears to be the lack of feeder schools nearby. None of the schools has chess coaching (despite the best efforts of both QSC and Gardiner Chess), and only the Gap SS seems to have a significant number of junior chess players. Another problem the club has faced has been plain bad luck, starting with the loss of several juniors due to their parents moving, and culminating with my broken arm (which required hospitalisation).

On the bright side, I have enjoyed coaching the juniors at the club, and it has cost me relatively little - mainly some wasted time. There has been no cost to the Gap Chess Club itself, as I was paid purely from my (meagre) earnings. I believe that it would be possible to revive the junior club, if the Gap Club can find somebody who is prepared to undertake significant promotional effort in the Gap area to generate chess activity in the nearby schools, which will then provide players for the junior club.

I would like to thank the Gap Chess Club for the opportunity to coach at the club, and also thank the Farlows for their support. And finally thanks to Debbie Jenkins, Brian Willcock and Ray Adams who filled in for me when I was absent.

Patrick Byrom

October 25 2004