Chess Mom Kelly Jacobs

Dear Chess Mom Kelly Jacobs,

I have not been mailing anything to you. You are not on my mailing list. Probably, you either have a different address or somebody is forwarding my mail to you or you are in a chess discussion group.

I am completely in favor of chess for children. Four of my children are members of the USCF. The majority of all USCF members are either scholastic members or youth members. For this reason, I believe that the USCF should completely re-orient itself in favor of servicing its members, which are primarily children.

I am not opposed to chess grandmasters. Indeed, I encourage them to improve their job skills and to seek suitable employment as dishwashers.

However, you must understand that there is a real problem here. Only 453 members of the USCF are allowed to vote and, among those 453, 222 are life members. The overwhelming majority of all USCF voting members are really really old old people. Yet, these are the people I must get to vote for me so that I can kick them out.

If I could make enough children to vote them out, that might work, but it will take me a while to do that and meanwhile the ballots will be mailed in July.

Another problem: Many candidates claim to be exactly the opposite from what they really are. They used to claim that they were in favor of One Member One Vote, when they were actually opposed. Although they have dropped that pretense, they now claim to be in favor of joining the Internet revolution. Yet, these self styled "revolutionaries" do not have a web site or any Internet presence other than an e-mail address, whereas the average 10th grade high school kid now has a web site.

Right now, I am fighting a mini-battle against an organizer who sold bottled water to the players at the National Elementary School Championship in Arizona last month, because he says it would have been too expensive to have containers of water brought in. He seems to have overlooked the fact that the players paid entry fees and he earned a sizable profit from the event. The event was held outdoors on a hot day.

Among the candidates for election, several want to raise the dues paid by youth and scholastic members so that the kids can pay "their fair share". During this campaign, they have not mentioned this but that was their position before the campaign started.

As to why these candidates would want to charge a little kid more money to join the USCF, they say that it is actually the parents who pay and these parents have lots and lots of money, so they can afford it.

I am opposed to this. I feel that we are already extorting too much money out of the kids. Also, the parents of many children join on impulse. Most child members do not renew. If we charge more, they will think three times before joining.

In answer to your real question, I am hereby giving publicity to your Oak Grove Central Elementary School championship tournament, in Hernando, MS, to be held on Saturday July 24th 1999, by sending this letter to a whole bunch of people.

Sam Sloan



At 10:03 AM 6/10/99 EDT, KellitaJ@aol.com wrote:
>Dear Mr. Sloan,
> I keep receiving copies of your "chess battle letters," I do not know
>why since I made no request that I recall other than to receive the monthly
>chess news digest.
> But in reading them I wonder why is it that you will make so much
>time to write long argumentative uglies, but do not take a few moments to
>respond to my request that PROMOTES CHESS TO CHILDREN?
> There has been no chess for children in our county of 95,000 people
>ever. We are trying to get something going and could use some support! I
>doubt people will drive from long distances to come to Mississippi, but you
>could help by at least putting us onto your chess map!
> Surely the drain of all of your fighting could be bolstered by
>something good done on the side? Perhaps you are doing this, but those of us
>who are receiving all of these letters, only see the bleakness of greed not
>any fun with chess.
>Sincerely,
>Mrs. Kelly Jacobs
>a Chess Mom
>CHESS THIS SUMMER!
>Come to the Tiger Scholastic Chess Tournament!
>At Oak Grove Central Elementary School, in Hernando, MS
>½ hour south of Memphis, TN.
>Sat. July 24th 1999 K-12th New Grades
> Every entrant will receive a chess medallion or trophy.
> Door Prizes and Savings Bonds to highest grade achiever!
>The Sections are: K-4th, 5th-6th and 7th-12th new grades.
>Our TD will be Bill Cummings, and will be well organized and
>kid friendly. See our advertisement in the July issues of
>School Mates and Chess Life Magazines.
>8 am registration, 9 am start time. 6 rounds game in 30.
>We will have a chess hospital, with MS State Chess Champion Ellis Jones being
>our residing "Chess Doctor", a bughouse chess tent, (see
>http://bughouse.net/) a Pokemon Pavillion and a Celebration Station for
>dancing and gong ringing when you win your round of chess!
>Camp at Lake Arkabutla, (Hernando Point) which is just 10 minutes south of
>the School for a fun weekend!
>For Information about this chess tournament please call Mrs. Jacobs at
>662-429-4412, or e-mail : kellitaj@aol.com.
>Pre-Registration cost $10.00 if before July 17th.
>$15.00 at the door, if there is still room.
>Seating Limited so sign-up now!
>Directions: I-55, take exit 280 Hernando, turn right at stop sign (West
>Commerce), at 2nd light (hwy. 51) turn left. Drive 5 blocks, turn right after
>Chevron Station onto W. Oak Grove. School is on the left after stop sign.
>Wheelchair accessible.
>Absolutely no tobacco products allowed on school grounds.
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>- - - - - - - - -
>Mail this entry form and check made payable to CHESS TOURNAMENT: OGCES 893
>West Oak Grove, Hernando, MS 38632 or
>e-mail your pre-registration information to: kellitaj@aol.com
>
>Your Name_____________________________ Your new grade? _________
>Your School? ________________________Name of chess coach___________
>Your Scholastic Chess ID number?___________________________You must be a
>member of the US Chess Federation to play. ( To join the cost is $12.00
>membership fee for one year of School Mates Magazine. Participants in the MS
>State Championship must also be Scholastic members. See www.uschess.org. for
>more information)
>Your address?________________________________________________________
>Your telephone Number? ____________________________________________
>Your e-mail address? _________________________________________________
>Would you like to also purchase our Special Limited Edition Chess Tournament
>T-shirt for $10.00? (Circle) yes/no
>sizes: Youth Med. or Lg., Adults Sm., Med., Lg., or XL.
>(circle size)
>Total enclosed for shirt(s): $_____________ Total for entry(s) $____________
>

Here are links:
Sam Sloan's Chess Page

My Home Page


Contact address - please send e-mail to the following address: Sloan@ishipress.com